Clara Letitia Smith

Clara

Clara L Smith was my great grandmother's youngest sister born in 1884. The story was she was a little spoiled. I found her to be spirited and independent. I have said before that I think the set of the jaw here shows some stubbornness. She had two older brothers and two older sisters, all accomplished in their own ways. A hard act to follow I'm sure. 

In 1909 she graduated from Fitchburg Normal School (which is now Fitchburg State College) with a teaching degree. She was hired in Winchendon for nine dollars a week. She said it was one room with 50 children in it.  They were French-Canadian and spoke no English. She spoke no French. " I had no way to teach them except play-acting. That's where my 'Mother Goose got her start, I guess".

Clara taught briefly in Fitchburg and then at the Winslow Street school in Worcester where she taught kindergarten from 1916 until 1946. She never married, nor did her sister Lotta. She cared for Lotta (who had mental health issues) for most of her life. My mother always said that where Clara went, there was always Lotta. And they were always a little odd. They would come to visit their sister Cora, who lived next door, and my mother always liked Clara's stories.

1944 at the beach. Clara, Lotta, Doroth, Brainard, Primrose St, Marilyn

Even though they weren't particular friends, my grandmother made sure to include the aunts in things like trips to the beach. My grandfather was very fond of the aunties.

She became part of my life in the early sixties when we would visit my grandmother. Clara was a free spirit. By this time, she wasn't driving, so someone would go pick her up and bring her back for a visit. She and my grandmother got on each other's nerves. And honestly Clara liked tweaking my very conservative, old school grandma. She would talk about her "boyfriends"( she was in her eighties at this point) and I could see my grandmother over on the side just scandalized.  Another time, we stopped for lunch at a HOJOs restaurant on Route 9. My Aunt Nancy said, " What would you like to eat, Clara?" And Clara replied, " A hot dog and a BEER!" Now Clara knew full well that there was no beer at HOJOS. She was full of mischief.

Clara on the left and my Aunt Marie Tapply on the right

What I loved most was her spirit. We used to sometimes take her up to Ringe where my Aunt Dorothy and her husband summered.  Dorothy was my grandfather's sister. George Jones liked to have all kinds of conversations to show how worldly and important he was. If he offered an opinion she didn't agree with, Clara didn't hesitate to challenge him.

At some point, her concerned family decided she needed looking after. Arrangements were made for Clara to move into the Oddfellow Home in Worcester. That didn't last long. Before we knew it she had moved out and moved into a small apartment of her own in someone's home. There she stayed until the end. When asked about the Oddfellows Home Clara said, " Those old people were boring."

When she retired at 62, she started a whole new career. She began going around entertaining young people dressed as Mother Goose. As the Worcester Telegram reported it "Her  rosy cheeks and soft hair made her look story-book real complete with costume and wimple style hat."

Clara in 1966

She started appearing on radio, but soon was doing all sorts of local events an even local television. She did recitations about Boy Blue, Bo Peep and I remember being told the story of the Three Billygoats Gruff. She made a record, which we once had a copy of.

Clara in 1975 at 91

Even in 1975 at 91 she was sharp as a tack, and very outspoken and opinionated. She stayed pretty with it until around 100. My joke about that always was "At some point Aunt Clara started to believe she WAS Mother Goose." She did get a mention by Willard Scott on the Today Show on that occasion. She lived to be 102.

One of my regrets is that I didn't get the family stories from her while she was here. Genealogiy wasn't really on my radar. But I know she knew all the tales. My Uncle Brainard sometimes got her to tell a little bit. I wish I'd been tuned in.  I'll bet I'd have some rip roaring stories for this blog as only Clara could tell them.