NANCY ETHEL BAKER TAYLOR
JULY 30, 1887—1970
Written by Lucille Kate Taylor Kinsella
It was a warm sunny day in the mid 1930's. Adin’s car pulled up to the side of the road, parked in the weeds along the bank of a slight hill and we walked up it towards the plain white one room schoolhouse, carrying our deviled eggs and potato salad. As Harold and I struggled up the grassy bank I heard a shout, then, “Miss Baker? Yes, I can’t believe it’s you.”–and watched as a big burly man enveloped our mother in his arms, salad and all!
Several more people came hurrying over to take her dishes and shake her hand, hug her–with cries of “haven’t seen you since I said my ABC’s to you.” We were attending the Caldwell school house students' picnic near where my mother had grown up on the farm in Center Lisle but this was crazy! They treated her like a best beloved teacher. Yes, she’d taught here for two years after she received her state certificate from Cortland Normal to enable her to do rural teaching—but this—she was just our mother!
Travel through the years of more Cortland Normal, teaching in Oakfield, NY and New Jersey, marriage, raising six children and fast forward now to the early 1940's. It was a playnight at our church. There on stage sat Momma, dressed in an old house dress with a crazy looking straw hat on her head, surrounded by several more members of her Sunday School Class dressed just a foolishly!
She had a scrub board held between her knees, and at a nod from the similarly attired leader she began wisking her stiff brush up and down the rippled exterior, creating a swishing sound, accompanied by someone with an egg beater in a tin pail, a zither sound from another friend blowing a comb covered with tissue, as though it was a mouth organ, another pounding the bottom of a washtub —the kitchen band played accompaniment as we all sang “You are My Sunshine” —that’s our mother? Yes—that’s our mother.
The amazement I felt as a kid at the respectful way her former students treated her, the surprise I had as I realized the warm, funny everyday side of her in the kitchen band, watching the daisy in her hat bob, as she “scrubbed” away to the music. All a part of my growing up and understanding that “Just our mother” was a warm talented, loving person, who lived her life listening and doing for others and yes, she was our mother, but not “just”— she was more than our mother, she was a person who stood out among the crowd. I carry her with me, in my heart, every day I live.
Picture One: Graduation from Cortland Normal in 1911
Picture Two: Ethel Riding Harold's tractor 1958
Picture Three: Ethel, 1940
Picture One: Graduation from Cortland Normal in 1911
Picture Two: Ethel Riding Harold's tractor 1958
Picture Three: Ethel, 1940
5 comments:
Grandma,
Happy Birthday!
I love you so much. I can still feel your hug if I close my eyes and picture you in house dress and apron--usually in your kitchen as we arrive and race through the house to find you.
I often feel as though you are looking down on us, the better to pick us up when we need it, and also, to watch and laugh at our various antics.
Love you,
Happy birthday from me, too Grandma!
Love the picture of Grandma on a 4-wheeler! She was always up-to-date. Reminds me of Pat's story about how she and Grandma flipped a coin to see who would get the top bunk when they shared a room on one of Grandma's visits. As I remember the story (Pat, please correct if I'm wrong), Grandma "won" the toss and climbed up to the top!
I had a delightful experience many years ago when I was at home and suddenly heard Grandma's voice behind me, over my shoulder. This was many years after she had died, so I hadn't heard her voice for a long time. But here she was, telling me something, "don'tcha know." Of course when I turned around I couldn't see her, but it made me so happy to know that she was backing me up and still watching over me.
Sue,
That particular Grandma visit was when she was quite old and none of us wanted her to truly sleep in the top bunk--the ladder was made more for kids and who knows just how much weight it would have held.
Luckily, Dad had just taught me how to flip a coin (yes,cousins, my Pops is also known for the crying quarter and other ohh so magical tricks of the trade) and always win (a skill that I wish I NOW remembered as I could often use this against my kids!!), so we did flip a coin every night of the visit, but I always won the toss and so, chose the top bunk.
I do believe that Grandma would have been willing, but she slept in the bottom bunk.
CB (Lucille)
I entered the Taylor family scene in 1941, so the 1940 photo is the Aunt Ethel I remember. It is always with such fond memories that I recall the times we saw each other. She was such a kind, loving person who was interested in hearing what other people were doing. We talked as if we had always known each other.
Evelyn Taylor
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