Charleyn Moore

This is my Grandma Mary's Autobiography. Grandma Mary was Charleyn's mother, and she passed away in 1984. -sketchdude

MARY JOSEPHINE ULRICH THATCHER Born October 3rd, 1898

October 3rd, 1898 a child was born to Sophina Isadore Ulrich and Frederick Christian Ulrich — the child was a girl and her mother named her MARY JOSEPHINE — me.

It was a joyous occasion — not only because my Mother had just given birth to a baby girl but more particularly because she had lost a little boy a year before on Christmas Day — he was six years old and his name was Josie Frederick (Mother named him after her sister Josie) — he died of black diphtheria — my Father had consulted their doctor because my Mother's grief was so overwhelming that she didn't want to live, although she had two children, namely Charley Felix and Genett Elizabeth— and he was told to get her pregnant —

The baby that was born on October 3rd was me — and my Mother had three more children — namely Frederick Theodore, Dora Pearl and Willard Slack.

My Father was a carpenter and a baker — helping my Grandfather, Christian Frederick— who had come to this country from Germany many years ago and settled in Columbus, Indiana, where he met his wife — and they had four children, namely my Father, John, Elizabeth and Mary.

My grandfather had purchased land in Columbus on which he built a bakery and later it was known as the "Ulrich Block" and on which was also built the City Hall.

After Joe (as he was known) died, grandpa sold the Ulrich Block and Mother and Dad moved to 618 California Street until Dad bought land located at 7th and Chestnut Street where he built our new home.

My brother Willard was born soon after they moved into their new home on September 27th, 1904.

Our grandfather lived with us during these years — he could speak no English and taught us German — he played the harmonica so beautifully and we all loved to listen to him - my Father played drums and was in the Columbus Band for many years. He played the bass drum in the band.

My Mother and Father always wanted to live in the country and one day my Father met a man by the name of Dore Ogdon who owned a mushroom factory in East Columbus —

East Columbus was located a little over a mile east of Columbus and Mr. Ogdon owned an acre of land in the heart of this little country village — my Father bought the property and planted mushrooms — hut he soon found out that he could make no money raising them — so he built a bakery on the property and opened up "Ulrich's Bakery" — this venture was very successful until he was sold some bad flour by the Easy Bake Flour Company and I can still remember people bringing back bread and everything that was made out of that flour — my Father was so sad — I can still see him — it was unbelievable — a nightmare — so the bakery was closed and my Father went to work at the Columbus Tannery making $317.00 a week.

This house we lived in was a two-story frame with three bedrooms upstairs — no bath — a living room — a parlor — a library — a dining room and a very large kitchen and a back porch — and an outhouse which we called the "john" — we also had a cow for quite awhile and Mother had a large garden and a lot of flowers and a small front porch.

Mother's sister Mary had married a young man by the name of Lemuel Ertus Slack and they were living in Franklin, Indiana — they visited us every week — Uncle Ert having bought a Pathfinder car which was terribly exciting to all of us as there were very few automobiles in East Columbus at that time — and Uncle Ert paid the balance due on the house so that my Father and Mother could continue living there — During the time we lived in East Columbus, five of us walked into Columbus to school which was over a mile — Charley had graduated and was taking a correspondence course to become a chemical engineer — he played a saxophone, a trumpet and snare drums — he was going with a beautiful young lady at this time by the name of Margaret Cobb, whom he later married —

The year was 1913 — the year of the Great Flood — Aunt Mamie and Uncle Ert moved to Indianapolis — they asked Mother and Dad if they would let them take me to live with them — they had lost three children all in infancy — and I had visited them so much ever since I was a baby — I remember 1 was very excited — and still I didn't want to leave my Mother and brothers and sisters — I did go with them — everyone thought it was wonderful but my Mother who said she couldn't let me go, but she did —

Uncle Ert and Aunt Mamie were very happy to have me and enrolled me in Shortridge High School — George Rinier became Uncle Ert's law partner and in my senior year in Shortridge I went to work for them — I was taking shorthand (was in the first class of Greg Shorthand and I belong to the Gregg Order of Artists), typing, commercial law, and bookkeeping — Uncle Ert paid me $12.00 a week, which I gave to my Mother.

These years were very happy ones because they were very good to me and every weekend I went home — going on the interurban and they would drive to East Columbus to bring me back.

Incidentally, when I worked for Uncle Ert and George Rinier, I only worked half—days for I was in school in the mornings —

I graduated in 1916 — and because I had taken no science, Uncle Ert had to get a special permit for me to graduate from the Principal George Buck.

In 1917 Uncle Ert was appointed United States District Attorney as the incumbent had been indicted and sent to prison and he came home that evening and asked me to be his secretary — (although it has been many years ago, I can still remember how I felt — it didn't seem possible that he would want me to accept such an important position when the only work I had ever done was taking dictation and filing in his law office — (I must admit that I would never have been able to keep that position — even though the District Attorney was my uncle) had it not been for a lady who had been secretary to the former District Attorney — and who incidentally was a Republican — her name was Minnie C. Carpenter and she was a jewel and taught me well —

At this time we were at war — World War I — and my Uncle was appointed Special Assistant Attorney General by Woodrow Wilson and he made me his Secretary also —

Looking back over those years, my life was very rewarding — my work was very demanding and at times I was very tired — I remember one time my Uncle was dictating to me and I was sound asleep — I will never forget the look he gave me as he pounded on his desk to wake me up — he said nothing -

Uncle Ert's assistant was Floyd J. Mattice, and also another assistant Milton W. Mangus — of course, Mrs. Carpenter did most of their work.

