Alice Mabel Strutt Bray

Today over lunch: Vi (daughter-in-law of Alice) was sharing with us (Glenn (grandson of Alice)and me):

"We lived with her when we were married and Glenn was a little boy. She believed children should be seen and not heard. She called Glenn 'the brass band'. She had no patience with children. I used to take Glenn up to my parent's home, and Eddie would play with him until I finished my chores."

"She used to get up at about 12 noon. She used to go to bed at about 4am."

"She used to sit in the kitchen and knit socks for her boys. When we moved to Zambia she would send us parcels every now and again: sheets and more sheets... and socks for Dennis."

"She used to HATE her father. She was sure he had caused her mother to die. She died at 40. He used to beat her mother. He used to drink."

"She left home and lived with her grandfather (Vi couldn't remember which one). He was the only one that could talk some sense into her. He would go for a walk with her. He would talk with her "You have broken your grandmother's tea set in your temper. I cannot afford to replace it for her. Please THINK before you do something you regret when you get angry." Vi then went on to say "Red hair... you see! Red hair and a temper go together in some people..."

"She used to get mad when the children would come in and just take fruit and eat it. Wally (her son, brother of Dennis) stood up to her in his house. He told her to take her fruit out of the frig and just keep it wherever she wanted to! ...She got mad with our children too when she stayed with us. I kept a bowl of fruit just for the children. She didn't like that."

"She and Henry Norman Bray met and married in Durban. Later they moved to Krugersdorp."

Sad - a lot of this daughter-in-law remembering...