Facts and events
|
Shared note
|
From http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/growing-up-in-waller-county/article_72c85f30-8619-56c2-a872-e1566dd778c8.html?mode=jqm Growing Up in Waller County ‘Uncle’ Wade, Mrs. Addie made a big impression By Lawrence Chapman | Updated Nov 20, 2010 Uncle Wade and Mrs. Addie had three children, but only Myrtle survived. The other two, Mattie and Lois, died in infancy providing them with enough grief to last a lifetime. Myrtle was born Aug. 10, 1904, grew up here and attended Hempstead schools. She graduated from the College of Industrial Arts that later became Texas Women’s University in 1925. Her roommate was Isabel Morrison who later married Luther Bradbury and taught many years in Hempstead. She was one of my high school English teachers. After Myrtle taught 19 years in Port Arthur, she married Robert C. Forster on June 20, 1943. Bob was a World War I veteran and had also gone into the Army for World War II, but was discharged in 1943 because he was too old. Myrtle taught in Hempstead after Roberta, called “Robbie,” was in the second grade until she was in the sixth grade. The Forsters lived on FM 359, a short distance from the Waller County Fair Grounds on a tract of land that was given to them as a wedding gift from her parents. Mr. Forster was a builder, and responsible for building and remodeling many homes in the area. Because of severe allergy problems, Myrtle took little Robbie to Kerrville where she taught and Robbie graduated from Tivy High School in 1965 Today, Robbie is a librarian in the Brownwood ISD. Robbie supplied much of the information for this story. Wade and Addie lived in a very well maintained home on 11th Street a block from the State Bank. When I was growing up, the Catholic Church occupied the west side of the block, and Wade and Addie’s home the east side. I never knew about the house being added onto until recently when Robbie told me about it. When the new jail was built sometime about the early1900s, Wade saw the opportunity to buy the old jail and add it onto his home. It certainly was not evident. I had always thought it had all been built on the site. The house faced east and had a wrap-around front porch with a hanging swing for two people. There was another house on the north side of theirs that was occupied at one time by D.G. and Mary Texana Heflin Hudson. Mary was Addie’s sister. Mr. Hudson ran a grocery store back when grocery stores were as common as restaurants are today. The yard was filled with lots of rose bushes, flowers and shrubs. As a young man wishing to impress a certain young lady, I talked Mrs. Addie out of about a dozen of her beautiful roses along with the asparagus fern to go with it. Placing them in a box that came from a florist, I sure made a hit. But, it all came to naught. The young lady and I soon after dissolved our relationship. As a very small child, I learned to be careful about what I ate. I once tasted Mrs. Addie’s Elephant Ear and found it to be very toxic, causing me to have a very high fever. Mama was in the house visiting and I was free to roam the yard. Mrs. Addie must have been very fond of me because she once gave me a stuffed rabbit around Easter when I was about 4 years old. Uncle Wade liked me a lot. On more than one occasion he gave me a few coins, but of far greater importance he gave me a lot of attention. I always felt that I was special to both of them. At the age of 82 Uncle Wade passed away on Jan. 18, 1961, and was laid to rest in the Fields Store cemetery. Mrs. Addie followed in death on Nov. 6, 1965, and was buried beside him. Summing it up, I would say they were a kind, generous, waste-not, want-not couple that had a very positive effect on not only me, but the whole community. I cherish their memory. Although we were not related, I called him “Uncle” because I felt real close to him. I owe much of what I am today for having people like this couple as role models. Now I end with an observation and a quote. The most important task of parents is parenting. That determines the future of this country. And now the quote: “I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that Icould bring to it.” – Rose Kennedy |
|---|---|
|
Last change
|
|