Flora is my Grandma.
The first of seven children and only surviving daughter, born to Ira Sr & Leora Bell (Frondorf, Levi) Clevenger of Laurel Twp, Franklin Co IN, 14 yrs old Flora married 21 yr old Verle Thomas Warfield on 2 Oct 1916 in Indianapolis, Marion Co IN, son of Uriah James & Mary Adeline "Addie" (Wilkes) Warfield of Manilla, Rush Co IN. In the years following, they would have nine children, six boys and three girls. The oldest girl is my Mother.
The last time I saw my Grandma was during a visit to Indiana in 1980. When I walked to her house in Rushville, from my Mother's house only a few blocks away, I came upon Grandma in the back yard chopping wood! At that time, she was 78 years old. The Clevengers have born several strong women over the years.
That day, at her request, I cut her long black hair and gave her a perm. She loved it. We both got a big laugh at two of her daughters trying to decide who would get to keep the swatch of hair. All these years later, that swatch of hair has now come to be in my possession. My Aunt only recently sent it to me.
Sadly, Grandma had heart trouble the last few years of her life and on Mothers' Day 1983, surrounded by family, she passed away from heart failure.
Although Grandma and Grandpa had been divorced since 1938, (she said sweetly one time "he was too jealous"), their children buried them side by side. This was the right thing to do. After my Grandma died, my Grandpa was overheard to say: "Flora was the prettiest little gal in Rushville." My Grandma was really quite a lovely lady. They each remarried for a time, Grandpa for about a year and Grandma for a little longer, but both eventually divorced their second spouses. Throughout the years they always attended the same family functions together and we all knew they still loved each other.
Grandma was so very beautiful; her eyes were so light blue they resembled aquamarine gems. Her hair was black, even in later years it showed very little gray. She had a great sense of humor and her family stories were always so funny. If I try really hard, I can still hear her voice even though it's been so many years. She also played piano (self-taught) and loved to dance.
As a child, our visits to Indiana were rare, but when we were there, Grandma would take us for drives in the country where we could pick wild strawberries by the railroad tracks and drink sweet, ice cold water from a natural spring we found one time near Laurel, where Grandma was born. Once, she took me and my Mother down a long dirt road and showed us a deserted house and barn in a large overgrown field. It was there, she said, her family lived until she was about five years old. I miss her so much, every day.
I once asked her how she got her middle name Dorset, thinking it was a distant family name. She told me her father had seen the advertisement of a traveling circus by the name of Dorset Bros. He liked the name so much, he used it as her middle name when she was born later that month.
Only recently have I learned my Grandma was in a very serious car accident in 1939. She had been broadsided by a dump truck. The collision threw her out of the car (no seat belts then). Because he thought he had killed her, the truck driver tossed away his keys in the field where she had landed, swearing never to drive again. She broke several bones, including her pelvic bones. Now I understand why she always drove so slowly, continually looking for traffic on either side of her car.
Beautiful Grandma, Rest in Peace sweet Lady. I love you so very much and look forward to the day when we can be together again.
A very special thank you to Sherri♥ for graciously sponsoring my Grandma's memorial. God Bless.
The first of seven children and only surviving daughter, born to Ira Sr & Leora Bell (Frondorf, Levi) Clevenger of Laurel Twp, Franklin Co IN, 14 yrs old Flora married 21 yr old Verle Thomas Warfield on 2 Oct 1916 in Indianapolis, Marion Co IN, son of Uriah James & Mary Adeline "Addie" (Wilkes) Warfield of Manilla, Rush Co IN. In the years following, they would have nine children, six boys and three girls. The oldest girl is my Mother.
The last time I saw my Grandma was during a visit to Indiana in 1980. When I walked to her house in Rushville, from my Mother's house only a few blocks away, I came upon Grandma in the back yard chopping wood! At that time, she was 78 years old. The Clevengers have born several strong women over the years.
That day, at her request, I cut her long black hair and gave her a perm. She loved it. We both got a big laugh at two of her daughters trying to decide who would get to keep the swatch of hair. All these years later, that swatch of hair has now come to be in my possession. My Aunt only recently sent it to me.
