I am the oldest daughter of the David Maher and Cathernine Sarsfield Maher family. I came into the family on August 29, 1927. there were 10 more beautiful babies that joined the Maher family thru the years.
One memory I can remember was when I was going to High School St. Stephens in Port Huron Mich. The nuns found me a home to room and board. All I would have to do was baby sit 3 children as the mom worked nights and the father was in the navy.
With all the work I did in the home and baby sitting and a lot of homework I was a busy young lady a the age of 16 yrs.
I had every other week end off to go back home to visit my family, which was about 35 miles from Port Huron.
I had no car so I use to hitch hike home. Then I hitch hike back to Port Huron on Sunday afternoon. I did a lot of walking also.
My Irish Catholic Maher family lived in an old farm house on Carney Road in Emmett Twp. As a young Irish Country girl there were only two places in the world to me to live, Ireland and home in Emmett Mich, I thought.
I knew we had ancestors still in Ireland. My Grandma Sarsfield was a great story teller. A lot of her stories still are in my memory.
My family was extremely poor, but my Mother was a shining example of love that inspired me to go on and never quit on life or myself.
We pulled weeds, picked apples in the fall an did any kind of work we could find to bring home some money. I did a lot of baby sitting. Sometimes I'd get paid a quarter or .50 and sometimes no money at all. They would tell me they didn't have any change. they would pay me next time. Usually they never did.
We had an open well and an outhouse. I never had a bathroom or indoor water until I was married. the first house we rented after we were married didn't have a bathroom no inside water. We lived there for 3 years. After my husband got out of the army we bought a 40 acre farm north of Yale, Mich.
My sister Mary and I had a double wedding on Sept. 30, 1950 in Emmett.
The Maher family scattered after my dearest Mother was killed in a car accident in 1958.
Mary and her husband Tom Brennan still live in Emmett.
My husband Spide was drafted into the army Jan. 17, 1951. Four months and 17 days after we were married.
I worked at Chrystler in Marysville while he was gone.
Spide and I raised five children Kate, Mike, Pat, Tim and James.
I have been a widow since my husband passed away Nov. 19, 1982. He died on the table during open heart surgery. We all miss him very much.
In July of 1990 I had open heart surgery. Also in April of 2003 I had a stroke and had to retire from school where I had worked for 17 1/2 years. God has been good to my family and me.
P.S. I forgot to tell the day before Mary and I got married we came home from work and we each of us took a turn down at the creek to take a bath and wash our hair. Now that was Sept. 29, 1950. It was a cool bath. But that was life good by all.
Rita Maher Clink
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Home Movies by Debbie Greenia
I have been thinking long and hard about your "fun thing." What comes to mind is Rose when she bought a brand new reel to reel movie camera. We were all amazed at this machine. Rose took lots of movies. And talk about a side splitting time when it came time to watch the movies. I remember sitting in the living room kitchen chairs all in a row watching those home movies practically falling off our chairs, laughing, tears rolling down our faces. what I would give to watch those crazy movies once again. What a hoot. I wonder if Rose even has them anymore?! Good bye for now. Love you all Debbie
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