General Chat

The Story of Mum!
(ELSIE)

Mum was named Elise in 1918
Just after the World War 1 had ended
By a mother that she never knew
She was a sweet little baby
With a lovely little smile
That was ever so true

At two days old
In that December
She was given away
To a family member
Transported to them in a mail bag
By Elsie’s sister or was she her Mum?

The lady that she went to stay with
Was a sweet kind lady
Elizabeth was her name, Lizzy for short
Her husband Arthur never returned to them
The war had ended all their happiness
She would never be the same again

He never would see Lizzy
Or see the baby Elsie at all
Elsie now was only a few months old
Her life had already been so traumatic
But this was just the start of her long life
How will it unfold?

Lizzy and Elsie lived in one small room
In a small terraced house shared by others
Although it was cramped
Elsie got lots of love
She had become so special
Lizzy had become her mother


Eight years had passed and Elsie was still loved
Until one awful day Lizzy got pneumonia
Lizzy and Elsie shared a bed
In that small old terraced house
Elsie woke up from a good night’s sleep
But found Lizzy dead

A few days earlier
Lizzy had fallen into the stinking brook
At the bottom of the garden
While hanging out the weekly wash
She had tried her best to carry on
But this sad morning her life had gone

Elsie was now left sad and alone
Not knowing what to do
Her little heart so torn
She was sent back to live in Flint North Wales
Flint was the place
Where Elsie was born

The place where Elsie now had to live
Deeside cottages was the name
A travelling salesman and his wife
Where the ones who looked after her
Could this be the start of a happy life?
But it would never be the same

She started school and made some friends
But she was still alone
Elsie was told not to go next door
Even to ask questions or play
But to stay in the house
Never to stray

The family next door
Although Elsie never knew
Was Elsie's sister and family
She had been the one
Who had transported Elsie Away?
Did she want to? Who can say!

A year now as past
Just when Elsie was settled
Elsie was now sent back to the home of Lizzy's relative
Mary Alice and George Wilson was their name
Elsie was very sad she didn't want to go
It was all such a shame

This household was very strict
Elsie didn't have much of a life
Much of her days were full of strife
They adopted Elsie although Elsie was sad
George was hard working but very stern
Mary Alice liked alcohol which was very bad

When George went off to work each day
Mary Alice's friend came around to play
Mrs Malone was her name
Even though Elsie was still so young
They sent her to the pub with a jug
To get them beer

Elsie hated to do this, it made her very sad
When George came home and saw his wife
Drunk with the alcohol and wasting her time
He got very angry and hit out at her
He even chased Elsie
And ripped the curls out of her hair

Elsie was not allowed to make herself look nice
Make up or powder that wouldn’t be wise
Doing well at school was Elsie’s pride
There she felt at ease
She passed her exams to go to a good school
But the bus fare became an issue

Because it would cost a couple of pence
To send Elsie to this school
The Wilson’s refused to pay
That meant Elsie could not go
So school was no more
To service she was sent

In service she had to wash and clean
Make their food but remain unseen
Elsie had been sent to a guest house
In Southport Lancashire
She had to sleep in a little damp room
With only half days leave a week

Then one day Elsie became unwell
She collapsed on the ground
She had got double pneumonia
The Wilson’s were informed of Elsie’s plight
So they came to Southport to see her
Elsie was so small and thin

Why make us waste money to come all this way
When you can talk and you are not dead
They were mad that Elsie had come around
There were no kind words, no love at all
Get yourself strong and get back to work
We need your wages that is all they could say

We kept you, we need paying back
That is was Elsie was kept being told
She had to send all her money to them
Gibbs the Southport guest house owners
Had relatives in Manchester with a small daughter
The daughter liked Elsie so Elsie was sent to Manchester.

Elsie liked it at Manchester for a short while
Till the father of the girl
Kept going in her bedroom mainly at night
Elsie was still young and did not like this at all
So she left and found service in another town
Elsie missed the little girl but not the horrible evil man

Elsie finally found service with a family she liked
She looked after them for years until the day they died
During this time with them she meet my Dad Allan
They had been married for 67 years when Dad passed away
Elsie was 19 and Allan was 17 when they married
A hard life

Ps.

Just a quick note
Elsie cared for the family she liked
For over 60 years
Elsie did so much more them
When they passed away
They left her something in their will

A used frying pan!

.......My Mum is now 92 years old and is recovering from a broken hip. But the horrible Alzheimers has also got hold of her.

Stephen

ah bless her, what a sad start to your mum's life, I hope her hip mends well and that you both can still share some happy moments in spite of the alzheimers.

Thank you Rose,
I just wanted mums story to be told. The Alzheimers make her re-live all the negative parts of her life. I have now have to care for my Mum 24 hours a day. so I hear this story lots.
thank you for your kind words.
Stephen x

Hard work being a carer Stephen, well done to you and do try and take some time for yourself if and when you can.

How sad Stephen reading this brought tears to my eyes. Such a hard life your Mum had, it must of made her such a strong woman!!! It must be awful that she has Alzheimers now not just for her but you also! Hope her broken hip heals soon, Take care Sally x

Thanks Sally, Mums life life has been hard, but she managed to be independent till she fell and broke her hip. I am finding it difficult at the moment but she needs me.
I love researching past relatives, it keeps me sane at night, but sometimes I wonder why I research when Mum was treated badly by her family.
Thanks again Sally for your reply.
Stephen x

Stephen

Thank you for telling your mums story . So sad but she is a strong lady to survive .

I hope her hip improves and you find strength to carry on loving her like you obviously do

Kathy xxx

Not easy I know from my mum now gone .It can be very demanding and quite infurating when they ask the same questions over and over but they don't understand . God bless them xxx

Thanks Kathy xx
For reading my Mums story.
I just wish people around me would understand like you. You cared for your Mum too. you are special...
Stephen xxx

Stephen, what a sad story and a sorry situation for your poor Mum yet again as she suffers pain from her broken hip and stress from the Alzheimers too, bless her.

However she has obviously had a lot of love from you and must have been so glad to meet a kind man to marry and help her raise you so things haven't been all bad and I expect you had laughs many a time, especially over the used frying pan. I hope you can find the strength to care for your dear Mum now and that her hip gets better from a replacement or whatever treatment she has had so that she can move around without pain or discomfort.

Have you tried music to share with her, maybe songs from years ago that she would remember and enjoy singing along to, apparently it can be something that Alzheimer sufferers relate to well.

Do come back on here and keep us updated and share any problems if it will help.

Take care,
Lizx

Stephen, I know what it is like to care for an alzheimers sufferer 24/7. My husband has it and it got to the stage where I was a zombie and he started to do dangerous things, so I reluctantly put him into care. It is so sad to see him just a shell of himself. He used to be so active. But he is 81 yrs old, and he has had a good life, so I just hope he is not aware of what has happened and where he is now.

My thoughts are with you, please dont feel you have to keep caring for your mother at the expense of your own health. There are many on GR who will understand.

Huia.