Sadly, Grandma had heart trouble the last few years of her life and on Mothers' Day 1983, surrounded by family, she passed away from heart failure.
Although Grandma and Grandpa had been divorced since 1938, (she said sweetly one time "he was too jealous"), their children buried them side by side. This was the right thing to do. After my Grandma died, my Grandpa was overheard to say: "Flora was the prettiest little gal in Rushville." My Grandma was really quite a lovely lady. They each remarried for a time, Grandpa for about a year and Grandma for a little longer, but both eventually divorced their second spouses. Throughout the years they always attended the same family functions together and we all knew they still loved each other.
Grandma was so very beautiful; her eyes were so light blue they resembled aquamarine gems. Her hair was black, even in later years it showed very little gray. She had a great sense of humor and her family stories were always so funny. If I try really hard, I can still hear her voice even though it's been so many years. She also played piano (self-taught) and loved to dance.
As a child, our visits to Indiana were rare, but when we were there, Grandma would take us for drives in the country where we could pick wild strawberries by the railroad tracks and drink sweet, ice cold water from a natural spring we found one time near Laurel, where Grandma was born. Once, she took me and my Mother down a long dirt road and showed us a deserted house and barn in a large overgrown field. It was there, she said, her family lived until she was about five years old. I miss her so much, every day.
I once asked her how she got her middle name Dorset, thinking it was a distant family name. She told me her father had seen the advertisement of a traveling circus by the name of Dorset Bros. He liked the name so much, he used it as her middle name when she was born later that month.
Only recently have I learned my Grandma was in a very serious car accident in 1939. She had been broadsided by a dump truck. The collision threw her out of the car (no seat belts then). Because he thought he had killed her, the truck driver tossed away his keys in the field where she had landed, swearing never to drive again. She broke several bones, including her pelvic bones. Now I understand why she always drove so slowly, continually looking for traffic on either side of her car.
Beautiful Grandma, Rest in Peace sweet Lady. I love you so very much and look forward to the day when we can be together again.
A very special thank you to Sherri♥ for graciously sponsoring my Grandma's memorial. God Bless.
Flora is my Grandma.
The first of seven children and only surviving daughter, born to Ira Sr & Leora Bell (Frondorf, Levi) Clevenger of Laurel Twp, Franklin Co IN, 14 yrs old Flora married 21 yr old Verle Thomas Warfield on 2 Oct 1916 in Indianapolis, Marion Co IN, son of Uriah James & Mary Adeline "Addie" (Wilkes) Warfield of Manilla, Rush Co IN. In the years following, they would have nine children, six boys and three girls. The oldest girl is my Mother.
The last time I saw my Grandma was during a visit to Indiana in 1980. When I walked to her house in Rushville, from my Mother's house only a few blocks away, I came upon Grandma in the back yard chopping wood! At that time, she was 78 years old. The Clevengers have born several strong women over the years.
That day, at her request, I cut her long black hair and gave her a perm. She loved it. We both got a big laugh at two of her daughters trying to decide who would get to keep the swatch of hair. All these years later, that swatch of hair has now come to be in my possession. My Aunt only recently sent it to me.
Sadly, Grandma had heart trouble the last few years of her life and on Mothers' Day 1983, surrounded by family, she passed away from heart failure.
Although Grandma and Grandpa had been divorced since 1938, (she said sweetly one time "he was too jealous"), their children buried them side by side. This was the right thing to do. After my Grandma died, my Grandpa was overheard to say: "Flora was the prettiest little gal in Rushville." My Grandma was really quite a lovely lady. They each remarried for a time, Grandpa for about a year and Grandma for a little longer, but both eventually divorced their second spouses. Throughout the years they always attended the same family functions together and we all knew they still loved each other.
Grandma was so very beautiful; her eyes were so light blue they resembled aquamarine gems. Her hair was black, even in later years it showed very little gray. She had a great sense of humor and her family stories were always so funny. If I try really hard, I can still hear her voice even though it's been so many years. She also played piano (self-taught) and loved to dance.
