Life Stories
Betty
Betty Marie Harrison- Birthdate: June 10, 1924. Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio. College/Further Education: None. Family: Father: Paul Harrison(deceased)/Mother: Marie Harrison(07-21-1896) /Siblings: None. Occupation: Nurse.
December 25, 1928
Age: 4
The blonde four year old ran down the steps and into her father's lap. "Daddy!" she squealed.
He chuckled and picked up a wrapped present. "Do you want to open your presents now, Betty?" he asked her.
"Yes!" she squealed grabbing the present from him.
Marie, Betty's mother, walked into the living room and put her hand on Paul's shoulder. He looked up at her, and they shared a smile. Betty was still savagely attacking the wrapping paper. "Merry Christmas, Betty," Marie said.
"Merry Christmas mommy! A baby doll!" Betty squealed. "Thank you, Sant-e Claus!"
Her parents smiled at her. "I bought you a present, daddy," Betty said. She crawled under the tree and came back with a poorly wrapped box.
"Wow, who wrapped this? Surely your mother, because it is wrapped so good!" he said.
"No silly," Betty said laughing. "I wrapped it all by myself!"
Paul acted surprised. "Not all by yourself!" he said. Betty smiled and nodded. "Wow, then I better not open it," he said putting it back on the ground.
"No, you have to!" Betty said picking it up and giving it back to her dad.
"Well, if that's what you want," he said as he started to unwrap it. "A tie! Wow! I needed a new one!" he said even though he had way too many already. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome daddy!" she said giving him a hug.
*****************************************************************************************************************
January 2, 1938
Age: 13
The thirteen year old Betty sat at the top of the steps, eagerly awaiting her father's return. She saw the doorknob turn, and then her father walked in with his head down. Marie came to greet him, and they walked into the living room. She heard some of the conversation. "The doc said it's caner, Marie," Paul said.
"Cancer? Are they sure? Maybe you should get a second opinion..."Marie started.
"No Marie," Paul interrupted. "He's right. I knew something was wrong. They don't have anything to cure it. He gave me 6 months."
"Oh my God..." she said. Betty felt a tear run down her face, and quickly wiped it away.
She knew that it had to end. The perfect life she lived. Her numerous friends, her good looks that attracted boys, her kind personality, her perfect family. Now it was all over.
*****************************************************************************************************************
May 17, 1939
Age: 14
Betty walked out of the church with red cheeks and tear stained eyes. She crossed her bare arms in front of her body and waited for the crowd. She saw her mom and walked over.
"I love you," she whispered as she hugged her.
She waited for a responce. Marie wiped her eyes again, and walked away. Betty was left standing heartbroken on the church steps. Her father had just died, and her mom was shunning her.
*****************************************************************************************************************
August 22, 1939
Age: 15
"Mother?" Betty asked as she walked into her mother's room.
"What Betty?" she snapped back.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"What is it that you want, Betty?"
"I just wanted to talk to you. God, mother, after he died we haven't had one decent conversation!"
"Don't talk about your father like that, like he split us up."
"I loved him, too, mother. It wasn't just you. But, you know what? I'm willing to talk about it now, and obviously you aren't," Betty said.
"Your father didn't just hurt my emotions when he died," Marie said picking up a stack of bills. "I have no way to pay these." Betty sighed. That was all. A few lousy bills got in the way between her mother and her. "Maybe it would be best," Marie started. "I just think maybe it would be a lot easier for both of us if you went to live with your grandparents for a few months."
"What?" Betty asked.
"Just enough time to get a job and get some of these bills paid, and make sure they don't take our house," she said looking everywhere except for her daughter's eyes.
"I...I don't want to leave."
"It's not your decision to make," Marie said smugly before getting back to the papers.
Betty stood by the door. "But," she started.
"It's closed for discussion. You're living with your grandparents and that's final!"
*****************************************************************************************************************
May 21, 1940
Age: 15
Betty hated it there. The kids at the high school were anything but welcoming. She woke up early to tend to the animals, and her grandparents wouldn't let her do anything unless it was school sponsered.
One day, Betty heard some of the popular girls and their boyfriends discussing careers. "I'm gonna be a pilot," one of the boys said, acting macho around his girl.
"In the Air Force?" a tiny voice squeaked. "Well, then, I'm going to join to be a nurse!"
"Me too," a chorus of female voices said.
Betty walked away from the crowd, but she got to thinking. For the last three weeks, she wanted to run away. But she never knew where she would go. Now she knew.
*****************************************************************************************************************
June 11, 1940
Age: 16
Betty stepped off the train. She had made it. Using her college money and some other bills she found lying around, she had bought a train ticket to New York. She hurried away from the station before counting her money. Barely enough for a taxi and a meal. But she had made it. She was free. And nothing could stop her now.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bottom line: Betty felt pressured to leave after her dad died. But when she did leave, she wasn't accepted and felt she had to get away.
