Cara Alma (Norris) Spears

Cara Alma Norris was born 3 Jan 1883 In Franklin Forks, PA, to Ida Clarissa (Keen) and Willis Clark Norris. Growing up, she was their only child, the "Apple of her father's eye". By 1900 the family had relocated to 263 High St, Willimantic, CT.

Cara met Elmer and they corresponded for several years before getting married. According to family history, she received a letter from Elmer which had been written to another "sweetheart". When Willis heard that his daughter was being "two-timed" by her fiancé, he went to Elmer and told him what would happen if he did not marry Cara. They were subsequently married at her parents home on June 29, 1904 after which they lived at his home in Holyoke.

By 1910 Cara and Elmer had moved to Farmington, CT at 36 Main St.

Their son, and only child, Leonard Norris Spears, was born 11 Jan 1911 at Willimantic, CT at the Norris family home.

At the time of the 1920 Census the family had moved to 56 Day Ave in Westfield, MA where they lived until around 1926. A decision to move next-door was made, and the family lived at 57 Day Ave. until after Elmer's death in October 1946.

Cara moved to California by 1948 to be near her son, living at 439 Fuller in Redwood City.

In early April of 1953, Cara was pruning the grapes on a tall arbor at her son's home in Santa Rosa. She fell from the ladder, breaking her hip. Leonard picked her up and placed her in his car to transport her to the hospital, as their home was 15 miles from the hospital. Len ruptured a disk in his back when he lifted his mother, who although short in stature, was well padded. When it was time for Cara to leave the hospital, the decision was made to place her in a "rest home" for recovery, as she needed assistance that neither Len nor Marie could give. When Len and Marie went to discuss the decision with Cara, she was sitting up in bed, when a massive blood clot broke loose from the injury and traveled to her lungs. Within minutes she was dead from a pulmonary embolism.

I remember the trip back east to take Grandma's ashes to the family cemetery in Waymart PA. (1953) My earliest memory of the trip was thinking how special I was because Mom and Dad made a bed for me in the back of our car so I could take a nap when I was tired. Dad made a little desk that folded down from the back of Mom's seat and held crayons and paper for me to color on.

I remember the trip across the St. Lawrence River at Sault Sainte Marie. We were on a big ferry and we could stay in our car or go to the big cabin up on the deck. I remember sitting in the window looking out at all the water and thinking I was having lots of fun. My mother told me many years later that she hated the trip across because there was a terrible storm and the crossing was very rough. I was my Sailor father's child for certain...I never even noticed the storm!

One of the houses we stayed at had a big screened-in porch across the back overlooking a stream. I thought that was neat, because I got to sleep on a cot out there. Dad told me that the people who lived there used to have a cat that would sit on the rocks in the stream and catch fish with it's paws. I looked and looked, but didn't get to see a cat fishing.

I did not go to the cemetery, as my parents thought I was too young (4), however I remember them saying they were "going to say 'goodbye' to Grandma" and I was angry that I was left behind because I missed my Grandma and wanted to say 'Goodbye' to her also. I didn't understand that "Grandma is gone" meant Grandma was dead... I was left at a house that was 2 stories tall with a steep set of stairs. I was not allowed to go upstairs because the kids that lived there had the Measles or something. They sent a slinky down the stairs to me, and someone took it back up from time to time. I sat looking out the window watching for my parents to come back.

My last memory of the trip was more like a dream to me...for years after the trip I imagined that I got to drive a horse and carriage. Years later, after My father died (1999) Mom and I were going through family photos. I found a tiny (2X2) picture of a woman and child in a carriage in a park with tall buildings in the background. I asked Mom who they were and she told me that it was her and I in a carriage in Toronto, Canada on the trip back from PA. I hadn't imagined it at all...It was a memory!

TO Be Continued>>>>>>>>>>>>>