By Fred Owens
I know Lois Wauson from when I lived in South Texas ten years ago. At that time I was a reporter for the Wilson County News and I heard many interesting stories of times past. Lois was kind enough to share her story with us. I hope you enjoy reading it.
On this day 85 years ago, it snowed in South Texas! Can you believe it? Well I was there! I remember that day!
I was born on a snowy night in South Texas.
By Lois Wauson
It was a snowy night in South Texas in 1932 when a baby was born. Snow was not that common in South Texas, especially in March. But an unseasonably cold norther had blown in the night before and it was cloudy and cold and the temperature kept dropping.
I sit here thinking about the day I was born. Imagining what happened that day, in the old Zook house where my Grandma and Grandpa Zook lived in the Camp Ranch Community in Wilson County, Texas. My daddy had inherited the farm after his daddy died in 1927. Mother and Daddy met in December 1930 and married 5 months later in 1931. Some of this is true and some is fiction. I guess you could call this historic fiction.
My mother Bertie Lee got pregnant a month after she married. It had been a difficult pregnancy because she was sick the whole time and didn’t even like her cigarettes. She and Daddy smoked Bull Durham and rolled their own. She knew something was going to happen that afternoon in March, because her back was hurting so bad and the pains had started. She told my father Lawrence to go up the road to her Mama and Daddy’s house, to get her Mama. It was getting really cold out, the temperature was below freezing and snow flurries were starting up. But it was March, almost spring, and snow was very rare in South Texas.
Lawrence walked up the road, bundled up in his overcoat, to his in-laws’ house. He hoped he wouldn’t see her daddy, Earl Goode, because Earl hadn’t spoke to Lawrence since the day Lawrence and Bertie Lee eloped last May, and got married. Earl was very angry with Lawrence and went up to the house to yell at him, and Earl and Lawrence got in a fight and Lawrence had hit Earl. Since that day, they had not spoken. I guess you would say there was a feud going on. That was 10 months ago.
But Sallie, one of the girls, answered the door and Lawrence said Bertie Lee needed her mama to come down because she thought the baby was coming. So Vonie, her mama, and Bertie Lee’s sister Sallie got on their coats and walked down to Lawrence’s house. They walked in the snow flurries and Sallie was excited with the snow and her little niece or nephew coming.
When they got back to the house, Bertie Lee's labor pains had really started up. That is when Vonie told Lawrence it was time to call Dr. Oxford in Floresville. But the nearest phone was several miles away, at the Harrell’s house. They were the only neighbors that had a phone. Lawrence had to leave the house again.
Lawrence saddled up the horse and took off for the Harrell’s farm. He used their phone and called Dr. Oxford who said he would be out there as soon as he could. Lawrence spent an hour or more talking to the Harrell men, rolling a cigarette and drinking coffee. Lawrence loved to talk. When he rode back to the house, the snow was getting thicker, and Vonie was angry, asking why it had taken so long, Bertie Lee’s pains were getting closer and closer. She knew what a talker Lawrence was. Where was Dr. Oxford and when was he coming? Lawrence told her he should be there later.
But Bertie Lee had seen her mother in childbirth before and she wasn’t that concerned. She knew that the time was near. But Vonie was still angry at Lawrence for hitting her husband that day, 10 months ago.
Finally, Dr. Oxford drove up in his Model-A Ford. He came in the house, stomping his feet getting the snow off. The snow was still coming down, and had covered all the fields, making a winter wonderland. But Bertie Lee was only interested in her baby about to be born. Lawrence poured a cup of coffee from the pot that was on the back of the wood cook stove, and sat in front of the fireplace, thinking and talking to himself. Time went on and then he heard Bertie Lee let out a big scream, and it was apparently over as he heard the jumble of voices of joy and happiness, and he breathed a sign of relief. Then Vonie came in, and in her arms was a tiny baby. She said, “Lawrence, you have a baby girl.”
She put the baby in his arms and his eyes misted up and he snuggled the baby close and kissed the top of her head. Then he gave her back to Vonie. She went back to the bedroom and Lawrence took a swig of his coffee, got up, put another log on the fire and looked into the fire thoughtfully.
