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| Lived 1.5 mi NE of Mazie, Oklahoma6George played a fiddle in a band when he was a young man. Turkey in the straw was a favorite of his for the remainder of his life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Had migraine headaches most of adult life. Surgery for enlarged prostate in the late 1950's. Leg removed due to aneurysm in July 1967, and Alzheimer's in final years.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Called Blanche.6 Born in Sod House where her parents homesteaded in the land rush opening Indian Territory two years before in 1889. See Martin Winters Autobiography.2 The settlement of Downs was moved 1/2 miles South to be on a railroad, which later came through.29 The settlement of Downs was renamed during the Spanish American War in memory of Roy Cashion, the first American boy to fall in that war.2 An avid flower gardener, who always had iris, roses, and many other flowers in her well tended beds. She also bred, raised and showed African violets, with passion and success.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mysterious March by Blanche Winters Lauterbach When the gentle lamb in soft raiment, Whispers to Earth a breath of Spring, Then the golden jonquils lying dormant, Abundant life and beauty brings. 'Tis then all life in concealment, Awakes to the tune of the Robins call, For hopping and skipping in shear allurement, Our red-breasted friend is first of all. Then whoa! says the bold roaring lion, As he scurries from out of the north, Scattering snow flurries over the scions, Suddenly seizing the March month. Now, in the last of its days in my rhyme, Was born a mother and babe of my time, The Irish mother a German Hun knew, And for me a George William grew. (Found in her papers. PLH) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nearly deaf and severe osteoarthritis most of adult life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anecdotes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| People outside the family were always saying that our little 4 foot 7 inch grandmother was "so sweet." My cousins and I were confused about whom they could be referring. They just didn't know the same tiny woman we did. As a child the only things I remember fearing were Grandma's butter paddle and the horrible possibility that she might wash my ears if I didn't get them clean enough. That would mean real pain. She was the most tactless person I have ever known. In life she always managed to be the center of attention, and now, though long gone, whenever several of us gather she still manages to be the most frequent topic of discussion. I somehow think it pleases her. Many years later my first cousins will remember most of these famous, (at least to us), quotations below. "Papa always taught me to be forthright." - Her justification for tactless insulting of anyone. "This is John's other wife, Doris." - Whenever introducing her only daughter-in-law to anyone. Doris was John's only wife with almost 53 years together. "A daughter is a daughter for all of your life. A son is a son until he takes a wife. And it's the truth." - Always spoken within earshot of son John or daughter-in-law Doris. "If anyone ever loved John, it was Ellen." - Usually spoken to, but always spoken within earshot of, Doris. "My girls are small, but Doris is a big woman." - Always spoken within earshot of Doris. "I'll bet it's a big one!" - Doris had kindly taken Grandma for a doctor's appointment. After taking Blanche's blood pressure, the nurse suggested also taking Doris' pressure, as she had recently had a heart attack. As the nurse was pumping up the cuff, Grandma said, "I'll bet it's a big one!" Doris said that after that statement, her blood pressure was the highest it had ever been read. "Did you have angelfood cake for dinner, Doris?" - After discovering a missing (store bought) angelfood cake from her pantry. "You too, Patty? I'd expect it of Paul LaMarr." - Upon our confession that Patty and I had stolen and partially eaten the angelfood cake. (We buried the rest, to hide the evidence). "Isn't that girl ever going to stop growing?" - Upon Sandra entering the room, at about age 10. Sandra finally topped out at 5' 6". "Well, Sammy sure got all the looks in that family!" - Upon Sammy's sister Sarah Beth entering the room, at about age 10. Sarah was actually a rather pretty little girl. "It'll take three big nigers to clean this place up! I wonder if I can get Helen to come and do it?" - Upon returning home from the hospital and discovering her favorite grandson had made a mess of the house. Helen lived and worked 600 miles away in Chicago at the time. (Grandma was never very politically correct). "You've changed your hair, Mercy. It makes your face look fat. Do you want your face to look fat, Mercy?" - Upon meeting her nephew Glen's wife Mercedes in the bank in Pryor. "Kick that cat!" - An instruction to me once when she was using a walker and I was helping her up the steps into her house. A cat was sitting on the side of the steps. "I wonder who Richie got those little beady eyes from?" - Difficult to explain, but... One early evening when Doris, Helen, John, Richie, and I were playing dominos, talking, laughing, and having fun around the big oak kitchen table, and Grandma wanted us to stop and make her the center of attention. Richie was about 12 years old at the time, and her comment sure stopped the playing, just as she planned. That's the one time I really thought I might throttle her! "Oh, were you using the light?" - One late evening my mother, Helen, and I were sitting in my grandmother's living room talking. At the time Mother lived in Chicago and I lived in Texas so we didn't get to see each other often. We had decided to meet one long weekend at Grandmother's home near Mazie. Grandma had gone upstairs and gone to bed, we thought. Suddenly she walked into the living room in her nightgown, looked at us, and turned out the light, leaving us in complete darkness. I picked up my cigarette lighter and lit it, so its little flame flickered like a candle. That's when Grandma ask her silly question, "Oh, were you using the light?" She actually managed to sound surprised. She had removed her hearing aid so it was impossible to communicate with her. You had to know her to understand that she just couldn't stand for us to be talking without her being in the room. And she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Since she was deaf we certainly were not disturbing her sleep, other than she might miss something, so we were to also go to bed. 6 I hope my cousins will send me any "Famous" Blanche quotations that I have forgotten to include. (PLH) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| And these "Famous Blanche Quotations" recently provided by cousin Patty, Patricia Lee Lauterbach Stanford, in July 2003: "You're just wasting that milk!" - Said to great grand daughter Suzanne, when she was a small child and drinking a small glass of milk, which Patty had given to her. "Not all who dance are Harlots. But all Harlots dance!" - I never quite understood why she said this. She didn't seem to oppose dancing. "The unadulterated wine of Father Adam." referring to water. - Maybe this was a saying she learned from her grandmother, Cynthia, the saloon axing Carry Nation temperance league organizer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Grandmother Blanche had her favorite child and favorite grandchild. But different than most grandparents, she was very obvious about it. My cousin Patty, (Patricia Lee) was the favorite grandchild. (Jimmie didn't seem to count as a favored grandchild, but more as her favorite person on Earth). The Christmas morning when I was 14, we were celebrating Christmas with the family of my Uncle John and Aunt Doris. Even though my grandparents lived just down the road, and were invited, Grandmother chose not to attend. As we children were gathered 'round opening our Christmas gifts, Grandmother arrived and announced that she was there to give Patty her Christmas gift. Which she did. As Grandmother started to leave, one of the adults said, " Mom, you have other grandchildren here." Grandmother looked surprised, then said, "Oh, Merry Christmas kids!" And she left. There were at least six of her grandchildren, and several of her adult children in the room, but only Patty was given a gift. Now, this may sound as if it was hurtful to us children, but it wasn't. We all knew Grandmother so well that it was completely in character. Instances like this reinforced our very close fellowship of cousins. In fact, Patty was chided for being Grandma's pet, not an enviable position among us cousins.6 (PLH, 2003) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Last modified August 19, 2007 |  
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Copyright © 2008 Paul L. Hathcoat |