It is not possible to continue with my life story without mentioning my falling in love with an FBI man named "Skeet" Simmons — who never knew I was in love with him.

After Uncle Ert's term expired he went back into private practice — he wanted me to return as his secretary but I had decided I wanted to work for the FBI and I took Civil service examination — I passed and received notice from Washington to come to Washington to work in the Patent Office —I had made all arrangements to go and had notified Washington that I would be there — when my Dad suddenly said i could not go. -I was very unhappy — but my brother Charley notified Washington that I would not be able to accept the position offered to me.

At this time my Mother and Father had bought a home at 1542 Broadway and when they had moved to Indianapolis in 1917 I had come to live at home with my family.

I applied for and was accepted as Secretary to Carl H. Mote of Haynes & Mote, Public Utility Counselors with offices in the Hume-Mansur Building — it was a good position and Mr. Mote was a fine employer—

But it wasn't long until Mr. Haynes died and Mr. Haynes secretary Louise Ford had been with them for several years, so Mr. Mote kept her and I went to work for Pierre Goodrich (former Governor Goodrich's son) who joined the firm upon the death of Mr. Haynes — well, that didn't last long as I was expected to take minutes of board meetings which were held at night —

Incidentally, Mr. Goodrich lived just one street over from where we lived so he would pick me up and bring me home — however, at one board meeting — a telephone call was received from my Mother — she was angry — it was late — and she told. Mr. Goodrich to bring me home immediately — the meeting was broken up and he took me home — I quit the very next day — I then went to work for the Indiana Farm Bureau as secretary to the Secretary — and quit after a couple of months because I didn't like it —

(I want to explain here that I was not fired from the law office of Mote and Goodrich after that call from my Mother — in fact, Mr. Goodrich wanted to come see my Mother and explain so I could keep my job, but I wouldn't let him as I knew it would do no good — my Mother's word was law)

My Mother and Father knew that I was very unhappy — I was out of a job and in fact, didn't want to work any more — so Dodie (we had always called her "Dodie") and I decided we wanted to go to College — we talked it over with Mother and Dad and they gave their consent — although they had no money to give us, we said we would get jobs and pay our own way — there was no tuition at that tine — we couldn't make up our mind whether to go to Indiana University or Purdue but finally decided on Indiana — I began to watch the paper to see if there might be someone wanting a secretary in or around the area of Bloomington — and found an ad by a Dr. Joseph I. Todd, Dean of Religion at Indiana University advertising for a secretary — I answered the ad and went to see him at his office in Indianapolis and was accepted to begin at the opening of the fall semester — inasmuch as I was to be the secretary of Dr. Todd, we were to live at Bethany Hall, the school of religion dormitory — Dodie could not find a job so Dr. Todd hired her to be a waitress at Bethany Hall — but she had to have a helper, so she hired me — and didn't have to pay me anything —

Dodie and I asked Uncle Ert to Loan us $50.00 (each of us) so we would not be broke when we entered the University — and with that we were off to school at the opening of the fall term —

Just a note here — I was not acceptable for I did not have the required science credits from high school — hut Uncle Ert came to my rescue and went to Bloomington to see the President of the University Dr. William Lowe Bryan - whom he knew — and I was accepted — with the proviso that I would have to take Science and it would only give me high school credit — (that was OK with me)

By the time school opened Dodie had secured a position in the Registrar's Office — so both of us had jobs.

What a happy time — we both enrolled in Botany and French — we could only take two subjects because we both had outside positions — we moved into Bethany Hall and met many students who were our friends for many years — we both dated occasionally — I did more than Dodie as she was very much in love with Orville Thompson, whom she had been dating since the family lived in Columbus —

I dated mostly a Willard Bennett, whose home was in Newcastle and his father was a Methodist Minister — in fact, I was dating him when I first met Bob Thatcher — but I am getting ahead of myself —

We had been in school a year — and summer vacation was here — we came home — both of us got temporary jobs intending to return to Indiana at the fall semester — however, my Mother informed us that one of us would have to stay home and work in order to help with the finances — they were buying their home at 1542 Broadway — buying a car - a piano — and they needed help from one of us — Charley had been married in 1917 to Margaret Cobb and Willard was still in school, leaving Nan and Fred at home — both working — and of course, Dad. Dad had been employed for sometime by the Omar Baking Company, but he did not make much money.

After much discussion, I decided to return home — or, I should say, stay home and get a permanent position in order to help with the finances —

1921 — I went to work for Crescent Paper Company — I was secretary to a Mr. Streibe — who was in charge of reorganizing the company — the president had died and they had just made Henry Magel the new president we had an office in the President's office (the new president had not become acting president yet) —

Every morning a Robert T. Thatcher delivered the mail — he had been working there during school and after graduating had continued working there as he wanted to learn the paper industry from the ground up. He never spoke to me — not even a Good Morning — until one day...