A little later they called him into the bedroom where Bertie Lee was in the bed, holding her little girl in her arms. He said, "Bertie Lee, you did good.”
It was a little later, after the doctor had left, and Bertie Lee and the baby were asleep, and Vonie and Sallie were in the kitchen fixing something to eat, and Lawrence sat drinking coffee talking about the night and the snow. The doctor sat at the table drinking coffee and talking with Lawrence. Bertie Lee had finally gone to sleep. Dr. Oxford asked what name he should put on the birth certificate for the baby. He didn’t have it with him. Lawrence shook his head. He didn’t know. He said he knew they were going to call the baby Lawrence Jr. if it had been a boy. The doctor said he didn’t want to wake Bertie Lee up. He would get it later. That is why the baby’s birth certificate didn’t have a name for 60 years. It said “unknown”.
Then Lawrence jumped up and exclaimed. “Dammit, I plumb forgot to milk the cows, feed the chickens and the hogs, and gather the eggs ‘cause I was too busy going for help. Dadgum it anyhow!” Dr. Oxford left in his car, and Lawrence put on his warm cap with the ear flaps on it and overcoat, and went out the door, mumbling and cursing to himself. He went out to the barn not even seeing how beautiful the landscape was all snowy and white and beautiful.
But inside the house lay the mother and little baby girl, all warm and snuggled together. Never knowing their future. For now, it was all well with their world. Later Bertie Lee looked out the window at the winter wonderland, and looked down at her beautiful baby girl, and felt a peace and joy she had never felt before.
Next day, Bertie Lee’s daddy, Earl came down to see the baby girl. He came in the house and held and kissed his new grandchild. While he was sitting there holding the baby, Lawrence came in the house. He and Earl stared at each other, then smiled and shook hands. Then they both looked at the baby girl, and talked about how pretty she was. From that day on they were friends. No one ever mentioned the fight they had, especially Bertie Lee.
The End.
thank you, Lois, that was a really good story
I know Lois Wauson from when I lived in South Texas ten years ago. At that time I was a reporter for the Wilson County News and I heard many interesting stories of times past. Lois was kind enough to share her story with us. I hope you enjoy reading it.
On this day 85 years ago, it snowed in South Texas! Can you believe it? Well I was there! I remember that day!
I was born on a snowy night in South Texas.
By Lois Wauson
It was a snowy night in South Texas in 1932 when a baby was born. Snow was not that common in South Texas, especially in March. But an unseasonably cold norther had blown in the night before and it was cloudy and cold and the temperature kept dropping.
I sit here thinking about the day I was born. Imagining what happened that day, in the old Zook house where my Grandma and Grandpa Zook lived in the Camp Ranch Community in Wilson County, Texas. My daddy had inherited the farm after his daddy died in 1927. Mother and Daddy met in December 1930 and married 5 months later in 1931. Some of this is true and some is fiction. I guess you could call this historic fiction.
My mother Bertie Lee got pregnant a month after she married. It had been a difficult pregnancy because she was sick the whole time and didn’t even like her cigarettes. She and Daddy smoked Bull Durham and rolled their own. She knew something was going to happen that afternoon in March, because her back was hurting so bad and the pains had started. She told my father Lawrence to go up the road to her Mama and Daddy’s house, to get her Mama. It was getting really cold out, the temperature was below freezing and snow flurries were starting up. But it was March, almost spring, and snow was very rare in South Texas.
Lawrence walked up the road, bundled up in his overcoat, to his in-laws’ house. He hoped he wouldn’t see her daddy, Earl Goode, because Earl hadn’t spoke to Lawrence since the day Lawrence and Bertie Lee eloped last May, and got married. Earl was very angry with Lawrence and went up to the house to yell at him, and Earl and Lawrence got in a fight and Lawrence had hit Earl. Since that day, they had not spoken. I guess you would say there was a feud going on. That was 10 months ago.
