Audrey Mae SpencerSpencer Historical CemeteryHenry Straight / William Spencer Family Cemetery
Vaughn Historical CemeterySpencers of East Greenwich, RI
Audrey’s extended family
23 October 2002

Heather: How is Violet related to us?

Violet Kettelle



* Richard Anthony (“Deacon”) Spencer

7 March 2004

Heather: Hello, Mother, what are your thoughts today?


Audrey: I couldn’t be better. It is sunny outside. The snow is gone. I’m all dressed with pink pants, white top and pink beads. We always have a hot cereal for breakfast.

(When I was a child) we had cornﬂakes every morning and Grandma (Mary Jane [née Vaughn] Spencer) made johnny cakes.

Being here (at Alpine Nursing Home) I look out my window and see all the action with trash collection, cars parking in the yard. Oh, an orange cat goes through the yard every so often. He has a collar on so someone is taking care of him.

(When I was a child on the farm) we had several cats in the barn, but only one cat in the house. Her name was Edna Meaow. Edith named her Edna because that was the name of a movie star. Aunt Edith was crazy about the movie stars. That’s all we had was the movies. There was no TV.

My cousins in Providence took me to the movies in Providence. There was no talking. There was just music, a woman was playing the piano down in the orchestra pit. My cousin read the printing on the screen to me until others complained so. The Kirby’s were my cousins. Aunt Martha, my mother’s sister, married Harry Kirby. Aunt Martha cooked a turkey dinner every Sunday.

Martha’s brother (brother-in-law) would come on Sunday and eat three meals. He was very heavy and stretched out the end of the couch. When he was younger, he dressed fine and met a woman who was well dressed. They got married and then found out neither one had money. They divorced because they couldn’t afford to live together. Martha knew he was a glutton. He was always dressed up.

I went to the Knotty Oak Church. Martha and Harry went to the city. Grandpa would drive Mother and me with the horse and wagon and then pick us up.  Aunt Rachel, Grandma’s younger sister, would make a meal for them. Aunt Rachel, she was a good cook.

27 June 2004

Heather: Tell me about Grandma’s sister, Martha, who married Harry and who named her second son, Raymond and everyone called him Ray. Didn’t you tell me that gave you the idea for Vaughn’s middle name, Ray.

Audrey: Martha married Harry Kirby, who was full of fun and always making me laugh with his jokes. He always was making everyone laugh. Their ﬁrst child was Harry Jr. Their second son was Raymond who everyone called Ray, and he was full of fun like his dad. Their daughter Viola was full of fun like Ray, and their youngest daughter Marian was quiet. Every other thing, we were all over there as Martha made big dinners every Sunday. Martha laughed right along with them.

27 June 2004

Heather: How fascinating. One son was sober and the other son was comical, and one daughter was quiet and the other daughter was comical. What were the names of Grandma’s other siblings?

Audrey: Susan, Margaret, Rachel, Eben and Walter. Rachel was the youngest and Susan, who did all the sewing, was the oldest, I think. Walter was sickly and I think he died when he was young. He was always sitting in his rocking chair and I think he died in that rocking chair. He probably had some kind of disease like infantile paralysis.

27 June 2004

Heather: Whom did Margaret marry?

Audrey: She had a bunch of children and a big yard for kids.

17 July 2004

Heather: Mother, how is Violet’s last name spelled?

Audrey: Kettle, Violet Kettle. It is an English name. Her uncle, Tom Kettle, had the letter T and then a picture of a kettle by his drive way. It is pronounced just like a kettle.

Violet was an only child. Her mother didn’t want any more children. She was lazy. She had a bad time having Violet and she didn’t want any more children. Violet and her mother were very good friends. She was nice to Violet. She just didn’t want any more children.

Violet’s grandmother was a Spencer so we are cousins. Her Spencer grandmother married a Kettle. She was a Kittle and married a Kettle.


26 September 2004

Heather: Have you heard about Aunt Edith’s great grandchild being named Spencer?

Yes, I am so happy.

26 September 2004


24 October 2004

Heather: Did you ever have nicknames when you were younger?

No, but Ed was John Edward (Spencer).

24 October 2004

Heather: What did you like most in your life?

As a child? Playing with my doll.  I adopted Edith’s dolls. I had them after Edith. Then Anna Jane got the dolls. They probably all broke with her.  She was reckless. She didn’t sit and hold them.  She was running around and throwing them up in the air.

I’m very alert today.  I’m reading books.

Vaughn (was here).

Everything around here (Alpine Nursing Home) looks so nice. I’m lucky. I don’t have any pain at all.

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