He came in and said, "Didn't I see you in church yesterday?"

And I said, "Yes, you did" — that was all he said, but in the next few days he would stop by and chat — and finally one day he asked me for a date — during this time I had told some of the girls in the office that I thought he was such a handsome young man and I was told to not become interested in him for he was "already taken" — however, when he asked me for a date I accepted —

However, one evening at quitting time he came to the office and asked to "walk me home" - it had been raining and turning cold the rain became sleet and then ice and by the time we started for home the streets were one solid ice — no street cars were running — no automobiles just people walking and falling down — I will never forget it — Bob (as he had asked me to call him) had to hold me up most of the way — I have always considered that my first date — but it really wasn't — for when we arrived home he left and said he would call me — I was truly happy.

At this time I had been dating Willard Bennett on weekends — he would call from Newcastle and come over — he was still a student at Indiana University — and I was also dating a Robert Copeland, a reporter for International News Service whom I had met while in the District Attorney's office — when Willard called I told him I was engaged and we couldn't date any more and one evening when I had a date with Bob Thatcher, Bob Copeland came over without calling and I sat on the front porch with both Bobs — however, Bob Copeland left first and I never dated him again after that.

Later in the year of 1921 — I had been dating Bob occasionally — we would go to a movie or just sit on the front porch in our porch swing — I always had to he home by 11:00 P.M.) and once in awhile we would walk to the drug store for a soda.

However, I had decided to quit Crescent Paper Company because I didn't like working in the same place as Bob did — it was rather uncomfortable as his former girl friend worked there, too — so I quit —

I had several jobs in the next few years — Lafayette Motors, Farm Bureau, Eli Lilly, Marmon- Car Co. I was secretary to D.G. Roos, Chief Engineer — and at Eli Lilly I was secretary to Dr. Stewart (a lady doctor) who took me home after work in her electric car. and a Mr. Showalter that was the toughest job I ever held in my life. I lost a medical dictionary and believe it or not, I did not get fired – I quit because Bob didn't want me to work in that part of town.

These years were very happy because I was dating Bob — we had so many wonderful times together - he was editor of a weekly newspaper put out by the Methodist Church — where we both belonged — and every week I did the typing for him and then he ran it off on the mimeograph — In that way I became very close to his mother and sister, Anne — and they always had me stay for dinner — it was such a good time in my life for I was so much in love with Bob -

1924 — Dodie had graduated from IU and had returned home — she was going with a young man from Bloomington Named John Hanna, whose father was the History Professor — Fred had been working in the freight claim department for the Big Four and so Dodie got a job there, too —

In the meantime I had gone to work in the Claim Department for the Big Four and as Willard was looking for a job, he applied for and got a job with me as a Clerk typing up the Claim Agents reports — I was secretary to H. A. Fathauer, Asst. Chief Claim Agent for the Big Four and once a week J. C. Stineman of Chicago came to Indianapolis and would give me work to do — in my office was O A Ortell, Chief Clerk and also Claim Agent Jack Truss (who, by the way, I dated quite a lot after Bob and I were divorced— ——but I am ahead of my story again).

Willard could not type — but he would bring the work home and I would type it for him — this went on for quite some time until one day Mr. Fathauer saw him using the "hunt and peck" system and fired him at once — I was so hurt I quit — I thought they did not give him enough time to learn to type — We had called ourselves the "Big Four" and as Fred and Dodie were on the bowling team — we went to bowling tournaments out of state — we all had passes and did quite a lot of traveling — those were fun times —

I then went to work for Marmon Motor Car Co. as secretary to D. G. Roos, Chief Engineer, and worked for them until June 20th, 1926 — the happiest day of my life — Bob and I were married by Dr. Oren W. Fifer — who was the Minister of Central Avenue Methodist Church — where we had met almost five years before and where we were both members — we had a large church wedding — the church was filled — many people came from Eli Lilly and Marmon's, where I was still working — I received a set of Noritake dishes from Eli Lilly and a set of silver from Marmon's —

During the years of our engagement — I got my ring and became engaged two years before we were married — and my family and friends had five showers for me — and I had hot a cedar chest and had it full of beautiful linens —

Charley had married Margaret Cobb and they had two children — Bette Jane and Irwin Slack — Betty Jane was my flower girl and Irwin (known to all of us as "Bud") was my ring bearer — and Margaret sang at my wedding — so did Dorothy Ulrich (Fred had married Dorothy Fisher of Columbus, Indiana in l9--)

I TREASURE THAT DAY ALWAYS - I WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SO WAS BOB — IT WAS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

1926 — June 20th — After a reception at home, Bob and I left for Cincinnati — an amusing incident occurred when we left to catch the bus for Cincinnati — the car was parked in the alley back of our house and we slipped out and Fred drove us to the station — however, we were followed but we got away and slipped into the interurban station — in the bus and it pulled out without anyone realizing where we disappeared to - however, after going a few miles out of town we noticed a car following and when it got closer discovered it was Aunt Mamie and Uncle Ert — they finally got right behind the bus and honked and honked and motioned for us to get off and they would take us but we shook our heads — they followed us for quite a while and finally turned around and went back home.

