Grandma McClain
Grandma Brady was originally married to ‘Grandpa McClain’. I’m not sure why they got divorced but Grandma Brady married a “Brady” and Grandma Ethel McClain was, as far as I can remember, our “Grandma McClain”… and this is where everything gets complicated.
Grandma McClain was a very darling little Christian lady with an incredibly green thumb. She lived in a little town outside of Abilene called “Buffalo Gap”. She always had a garden and grew beautiful flowers. She wrote poetry, little stories, and always was humming and singing when she was in her yard. I loved her to rock me in her rocker because she was soft all over. Kinda like a human feather bed. I never thought of her as ‘fat’, just ‘soft’. She wore her silvery hair up in a loose knot just slightly back from the top of her head. It was a little curly and looked just perfect for a grandma. She had homemade quilts on her beds and everything looked and smelled like a country cottage. She had every National Geographic magazine from the very first copy ever printed.
The main thing I remember about Grandma McClain was there was always a smile on her face and her laugh just tickled me. She had a Texas accent that was really cute. She was quite well read from what mother used to tell me. Something that I remember her saying was that she assisted in the first ‘Girls Town’ in Texas. She was very pleased about that.
When we would go stay at Grandma Mac’s house in the summer, Darlene and I would go down to the “swimming hole” and swim with the other kids who lived in Buffalo Gap. They were really friendly and one time a little girl came up to me and as we were getting acquainted she asked me, “Y’all from California?” I answered, “Yes I am!” Then SHE said, “I shore’ thought so! Y’all shore’ has a POWERFUL accent!!” I never forgot that. I never thought I could have an accent being from California. It was everyone ELSE who had accents in this world.
Just before I got married I went on a trip to see all the relatives with Mom and Daddy Roy. We stopped by to see Grandma Mac and I thought it could be the last time I’d have a chance to see her. Oddly enough, Norm was transferred to San Angelo from Monterrey before we were sent to Germany. We were able to come and spend weekends there and it was a special experience. Somehow she could never remember Norm wasn’t ‘Howard’. We figured it didn’t really matter and he became ‘Howard’ to her. One time when we were there on a Sunday I noticed that her cupboards needed to be scrubbed down and I began washing them. I had never seen her angry ever before in my many visits to her house over the years. She told me in no uncertain terms that ‘today is Sunday and it is the Lord’s Day, not ours!’ I tried to tell her that we could ‘serve others’ on that day but she insisted she didn’t want to be served while making me break a commandment…so that was that.
Soon after that, we were transferred to Germany and I remember writing to her several times through the next few years and her always writing right back. Then her letters began to slack off and eventually I didn’t hear from her. One day, when Artie was about 6 months old, Mother came to me and said that she felt really strongly that we need to take a trip to see Grandma Mac. She told me she had been in a rest home and she had important information about the family that would be lost when she died so we needed to make a trip as soon as possible. Before we left on the trip, mother got a blessing from her home teacher to be able to make this trip a success with genealogy. I left Norm with Chad & Brandon and made arrangements with Jean Larson to pick up the slack while I was gone.
We drove straight through to Abilene. It took about 2 days. Both Kevin & Artie were with us. We arrived there just before visiting hours were over. Grandma didn’t have any idea who we were. We tried to jog her memory but with no recollection in her hazy eyes. Here we had driven over 1500 miles for nothing. Mother and I looked at each other, clearly disappointed and heartsick and were about to leave when she suddenly became totally coherent. She said, “…who you need to see is Mr. Coleman He lives in the next city down the road.”
That was the only, and last thing she said to us. That one statement took us through the next 8 days where we found one clue after another, relative after relative and where we finally found a man who had been collecting information on the family his whole life and had research clear back to the 1700’s. All the genealogy we found on that trip wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for her one statement and Mom’s insistence that we take that trip when we did.
Two weeks after we made the trip, Grandma McClain passed away. I often think of that adorable little lady with so much inside her to give…so kind, so happy, so thrilled with life, nature and growing things.
Grandma Brady was originally married to ‘Grandpa McClain’. I’m not sure why they got divorced but Grandma Brady married a “Brady” and Grandma Ethel McClain was, as far as I can remember, our “Grandma McClain”… and this is where everything gets complicated.
Grandma McClain was a very darling little Christian lady with an incredibly green thumb. She lived in a little town outside of Abilene called “Buffalo Gap”. She always had a garden and grew beautiful flowers. She wrote poetry, little stories, and always was humming and singing when she was in her yard. I loved her to rock me in her rocker because she was soft all over. Kinda like a human feather bed. I never thought of her as ‘fat’, just ‘soft’. She wore her silvery hair up in a loose knot just slightly back from the top of her head. It was a little curly and looked just perfect for a grandma. She had homemade quilts on her beds and everything looked and smelled like a country cottage. She had every National Geographic magazine from the very first copy ever printed.
