Transcribed as handwritten by Cora in her spiral notebook/journal — italics text is mine. She is writing her memoirs TO her oldest son, Charles William Palmer, as he requested in 1961.

Well, we set our wedding date for September 1, 1897 (Cora age 13, Charles age 20) at three o’clock at your grandparent’s home north of Columbia. It was a very small wedding. Rev. William H. Jeffries was the minister (he was your Aunt Stella’s father — a very aristocratic, old gentleman, but good as gold). Your uncles, Robert and Edney, and their wives were present and the little boys, who were supposed to be on their good behavior. They got tickled and hid in the hall just outside the parlor door. I misplaced my white gloves; my wedding dress was white, dotted-swiss, and red slippers?!!! And I just couldn’t find ’em anywhere. So I went on “sans” gloves. I dressed in the dining room as it was the only room I could close all the doors to. After the ceremony, I found the gloves under a chair cushion. I have always thought that one of the boys put them there, but they never confessed, so to this day, it’s a mystery.

I know when you, my children, read this you will wonder that I had red slippers for my wedding. They were all the rage then. “Oxblood” color they were called with two red buttons on the side. Your grandmother was very conservative where money was concerned, so she thought I should have something I could wear later instead of white, which she thought could never be worn any more. She had homemade ice cream and cake after the ceremony.

(After posting this on Facebook recently, I decided to put it here, too. Thinking I should share her memoirs with those who are interested, so look for more to come.)

Iris blooming in our courtyard is from bulbs brought home from Missouri — from the farmhouse yard of Terry’s grandmother, Cora Pearl McCauley Palmer! Her story so interesting — orphaned at age 4, sent to the Palmer household at age 11 to help Mrs. Palmer (7 of 9 sons at home) with meals, house chores. First morning there, she had to make the breakfast of bacon, biscuits and coffee. She and Charles Palmer married when she was 13, and he was 20. Their first baby was born two years later–in August; Cora was 16 in November. Her journals with her story would make a good book!

Meet Cora Pearl McCauley Palmer

— 11/26/1883 – 8/7/1973

Terry took me to meet her in 1964 in Columbia, MO. I am thankful to be the “custodian” of her journals and many family records that she kept — many dates she could recite to me from memory (births and deaths of family members). I believe it was at this time I became very interested in genealogy — a beautiful lady!

Cora wrote her Memoirs in 1961 — as requested by her oldest son, Charles William Palmer. “Wrote” — not typed, not printed — in cursive in a spiral notebook. After it was filled, another was started. She had kept daily journals for years, which I find interesting, too — more about the daily activities on the farm, weather, and important dates to remember.

Enjoy this one —
(in 1897, Cora is 13 and living with William and Mary Palmer) . . . “one afternoon he (their son, Charley) came through the kitchen where I was and, without saying a word, just pitched a little folded piece of paper at me. It landed on the back of the stove. ‘Course I grabbed it real quick and dropped it down the front of my dress ’til I could get away to my room to see what it was. There was no one in the kitchen at this time, and I am sure he knew the coast was clear, or he would not have taken a chance. That was January 1897. So we kept up our ‘clandestine’ affair for about three months. We never said a word to anyone about it, just went on as usual whenever he came over. But one day, your grandmother was looking in my trunk for something and picked up a cap which I had hidden my little ‘billet-douxs’ in, and they tumbled out, of course. We just kept it a secret because we were young, I guess, for they had no objections to me. By that time, I had promised to marry your father-to-be, in the fall. So they just accepted it all right. Of course, your grandmother thought I was too young to marry, and by all the standards, I guess I was. But I have never regretted one single day.”

Charley, Cora, and their first child, Lela (taken in the fall 1899–Cora was 16 on November 26, 1899).

My last post was a year ago. However, it’s not because I didn’t TRY to update — it was because my website had been hacked so badly, it was SHUT DOWN. Since I don’t check it regularly, it probably happened some time in the fall 2016. You know how you get busy . . .

January 2017, my site would not load.
February 2017, it still would not load.
March 2017, called GoDaddy — learned it was shut down because of a major malware problem!
March 31 – April 8, 2017 — worked with techs (four on four different days) at GoDaddy and paid Site Lock for Malware Removal and for Malware Protection! My hero for the day is tech guy, “J.P.” — he was so patient, walked me through a couple procedures (like loading an updated version of WordPress and using FileZilla), and kept trying different things to get my website back! Over an hour on the phone with him, and he did it! I’m now saying to myself, “keep the site updated!” My posts began July 2005 — would like to keep them!

Home news — Samtiques went to Warrenton Antique Show again last month — to Cole’s — and we plan to set up there again in the Fall. Sales were down, but regardless, it’s something we enjoy doing and can do as long as health allows. Some GREAT dealer friends to visit with and interesting to visit with customers, too. AND so special to have our good friends visit us–Ann (who HELPED us in setup!), Betty and Don, JoAnn and Darlis, Cathy and Don, and Paula and Tom! Moving out of the Georgetown Antique mall end of May — great place and wonderful owners, but not a good business decision to stay there.

Family — all doing great, healthy, and employed (or in school). So proud of all — and will see Toria graduate from OCU soon. Doing my Happy Dance and thanking our Lord for all of our blessings!