But Sallie, one of the girls, answered the door and Lawrence said Bertie Lee needed her mama to come down because she thought the baby was coming. So Vonie, her mama, and Bertie Lee’s sister Sallie got on their coats and walked down to Lawrence’s house. They walked in the snow flurries and Sallie was excited with the snow and her little niece or nephew coming.
When they got back to the house, Bertie Lee's labor pains had really started up. That is when Vonie told Lawrence it was time to call Dr. Oxford in Floresville. But the nearest phone was several miles away, at the Harrell’s house. They were the only neighbors that had a phone. Lawrence had to leave the house again.
Lawrence saddled up the horse and took off for the Harrell’s farm. He used their phone and called Dr. Oxford who said he would be out there as soon as he could. Lawrence spent an hour or more talking to the Harrell men, rolling a cigarette and drinking coffee. Lawrence loved to talk. When he rode back to the house, the snow was getting thicker, and Vonie was angry, asking why it had taken so long, Bertie Lee’s pains were getting closer and closer. She knew what a talker Lawrence was. Where was Dr. Oxford and when was he coming? Lawrence told her he should be there later.
But Bertie Lee had seen her mother in childbirth before and she wasn’t that concerned. She knew that the time was near. But Vonie was still angry at Lawrence for hitting her husband that day, 10 months ago.
Finally, Dr. Oxford drove up in his Model-A Ford. He came in the house, stomping his feet getting the snow off. The snow was still coming down, and had covered all the fields, making a winter wonderland. But Bertie Lee was only interested in her baby about to be born. Lawrence poured a cup of coffee from the pot that was on the back of the wood cook stove, and sat in front of the fireplace, thinking and talking to himself. Time went on and then he heard Bertie Lee let out a big scream, and it was apparently over as he heard the jumble of voices of joy and happiness, and he breathed a sign of relief. Then Vonie came in, and in her arms was a tiny baby. She said, “Lawrence, you have a baby girl.”
She put the baby in his arms and his eyes misted up and he snuggled the baby close and kissed the top of her head. Then he gave her back to Vonie. She went back to the bedroom and Lawrence took a swig of his coffee, got up, put another log on the fire and looked into the fire thoughtfully.
A little later they called him into the bedroom where Bertie Lee was in the bed, holding her little girl in her arms. He said, "Bertie Lee, you did good.”
It was a little later, after the doctor had left, and Bertie Lee and the baby were asleep, and Vonie and Sallie were in the kitchen fixing something to eat, and Lawrence sat drinking coffee talking about the night and the snow. The doctor sat at the table drinking coffee and talking with Lawrence. Bertie Lee had finally gone to sleep. Dr. Oxford asked what name he should put on the birth certificate for the baby. He didn’t have it with him. Lawrence shook his head. He didn’t know. He said he knew they were going to call the baby Lawrence Jr. if it had been a boy. The doctor said he didn’t want to wake Bertie Lee up. He would get it later. That is why the baby’s birth certificate didn’t have a name for 60 years. It said “unknown”.
Then Lawrence jumped up and exclaimed. “Dammit, I plumb forgot to milk the cows, feed the chickens and the hogs, and gather the eggs ‘cause I was too busy going for help. Dadgum it anyhow!” Dr. Oxford left in his car, and Lawrence put on his warm cap with the ear flaps on it and overcoat, and went out the door, mumbling and cursing to himself. He went out to the barn not even seeing how beautiful the landscape was all snowy and white and beautiful.
But inside the house lay the mother and little baby girl, all warm and snuggled together. Never knowing their future. For now, it was all well with their world. Later Bertie Lee looked out the window at the winter wonderland, and looked down at her beautiful baby girl, and felt a peace and joy she had never felt before.
Next day, Bertie Lee’s daddy, Earl came down to see the baby girl. He came in the house and held and kissed his new grandchild. While he was sitting there holding the baby, Lawrence came in the house. He and Earl stared at each other, then smiled and shook hands. Then they both looked at the baby girl, and talked about how pretty she was. From that day on they were friends. No one ever mentioned the fight they had, especially Bertie Lee.
The End.
thank you, Lois, that was a really good story
No comments:
Post a Comment