Mom grew up with 8 siblings and a loving Mom. Her father provided for the family but on his own terms as an alcoholic. She dreamed to be a singer like Billie and Ella but knew it was near impossible. One day while out on the front porch she heard the sound of a guitar and a someone singing Hank Williams songs. The music drew her attention and she daringly crossed the street to find a young teenager playing and singing out on his own front porch. His name was George Cormier, son of a farmer and a pretty good singer/guitarist for such a young lad.
Here was Mom's chance to sing even though the music was out of her genre. Dad didn't know complex chords. Country-Western songs were easier to play and to phrase the words. Not long after their first duet did the two marry at the age of 18. Dad found work apprenticing in the trades. They were old school. Dad would bring home the bacon and Mom would raise the kids and maintain the household until dad came home. Then he'd pitch in to help the rest of the day and night.
Photo of mum on her front porch
I'm not sure if they planned it this way but as devout Catholics it was probably an inevitability that they would have a large family. A large family today may be 5 or 6 children. Back then it was 10 and that's how many she had. Mom's single focus was raising us kids no matter how difficult it was financially or physically.
At at times Dad was unable to financially support such a large family on his own even with 3 jobs. So, Mom accepted an even greater burden in the home by taking in foster kids. Now, I have to say that if I was a foster child there is one family I would love to live with and that's the Cormiers. We kids embraced each new child as if a sister or brother. One after the other lived with us for days, weeks or months at a time. Mom did what she did best, take care of kids.
Here is a photo of Mum and dad early on
Later on when most of us had flown the nest she was left with Michael and Joe at the house. When grandchildren began arriving she found her purpose in life again and begged to have them over for the day or night. It was her calling. She took only one job in her life besides raising the children and that was of all things....."baby sitting!!
Today with who knows how many grandchildren, great grand children and now a great-great grandchild recently born, she is in her glory. There's hardly a day that goes by when she isn't coddling or visiting with one or the other. Living on Social Security with my sister Kathy, they still sing together often for their own entertainment. Kathy provides the guitar playing now and helps them get started. I recently was able to save several old reel to reel recordings of the two of them singing in the living room. I also discovered some old recordings of them singing with us kids when we were really small.
Here is Mom and Dad still singing on their 60th anniversary
(This was staged. They really didn't sing at the Ryman but they sure wish they did)
CLICK ON THE GREEN ARROW ON THE PLAYER ABOVE TO HEAR MOM AND DAD SING
TO HEAR DAD PLAYING CAMP TOWN RACES WITH LITTLE KATHY CLICK ON THE GREEN PLAY BUTTON
TO HEAR MORE OF THESE CLASSIC SONGS WITH MOM AND DAD SINGING CLICK HERE
TO HEAR MORE OF MOM AND DAD SINGING WITH US LITTLE KIDS CLICK HERE