Transcribed and
comments by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2020
During
the Fall of 1985 I asked my mother-in-law to write her autobiography. She insisted,
she was not a writer but would do her best.
I am thrilled to see her flowing handwriting, written on lined paper
that is now aging. As I sit to transcribe,
I think of how many students lives and family that she touched. It is November, as it was when she left
us. We were so upset we did not realize
her funeral was scheduled for Thanksgiving Day.
But that day, as I stood on the hill and looked back down the road, I
saw hundreds of cars coming to honor her.
Tears streamed down as I thought how each had given up their own
Thanksgiving to give Thanks and praise to her.
I
miss her chatter as the pots and pans banged in her kitchen. She taught me to
cook. I never mastered biscuits or her
cream candy. She gave so much of herself.
Newly married, for some reason I wanted a long velvet dress. I never thought of the cost nor did she say a
thing. Instead I got both a blue and red
velvet long dress hand made by her[i]. As each year dawned, she would open a
Christmas Savings Account and never missed a payment always presenting it to us
to fulfil the Christmas wishes of her three grandsons. She was their secret Santa. As students we were always assured a freezer
full of beef while others ate romaine noodles.
And
while her autobiography does not express her personality, I am so honored to
transcribe it.
Elsie Ellis Rucker
Klaiber
I
was born Jan. 7, 1912[ii]
to David L.[iii]
and Barbara E. McGlothlin[iv]
Rucker. Our home was located on Jack’s Fork of Garner (Boyd Co.) mailing
address R. 1, Rush, KY. My brother
Harold (9)[v]
was disappointed when I was born. I was not a boy. My sister Elzema (6)[vi]
and Mildred (3)[vii]
were happy to have a little sister.
When
I was 6 months old, my parents moved to Mavity (mouth of Bear Creek) R. 1,
Catlettsburg. My father had a large store and grist mill there. My youngest brother Kenneth[viii]
was born three yrs. Later in 1915.
I
attended a one room school (Grassland) for 2 years.
Since
the school term was short and my older brother & sister were ready for high
school, we moved to Ashland, KY. on Bath St. and Win. Ave[ix].
in 1921. I attended the Wylie Elementary School. Our next move was to
Catlettsburg in 1924. I graduated from
T. R. Brown High School in 1929.
I
attended Marshall College one semester and began my teaching career in 1930. My
first position at 18 years old was a teacher at a one room school, Slick Rock
(Boyd County).
I
attended college in the summers and renewed my certificate to teach. During the
spring of 1931 I met John H. Klaiber and married him 8 years later on August 4,
1939 at London, Kentucky. We lived on Laurel[x],
R. 1, Catlettsburg for 3 ½ years moving to the farm in 1943.[xi]
[xii]
John & Elsie 1940
Our
daughter was born and died on April 17, 1945[xiii]
in Huntington, W. VA. Hospital. She was buried in the family cemetery on our
farm (Klaiber Cemetery).
Two
years later March 15, 1947 my son James David Klaiber was born in St. Mary’s
Hospital in Huntington, W. VA[xiv].
I
taught until 1968 when I retired due to a heart condition[xv].
My
hobbies are sewing, canning, reading, traveling and visiting my grandsons and
their parents[xvi].
I
was a leader of 4H groups for 30 years of my 35 years of teaching and was a
member when I was in my school years. I was a member of the Garner Homemakers
for two years[xvii].
[ii]
KY Vital. B. Cert 985
[iii] Rucker,
David Leander 27 Dec 1875 – 13 Dec 1955
[iv]
McGlothlin, Barbara Elizabeth 2 Jan 1877 – 17 Sep 1946 m. DL Rucker 16 Sep 1902
Boyd Co. KY
[v]
Rucker, Harold Delbert b 14 Oct 1903 Boyd Co., KY died 3 May 1971 Detroit,
Michigan
[vi] Rucker,
Emma Elzema b 2 Jan 1906 m. George Gallup. Died 6 Jan. 1994 Columbus, OH
[vii]
Rucker , Mildred Beatrice b 18 Oct 1909 m Boone Hall. 2 Alton Crisp died 15 Jun
1990
[viii]
Rucker, Kenneth Winfield 15 Jul 1915 – 13 Mar 2000 m. Willa Mae Allie
[ix]
Ashland City Directory, 1922 1505 E. Winchester Ave.
[x]
KY, Boyd Deed book 151 p 93. 5 acres left hand side of pike.
[xi]
Long Branch Road, Boyd Co., KY
[xii]
Taught Oakland 1933
[xiii]
WV Cabell D Register Vol 6 p 7K
[xiv]
She taught at one room Long Branch where son James David was in her class until
she traded and went to Trace so he could have another teacher. Later she taught at Garner Elementary.
[xv]
Bachelor of Arts Morehead, August 1962
[xvi]
The week before her death traveled to Central Ohio to visit. She said then it
would be her last trip as it had been very hard.
[xvii]
Student Ally United Scholarship Memorial 1995; presented to Boyd Co grad. In memory
of SAU charter members including Elsie Klaiber.
