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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1962-03-01, Page 2Alin'Ilazino .Coo ctgei Of Lucy Fray It was Lucy Fray's tenth betel - She had been back home will it only a week when she learaed that she was going to die. The one thing she didn't know just then was when — wheteei it would be a metier of weeks, months or maybe years. She did net tell her hust s cl, Ivan, right away He was bed- ridden and she wanted to be absolutely sure before she broke the news to him. Lucy was thirty-four years - old, She and Ivan eked out an existence on their small form a mile or two from Ottumwa, Iowa. There was no luxury, but it was home to them and their ten children. When Ivan was able to,, he worked in the field, In the win- ter months, he found a job in town as a labourer, but lately nis arthritis had been so bad that he had been more bedrinden than up and about. As the days went by, Lucy's pain grew worse, She was even- tually forced to drive into town to see a specialist and the elder- ly family doctor who had at- tended them ever since they came to live there, When the specialist had com- pleted his examination, he shook his head, "There is nothing you can do for me, then?" she asked quietly. "There is nothing that any human being can do for you, Mrs. Fray," She looked steadily at frim with great saucer -like grey eyes as she asked: "How long have I got, doctor?" "Do you honestly want me to express an opinion, ivirs. Fray?" the specialist queried. "I do. I have a family. I must make arrangements before I die." "You have a matter of months, eix months, maybe nine months, at the very, very best, about ten months," Lucy Fray murmured a simple thank y o u. There was neither tremor nor emotion in her voice or face. She returned home,. smiling and bright as always. No one saw that inwardly she was disturbed, that sentence of death had been pronounced on her. She bathed her infant son Ste- phen te-phen and scraped together enough food to feed the family. She then told her husband he was going to visit her local par - eon. "I have one or two things to discuss with him," Lucy said, and Ivan did not question her. He was in bed reeked with pain. In the quiet of the minister's parlour Lucy addressed the Rev- erend Samuel Pike, "I have been thinking about my children. I was bathing Ste- phen this evening and thinking that I do not •want them to go to an orphanage when beside me I felt a wonderful presence, something strong and overpow- ering like an invisible spirit. "It told me that there must be many good people in Iowa who would provide homes for my children and love them as I love them and help them to grow up to be good men and w omen.. "I have to find these people and see that my children are set- tled happily before I go." When she returned home she told Ivan that she was to die before the summer was halfway through in that year of 1954. She outlined her plan and he agreed as he always did with anything that Lucy decided, Next morning Lucy got her children together and told them they were all going to move to new homes. "Soon I will not be able to take care of you any more be- cause I shall be going to heaven. Before I go I am going to find each of you a new mummy who will be as kind and good to you as I have been, an d. a new fa- ther who will love you as your own father loves you." The local newspaper picked up the .story of the dying mother who was seeking loving homes How Well Do You Know SOUTH AMERICA? for her ten lovely, children; tee newspapers in distant Des 1vlcinee_ melte! el low,t, pireed If up Soon the :tory of Limy levity wee on the front page of every newspaper, writes M :ntsa Chandler in "Tit -Bits. Couples motored Wendt lets, even thausands, of mikes to ,:ume and claim a child, but Lucy was slot handing any of her children over just yet. She hxd listed the qualifications she demanded of anyone who wanted to adapt a child of hers. Those couples of whom Lucy ap?roved were allowed to take one of the children with them for ten days. At the end of this period the child had to be re- turned so that Lucy could ques tion it privately to find out if he or she would lrke to live with the people and it they were he ppy. The youngest, Stephen, was the first to leave the house, teen three-year-old Warren went. When Linda, two years, had gone, the other children began to get frightened. At first it pad seemed like a game, but now they suddenly realized that it was deadly earnest. The oldest, Joanne, a n d the third oldest, Pauline, asked their mother to tell thein the truth. "I am going to die and nothing can help me," Lucy said calmly. "I do not want to see you_ children in an orphanage, I want to see you in happy homes with people who will love you, people who will allow your brothers and sisters to come and see you and allow you to go and see them so that you will always be a family my family." The children understood. Mere and more of them left. Most went to neighbours living not very far away. By April, 1954, all but three had gone. These were Joyce, Frank and Virginia. Then Joyce and Virginia went. Little Frank alone was still with her in May when Lucy then knew that her time was short, Little Frank was six years old and suffered from a t t a c k s of epilepsy, To Lucy it seemed that nothing could be done except to put little Frank in an insti- tution, For she had been fair all the way through. T h e couples who took the children were told of any failings they had, and Lucy had, of course, told them that little Frank, a tousled hair- ed lovable little fellow, suffer- ed from epileptic seizures, "No