MY MOTHER
This article from her diary sums up my mothers personality about the best anyone could. She was a peace - loving person.
Diary excerpt from Grace V. Dickinson writings: (Dec. 8, 1941) Today has brought much sorrow to this land, but it seemed the only thing to do, as Japan attacked our Islands in the Pacific yesterday. We declared War upon Japan today; perhaps this is the 'last war' from the bible. We must have the strength and courage to cope. If God be for us... who can be against us? I'm sure prayers are going up all over the nation. (June 21, 1941.) I am sitting by a west window in the June twilight, rocking my baby (Nancy) asleep, and watching the sky as it changes. The clouds are curdling, they remind me of the saying, "A curdled sky, never leaves the earth long dry." The room is my bedroom; the lamp is turned low on my desk; my desk is littered with my diaries, stamp album, Nancy's bank, a string of buttons, some of my sketches. I rock to and fro I count my blessings. I hear cowbells ringing, a train whistle, and I live in a world apart from the War talk.
Yes, My mother was a peace loving person but if pushed in a corner she would come out ready for a fight. She was never one to fight with her family but would have fought to the end for her family. My dad and her had one argument in all of their 52 1/2 years of marriage. Mom would get up and get her housework done early including planing supper and baking,she baked almost every day. We always had cookies, pies, or a cake on hand. My dad would eat a meal and always have dessert after. In the afternoon she like to take time and set at her desk that she always had. She would then write in her diary or write letters to her pen - pals. Some of her pen pals she had since her days of child hood. She would write stories,poems,she dreamed of being a famous writer one day. She had many hobbies throughout her life ,Scrapbooking, reading, genealogy, making quilts, baby clothes, potholders, she collected stamps, coins, seashells, buttons, recipes. She loved to take pictures just to name a few. For some one who never graduated from school and was self taught in a lot of things she was good in spelling and English it seemed to come natural to her.
We had a large family for her mom and dad always lived with us. Everyone got alone fine. If I was asked to go back in time and pick my mother I would pick her. My parents didn't believe in spanking us kids(we needed it at times) they never yelled at us either. I can remember once I scribbled in a coloring book because I was mad and she just calmy took it and put it up on the fridge and told me when I decided to color the right way I could have it back. It worked.
Mom was born in Theresa ,New York on Augest 26,1923. She had 3 older brothers Charles, Ross, & Everitt. Charles and Ross were young men 16 & 18 when she was born. Did they spoil her? What do you think. She always called them her boys. She didn't always have a happy carefree life for at around age 6 one of her older brother's was killed in an accident. He was about 12 Everitt Laurence Vincent. She never got over it and in 1959 she lost a son,Linden. Their obits are on this web site.
When mom could she would take us girls to church,but even tho she didn't go every Sunday she had a very strong belief and trust in God. She never seemed to loose faith even when times were hard. She always said with God on your side no one can be against you. She lived a good life no one (except Grandpa once in awhile ) swore or drank. My dad did smoke but she always said that was his only vice and he usually smoked when he was in the barn. She hated to have him smoke near us kids.
My mother was a gypsy at heart . She loved her home and family but deep in her soul she liked to travel. That is why we always moved so much back and forth from New York and Florida and even to Alaska where we spent two years. But she always talked about the house in Palermo and the stone house where I was born more then any other places. She loved the beauty of Alaska but she would get depressed with the long dark winters. Alaska is still one of our most beautiful states in 1947/49 it was still a territory.In Florida grandma and Dad were happy for they both loved it here and mom loved the ocean ,flowers and birds that we have here but when the temperature rose past 80 she would feel the heat. And then she would always miss her family in New York I have always said almost 1/2 of Jefferson Co. New York is related to me in one way or another. So then she would be pulled back to her home state of New York. She loved to ride in the car and visit family. Aunts,Uncles and even great aunts and uncles. I was able to meet a lot of the people who are now gone.
Mom could also sit quite and spend hours reading as she grew older she would go Thur as many as 6 or 7 books a week on travel,and good stories. Her favorite books were "The Eagles Nest", "The trail Of The Lonesome Pine"," A Lantern In Her Hand","Cross Creek","Little House On The Prairie", "Prairie Wife". Any books by Laura Ingalls Wilder(The Laura & Mary Books as we called them)James Oliver Curwood,Gene Staten Porter,Marjorie K. Rawlings,and so many others that I can't remember right now. I used to go to the library for her about every other week. She enjoyed her time while living at the " General Brown Mansion" in Brownville,Jefferson Co.,New York. She would tell of the history and the secret pasages there to her 3 grandson's ( my sons) on a trip when we spend Christmas there. They still remember playing games that they were spies and she would write messages for them to take to there commanding officers. And to this day all three are very much into history because of my mom's story telling.
I do believe if she had written more she would have become one of our all time great authors. She would say the next best thing to being in a place is to read about it.
If Mom saw a good recipe she thought she might try one day she would cut it out and paste it in a book I too, love to do this. I have a trunk full of her cut out and pasted recipes. And a lot of her scrapbooks. She loved to go to the movies as she grew older she enjoyed watching tv. The Waltons was a favorite. She never got to see 7 th. Heaven but I know she would have liked it,too.
Mom always wore what we called a house dress with an apron over it to keep the front clean. Grandma would make both dress and apron for them. When we came home from school mom was always there. She always smelled good she loved Avon and at one time even sold it. My Dad died of cancer in 1992 by then mom had had a stroke and she never recovered from losing her Leon as she died of a failed heart 2 years later on April 5,1994 and as I have said since she died of a broken heart. She seem to live in a fog the last two years waiting to go with Leon. When she died I had lost both parents and I knew what it felt like to become an orphen. They will always be in our hearts. We love you Mama. Thanks for being my Mom.
This page belongs to