Happy Birthday, Mother

Tomorrow is June 3rd, the birthday of my mother, who was an extraordinary person.

Wilma Butler Hasty was a tiny, round dynamo. I’m not sure of the year she was born, but I believe it to be 1898 or 1899. She was the middle daughter of my grandparents’ seven daughters. There were four sons also and at least one baby who died.

Her father, and they called him “Father,” was a banker, land owner and lots else. At one time he was part owner of a marble works and owned all the drug stores in Marietta, and several car dealerships, too.  He was a shrewd businessman who thought of the future. His idea was to be able to set up his sons in business.

Grandaddy Butler also valued education. He turned one room in his home into a schoolroom and hired a governess who was quite strict. They called her ”Miss Janie,” and she was the unfortunate subject of much mischief. He sent his daughters to college before it was considered important for girls to have higher education.  

Mother and my Aunt Jennie and Aunt Miriam all went to Bessie Tift Women’s College, in Forsyth, Ga. My mother entered as a sophomore because she exempted her freshman year by passing all their exams. She was a good writer and a poet. Her talents also included music, and she possessed a lovely singing voice and was a skilled pianist. However, she majored in Home Economics and Nutrition.

There was nothing Mother couldn’t cook - from the simple dishes, beautifully prepared , to the delicate pastries. Her big, three layer cakes were to die for. She had a great partner with my dad because he also was interested in nutrition and together they tried all sorts of interesting recipes. I remember their making cottage cheese and really yummy hand turned freezer ice cream.

None of the above really captures the person that was Wilma Elizabeth Butler Hasty, though. When asked how tall she was, she’d grin and say, oh, about 5’2”-- but I never believed it. She was maybe 5 feet, standing tall. [My dad was over 6’3”]. She had dark brown hair with reddish highlights. Her eyes were kind of green. She always had a beautiful complexion. She washed her face twice a day with mild soap and rinsed it three times. She powdered her face, used a little rouge, and red lipstick, and that was all she did for years. Her skin was so lovely she didn’t need a lot of makeup.

When Mother got older, she did use a little foundation make up, I think. For years, she only used a little Coty”s L’Origan  perfume. About the time I married, she changed to Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew. I used to wear it sometimes too but after she died, my son asked me not to wear it anymore and I didn’t. He said it reminded him so of her, that it just made him miss her too much.

Mother always said she just loved people and especially, children. She liked to play games and was very good at it. Competition was fine and she played to win. She was a good bridge player but she played games with the children too. My kids remember the Chinese Checkers, and long Monoply games she played with them. I remember Rook, Rummy, Canasta etc.

Even though she was very tender hearted, Mother was very quick witted and had a rapid fire temper. Thankfully, she got over the bad temper equally quickly. I imagine growing up with so many older siblings had taught her to be tough, when needed.

She was very well organized but also quite flexible. My dad often liked to do things on the spur of the minute, such as taking a long ride or going on a trip. She was always ready to go. She used to laugh and say she could get herself and three children ready with thirty minutes notice. If needed clothes were dirty, she carried them anyway and had them cleaned or washed them when she arrived. As long as I remember, she kept a list of essential items pinned in her suitcase so she never forgot what was needed.

She had her own, little 4-10 shotgun and was a very accurate shooter. My dad was a firm believer in women being able to defend themselves. A tiny woman plus a loaded shotgun was not to be trifled with, he always said. [I grew up with a .44 pistol on my bedside table but it was too heavy for Mother’s small hands.]

Because my dad played professional baseball for years, and minor league baseball for many years, Mother knew easily as much about baseball as any umpire, possibly more. She kept a lot of notes and records on other teams, and devised her own score cards and particular notes about batters on other teams. With my dad being a pitcher, they always checked batting habits of opposing teams.

My mother was a nurturing  person who enjoyed taking care of people and she did it quite well. She worked hard and she worked long and fast. I could never even begin to keep up with her! One year, she organized and supervised the soup kitchen of the school in our community so that kids would have at least one good meal a day. This was just at the end of the Depression. Of course, there was no pay involved.

I’ve just realized it would take a book and more talent than I have, to begin to cover everything about Mother.

I hope tomorrow she is sitting on her cloud, near those she loves, enjoying her birthday.