Ray Bracewell
When Grandfather Spencer's wife died, he had a daughter Rosetta. Then, he remarried someone we know as Aunt Jose. She had a younger brother, my Grandfather, Frank Edward Bracewell. I don't know how old Frank was when his sister married my great grandfather (Spencer). But, it is possible he was early teen and he and Aunt Jose raised them in one household. Anyway, he married Rosetta when she was sixteen and he wasn't much older. By the time he and my Grandma were twenty years old they had three children.
So my father Ray Bracewell his, older brother, Frank, and sister, Edna, were raised under extremely primative conditions. Their beds were homemade, 4 posts and ropes, with three feather beds underneath and two feather beds on top, comfortable and warm. They didn't wear pajamas and all they wore in the daytime were overalls. The only food they had to eat was in season. If you have an apple tree you know how many apples you would get off of that in a whole year (not a lot) it only lasts for a couple weeks. My grandfather was a good farmer he always had a good vegetable garden and he was noted for being able to build a haystack which would shed rain so the hay inside would not spoil.
Ray had to go to eighth grade two years and later somehow he took a test and won a scholarship to a boarding high school in Jacksonville, IL when he was 17. After he graduated he taught in a one room country school for a year. The boys would wait on one side of the creek to see if the teacher could jump across the creek to have school. He also worked on a road gang where the men refused to paint a wooden bridge covered with poison ivy. He was practically immune to poison ivy so he volunteered to paint the bridge but he was careless and didn't wash afterwards and got a small case. A similar thing happened to Dad's father, Frank Woods, but he got a bad case of poison ivy. Isn't that a coincidence?
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More about your Grandpa Ray Bracewell, my Dad
After teaching in a country school for a year or so, he entered Illinois College. As he was completely on his own, he sold shoes in a shoe store. He also was an usher at the Opera House where he first heard real professional music as compared to what he could do without any lessons on the farm. He also arose very early let's say at 4 am during the winter, walked around town and built up and started up people's fires in their main furnace. I don't know what he majored in but he did some ministerial work in the Methodist religion and performed 5 marriages. He must have gotten a teaching job at Springfield High School. Springfield is the capitol of Illinois and when he entered the army at Jacksonville, FL, he was the acting principal of Springfield High School. So he and my mother Gertrude Effting met at summer school at the University of Illinois in Champagne and Urbana IL. Mother had a cousin there named Mabel Cleave and mother stayed with her for the summer. For a date they used to buy a glass of buttermilk and take it to the cemetary to drink. They dated for about 2 years and decided to get married on Thanksgiving Day 1919 because my Dad was assigned to go to France as a Methodist Chaplin in WW 1. As you know, the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 but they had made all the arrangements to get married so they decided to get married anyway. Mother's aunts and uncles gave her a set of one dozen silver plated silverware. She had a suit made out of blue velvet. She took a train to Jacksonville FL and they were married on Thanksgiving Day as planned. They were only in Florida a month or two when Grandpa was discharged from the army. They went to Chicago, Illinois and lived with my Grandma Effting, Hildegarde and Marie, her sisters and attended the University of Chicago. About April or May during the school year he received an appointment as principal of the high school in Burlington, Iowa. And, I was born there in September. They lived in a room upstairs, up the hill near the high school with a Mrs. Gluty. So I think it is very interesting how he jumped from absolutely nothing on this farm to acting principal of Springfield High School and continued in his school administration career. Isn't that an amazing true story. While he was away at college visiting him his mother she packed him a gooseberry pie and put it in his suitcase and it leaked all over his clothes. They really ate foods they obtained from the wild and made into pies. They sawed wood and heated their house with the fireplace and stove. He was enthralled by the music he heard at the Opera House and had a lifelong love of classical music. We had a Victrola which I used to crank and play over and over, the Overture to the Third Act of Lowengren and a record Woodland Echoes and Evening Chimes on the other side which I could sing the tune for you right now. We didn't have much music but we had we were crazy about.
Edits
I don't know how to edit this comment portion but we were married in 1918. And, at a family gathering when all the family was around the table I saw my Grandfather sliding some peas into his mouth on the knife . I called out Grandpa, can you do that? He was very embarrassed and so was my Grandma Bracewell to be known that he did that and he was embarrassed to be seen doing that.
Good to hear about Ray
It's wonderful to hear about Ray; I don't remember hearing much about his early days before.
Thanks for the Stories
I appreciate the stories, they are wonderful. Thank You very much.
Love the stories!!!!!!!!
Great idea, Mom and Dad! I was very excited to see your stories and hope you write more. Anna and Emily have fond memories of your stories, too, especially about when Philomena was little, or when you had to stay home sick from school due to a fever. One other request is perhaps to tell us more about Aunt Hildegarde, and maybe your visits to Chicago (riding the "L", etc). I'm looking forward to hearing about Grandpa Woods more, too. Also, Dad, once or twice you told of going swimming in various streams in the area. Whenever I drive by a little stream, for instance on the way to Altamont, I wonder if this is one you were talking about. Can't wait to see you guys!