We stayed at the Gibson Hotel (now demolished) and later went to Tipton and spent a week with Bob's Aunt Grace and Uncle Ford and his Aunt Dora and Uncle Rome —

We returned to Indianapolis and went to housekeeping in the Chadwick Apartment located in the 900 block on North Pennsylvania Street — at that time Bob was still working at Crescent Paper Company and I had quit Marmon's when I became pregnant – The Chadwick did not allow children so Bob and I found an apartment at 14th and Central— there were so many bugs and we decided to leave immediately — Mother then asked us to come home until we found a decent apartment.

Bob had been negotiating with D. L. Ward Paper Company in Philadelphia for a job for some time and it so happened they had an opening in the Linweave Department and asked him to come. He left aid soon found an apartment called the Castles in Philadelphia and asked me to come — Dodie went with me and stayed with us for several weeks. After Dodie left Fred and Dorothy came and when they left Mother came to be with me when baby was born.

May 8th, 1927 — MOTHER'S DAY — ANOTHER HAPPY DAY — our baby was born and we named her PATRICIA JEAN THATCHER — perhaps I should say Bob named her — we had a pre—marital arrangement that if we had a boy I should name him — but if we had a girl Bob would name her — and he did. Mother stayed with us until July 3rd — when she went home — I wanted her to stay but she was needed at home — I sadly missed her.

It soon became evident that Bob was not happy with his work and was looking around trying to make contact with another paper company in that area — however my family wanted us to return home with our baby — which we did.

In November, 1927 — Nan came to Philadelphia and came home with us — as we were buying our furniture on contract we returned it and brought nothing back with us except our baby buggy —

Shortly after we returned Bob suffered a lung infection and was told he must work outside and it was imperative that he give up smoking. He was hired by Banquet Milk Company to drive a delivery truck — and he would leave home at 2:00 A.M. — he soon accepted a job with the Big Four Railroad handling cross-ties — this was too much for him so he quit and went back to work for Crescent Paper Company.

1928 — Uncle Ert was appointed Mayor of Indianapolis for the balance of term of Mayor Duvall who had been sent to prison and he made me his secretary — he also named Henry (Heinie) O. Goett as his Personal Secretary — a man who became very dear to me and remained so until his death.

It is interesting to note that during this time occasionally Bob (on Saturdays when he didn't have to work) would bring Patsy (as she was called) to the Mayor's office and Uncle Ert had told me that whenever he came with Patsy to let her in his office no matter what he was doing — he would take her on his lap and continue right on with his board meeting, should he happen to be in the midst of a meeting —

While I was secretary to Uncle Ert I christened the TWA City of Indianapolis airplane, which on Christmas Eve of that year crashed in Indianapolis killing everyone aboard —

I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Lindbergh, and many people who I thought were important at that time in my life.

OCTOBER 6th, 1929 — my Mother died of cancer and my life almost came to an end. She had a big funeral and had a police escort to Columbus, Indiana, where she was buried — this was due to the fact that Uncle Ert was Mayor — and not because of Mother for she would never have wanted such a funeral — I well remember Bob saying when she passed away that she was more of a mother to him than his own mother — he loved her very much. My Father was never the same after that.

1930 — Uncle Ert was no longer Mayor — did not seek to be Mayor any longer but preferred private practice — Heinie Goett was made City Clerk and asked me to be his Deputy — which I accepted — when it became apparent I was pregnant I resigned — and as Bob had been promised the concession at South Grove Golf Course we were busy getting ready to move across the street from the Golf Course — and we lived there until It was given to someone else — that is the concession was — we were paralyzed —

This was a very bad time — we had moved — we were broke — we had a baby and another one on the way — and of course, Bob had quit Crescent Paper Company again —

Uncle Ert, Heinie, Charley, and many other prominent people went to see the new Mayor but all he would say was that he forgot he had promised us the concession at South Grove — but he said we would have the concession at Coffin Golf Course — which was the toughest course in Indianapolis —

The main difference between South Grove and Coffin, outside of the fact that Coffin was the toughest course, was that at South Grove they had no club house — only the concession — while at Coffin they had a club house —

When the Course open we moved in the Club House — we had to furnish it completely — we had to completely furnish the kitchen — we bought a hotel size range — we used Pyrofax to cook with — we furnished the dining room — we had living room and bedroom furniture but had to buy more (our living quarters were private and were upstairs as was the showers for the guests who played golf —

Bob and I enjoyed living at the Club House — although the work was very hard as we served lunch and dinner every day as well as taking care of the concession — Bob hired two boys to handle the drinks at the several points on the course and they lived at the Club House —

I was pregnant and my doctor, Dr. David L. Smith, played golf at Coffin and instead of my going to see him at his office, he examined me when he came to play golf —

Two people who were regulars at Coffin were Orvil and Gaston C. and they always stayed for dinner – Pat (Then called "Patsy") was a little girl and the two brothers wanted to adopt her – so they insisted - It was an interesting life and we both loved it although It was very hard work — we were both given a set of golf clubs by the father of two pros at South Grove — and Bob finally bought a second—hand Dodge Coupe from the father for $48.00. True, yessir!

