This Week Is for Mother--Day Four: Bernice Evangeline Grenfell (1902 - 1980)

A year later the new house had acquired a coat of paint and Harold's shop had been built. He's not visible in this photo, but their son Harold Delbert Currey, Junior, was born on February 9, 1923.

[Bernice's younger brother Richard is the man in the bottom right photo, from my personal collection]

Here's a photo from the north side of their property showing their vegetable garden. (Look at all the bare hills around Encanto!)

[From my personal collection]

Over the years more additions were made to the house--a lath house with rock garden, garage, separate bedroom, dining room, and a living room (on the back so it would be more convenient for the Currey tribe who eventually included not only Harold's parents but also his two sisters' families). And both ornamental and fruit trees were planted, and walls, driveways and walks were created.

A year or two after Junior's birth, Bernice suffered a ruptured appendix and lost the child she was carrying. She wasn't expected to survive but the doctors tried the new sulfa drugs on her with great success.* However, she was never able to have another child, so Junior was their all.

The next twenty years were probably the happiest time of her life. This period is well documented and I want to cover it but I'm too tired tonight to do it justice.** Come back tomorrow and I can promise you camping trips, boats, trailers, rental property (a bungalow court on Irving Street), even a barn with a cow!

[From my personal collection]

(To be continued)

*My paternal grandfather, James Chappell Warren, Junior, died shortly after the birth of his only child in 1923 in Johnson County, Texas. From his death certificate we learn what caused his death: "Appendicitis (Ruptured) Operation; Contributing: Peritinitis, general."
**Today my daughter Christine (whose recent absence from posting here you may have noted) underwent laparoscopic surgery to implant a port so that she can begin dialysis soon so I spent the day at the hospital. All went well and she was able to go home five hours after the surgery.

© 2015 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.