Life in America |
When Florence emigrated from England in 1949, she moved to Cuba, Illinois and made her home with her sister, Esther, and Esther's husband, Jim Grindle. Esther's son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth and Mae George, lived nearby, and Florence spent a lot of time with their son, her great nephew John. Florence’s long-time friend and former roommate, Clarkie, died in March 1951, at her home in Folkestone, England. Florence crossed the ocean again on April 29, 1952, aboard the Queen Elizabeth, for an extended visit to London. She stayed six months at d'Abernon Chase Lodge, Leatherhead, Surrey, very close to Godfrey's home. She returned to the United States on the Queen Mary on October 16, 1952. Soon after Florence's return, her brother Joe died, on November 29, 1952. When Jim Grindle died in 1956, Esther and Florence had to leave the Grindle house in Cuba. Esther spent a brief time in Tennessee with her daughter Ruby, when Ruby’s husband Ed died. By the end of that summer, Florence and Esther had moved to Peoria, Illinois. In 1958 and 1959, both were living at 1813 N. Missouri with Lewis and Eunice Decker. The Peoria city directory lists Florence's occupation as nurse. Though Florence was by this time in her seventies, she continued to work into the early 1960s as a private duty nurse, including a period of time as a live-in nurse for a patient named Mr. Block.
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Florence and Esther eventually moved to a tiny, one-bedroom house on 228 Waverly Avenue in Peoria, where they lived with Timmie the cat. There were two single beds and a dresser in the bedroom. The sitting room had an old fashioned sofa and a grandfather clock. There was a wringer washer in the basement, and a backyard garden. In general, Florence’s health was good, although her eyesight was failing. She belonged to and regularly attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church on War Memorial Drive. She and Esther were joined for a time at the Waverly house by Esther’s old friend, Ruby Slater, which was challenging space-wise, and also because of Mrs. Slater’s deteriorating mental state. Florence spent many holidays with her niece, Ruby, and Ruby's family. She celebrated births and birthdays of her great grand nieces and nephews, always in a dress or suit, hose and sturdy shoes, and very often, a hat. Esther forever retained the working-class Forest dialect: "I'm gonna 'it you over the 'ead with an 'ickory 'ammer 'andle." Florence, in contrast, spoke a very proper Queen's English, evidence of her schooling and many years as a professional in London.
Florence Mary Yemm died in December 1974, in Peoria, Illinois, at the age of 88. She was buried in the Cuba Cemetery, next to her nephew, Donald L.S. Yemm. Her brother Steve, who died four years earlier in August 1970, and sister Dollie are also buried in the Cuba Cemetery. Esther’s ashes were buried there when she died in 1979 at the age of 101.
Our Aunt Flo lived a full and interesting life. In addition to her siblings, she had a large extended family of nieces and nephews, their children, and their children’s children. She was loved and admired--and will be remembered--for her independence, courage, and compassion.