52 Ancestors: #1- My Grandmother Cora Mae Wilkey-Esterline-White

I felt it appropriate to start the 52 week challenge with my Maternal Grandmother Cora Mae Wilkey. Grandma was a mischievous little woman and a hard worker. She worked hard all her life just to put food on the table and clothes on her children`s backs. She was born 23 January, 1889 in a little town called Morley, in Scott County in Southeast Missouri.

On 3 November, 1906 in Bloomfield, Stoddard, Missouri she married my grandfather Grover Cleveland Esterline, son of John Wesley Esterline and Mary Ann Farmer.

Grandmother raised ten children, with my mother being the youngest of the ten. They were dirt poor in fact so poor that my mother was born in a Barn. They lived in a little cabin on the ditch bank near Manila, Mississippi County, Arkansas when my mother was just a young girl. She has told stories of how she used to have to cross a foot log to walk miles to school barefooted.  In 1939, when my mother was about eight years old her parents divorced. Grandma had to do what she could just to take care of her family so she took in work for first one person and then another. Shortly after my grandparents divorce grandmother remarried to a man named Charlie FARRIS, that marriage did not last too long by the 1940 census, grandmother and my mother were living in Ash Hill, Butler County, Missouri.  They were listed living in the household of one Ira Thomas ROARK and grandmothers occupation was listed as that of a Servant and mothers relationship was listed as Servants Daughter.

Being as poor as they were my mother has often told the story of some well to do folks that they were acquainted with had come to visit and how they begged grandmother to let them adopt my mother. They went on to state how they could care for her and she could have the finer things in life. Mamma said my Grandmother was hopping mad that they could even suggest such a thing!

My mother married for the first time at the tender age of 12 years, she had had a hard life and was forced to grow up fast.  On 31 January, 1942 in Rivervale, Arkansas Grandmother married one Charles Edward MARTIN, she and Mr Martin were married for several years and then on 10 October, 1949 grandmother would marry for the last time to a Mr. William Henry WHITE. They were married in Bernie, Stoddard, Missouri.

Grandma and Mr. White made their home in Bernie, Missouri. They raised Chickens and Turkeys and lots of other small farm animals. Grandma was very superstitious and had a lot of the old ways. She read the tea leaves and had faith in a lot of so called cures. My mother has related stories to me of grandma forcing her to drink Chicken Manure Tea for its healing properties, mamma would be mortified if she knew I had shared that here. Grandma grew herbs and had a big garden and lots of lots of flower bushes. Some of her favorite flowers were Honeysuckles, Wisterias and Cabbage Roses. I remember as a child spending lots of time at Grandmas house and when you would walk up the road just before you got to her house you could smell the faint aroma of wood smoke coming from the chimney. As you opened the gate to enter her yard you were greeted by lots and lots of flowers, they were everywhere and the aroma was so nice. To this day when I smell Wood Smoke or Honeysuckles I am transported back to grandmas yard.

Her favorite drink was Dr. Pepper. I remember one time she sent me on an errand for some. When I returned with it I was astonished to watch her pour hers into a little pan and set it on the stove to heat. That day I would have my first taste of warm Dr Pepper, something she swore by. She always wore an apron and in the pockets she kept a bag of Lemon Drop candy. She would reach into her pocket and give me a handful and I loved to put them in my hot tea. To this day when I have a cold or a sore throat I always want Lemon Drop Tea like Grandma made. When I was a child, mother always gave me Cambric Tea, which is a little bit of tea with a lot of cream and sugar, sometimes I still prefer it that way.

Grandma loved to sew and she had an old treadle sewing machine. She would make me Bonnets (like the 1800`s Little House on the Prairie type Bonnets) and small aprons with her scrap material. She always saved the Bunnies off the Bunny Bread wrappers for me. She used to collect the Cicada Shells and save them for me as well. Grandma was not rich by any means but she taught me so much over the course of my lifetime. She taught me how to make do with what you've got. She taught me about hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity. Grandma was the first person to give me a Bible and she was the first person to give me one of my favorite story books: Cinderella.  I guess there was a lesson that Grandmother wanted me to learn from having given me and my cousin the book Cinderella. I assume she could relate to her in the fact that she was a hard worker too and in the end her perseverance payed off, much like grandmothers had as well. To this day my favorite Disney Story is that of Cinderella and the Fairy God Mother. She made do with what she had, the mice and the birds were her friends, what a lesson to be learned! I miss you Grandmother!

This Post is Part of the 52 Ancestors-52 Weeks Challenge at No Story too Small