Sallie Mae Groshong Brown

 Sallie Mae was my mother's oldest sister.  She was born December 13, 1906 in rural Troy, Missouri.  I was fortunate to be gifted some of her personal items after her only daughter, Marion, passed away.  As Marion and her husband, Loyd, had no children, he wanted the items to stay with her family.  When I was able to look through these items I was surprised and delighted to find a sort of time capsule of her early life!  Aunt Sallie Mae was a kind, practical and intelligent woman and one of my very favorite relatives.  She loved telling family stories and sharing bits of wisdom.  She was also one who met her challenges with grace and acceptance and always persevered.  Here is her story.  I hope I do her justice.

I included this rough draft as it was with her other pages and it includes a few other details.

As Sallie Mae mentioned her teaching career, she said she taught at several different schools in Lincoln County.  Here is a map that includes all of the rural schools that existed in Lincoln County before the were consolidated into the four public school districts.

Some other interesting school artifacts that she kept included her all of her elementary and high school grade cards, (this is an example from the 3rd grade).

Apparently, the parents were expected to give their children 'grades' on Industrial Work, housework for girls and farming for boys.  

Sallie Mae attended summer school at Central Wesleyan College in Warrenton as well as Northeast Teachers College in Kirksville.

This is Sallie Mae Groshong when she was a teacher.

                        

On 12 May 1935, Sallie Mae Groshong married Omer Delbert Brown.    

Sallie Mae's sister, Ethel, and brother, Kee Hamilton, stood up with the couple at their wedding.  Sallie Mae (on the left) wore her mother's wedding dress.  I still have this dress.

Omer worked as a mechanic at a garage in Troy.  Sallie Mae became a homemaker.  She also raised a large garden and had a few farm animals.  They lived on several acres just west of Troy.  In 16 Dec 1940, their daughter, Marion, was born.  The labor and delivery was difficult and Sallie Mae ended up with a bad infection and was in the hospital for weeks after the birth.  Sallie Mae's sister, Eleanor Groshong Wieman, brought Baby Marion home and took care of her while Sallie Mae recovered.  Marion was the only child the couple had.  

Omer passed away 7 July 1975.  Sallie Mae moved to Hawk Point, Missouri and enjoyed her remaining years traveling and socializing. She was an active member of the Hawk Point Senior Citizens and OATS (Older Adult Transportation System) that took trips all over the Midwest and throughout the U.S.

  

As a side note: Sallie Mae and OATS bus driver, Ethel Jean Folta, chatted about their families and noticed they had two unmarried relatives who should meet: Ethel Jean's son, Jerry and Sallie Mae's niece, Zenda.  "We" did and that's how we began OUR story!

Sallie Mae was a faithful member of St. Stephen United Methodist Church in Troy and attended just about every family function we had.  She passed away 27 May 1996 at a nursing home in Wentzville, Missouri at the age of 89 years.

Sallie Mae and Omers's daughter, Marion, graduated from Buchanan High School.  

She worked at the local Kroger store that was managed by her uncle, Edwin Wieman and married Loyd Groshong 1 October 1961. The couple lived east of Troy, Missouri.  Loyd owned a construction company and Marion worked with him selecting and purchasing supplies.  The two enjoyed Lincoln County history, restoring antique and classic cars, especially Plymouths, attending car shows and researching family genealogy.  The two became interested in genealogy when they began dating.  Loyd was a Groshong and Marion's mother had been a Groshong.  They were interested in knowing if there was a connection.  After years of research, they did discover they shared the same great grandfather, Jacob deClement Groshong but had different grandmothers.  Loyd's great grandmother was Jacob's first wife, Elizabeth Perkins.  Marion's great grandmother was Jacob's second wife, Elizabeth Nichols.