Betty
Betty Marie Harrison- Birthdate: June 10, 1924. Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio. College/Further Education: None. Family: Father: Paul Harrison(deceased)/Mother: Marie Harrison(07-21-1896) /Siblings: None. Occupation: Nurse.
December 25, 1928
Age: 4
The blonde four year old ran down the steps and into her father's lap. "Daddy!" she squealed.
He chuckled and picked up a wrapped present. "Do you want to open your presents now, Betty?" he asked her.
"Yes!" she squealed grabbing the present from him.
Marie, Betty's mother, walked into the living room and put her hand on Paul's shoulder. He looked up at her, and they shared a smile. Betty was still savagely attacking the wrapping paper. "Merry Christmas, Betty," Marie said.
"Merry Christmas mommy! A baby doll!" Betty squealed. "Thank you, Sant-e Claus!"
Her parents smiled at her. "I bought you a present, daddy," Betty said. She crawled under the tree and came back with a poorly wrapped box.
"Wow, who wrapped this? Surely your mother, because it is wrapped so good!" he said.
"No silly," Betty said laughing. "I wrapped it all by myself!"
Paul acted surprised. "Not all by yourself!" he said. Betty smiled and nodded. "Wow, then I better not open it," he said putting it back on the ground.
"No, you have to!" Betty said picking it up and giving it back to her dad.
"Well, if that's what you want," he said as he started to unwrap it. "A tie! Wow! I needed a new one!" he said even though he had way too many already. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome daddy!" she said giving him a hug.
*****************************************************************************************************************
January 2, 1938
Age: 13
The thirteen year old Betty sat at the top of the steps, eagerly awaiting her father's return. She saw the doorknob turn, and then her father walked in with his head down. Marie came to greet him, and they walked into the living room. She heard some of the conversation. "The doc said it's caner, Marie," Paul said.
"Cancer? Are they sure? Maybe you should get a second opinion..."Marie started.
"No Marie," Paul interrupted. "He's right. I knew something was wrong. They don't have anything to cure it. He gave me 6 months."
"Oh my God..." she said. Betty felt a tear run down her face, and quickly wiped it away.
She knew that it had to end. The perfect life she lived. Her numerous friends, her good looks that attracted boys, her kind personality, her perfect family. Now it was all over.
*****************************************************************************************************************
May 17, 1939
Age: 14
Betty walked out of the church with red cheeks and tear stained eyes. She crossed her bare arms in front of her body and waited for the crowd. She saw her mom and walked over.
"I love you," she whispered as she hugged her.
She waited for a responce. Marie wiped her eyes again, and walked away. Betty was left standing heartbroken on the church steps. Her father had just died, and her mom was shunning her.
*****************************************************************************************************************
August 22, 1939
Age: 15
"Mother?" Betty asked as she walked into her mother's room.
"What Betty?" she snapped back.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"What is it that you want, Betty?"
"I just wanted to talk to you. God, mother, after he died we haven't had one decent conversation!"
"Don't talk about your father like that, like he split us up."
"I loved him, too, mother. It wasn't just you. But, you know what? I'm willing to talk about it now, and obviously you aren't," Betty said.
"Your father didn't just hurt my emotions when he died," Marie said picking up a stack of bills. "I have no way to pay these." Betty sighed. That was all. A few lousy bills got in the way between her mother and her. "Maybe it would be best," Marie started. "I just think maybe it would be a lot easier for both of us if you went to live with your grandparents for a few months."
"What?" Betty asked.
"Just enough time to get a job and get some of these bills paid, and make sure they don't take our house," she said looking everywhere except for her daughter's eyes.
"I...I don't want to leave."
"It's not your decision to make," Marie said smugly before getting back to the papers.
Betty stood by the door. "But," she started.
"It's closed for discussion. You're living with your grandparents and that's final!"
*****************************************************************************************************************
May 21, 1940
Age: 15
Betty hated it there. The kids at the high school were anything but welcoming. She woke up early to tend to the animals, and her grandparents wouldn't let her do anything unless it was school sponsered.
One day, Betty heard some of the popular girls and their boyfriends discussing careers. "I'm gonna be a pilot," one of the boys said, acting macho around his girl.
"In the Air Force?" a tiny voice squeaked. "Well, then, I'm going to join to be a nurse!"
"Me too," a chorus of female voices said.
Betty walked away from the crowd, but she got to thinking. For the last three weeks, she wanted to run away. But she never knew where she would go. Now she knew.
*****************************************************************************************************************
June 11, 1940
Age: 16
Betty stepped off the train. She had made it. Using her college money and some other bills she found lying around, she had bought a train ticket to New York. She hurried away from the station before counting her money. Barely enough for a taxi and a meal. But she had made it. She was free. And nothing could stop her now.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bottom line: Betty felt pressured to leave after her dad died. But when she did leave, she wasn't accepted and felt she had to get away.
