"Laura finished the country school near Bastrop and there was no high school. Mother believed in book learning and hired a lady to live with them to teach the 3 older children, Clay, Laura and Homer the equivalent of a high school education. In 1900, the family purchased the John T. Cason Ranch near Rocky Creek in Brown County and Laura attended Howard Payne College in Brownwood. On the first day of school, she walked to town, eight miles, carrying a few clothes with her. She went to the president's office, said she wanted to be a teacher, and would repay him for her tuition when she began teaching, but that now she needed some place to stay. He knew a fine "Christian" woman who wanted to aid a worthy poor girl, and would give her room and board for a few paltry hours of work per day. Laura walked to see her, the woman drove a hard deal, but Laura wanted to go to college, so she agreed to the hours. She went back to school, came back at four, and entered by way of the front door. Fine Christian woman said, "Oh, no, you must use the servants' entrance." Laura said, "Where is that?" "The back door" said the lady. "You must use the back door" said the old ‘witch'. "I won't", said Laura, as she retrieved her other two dresses. Beware of the Greeks when they come bearing gifts.
She went back to the president's office, related what had happened. He said she better go to his house until he found another for her. He never tried. She lived there, as a member of his family until she got her first grade certificate. Mama took in fruit and vegetables from the garden, papa sent in meat every time we killed hogs.
Laura taught in Rising Star, TX for two years and was engaged to a young man who later became a president of a state teachers' college and came home for vacation and to get her trousseau ready.
Then she became very sick with a terrible stomach ache. Mama treated her with home cures but unfortunately, this stomach ache was appendicitis. However, when a doctor was finally summoned, he did not know much more than mama did. He thought Laura had appendicitis, but he did not know where the appendix was. He was willing to look, though. He began cutting at the sternum, kept cutting to the public bone, and felt around. He found it, already ruptured. He cut it out; it had a plum seed in it. All this was on the dining room table. Laura did not survive the surgery."
Excerpt from the book, "Who am I?" by Cactus Rachel Browder Willis (Laura Browder's sister) Published 1968
She went back to the president's office, related what had happened. He said she better go to his house until he found another for her. He never tried. She lived there, as a member of his family until she got her first grade certificate. Mama took in fruit and vegetables from the garden, papa sent in meat every time we killed hogs.
Laura taught in Rising Star, TX for two years and was engaged to a young man who later became a president of a state teachers' college and came home for vacation and to get her trousseau ready.
Then she became very sick with a terrible stomach ache. Mama treated her with home cures but unfortunately, this stomach ache was appendicitis. However, when a doctor was finally summoned, he did not know much more than mama did. He thought Laura had appendicitis, but he did not know where the appendix was. He was willing to look, though. He began cutting at the sternum, kept cutting to the public bone, and felt around. He found it, already ruptured. He cut it out; it had a plum seed in it. All this was on the dining room table. Laura did not survive the surgery."
Excerpt from the book, "Who am I?" by Cactus Rachel Browder Willis (Laura Browder's sister) Published 1968
"Laura finished the country school near Bastrop and there was no high school. Mother believed in book learning and hired a lady to live with them to teach the 3 older children, Clay, Laura and Homer the equivalent of a high school education. In 1900, the family purchased the John T. Cason Ranch near Rocky Creek in Brown County and Laura attended Howard Payne College in Brownwood. On the first day of school, she walked to town, eight miles, carrying a few clothes with her. She went to the president's office, said she wanted to be a teacher, and would repay him for her tuition when she began teaching, but that now she needed some place to stay. He knew a fine "Christian" woman who wanted to aid a worthy poor girl, and would give her room and board for a few paltry hours of work per day. Laura walked to see her, the woman drove a hard deal, but Laura wanted to go to college, so she agreed to the hours. She went back to school, came back at four, and entered by way of the front door. Fine Christian woman said, "Oh, no, you must use the servants' entrance." Laura said, "Where is that?" "The back door" said the lady. "You must use the back door" said the old ‘witch'. "I won't", said Laura, as she retrieved her other two dresses. Beware of the Greeks when they come bearing gifts.
She went back to the president's office, related what had happened. He said she better go to his house until he found another for her. He never tried. She lived there, as a member of his family until she got her first grade certificate. Mama took in fruit and vegetables from the garden, papa sent in meat every time we killed hogs.
Laura taught in Rising Star, TX for two years and was engaged to a young man who later became a president of a state teachers' college and came home for vacation and to get her trousseau ready.
Then she became very sick with a terrible stomach ache. Mama treated her with home cures but unfortunately, this stomach ache was appendicitis. However, when a doctor was finally summoned, he did not know much more than mama did. He thought Laura had appendicitis, but he did not know where the appendix was. He was willing to look, though. He began cutting at the sternum, kept cutting to the public bone, and felt around. He found it, already ruptured. He cut it out; it had a plum seed in it. All this was on the dining room table. Laura did not survive the surgery."
Excerpt from the book, "Who am I?" by Cactus Rachel Browder Willis (Laura Browder's sister) Published 1968
She went back to the president's office, related what had happened. He said she better go to his house until he found another for her. He never tried. She lived there, as a member of his family until she got her first grade certificate. Mama took in fruit and vegetables from the garden, papa sent in meat every time we killed hogs.
Laura taught in Rising Star, TX for two years and was engaged to a young man who later became a president of a state teachers' college and came home for vacation and to get her trousseau ready.
Then she became very sick with a terrible stomach ache. Mama treated her with home cures but unfortunately, this stomach ache was appendicitis. However, when a doctor was finally summoned, he did not know much more than mama did. He thought Laura had appendicitis, but he did not know where the appendix was. He was willing to look, though. He began cutting at the sternum, kept cutting to the public bone, and felt around. He found it, already ruptured. He cut it out; it had a plum seed in it. All this was on the dining room table. Laura did not survive the surgery."
Excerpt from the book, "Who am I?" by Cactus Rachel Browder Willis (Laura Browder's sister) Published 1968
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