The main thing I remember about Grandma McClain was there was always a smile on her face and her laugh just tickled me. She had a Texas accent that was really cute. She was quite well read from what mother used to tell me. Something that I remember her saying was that she assisted in the first ‘Girls Town’ in Texas. She was very pleased about that.
When we would go stay at Grandma Mac’s house in the summer, Darlene and I would go down to the “swimming hole” and swim with the other kids who lived in Buffalo Gap. They were really friendly and one time a little girl came up to me and as we were getting acquainted she asked me, “Y’all from California?” I answered, “Yes I am!” Then SHE said, “I shore’ thought so! Y’all shore’ has a POWERFUL accent!!” I never forgot that. I never thought I could have an accent being from California. It was everyone ELSE who had accents in this world.
Just before I got married I went on a trip to see all the relatives with Mom and Daddy Roy. We stopped by to see Grandma Mac and I thought it could be the last time I’d have a chance to see her. Oddly enough, Norm was transferred to San Angelo from Monterrey before we were sent to Germany. We were able to come and spend weekends there and it was a special experience. Somehow she could never remember Norm wasn’t ‘Howard’. We figured it didn’t really matter and he became ‘Howard’ to her. One time when we were there on a Sunday I noticed that her cupboards needed to be scrubbed down and I began washing them. I had never seen her angry ever before in my many visits to her house over the years. She told me in no uncertain terms that ‘today is Sunday and it is the Lord’s Day, not ours!’ I tried to tell her that we could ‘serve others’ on that day but she insisted she didn’t want to be served while making me break a commandment…so that was that.
Soon after that, we were transferred to Germany and I remember writing to her several times through the next few years and her always writing right back. Then her letters began to slack off and eventually I didn’t hear from her. One day, when Artie was about 6 months old, Mother came to me and said that she felt really strongly that we need to take a trip to see Grandma Mac. She told me she had been in a rest home and she had important information about the family that would be lost when she died so we needed to make a trip as soon as possible. Before we left on the trip, mother got a blessing from her home teacher to be able to make this trip a success with genealogy. I left Norm with Chad & Brandon and made arrangements with Jean Larson to pick up the slack while I was gone.
We drove straight through to Abilene. It took about 2 days. Both Kevin & Artie were with us. We arrived there just before visiting hours were over. Grandma didn’t have any idea who we were. We tried to jog her memory but with no recollection in her hazy eyes. Here we had driven over 1500 miles for nothing. Mother and I looked at each other, clearly disappointed and heartsick and were about to leave when she suddenly became totally coherent. She said, “…who you need to see is Mr. Coleman He lives in the next city down the road.”
That was the only, and last thing she said to us. That one statement took us through the next 8 days where we found one clue after another, relative after relative and where we finally found a man who had been collecting information on the family his whole life and had research clear back to the 1700’s. All the genealogy we found on that trip wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for her one statement and Mom’s insistence that we take that trip when we did.
Two weeks after we made the trip, Grandma McClain passed away. I often think of that adorable little lady with so much inside her to give…so kind, so happy, so thrilled with life, nature and growing things.
4 comments:
Wow, what a story! I just read it along with Sadie and she liked it too. More! More! :)
What a cool story mom! I can't believe to DROVE that many miles with 2 kids. You really are wonder woman aren't you? Your name IS Sheri, isn't it? =)
That is a great example of listening to the spirit-what amazing blessings came from that! Thanks for putting this up.
I love hearing these stories. Thanks for sharing.
My name is Dave Perry. I just read your blog about Ethel McClain. I would love to read more about Ms McClain. I grew up in Buffalo Gap in the 1940's. My mother was a very dear friend to Ms Mac (as we called her.)I went to war (Korea)in late 1950.My wife and I were married in November, 1951. Ms Mac gave us a free week in her little rock house, that was on the corner of her property in Buffalo Gap,for a wedding gift. We spent our honeymoon there. She owned that entire block. Now two businesses and the bank are on that block, but, to me, it will always be Ms Macs block. My wife and I retired in 1995 and moved back to Buffalo Gap after roaming the world for 45 years. I have been Mayor for the last eight years. We love the peace and quiet of Buffalo Gap. It has changed very little over the years. When I left, in 1950, I had no intentions of ever living here again. I was going to see the world, and I did. You should visit again, someday, if you get a chance. Dave Perry @ diverss@taylortel.net. Bufalo Gap, TX.
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