“Marie, the Guardian of the Family”

Sep 27th “Marie, the Guardian of the Family”

Every FAMILY has different rules – – and what will work for one Family, may not be what another Family will agree to doing.

On the right is Marie Brady and neighbor friend, Martha Hoffman sitting next to her and on the next set of steps by himself, Thomas F. Brady is Marie’s father. In the very early 1900’s those front steps where they are sitting, were scrubbed every week – – regular as clock work – and as you can see – they enjoyed sitting on these nice very clean steps – – what more could you ask for – to be outdoors and just enjoy talking with neighbors and keeping as “COOL” as you will get during that hot Summer weather.

This Photo has to have been taken, before 1927, as that is the year that Mr. Brady died. The reason to mention that, is that Marie was the care-taker of her parents since all of the rest of the FAMILY was married and moved away, only to come home on those weekends when old Mrs. Brady, would prepare a very large dinner for all of the children with spouse to enjoy. Jim Brady and wife were living in Texas and Phillip Brady not married was living in Chicago due to some riff he had with his Father.

This is my “Grandma Brady” sitting on her back porch with their “canary” getting some fresh air and SUNSHINE. They always had a bird and my Mother had one also, for the longest time – – and I still have their keep safe “bird-bath” – which meant so much to all of the “Brady’s” – and I did use it for our Bird in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This is a very good profile shot of “Anne Brady” and the same profile for “Aunt Irene” and most of the Family that picked up the British genes.

So, on this Photo we see all of them enjoying the good ole days – a well deserved rest after a long hard and hot day of work. Each day of the week there were always the same chores to be done – the clothes to be washed on Monday – no fancy wash machines and then everything hung outside on the clothesline, Tuesday everything that was washed had to now be ironed, even down to the last handkerchief. They may not have had electric irons – – can not remember for sure – – because I have seen some old irons that were used as “door-stops” so that was a job that could last a couple of days.

Regular house-cleaning follow by Friday and Saturday “BAKING” bread, cakes and pies and all of their favorites to last the week. Mr Brady never ate any baked goods from a “BAKERY” would only eat that which his wife would bake! Everything was baked from scratch, and I still have some of their old recipes.

After Mr. Brady died, Marie and her Mother still lived together – still doing all that they had done in the past, and Marie was still obligated to staying at home taking care of her MOTHER, and as her Mother was getting too old to do all of her own baking and making the large meals for the family to come over and enjoy – a small change was made.

On Sundays, one of the brothers and wife would come over and take the “MOTHER to their home and they were to enjoy a good time. Every time that Mrs. Brady was to be taken out, she would have Marie give to her $50.00, and she put it in her purse. After several months of this going on, Marie did not put the $50.00 in her Mother’s purse this one time – – just to see what would happen.

“WOW!” They brought the MOTHER back home so fast and the Mother was upset – – that she did not have any money to give them – -but that was the idea of this! Did they want their MOTHER – or did they just want the money, that she would be bringing to them? So when the air cooled down – – everybody knew how they stood – – just simply connivers for as long as they could get by with it. Naturally “Marie” was now the enemy – since she held the purse strings.

That is the way it is – – in some Families – – lessons to be taught and then – hopefully – we all learn the correct way of living, with your own Family! D.V.