Clara Louise Willett
born 9/10/1896, died ?




family,links:
father: William Willett
mother: Louisa Georg
spouse: John Grawey
brother: William
Clara taught school for many years in San Antonio, TX. Never married or had children. Always thought her name was Clara Mary, but found out later in life in 1937 from her birth certificate that it was Clara Louise.

From a letter in 1967 from Clara to her cousin:
"My mother died when I was 3 years and 9 months old. My father left here before I started to school. I didn't see him again until I was 22 years old. He completely deserted me. I have seen my brother just about 4 or 5 times since I can remember. Not one of my Grandparents ever sent me as much as a penny post-card. Your sister Lula told me almost all I know about people who are related to me. I finished at Southwest Texas State Teacher's College in June 1919 (LBJ's alma mater). He enrolled there about 4 or 5 years after I finished there. We had the same professors. Later I got my BA degree at Trinity University here in San Antonio in 1940. I am an alumnus of 2 institutions of higher learning. I taught about 3700 children in my 41 years in Texas schools.

In 1921 Anna Trefzger invited me to visit them. My brother paid for the trip up north as he wanted to see me while he was in New York. It was in 1921 when I met your family for the lst time. Anna Trefzger wanted me to go to Cincinnati too. So there I met her sister, Nellie and her brother Fred and their families for the first time.

My, what a big family you have! It must be wonderful to have grown up in a house with real parents, real grandparents, aunts and uncles around, and your own brothers and sisters, and your own children, grandchildren etc. Lots of pleasures, lots of responsibility, lots of comforts. You could never fit yourself into my shoes. Neither could I fit in to yours. Along with 3700 children go a big "army" of mothers and fathers. I have former students and mothers and fathers all over this city , in high places. And better still, the One Who made the world and hung it on nothing, and it still hangs there, has been with me all along - and I know He will continue to be with me."

Martha Groeper "found lots of letters written by Clara M. Willett, daughter of Mary Louise Willett, who was Emma Georg's sister. Two are extracted in this writeup and in the writeup about her brother -- they were the most informative. The others are mostly about her "children" or students, usually 4 dogs (all pedigree and show dogs) and her homes. She never married so these were her family. In one letter she mentioned that when her father left her at about age 7 he said "I have no children."??? She mentioned she was raised by a Mrs. Schuck. Her brother left when she was about 9. Apparently she was sickly as a child and very unhappy, lonely, and was raised that no one wanted her. Contact with this family was minimal at best. Reason was given that her father would not give out her address till her mother's brother died in Germany when she was about 22. She was very dependent on God to help her, and He did. She was always very grateful to Him.



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