Born
in St. Louis, Missouri on the 7th of September,
Mamie was next to the youngest child and became
the only daughter of Tom and Clarissa's who did
not receive an higher education of some sort.
She
was but ten years old when her mother passed away
and helped care for her baby sister Beulah and
later her father. She remained single until
after his death, and having no income of further
schooling married Clarence Lane who had been
married before and had a son by that
marriage. Not much of a family man, Clarence
did not remain with Mamie and their young son and
she was left to raise him on her own and had a
difficult time of it.
Her
greatest joy was her son's only child, Jeanne,
whom she helped raise when Clarence, like his
father, left his wife to raise their
daughter. Mamie, however, adored the child
and spent a great deal of time with her, much of
which was spent rocking her to and fro in her
rocker and telling her the stories of her family
which invaribly began, "I remember Mama and
Papa..."
These
stories were cherished by Jeanne, handed down to
Jeanne's own daughter and to her daughter as
well. These are the stories which prompted
me into geneaogical research - these are the
stories that have become known to me as
"Lara's Legacy."
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