Grandmother - Paternal Side
I am trying my best to write this without emotion but I can't promise anything. So many memories! My very large family can add so much more that it could fill a book. I remember her ways, her voice, her mannerisms so clearly and she left us over 30 years ago. I still miss her greatly to this day. I regretted not spending more time with her in her final days, since that time maybe she taught me to live life with no regrets and I have. I only hope this will give an insight of a wonderful person who battled demons.
Born Dartha Esther on May 14, 1901 in Cassville, Missouri to James Nathaniel & Clara A. Chapman (maybe Chatman) Hembree. She was the second child and second daughter. The Hembrees lived around Cassville and since her father was a Farm Laborer they moved around following crops. By 1910 they had moved to Higgins, Oklahoma where she is shown on the census as "Darthya". While visiting a carnival, she meet a handsome young man, Fess Cornelius, and they were married on August 20, 1919 in Hodgens, Oklahoma.
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| Fess Cornelius & Dartha Hembree Marriage License |
Her residence was listed as being in Zoe, Oklahoma and her first name is shown as "Dartha".
Together they had the following children:
- W.C. "Dub" Cornelius (1920-1975); married 1st Lois; 2nd Billie Jean Mize
- Everett Cornelius (1923-2009); married Eola Floralene Hutsen
- Marshall Aaron "Marshie" Cornelius (1926-2001); married Wanda Faye Jones
- Billy Gene "Bill" Cornelius (1928 - ); married Virginia Ray Rawls
"Dart" (as Papaw used to call her) and Fess lived in Oklahoma since this is where the boys were born. By the 1930 U.S. Census, she was going by the name "Dorothy". I know for a time they were living in Ardmore near his family until an unfortunate instance involving a cow and moving in the middle of the night to the South Texas Valley. They were growing crops until a deep freeze killed everything. The family moved to Houston and lived with Dorothy's uncle Riley for a while until they could secure a new dwelling.
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| Fess, Dorothy, Johnny, Clara, James Hembree circa 1950? |
A house was rented on McDaniel St. until they bought the house on Eubanks. (Maybe one of my cousins will know if they bought it or built it).
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| The Cornelius Boys |
I really don't remember the house but I do remember the nursery behind it and riding on the wheel barrow handles. My first real memory of where they lived was a small trailer home until they could build the apartment over the boat shop. The apartment was small, a bedroom, living room, kitchen and a bath. This is where Fess and Dorothy lived until his death in September 1976. She then moved in with her oldest living son, Everett and his wife until she died 10 years later.
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Clara, Dorothy, Johnny, & James (seated) |
She kept the little apartment clean and had a bowl of candy on the kitchen table. That was until the coon came to live with them. The story goes that the coon was someone's pet until it got on the table and ate someone's Thanksgiving dinner. Somehow it was given to Papaw who thought it was great and Dorothy hated it! She would chase it down the stairs with a broom. Not sure how long it lived there before it was given to someone else. Can't say I was sorry to see it go as it bit me on the leg.
Dorothy had a Fourth Grade education, she could read and write. I know she read her bible and I think maybe Reader's Digest but I can't remember her just reading a book for pleasure. We would pick her up every Sunday morning so she could attend church. Her mother had been a member of Lindale Assemby of God and every Easter Dorothy would place the best Easter Lillies in the church in honor of her mother. Dorothy loved flowers and even owned a small flower shop that occupied a space in the parking lot of the boat shop. She owned a car, but only had a learner's permit and while driving home from the cemetery after leaving flowers wound up in a field. She didn't drive after that. Others would drive her around in her car.
She was a wonderful grandmother and spoiled her grandchildren as much as she could. She loved being with her family. She gave grandmotherly advice that were pearls of wisdom. Dorothy was also
very superstitious which was stated as coming from her Native American Indian roots. She spoke some Cherokee but heck if I knew what she was saying! More on that in another post.
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| Dorothy - 2nd from left with Fess and his brother's family; date unknown |
Yes, we did call her "Grandmother", not because of any lofty title or hoity toityness. Her first grandchild (Nancy) started calling her Dorothy like everyone else was. Mom corrected her by saying that's not Dorothy, that is your Grandmother. Being the dutiful child that she was, Nancy started calling her Grandmother and it stuck.
Since Grandmother lived through The Depression she was extremely frugal with money. She knew how to shop and find things on sale or on lay-away. Garage sales were her favorite! When I was very young, we were going to church and Grandmother had on a new dress so I asked her if she bought it at a garage sale. I thought my mother would have a stroke right there! Geez, I meant it as a compliment!! She just chuckled it off and said no. Years later I found out it came from Palais Royal, an expensive store to us at the time. Grandmother was always well accessorized. Her jewelry was from the 10 cent store but she always looked like a million bucks in my eyes.
Since living through The Depression, Grandmother would always keep money in her house. That generation did not trust banks. It was hidden every where, you never knew where you would run across it - be it in photo albums or under the mattress. It was hidden some where and every where. She didn't have a lot of money, but it was a lot to her and she kept it well hidden.
Dorothy had a love of photos. As a family we are blessed to have so many old photographs. She carried a little camera where ever she went and though not the best photographer, she was able to capture moments that will forever be precious to us. She also loved to travel, not to exotic places but if you said Go, she was ready. Someone told me that she used to love to go to the casino at Galveston and play the penny slots.
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| Dorothy and Great Granddaughter Angela |
Demons - Dorothy's life was fraught with what one of her brothers termed as "fits". Much later in life she was diagnosed with "Manic Depression" which is now known as "Bi-Polar Disorder". My first memories of her going to the hospital was while I was in my early teens, about the time her car wound up in the field. I was not aware of anything before then although it must have been present. The first I became aware of something different was after she moved into my parent's house. She was hospitalized because she would not eat due to her being in such a depressed state. After her release, Nancy, Kelly, and I were sitting at the table and Kelly was eating peaches when Grandmother began to laugh. I can only think that having her first great grandchild around lifted her spirits enough to get her through her depression. There were many other times that I could relate while she was in a manic or depressed state but it would only be an injustice to her memory and the kind. loving, generous person that she truly was.
No matter what her given name really was: Dartha, Darthya, Dart, or Dorothy she will always be remembered as Grandmother.
Happy Birthday Grandmother!