July 31, 1930 — another important day in my life — Cherie Lou was born — (Bob named her) — but on returning home from the hospital I noticed no cars parked in the parking lot — they hadn't told me while I was at the hospital because of my condition — the Course had been closed —

I WILL NEVER FORGET MY STATE OF MIND — I now had two children and we were without a job — here we were paying on all the furniture and kitchen stove and dishes and no money coming in —

It is very important that I explain what happened — the U S Government had purchased a portion of the Golf Course to erect a Veteran's Hospital and the course was closed — also I want to say that no one had contacted Bob while I was in the hospital and explained to him what they were doing, until the day before I came home — he would not have told me anyway on account of my health —

The city fathers said we could live at the Club House — of course, we were paying no rent — but we knew we had to make some money in order to pay for the items we had purchased — so Bob advertised and we gave dinners to Clubs and businesses when they had parties — two that I particularly remember were Crescent Paper Company and the Masonic Lodge — of which Bob was a member —

Bob contacted many companies both in Indianapolis and out of state during this time but had no luck — he was a very unhappy person —

We had decided to leave Indianapolis forever in the spring when we could take the children — Cherie was too young to take on such a wild venture — as all the family thought and begged us to stay —

It was a bad winter — financially — we had many dinners but it was hard work — occasionally when we would have a steak dinner for some company Bob would call his friend who was a chef for the Claypool Hotel and he would come and prepare the steaks-

Spring finally came and we were told we would have to leave the Club House after a year was up — as we were told they were going to change the Golf Course and re-open the Club House after the Veterans' Hospital was completed — we were not asked to stay — but we had no intention staying anyway —

During the month of May we had a sale — and we sold all of our possessions including my wedding presents — in order to have enough money to travel — we were going to leave but at that moment we did not know where we were going — had thought of Philadelphia for we had been sorry we had left when we did —

June, 1931 — Bob received a letter from a company in Boston asking him to take over a new department in the Linweave Division and he answered that we would arrive as soon as possible -

IT WAS A VERY HAPPY DAY — the day we left Indianapolis — no one in either of our families came to say goodbye — that's the truth — but we were too excited to care - we put our few belongings in the car and started off.

June 20th, 1931 — we arrived in Boston today — (how do I remember the date? Because it was our wedding anniversary and we had hoped we would be in Boston in that day ). We had several problems with our car on our way to Boston and in going through the State of Pennsylvania we became broke — and I mean broke — so we decided to try to sell my diamond engagement ring but had no idea where we could find a jewelry store so stopped a policeman and asked him to direct us — telling him our problem — even now it seems it did not happen, but it did — the policeman said he would buy my ring — it was on my finger — I had never taken it off since our marriage — he said he would give us $50.00 for it and went with us to a jeweler who had to file it off my finger — (It is best I do not record my feelings at that moment).

We were in Boston and we had stopped at a tourist cabin (there were no motels) and Bob immediately went to the company who had written to him and returned shortly telling me that the position would not be available until the first of the year — and that they had nothing at that time to give him — we were paralyzed — but Bob went out the next day to try to find something to tide us over but could find nothing —

The depression had already hit Boston and Bob was told they were hiring their own people — so I went out the next day to try to find something — but was told the same story — so we wrote to my lather and asked for a loan of $100.00 but he said in reply that he couldn't — we knew we couldn't stay there without any money — so we went to the Christian Science Mother Church and they gave some money and so did the Masons —

We then left and on our way both Pat and Cherie became ill — we wired Willard for some money and he sent us $10.00 telling us to bring the children home — We bought some medicine and stopped for the night at a tourist cabin and when we left the next morning the people gave us some food — we drove for quite awhile and stopped at a restaurant where Bob went in to get some milk for the children — and the owner noticed Bob's Masonic pin and gave us food and filled the car and gave bob a note to his brother who was opening a restaurant in Florida and that he would give Bob a job (we had no intention of returning to Indianapolis at that time) He was a good man.

We finally decided that we would never make it to Florida — so we headed for Ohio — Bob had been to conventions in Ohio for the Crescent Paper Company during his years with them so thought he might be able to find a job with one of the paper mills in Cincinnati —

I had a friend who had married and the last I heard of her she was living in Cincinnati — so, when we arrived in Cincinnati, I looked in the telephone directory and found she had a phone — she was Mildred Williams who Mother had let live with us after we moved to Indianapolis — she had married a Don Familton — I called her and she asked us to come to their home right away — which we did — however, Bob left and visited the paper mills — he was given a job but it was ironic — he was told he was to travel for them with an office in Indianapolis — Mildred insisted that we stay with her for several days but we couldn't do that.

It is hard to put in words how we felt this time in our lives — There is nothing on earth to make one homesick more than to be broke — and with two little girls who we knew the family would love — incidentally they were now well — they hadn't wanted us to leave and we didn't listen so we wondered what kind of a reception we would get upon our return broke.