As a child, our visits to Indiana were rare, but when we were there, Grandma would take us for drives in the country where we could pick wild strawberries by the railroad tracks and drink sweet, ice cold water from a natural spring we found one time near Laurel, where Grandma was born. Once, she took me and my Mother down a long dirt road and showed us a deserted house and barn in a large overgrown field. It was there, she said, her family lived until she was about five years old. I miss her so much, every day.
I once asked her how she got her middle name Dorset, thinking it was a distant family name. She told me her father had seen the advertisement of a traveling circus by the name of Dorset Bros. He liked the name so much, he used it as her middle name when she was born later that month.
Only recently have I learned my Grandma was in a very serious car accident in 1939. She had been broadsided by a dump truck. The collision threw her out of the car (no seat belts then). Because he thought he had killed her, the truck driver tossed away his keys in the field where she had landed, swearing never to drive again. She broke several bones, including her pelvic bones. Now I understand why she always drove so slowly, continually looking for traffic on either side of her car.
Beautiful Grandma, Rest in Peace sweet Lady. I love you so very much and look forward to the day when we can be together again.
A very special thank you to Sherri♥ for graciously sponsoring my Grandma's memorial. God Bless.
The first of seven children and only surviving daughter, born to Ira Sr & Leora Bell (Frondorf, Levi) Clevenger of Laurel Twp, Franklin Co IN, 14 yrs old Flora married 21 yr old Verle Thomas Warfield on 2 Oct 1916 in Indianapolis, Marion Co IN, son of Uriah James & Mary Adeline "Addie" (Wilkes) Warfield of Manilla, Rush Co IN. In the years following, they would have nine children, six boys and three girls. The oldest girl is my Mother.
The last time I saw my Grandma was during a visit to Indiana in 1980. When I walked to her house in Rushville, from my Mother's house only a few blocks away, I came upon Grandma in the back yard chopping wood! At that time, she was 78 years old. The Clevengers have born several strong women over the years.
That day, at her request, I cut her long black hair and gave her a perm. She loved it. We both got a big laugh at two of her daughters trying to decide who would get to keep the swatch of hair. All these years later, that swatch of hair has now come to be in my possession. My Aunt only recently sent it to me.
Sadly, Grandma had heart trouble the last few years of her life and on Mothers' Day 1983, surrounded by family, she passed away from heart failure.
Although Grandma and Grandpa had been divorced since 1938, (she said sweetly one time "he was too jealous"), their children buried them side by side. This was the right thing to do. After my Grandma died, my Grandpa was overheard to say: "Flora was the prettiest little gal in Rushville." My Grandma was really quite a lovely lady. They each remarried for a time, Grandpa for about a year and Grandma for a little longer, but both eventually divorced their second spouses. Throughout the years they always attended the same family functions together and we all knew they still loved each other.
Grandma was so very beautiful; her eyes were so light blue they resembled aquamarine gems. Her hair was black, even in later years it showed very little gray. She had a great sense of humor and her family stories were always so funny. If I try really hard, I can still hear her voice even though it's been so many years. She also played piano (self-taught) and loved to dance.
As a child, our visits to Indiana were rare, but when we were there, Grandma would take us for drives in the country where we could pick wild strawberries by the railroad tracks and drink sweet, ice cold water from a natural spring we found one time near Laurel, where Grandma was born. Once, she took me and my Mother down a long dirt road and showed us a deserted house and barn in a large overgrown field. It was there, she said, her family lived until she was about five years old. I miss her so much, every day.
I once asked her how she got her middle name Dorset, thinking it was a distant family name. She told me her father had seen the advertisement of a traveling circus by the name of Dorset Bros. He liked the name so much, he used it as her middle name when she was born later that month.
Only recently have I learned my Grandma was in a very serious car accident in 1939. She had been broadsided by a dump truck. The collision threw her out of the car (no seat belts then). Because he thought he had killed her, the truck driver tossed away his keys in the field where she had landed, swearing never to drive again. She broke several bones, including her pelvic bones. Now I understand why she always drove so slowly, continually looking for traffic on either side of her car.
Beautiful Grandma, Rest in Peace sweet Lady. I love you so very much and look forward to the day when we can be together again.
A very special thank you to Sherri♥ for graciously sponsoring my Grandma's memorial. God Bless.