one will accept Frank," Lucy told the Reverend Pike, "and yet he is the most lovable of all my ten children and the one who needs love more than any of the others." Then, a few days later, the couple who had adopted Warren brought him to see his mother. They were sitting on the porch while Warren was with his mo- ther, when little Frank came toddling out and stood by them. They spoke to him. Little Frank s a l d: "No o n e wants me so I will go to a home where they look after little kids no one wants," Then he toddled off to play with a clay horse while the couple watched. That evening neither the man nor his wife ate anything, "We just sat and stared at our food, my wife and I. We could not' eat, we did not have the heart to eat," the man told the Rever- end Pike later, "Suddenly my wife said to me: 'He is such a lovely little boy, it is a shame that he, too, cannot have a new mummy and daddy like his brothers and sis- ters.' "I looked at my wife and I saw her eyes brimming with tears, Suddenly I rose and said: 'Come on, little Frank is going to come home with us. Lucy smiled up from her bed when the couple returned later that evening. Gently they took the sleeping boy from his bed and when he awoke the next morning he was in the bedroom where his brother was sleeping. On the morning of June 14th, Lucy knew her life was ebbing fast. Her husband sent a message to the Reverend Pike and later in the day the children began to arrive until they were all around her bedside. "I want to s a y goodbye to you." Lucy said calmly. "It is not goodbye for ever, because I know I shall see each of you again. You have found parents who will be good and kind, "Be to them good sons and daughters. Goodbye now and God bless you." She kissed each of the children on the cheek and looked after them as they filed out and then she turned her head away and one solitary tear rolled on to the pillow. When the nurse tiptoed into the room a few seconds later Lucy Fray had gone, But there was a deep contentment on her face and a smile on her Iips, ISSUE 7 .. 1965 eke SWEETEST STORY EVER TOLD — Brian Collins, 29, pastry chef at Brighton, Englund Roy 11 'Albion Hotel, puts some sugary touches on his model of St Peters Church. The model, made of 18 pounds of sugar icing, is 28 inches long, 22 inches high at its highest point, 14 inches wide, TABLE Jam TALKS $are is a group of hearty sandwiches that are just the thing for a snack or lunch, CHEESE AND BACON SAND- IVICHES, FRENCH STYLE 1 egg. r cup, milk 12 slices crisp bacon 6 slices cheese 12 slices bread Beat egg and milk, Make sand- wiches with 2 slices of bacon and one slice of cheese; . brush one side with small pastry brush dipped in egg mixture; fry in bacon fat, When nearly done, brush other side and fry (you may need a little more fat). The cheese melts just enough, and the sandwich will be a golden brown. * * BAKED BEAN SANDWICHES ;4, cup cold baked beans 3 slices crisp bacon, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon catchup 1 tablespoon chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped celery lit teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Drain beans about 20 minutes, Chop bacon; saute onion and cel- ery; crush beans with fork, add bacon, catchup, onion, celery, and Worcestershire sauce. May be served with or withcut lettuce. Makes filling for 6 sandwiches, e „ LIVER AND BACON SANDWICHES 1 pound baby beef liver 1 tablespoon chopped onion 2 tablespoons chopped celery 1' teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 slices sugar -cured bacon Catchup to moisten. Cook liver (not too well done); when cool, grind it. Have bacon crisp and chopped. Saute onion and celery. Mix, adding Worces- tersh:re sauce and catchup. Sea- son lightly with salt and pepper. Serve on light brown buttered toast Serves 6. DIXIE SPECIAL is cup chopped smoked hani 4 slices crisp bacon, chopped 1 tablespoon onion 2 tablespoons celery 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ee teaspoon prepared mustard 3 tablespoons Russian dressing Saute onion and celery, Mix all ingredients together and serve with crisp lettuce on light buttered toast. Serves 6. * * * CREAM CHEESE SANDWICHES 2 packages cream cheese 1 tablespoon print jelly 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons,crushed walnuts Milk to moisten Moisten cream cheese with a little milk, blend in jelly and butter, and add walnuts. Serve on light plain toast with stuffed olives. Serves 8. • CROPPED EGG SANDWICHES 4 hard -cooked eggs, chopped 2 tablespoons sweet: pickle relish, drained 2 tablespoons Russian dressing 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped 1 stalk celery le teaspoon salt t teaspoon mixed seasoning le teaspoon pepper Chop celery fine, Mix alI Ingre- dients together. (If too dry, add a little more dressing,) Serve on lettuce, Serves 6. * M OPEN CLUB SANDWICH Arrange lettuce leaves ore 4 Wangles of toast, Cover alter- nate, pieces with slices of cook- ed chicken; cover other pieces, with slices of tomato and cooked crisp .bacon. Garnish with stiff mayonnaise,. 