Some years before we left for Boston my family had moved to 5342 Broadway, where they were living when Mother died — so we stayed there until Dodie found us a house — paid the rent — and after we moved in our family and many friends bought us food and clothing — including Bob's Mother and sister who lived on North Bosart.

And I remember how happy Aunt Mamie and Uncle Ert were that we were back — and from that time on until Aunt Mamie's death she helped us with money and food. She was a saint.

The day we arrived in Indianapolis Bob contacted the Crescent Caper Company and they hired him at $l7.00 per week.

While we lived in this little house — and it was little — a living room — a bedroom and kitchen — no full bath, only a commode and the kitchen had a large sink where I bathed the children - we had a base burner in the living room and a small ice box in the kitchen –

I did not work while we lived in this house as I soon discovered I was pregnant — I was happy but Bob wasn't — as I had been told twice I could have no more children — I saw no doctor during this pregnancy but we did try to get Dr. David L. Smith to deliver the baby and he said he would for $25.00 — we could not afford to pay him so when I had my baby I went to the City Hospital and the entire cost was $13.00 - $8.00 of which we still owe — this is what happened:

My baby was horn — it was a girl — and I was conscious as they had given me nothing - they said the baby was dead — she was what they called a blue baby — an interne came into the delivery room and picked her up and spanked her hard and she cried — I well remember saying "Thank God" — I then wanted to live — and I did —

However, when Bob came to see me that evening a nurse told him we had better leave for the nurses (some of them) were very careless. So, Bob left and came back with a cab and took us home — he then hired a young girl to help me but she didn't do anything so Bob fired her and I got up and did my own work — he was very good to help me with the baby during this time and I loved him for it.

Sometime before this baby was born Willard had sent us $25.00 and we were so happy that we asked him if there was anything we could do for him and he said there was — he wanted to name the baby — we all thought the baby would be a boy so Willard had picked the name of Charley Frederick (after our two brothers) - but when the baby was a girl we called him and he said he would name her "Charleyn Fredericka" and so he did –

We knew we could not stay in this little house with three children so we moved to a house on Brookside Parkway — Bob was now making more money but we knew I had to return to work —

I went to work for the Farm Bureau for the third time and was secretary to the Treasurer.

At the age of four Cherie had double pneumonia — as we were studying Christian Science at this time we were faced with a decision — as Bob was not very happy with Christian Science I asked him if he thought we should have a doctor and he said he did — he called a doctor immediately and when he came he took her to the hospital — I stayed with her at night and Bob stayed with her during the day — the doctor had told us he had done all he could and that she was in God's hands — she got well but was left with leakage of the heart and did not walk for many months.

We finally moved to a house on North Salem in the 37 hundred block - Aunt Mamie and Uncle Ert were very happy because they lived at 3902 Washington Boulevard at that time - I had quit the Farm Bureau again and was working for Paul Blackwell, an attorney –

Bob and I had discussed many times our moving to the country for the sake of the children — where we could grow our own vegetables and have chickens — so we began looking around and finally found a house located on West 49th Street — outside the city limits and in 1940 we moved — the house had belonged to former Mayor Lewis Shank and was still tied in with his estate — it had 3/4 of an acre of ground and was in terrible shape — both inside and out — but we loved it — we rented it for $40.00 a month — at this time Bob had promised me if we moved there I wouldn't have to work anymore — I was very happy

But it soon became apparent that it was impossible money-wise for me to stay home — with three girls in school we were very much in need of more money coming into the home.

I immediately wrote to Uncle Ert, Heinie Goett and Floyd J. Mattice — I didn't get an answer from Uncle Ert — nor did I hear from Mr. Mattice (who I learned later had been appointed Ambassador to Africa) but I got a letter from Heinie, telling me that one Heinie Mueller, Center Township Trustee, had contacted him asking him if he could recommend a secretary — I called Mr. Mueller — went to see him and got the job —

This meant we would have to have a baby sitter — so I asked Nan if she would come live with us and she did — Mr. Mueller had a deputy named Walter J. Sauter.

February 21, 1941 — Dodie passed away on her birthday giving birth to a still-born baby - the baby was buried in her arms — I was paralyzed — since Dodie returned from IU and had married John Hanna, she and I had become very close — she loved Pat, Cherie and Charleyn very much — she took them regularly for check-ups for their teeth and made many clothes for them — she loved to sew —

At this time Pat was in Tech High School and Cherie and Charleyn both were in school at Crooked Creek - we had a dog and a cat - a pure blooded Siamese cat that Fanny Young had given to the children soon after I went to work for Mr. Mueller — she was one of the Supervisors - and occasionally took me with her when she went to see the people on welfare —

Mr. Mueller was a very fine man and in a short time pulled the Trustee's office out of debt and in doing so had to dismiss many of his employees - some of whom were quite old and had worked there for many years - so when Mr. Mueller had to undergo surgery for cancer I resigned in order that he might keep these older women who needed the work.

