Frances was one of eleven children born to immigrant parents who had separately escaped the poverty of Poland in the 1800's.
She grew up in an ethnic neighborhood of mostly Polish families in New London, CT. She spoke both Polish and English, but spoke mostly English, except at home, where her parents spoke Polish, and very little English.
Due to the ever growing family, Frances dropped out of school at a very young age to work in the local clothing factory to help support her younger siblings. The work was tedious, long, (12 hours on some days), dirty, and dangerous. (She got her ring finger stuck in one machine and it damaged the muscles and cartilage. And back then there were no child labor laws. She was 8 years old.)
She never went back to school, it was more important to have money to put food on the table.
In 1948, Frances got pregnant, and due to family pressure, gave the child, a daughter, up for adoption. She never saw her again.
October 4, 1948 Frances married Daniel Davis in a civil ceremony in Laconia, NH.
July 2, 1950 they had their first child together, a daughter, and in 1963 their second daughter, (me), was born.
Frances suffered from Muscular Dystrophy all her life. It showed up when she was younger as her being terribly skinny, and in later life, her muscles could no longer support her weight and she lost the ability to walk when she was about 44 years old.
Too embarrassed to go out in public, she never had the needed surgery for the glaucoma and went blind in one eye.
She was an avid Audie Murphy fan and I remember some of the best times we had were watching his films on tv. (I later contacted Audie's son, Terry, writing him a long letter about my mom, and I sent him a hand-made angel, that he told me he keeps with him always.)
Frances loved pansies, and until the MD took her muscles away from her permanently, she would paint with watercolors and paint pansies. Sadly, none of her paintings survive.
She never had a proper job, never had proper schooling, and never earned her driver's license, but she taught me a lot about courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
She was 57 when she died, a life snuffed out far too early.
She grew up in an ethnic neighborhood of mostly Polish families in New London, CT. She spoke both Polish and English, but spoke mostly English, except at home, where her parents spoke Polish, and very little English.
Due to the ever growing family, Frances dropped out of school at a very young age to work in the local clothing factory to help support her younger siblings. The work was tedious, long, (12 hours on some days), dirty, and dangerous. (She got her ring finger stuck in one machine and it damaged the muscles and cartilage. And back then there were no child labor laws. She was 8 years old.)
She never went back to school, it was more important to have money to put food on the table.
In 1948, Frances got pregnant, and due to family pressure, gave the child, a daughter, up for adoption. She never saw her again.
October 4, 1948 Frances married Daniel Davis in a civil ceremony in Laconia, NH.
July 2, 1950 they had their first child together, a daughter, and in 1963 their second daughter, (me), was born.
Frances suffered from Muscular Dystrophy all her life. It showed up when she was younger as her being terribly skinny, and in later life, her muscles could no longer support her weight and she lost the ability to walk when she was about 44 years old.
Too embarrassed to go out in public, she never had the needed surgery for the glaucoma and went blind in one eye.
She was an avid Audie Murphy fan and I remember some of the best times we had were watching his films on tv. (I later contacted Audie's son, Terry, writing him a long letter about my mom, and I sent him a hand-made angel, that he told me he keeps with him always.)
Frances loved pansies, and until the MD took her muscles away from her permanently, she would paint with watercolors and paint pansies. Sadly, none of her paintings survive.
She never had a proper job, never had proper schooling, and never earned her driver's license, but she taught me a lot about courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
She was 57 when she died, a life snuffed out far too early.
Frances was one of eleven children born to immigrant parents who had separately escaped the poverty of Poland in the 1800's.
She grew up in an ethnic neighborhood of mostly Polish families in New London, CT. She spoke both Polish and English, but spoke mostly English, except at home, where her parents spoke Polish, and very little English.
Due to the ever growing family, Frances dropped out of school at a very young age to work in the local clothing factory to help support her younger siblings. The work was tedious, long, (12 hours on some days), dirty, and dangerous. (She got her ring finger stuck in one machine and it damaged the muscles and cartilage. And back then there were no child labor laws. She was 8 years old.)
She never went back to school, it was more important to have money to put food on the table.
In 1948, Frances got pregnant, and due to family pressure, gave the child, a daughter, up for adoption. She never saw her again.
October 4, 1948 Frances married Daniel Davis in a civil ceremony in Laconia, NH.
July 2, 1950 they had their first child together, a daughter, and in 1963 their second daughter, (me), was born.
Frances suffered from Muscular Dystrophy all her life. It showed up when she was younger as her being terribly skinny, and in later life, her muscles could no longer support her weight and she lost the ability to walk when she was about 44 years old.
Too embarrassed to go out in public, she never had the needed surgery for the glaucoma and went blind in one eye.
She was an avid Audie Murphy fan and I remember some of the best times we had were watching his films on tv. (I later contacted Audie's son, Terry, writing him a long letter about my mom, and I sent him a hand-made angel, that he told me he keeps with him always.)
Frances loved pansies, and until the MD took her muscles away from her permanently, she would paint with watercolors and paint pansies. Sadly, none of her paintings survive.
She never had a proper job, never had proper schooling, and never earned her driver's license, but she taught me a lot about courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
She was 57 when she died, a life snuffed out far too early.
She grew up in an ethnic neighborhood of mostly Polish families in New London, CT. She spoke both Polish and English, but spoke mostly English, except at home, where her parents spoke Polish, and very little English.
Due to the ever growing family, Frances dropped out of school at a very young age to work in the local clothing factory to help support her younger siblings. The work was tedious, long, (12 hours on some days), dirty, and dangerous. (She got her ring finger stuck in one machine and it damaged the muscles and cartilage. And back then there were no child labor laws. She was 8 years old.)
She never went back to school, it was more important to have money to put food on the table.
In 1948, Frances got pregnant, and due to family pressure, gave the child, a daughter, up for adoption. She never saw her again.
October 4, 1948 Frances married Daniel Davis in a civil ceremony in Laconia, NH.
July 2, 1950 they had their first child together, a daughter, and in 1963 their second daughter, (me), was born.
Frances suffered from Muscular Dystrophy all her life. It showed up when she was younger as her being terribly skinny, and in later life, her muscles could no longer support her weight and she lost the ability to walk when she was about 44 years old.
Too embarrassed to go out in public, she never had the needed surgery for the glaucoma and went blind in one eye.
She was an avid Audie Murphy fan and I remember some of the best times we had were watching his films on tv. (I later contacted Audie's son, Terry, writing him a long letter about my mom, and I sent him a hand-made angel, that he told me he keeps with him always.)
Frances loved pansies, and until the MD took her muscles away from her permanently, she would paint with watercolors and paint pansies. Sadly, none of her paintings survive.
She never had a proper job, never had proper schooling, and never earned her driver's license, but she taught me a lot about courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
She was 57 when she died, a life snuffed out far too early.
Family Members
See more Davis or Chojnowski memorials in:
- Cedar Grove Cemetery Davis or Chojnowski
- New London Davis or Chojnowski
- New London County Davis or Chojnowski
- Connecticut Davis or Chojnowski
- USA Davis or Chojnowski
- Find a Grave Davis or Chojnowski