3 slices of stuffed olives on top, and radish and celery curls. * * "Here is an idea that others may like. I have combined a mincemeat cooky recipe with an oatmeal cooky recipe; it is as Yel- lows," writhe Mrs. Irene Perkins in the Christ's't Science Monitor. MINCEMEAT - OATMEAL COOKIES 311 cups 1'lour 1% cups oatmeal le teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soda % cup shortening 111 cups sugar 3 eggs 1? _ cups canned mincemeat Combine sugar, eggs, salt, and shortening and mix thoroughly. Add flour and soda and mix. Last, add mincemeat and oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls on a cooky sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes at 400° - 425°F., or until cookies are a nice brown color. Air Matra! In California On California highways, wht re 8.1 million motor veil -"les rac'k.t around and ten persons are kill( d every 24 hours, it used to be po i- Bible to drive like a bat out, f £ Sacramento if the cops didn't see you. Not so much any morin,. Eighteen state highway patrol, men have been assigned to ate air-traffic patrol over the Centrad Valley. "Big Brother is Watch -- Ing You—From the Sky" the program is dubbed, and it is proving effective, Just how 'effective, a NEWS - WEEK reporter learned last month in a demonstration staged. by pilot -patrolman James Sim- mons, a 6 -foot -2' major in the Air Force Reserve, After a pre -dawn, below freez- ing take -off from Sacramento Municipal Airport, Simmons picked up the concrete ribbon of Hwy. 99 that stretched arrow- straight through the flatlands be- low. Plainly visible were num- erals on the highway 5,280 feet. apart, If a vehicle, -moved from .one mile -marker to another in 60 seconds, Simmons paid hint no heed, The driver would be 3 miles an hour under California's maximum speed limit of 65 mph. As the blazing sun inched upe ward over the 2 -mile crest ,of' the Sierra Nevada, Simmons was at- tracted by a black. coupe, He windshield completely frosted with ice except fpr a small "peephole." He clocked it. The time measured between markers was 45 seconds—or 80 miles an hour. To keep pace, Simmons advanced the throttle to full( ;opening position, shallow dived to 200 feet. Using his hand mike, he called: "Aircraft No. 2, calling Unit Six," "Unit Six to Aircraft No. 2. Go ahead," came back the reply. "A black coupe with wind- shield 'and year windows frosted is going flat out south near Elk Grove. Pick him up and investi- gate." "Roger, Aircraft Two, Unit Six over, out," was the reply. Simmons pushed his cub to 500 feet and "hung on the tail" of the speeding car. Ahead of the car was a black -and -white patrol car parked on the shoulder of the ' concrete, On its top was a white square with a black "6". As the speeding, unsuspecting motorist rushed by, the highway patrol "dug out" and, within a mile, flagged down the .car. Minutes later, Simmons noted a car stopped by the roadside, a woman standing alongside. He ."dragged" the vehicle so low that two children could be seen in the back seat. Over his loud- speaker came the words: "This is the California Highway Patrol. May I assist you?" The woman looked up, startled by the voice of Big Brother. She waved. "If you are out of gas, raise your right hand," Simmons or- dered. She raised her right hand. "I will send assistance. Wait in the car." Monitoring his police band, Simmons I'urucd of 00 000rl00; 15 miles south, received the in- formation that an ambulance was On the way, He flew full throttle to the scene, climbed to 700 teat and' surveyed the 'terraiia and road, Rapidly stalled tr'affic.was jamming the highway and we old force the ambulance to thread its way slowly to the scene. By radio, Simmons directed the diise et' through side roads—thus bringing aid more quickly, to the crash victim, "That's the way it goes,"' he said, "One of theother boys help- ed box in a bank robber last week. He just sat up there above the getaway ear and directed the establishment of roadblocks, We had him in 35 minutes. "If I wasn't flying, l'd be driv- ing a patrol car and let me tell you, it's 'a' lot safer up hero than chasing them on the ground." Ironically, the day after Sim- mons made this observation, 28 - year -old pilot -patrolman Gary Grow was killed in a mid-air head-on collission some 900 feet over Madera Municipal Airport while coming in for a mid-morn- ing "coffee break." Two men it the other plane also were killed THOSE WERE THE DAYS Strong protests, should be made against the dazzling glare o. ,lamps carried by so many motor- ists. Few wheelfolk (cyclists) who travel by night have es- caped scathless from injury or nervous fright, and their cam plaints are ' justifiably bitter, against the motorists. - They do not object to the cars; but they abhor the blinding bril- liance of their lamps, for every flashlight carries ,potential peril in its rays, These great splashes of light are only required for high speeds; they are not neces-. Bary,' nor are they fair. Nervous riders should dis- mount when meeting .such ori- flammes, :for one glance into their depths will temporarily ob- •furcate the strongest eyesight. —From "Tit -Bits", January 1912. UNEARTH TREASURE — This huge vase is port of o treasure trove unearthed on the site of three ancient tombs in Greece. It is of forged bronze and dec• orated with theatrical scenes The vase dates bock to some" where about 300 B.C. FLIGHT OF FANCY -Strangely decorated DC -3, top photo, is for real. It's one of two Mohawk Airlines Gas Light Service planes carrying passengers daily in New York State. Qld-style printing, fancy trim and gas light on the tall identify the planes, Interior, bot tom, reminiscent of a railroad coach of a bygone era, is decked out in Victorian style, with ace headrest covers, velvet curtains, Currier and Ives prints and a fake pot-bellied stove. Hostess wears 1890 -vintage full-length gown to complete the effect, During the flight the serves pretzels, beer and even has good five -cent cigars. Created as a publicity stunt to Gttract customers to the aging DC -35 until they could be replaced by newer aircraft, the as Light Service has proved .popular beyond all expectations and has been extended.