|
a.
|
Note: Minnie attended school until the eighth or ninth grade.
After she and Samuel were married, they were unable to have children for many years. They raised Isla Dell Bruorton,
daughter of Minnie's half sister, Beulah Dusenbury Bruorton and Clarence Bruorton, after Beulah died in 1920. They wanted to adopt Isla, but her father Clarence wouldn't let them. Then, when Minnie was 34, she had Yvonne followed two years
later by Carol Jean.
Yvone and Carol can remember when they were small having a cow to milk, making their own buttter, and having an outhouse. They listened to the radio shows in the evening and were frequent visitors to Unce Herbert's and Aunt Carrie's (another
half sister of Minnie's) in Carvers Bay.
Samuel and Minnie's father, John, built the house on Andrews Hwy. where they lived for fifty years. The house was located two doors down from the Pepsi Cola plant. It have 3 bedrooms, den, living, dining, kitchen, (eventually one bath), and a
big sun room where Minnie kept her many plants. They enjoyed working in the yard and having a garden. They had an acre lot covered with beautiful flowers and trees; azaleas, dogwoods, daylilies, oak trees, magnolia trees, pecan trees, a fig
tree, and a grapevine. There was a swing under one of the oak trees where we would gather. There was a bench surrounding one of the oak trees.
In the early years, Minnie was a great seamstress. She would take her children shopping, find something they liked, then come home and make an exact copy of the outfit for them.
They were active members of the First Baptist Church in Georgetown for many years. Minnie taught Sunday School, VBS, and played the piano. She had only nine lessons when she was young, but she was very proficient and also played by ear.
Minnie's two daughters and her granddaughter picked up the love of playing from her. Granddaughter Debbie now has Minnie's piano. The family would often gather around the piano while Minnie played. Minnie could play harpsichord, harmonica, and
quitar. Debbie would play high on the piano and everyone would sing hymns. No dancing was allowed nor card playing. "Good Christians didn't do those things". They usually ate their big meal at lunch and a smaller meal at supper. We often
celebrated Easter at their house. They had several dogs over the years: Lady, Cocoa, and BB. Samuel and Minnie enjoyed watching Lawrence Welk, horse racing, and wrestling on TV.
Minnie always related these stories to the family. After her mother died, she said that she was seen coming up on her back porch to wash her hands; then she disappeared. After her father died, she said that she put her children on the school
bus, then lay down to rest on the couch. She dreamed she was having a nice conversation with her father who was sitting in a chair that he had turned around from the table to talk to her. When she awoke, she found the chair still facing her,
the opposite way that it usually faced.
After Samuel's death, Minnie traveled with the Senior citizens group from church. They went to California and Niagara Falls. Minnie had arthritis in her fingers, knees, and ankles, but she continued to do the things she wanted.
After Minnie's sister, Carrie, died; Minnie and Carrie's husband, Herbert Carter, married in 1976 at Georgetown First Baptist Church.
Minnie had a stroke at the age of 91 and died a week later. She was very active up until her death. There is a picture of Minnie doing the Hula Hoop at the age of 84 yrs.
|
