I was named for my Grandmother Donaldson, Laura Arizona Gray.
My half sister Emily Arizona was also named after our
Grandmother Donaldson. I got the first name 'Laura' and
Emily got the second name 'Arizona.'
When my Mother Katharina Marie
"Katie" Ingrisch first came to America in 1907 she worked as
a maid. One time she worked for a well to do family who
had a house right on Peachtree St. (where Sax Fifth Ave later
was built). She was an upstairs maid, as they had many
servants. Once while her employers were away, the son who
had been away from College, came home and made advances towards
her and chased her around the house. She told on him and
never went back. Another time she worked a good ways from
home for a family around Covington Hwy area. She would
have to take and pick up the little girl of the house to and
from school, in a wagon pulled by a pony.
My Mother didn't talk much about the old country where they came
from, but when she did, it was about 'Temeswar' in Hungary.
Before they came to America her and her Mother worked in a Beer
factory washing bottles. She said they were very poor and
lived in a one room house and the floors were made from dirt or
clay like. She said Papa had a carpenter shop in town but
business was not good. Later we would learn they last
lived in
Mehala, a suburb of Temeswar.
I had always heard my
Grandmother Elisabeth Marmon came from a well off family and
it was said she married beneath her. I also heard Papa was
so shy that his sister who knew Elisabeth first, introduced
them. I never knew my Grandmother Elisabeth, she died
before I was born. I knew my
Grandfather Martin Ingrisch,
who we called Papa. He always lived with my
Aunt Lizzie. Even though
she was very young when my Grandmother died, she became the
caregiver of my Aunt Margaret
and Uncle Charlie and Uncle
George, even after she married.
When Uncle George was a young man he came to live with us, to
help my Mother. At this time he found what work he could
during the depression. He went to work in what was
called " C.C.C. Camp."
My Father was Harry Arden Donaldson. I never had the
luxury of a Father around. When I was very young and would
see my friends with their Dad, I would wonder what it would be
like to have one. I was seven years old when I remember
seeing him for the first time.
My Mother spent her entire life working and supporting her five
children, Frances, Dorothy, Harry, Clarence and me until we were
on our own. She never made us feel like we were her
burden. She told me she cried allot which I am sure she
did after my father left - until it got to be too much for her.
She said one night she sat up in bed and said "God lift this
burden from me" and she said she never cried again.
I always shared a bedroom with my Mother. She always left
early in the morning to go to work - rain or shine. The first
job I remember her having was on the 'W.P.A.' government program
due to the depression. She made $12.00 a week. She
worked in a Doll Factory at one time. During the war years
in the 1940's she worked for the government at Fort Gilliam in
Conley.
I was baptized when I was about 12 years old at Carey Park
Baptist Church in Carey Park. I was baptized in a creek on
Peyton Rd near Hightower Rd. in Carey Park. I always went
to Carey Park Baptist Church. The preacher was Preacher
Haney. He was a run around preacher - it was said he had
an affair with the woman who played the piano sometimes at the
church. I also went to St. Anthony's Catholic Church in
West End often with my cousin Teresa and my Aunt Lizzie. I
even know the 'Hail Mary Prayer.' When I was young I
always wanted "Rosary Beads."
When I was 12 years old, during the summer of 1940 Mother told
me that I was to take swimming lessons at Maddox Park on 1115
Bankhead Highway in Atlanta. I went 2 days a week.
The American Red Cross gave the lessons free. I never
learned to dive, I was too chicken. Every time I tried - I
"belly flopped" as they referred to it. I did learn to
swim though.
When I was a kid every year around Christmas time my Mother
would make fruit cakes. She would always make 2, one for
us and one to raffle off. She would make a punch board and
I would take it around to the neighbors and for a dime they
could buy a chance to win a fruit cake. We sold enough
chances to pay for both cakes. This was just another way
my Mother would stretch a dollar and we would have our cake too.
During my childhood we would go down to the cemetery where there
was a bridge over a creek and we would all gather and sing.
We also would go to a nearby funeral home and behind the
building is where they would discard all the dead flowers from
the funerals. We would take the ribbons off and keep them
to use our hair.
I always remember every time I pass by the Georgia Capital with
the Gold Dome, probably when I was 9 or 10 the dome was not
gold, it was painted after we returned from New Jersey.
Mother took me to the Capital and we climbed the spiral steps to
the top of the dome to view the city of Atlanta. I
remember we got so tired.
The original movie "Heidi" was showing in
Atlanta when I was a little girl. Mother
told me she was taking me to see a movie that
would be like where she lived as a young girl.
The movie was showing at the Fox Theatre.
That was the first time I had ever been to the
Fox. When I saw the ceiling looking like
the sky at night with all those stars, I was
just in awe. In my mind, it was the most
beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Occasionally over the years when the old "Heidi"
movie was on TV, I always remembered the
first time I was at the Fox, mostly because
something Mother did just for me.
My mother worked so much that I sometimes did not see her all
week as it was after I had went to bed that she came home.
My older sister Dot took care of the house and looked after me
while Mother was at work. Dot would clean the house and
have supper ready when I came home from school. Dot took
in ironing also. I attended West Fulton High School.
Dot married Rydell Crosby - who we always called Crosby.
They were living in Hapeville during during WW2 and Mother let
me go live with Dot while Crosby was away in the Army. I
went to Hapeville High School for a time, later returned to West
Fulton High where I graduated.
My brothers served in the Military. Harry A. Donaldson was
in the Army, he went to North Africa and Italy. Clarence
E. Donaldson was also in the Army and went to Germany. My
Uncle Charlie was also in the Army stationed in Germany.
When I was 18, in December 1945 during World War 2, I took my
first train trip from Atlanta to New York to work for Western
Union. I went with another girl from Atlanta. The
trip was over night, we slept in a "Pullman" sleeping car.
Telegrams were important at that time, no computers or fax
machines. Working for Western Union was considered
essential. I was gone for three months. To me at
this time it was exciting.
The places I lived growing up was on Hollywood Rd. in Almond
Park, Lotus Ave. in Almond Park, Spring St. in Carey Park and
West and 2nd St. in Carey Park. In 1945 Mother had a house
built at 1155 Lookout Ave., in Almond Park. My sister
Frances and her daughter Anne lived with us. I left home
when I got married.
The day I got married I wore a navy blue dress. My family
did not know I was getting married, as they disapproved.
We went to Dallas, Georgia as that was where people were going
to get married during that time. Friend of mine went and
stood up for us. That night we stayed at a hotel in
Atlanta. Then we lived on Georgia Ave., near where Turner
Stadium is now. Then we moved to New Jersey.
I have always tried to treat people the way I wanted to be
treated. I've always looked for peace.
Today we live at
Highland Court Senior Residence in Kennesaw and
we love it. Below is a photo of us gardeners tending to
our flowers. [Laure is 4th from the right, turning to her
right, Joe is to her right with the blue hat on.]
Laura
& Joe,
celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary - June 16th, 2006
to be continued.
