| Name | Dora Ellen STCLAIR | | Birth | 25 Feb 1883, Erath Co., TX | | Death | 27 Sep 1961, Lipan, Hood Co., TX Age: 78 | | Father | John Wood STCLAIR sr (1825-1891) | | Mother | Martha CAMP (1843-1905) |
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| Marriage | 20 Apr 1900, Erath Co., TX |
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| Notes for Dora Ellen STCLAIR |
| Dora Ellen St Claire was born to John Wood St Clair and hissecond wife, Martha Camp. She was married by the 1900 census soI never found her with her parents. None of the children knewwho her parents were. But I found a deed where John Wood StClair had given land to each of his children and it named Dora.Dora Ellen St Clair was, as near as I could visualize as achild, a saint. She was a tiny little woman who was always busyas a bee taking care of her family. She worked in the fieldsalong side of the men and still did the housework. My sisterremembers that she and Grandpa would go to town in the wagon tobuy groceries. He would stay in the wagon and send her in toask if they could buy them on credit, then she would go out andtell him and he would then go in with her. My childhoodmemories of her were when they lived in a house nearStephenville. There were always lots of old hounds around. Whenwe would drive up the hounds would come out baying, and shewould come out trying to get them to hush. The house would beas clean as possible considering she was waiting on three grownmen who truthfully did not try to help her. The table in thekitchen was a long table with benches down each side. Usuallyshe had corn "pone" cooking - made out of water most of the timeand it would be 3 inches thick. I liked thin crispy browncornbread, so I thought it was awful. But she made up for itwith her gingerbread. It was delicious. Grandmother's healthfailed and she lost most of her eyesight before Grandpa died.After his death she lived with different children. She livedwith us some. By that time she had gone blind and had to havean eyeball removed because of glaucoma. But this did not dampenher good nature. She liked to help as much as possible. Motherwould lay out her clothes each morning and she would dress herself. She like to help with the dishes so Mother would get themready and fill up the dish pan and then Grandma would wash them.Many times Mother had to re wash them but she never saidanything. Grandma dipped snuff. She would ask us kids to digthe tender roots of the dogwood tree for her a "toothbrush".She had no teeth but she would chew on it unit she had the endof it like a brush. She would keep this in her mouth to dip hersnuff with. In the afternoons she would get us kids to take herfor a walk. If there was something going on in the communitythat the family wanted to go to she was always ready to go -although I know she did not enjoy it. We never had to stay homebecause of Grandma Rogers. it was a different story whenGrandma Like was visiting. If she didn't want to go - she justrefused and we kids had to stay at home. Mother would tellDaddy, "Jim, you take the kids and go and I will stay withMama." But Daddy did not like to go without Mama, so we stayedat home. Grandma Rogers then went to live with Ellen. Shebecame bed-fast and lingered for a long time before she died onSept 27,1961 at Ellen's home in Lipan. According to theundertaker, her body only weighed 60 pounds. She was buriednext to her husband at the Wesley Chapel Cemetery near BluffDale. I am confident that somewhere in Heaven there is a slimlittle lady living in a grand mansion - for bless her heart sheearned it here on earth. Tucked into the pocket of her robe ofsilk is a Garrets snuff box and near by a Rosebud tree is infull bloom. A rocking chair may sit on the porch but I am sureit is rarely used, because by now 4 of her children have joinedher and her husband. Surely she is as busy as a bee taking careof her family, and every so often the aroma of gingerbread fillsthe air. |
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