We were at war again and I went to school to learn to run a milling machine for the war effort — I was paid during my schooling — after which I was employed at Allison's — since they had no vacancy in the Milling Machine Department at that time they put me in the Material Control Department with 13 men — I hated it — not particularly because of the men but because I hated figures — I kept after the Employment office to place me in the department for which I had been trained and was finally told they had no intention of transferring me for I was doing a fine job — so I quit — right then and there —

I then went to the Naval Ordinance and was hired — I did operate a Milling Machine.

Sometime prior to my being employed at Allison's Nan had left us and that is why I was working at night — it kept us from hiring a baby sitter — I would walk down the road to the main highway each evening at 7:00 PM and would be picked up by a man from Anderson — and that same man picked me up after I went to work for Naval Ordinance and brought me home in the morning — Bob would have breakfast ready for me and after the girls went to school I went to bed —

I was finally transferred to a larger Milling Machine where I had to stand on a stool to operate the machine —

One night while operating the machine I injured my shoulder — I do not think I dislocated it but I was in such pain I had to resign —

It is well to note here that at this particular time in my life I was very unhappy — I did not like working at night — in fact, I did not like working at all — but when I hurt my shoulder I could have gone to a doctor but I would not and this was a good excuse to quit working —

It was important that I get another job but was in much pain so for the next few weeks I just stayed at home and loved every minute of it —

After an incident in our home life I found it necessary for me to leave home — I took the three girls and our cat Simmy, and left for Chicago — I had visited Chicago many times in my life and more or less knew my way around — we stayed at a hotel and I began looking for a job — after a week I got a job with the Underwood Typewriter Company and was to begin work on the following Monday morning — however, in the meantime it became evident I was going to run out of money so I called Bob and told him to meet Cherie and Charleyn as I was sending them home — I also called Nan and asked her to meet the bus — I do not know why I did that but I did — so when the bus arrived both Nan and Bob met it but Bob took the children home with him.

The next day after Cherie and Charleyn left I realized I would have to return home and straighten out our marital difficulties — so I called the Underwood Company and told them I had decided to return to Indianapolis and Pat and I took the bus for home.

After arriving home Bob and I stayed up all night talking — the children were in bed — and it seemed as though we might be going to resolve our difficulties until Bob told me that the only way he could again take up our life was as follows: He was to have absolute control of the children —

I had to get a job and help with the finances but so far as the children were concerned I would have no voice — I was to be a mother in name only — all decisions were to be made by him —

1944 — I filed suit for divorce — a sad day in my life but I had no alternative —

Pat went to live with Joy Thompson's family who lived down the road from our house — she and Joy were very close and Mrs. Thompson said she would be very happy to have Pat live with them during this break up of our family — Cherie went with her father and Bob and I enrolled Charleyn in St. Joseph's Academy in Tipton. Although this was a Catholic institution we were told by Bob's mother that they accepted Protestant children — we believed this to be true as Bob's mother and two sisters were charter members (their pictures hang in the lobby of the school) and they were Methodists, as we were.

I then secured a job with the National Veneer & Lumber Company and my employer's name was a Mr. Heiney (strange, isn't it?) and I stayed there until my divorce was final. I want to say that during the time my divorce was pending Bob never once contacted me for anything — however, I called him several times to help me get some school clothes for Pat and Charleyn — which he did — and I wrote him one letter which he never answered (which letter I still have in my possession).

The firm of Lewis and Goett handled my divorce and when it was final Heinie (we had been on first name basis since we worked together in the Mayor's office and also the City Clerk's office where I was his deputy) asked me to be his secretary.

It is rather interesting to note that the firm of Lewis & Goett consisted of former Judge Collins, Kelso Elliott, Joseph M. Howard, Charles F. Steger, Alex M. Clark, John Hannah. John Christ and Ernie Burke and also Louis A. Weiland — in later years Joseph K. Howard, John Christ, Ernie Burke and Louis A. Weiland all became Judges, and Alex M. Clark became Mayor.

Although I was Heinie's secretary I did a lot of legal work for all the members of the firm when I wasn't busy and in particular I would be called on to take indictments which the two other girls in the office couldn't do (I always was paid for all overtime and I had a lot of it).

I lived a part of this time with Nan — Cherie was with her father and as they lived close by in an apartment I saw her every week end — Pat was in an apartment and Charleyn was still in St. Joseph's Academy.

During the time I was Heinie's secretary he had a heart attack and was out of the office for over six months — while he was in the hospital.

I handled his work and signed his name to all legal papers — sometime after Heinie returned to the office Mr. Lewis told me that he could never decide who had signed the papers — (my secret as to how I had signed the papers was by holding them up to the window arid tracing other legal documents Heinie had signed before he was taken ill).

A few weeks before Heinie had the heart attack the Democrats had asked him to run for Mayor and he had said he would — he then called me in his office and asked me to be his secretary - said he would want no-one else to work for him and I said I would, if and when he became Mayor.

1952 — I resigned my position with Lewis & Goett to go to Chicago with Cherie (she was pregnant — she secured a job with the telephone company and I went to work for a law firm known as Nicholson & Nisen — I worked for Mr. Nisen and it is very ironic that on the very day I quit, he made me his private secretary.

While we were still living in Chicago Cherie had called Bob and told him about the pregnancy and he had asked her to come home and he would take care of everything —

The attorney for Crescent Paper Company was a personal friend of Bob's so he contacted him with a view to a possible adoption — so when Cherie returned home her father told her she would have to give the baby up for adoption and that all arrangements had been made and an adopting couple had been secured. I wanted her to keep the baby — as I felt that she would eventually marry the father — which she did — he was James Enochs — who later became the father of Larry (Lawrence Allen).

Pat and I had moved into the Essex House and were living there when Cherie came home from the Great Lakes Naval Station — where Jim was stationed — Pat left and got her own apartment and as Cherie was pregnant and couldn't work, I had to move — so we found an apartment until the baby was born — during this time Cherie divorced Jim.

After Cherie divorced Jim I went to live again with Nan and she moved in with a girl friend — Cherie got a job and her girl friend took care of the baby — Nan and I moved into Hampton Court —

Cherie met a Rudy Buitron and after a few months dating she married him — during this time he had several jobs and he finally decided to leave Indianapolis — he wrote to a man in Denver and asked if he could help him get a job there — this man (I don't remember his name but I do remember he was a policeman) answered him and told him to come to Denver and he would see what he could do — so Rudy left and Cherie and Larry cane to stay with us until such time as Rudy got a job and a place to live —

Cherie came to stay with us while Rudy went to Denver to try to get a job — he finally got one with Stein's Men's Clothing Store and sent for Cherie — Nan and I stayed there until it was sold and torn down — at which time we moved to 16th and Pennsylvania St.

It was while we lived here that I took my first trip to Florida — with Maxine Weber, Ruby Faust and a friend of theirs — I loved it and said many times after we returned that I would live there some day.

At this time Charleyn and Pat were married and Cherie was living in Denver — Nan fell and broke her hip and was in the hospital for some time — when she came home we had moved across the street to the Rotherwood Apt. — she could no longer climb the stairs at the 16th Street apartment. While we were living in this apartment they decided to re-do the floors and asked us to move to the top floor and raised our rent— so we moved — well, it so happened that during the next few years we moved several times in the neighborhood of 16th street and finally ending up at 958 North Pennsylvania — two bedrooms — on the first floor for $65.00 per month — we stayed there for 3 years — moving to the second floor into a one-bedroom apartment for the same rent because I was moving to Florida —

I did go to Florida — but I didn't move there — this is getting so close to one of the most tragic times of my life that I am not sure I can cope with it — I did go to Florida — was with Pat and John for Christmas (Nan was invited but didn't go) and I took sick — later went to Cherie's and it was while there that Cherie took me to the hospital where they said I had had a heart attack — I was sure I was going to die and especially when I saw Charleyn I knew they had told her to come that I was dying — but while there Cherie became ill and was in the hospital in the room just above mine — we both left the hospital and I then went to spend some time with Pat before returning home — while at Pat's it was learned that Willard was putting Nan in a nursing home and Nan called me and asked that I return home — I did — even though I was still very sick — that was on April 19th, 1975 — and Cherie died on June 14th, 1975 — had I known I would never in this world have left Florida — but I did not know and I will live with that for the rest of my life — I do not blame the girls for not telling me for I was still very ill —

Rudy got a job at Stein's Men's Clothing Store and sent for Cherie —

After she left Nan and I stayed at Hampton Court until it was sold and we then moved to 16th & Pennsylvania Street — in fact, the real address was 1512 N. Pennsylvania Street — we lived on the 3rd floor —

Pat and Charleyn were both married — Pat had married Bud McGinley and had a son Patrick Stephen and Charleyn had married Joseph Richard Moore and they had 2 girls, Rudi Jo and Sandra Kay, and 3 boys George Lawrence, Joseph Richard Jr. and John Charles.

Pat had divorced Bud McGinley and was married to Richard Wetzel and they had moved to Muncie, Indiana — they had a little girl whom they named Kathleen Anne —

Nan and I were living in this apartment when I moved to Denver to live with Cherie and Rudy — before they moved to Denver David was born but Lisa was born in Denver — I was there —

I can never forget the beauty of Colorado — we went to the mountains many times while I lived there — I had two jobs while I lived there but neither of them worked out — so I eventually found myself back in Indiana working for Anderson, Correll and Pettigrew, a firm of lawyers — I was the only secretary and worked for all three men — ( I still don't know how I did it — but I did — it was very hard and I worked many hours overtime).

While I was working for the above firm, that is, Anderson, Correll and Pettigrew. (Cherie called and wanted to have me with her when her baby was due, so I took off and stayed with her — I was there for Christmas and baby was due before Christmas — I stayed a week longer then I intended to but finally had to return to Indianapolis — I almost lost my job because I had overstayed my vacation — however, one week after I returned I had a call from Rudi telling me that they had a boy and had named him Norman Andrew — he was born on Friday, the 13th of January 1960—

I stayed with this firm a few months more hut found it was simply too hard — I did all the work for the three men — so I quit and went back to Denver.