I have added a little bit of my own words. They are in Italics.
Well a customer of mine said one day, let me give you a reading, that was her business. I said all right. She told me I was going to be married within six months. I said go on, I don’t even go with any one. Well, I met Will in April and married him in July. I met hm through Francis Kingsbury. I used to go out with Francis a lot, forgot her other name, but she married Will’s nephew and lived in Alaska when she came to town she stayed at the house. (Will’s) One day she came into the shop to get her hair fixed she said Oh dear I brought you a cat for your collection and I forgot to bring it and she was on her way to California. She told me she was staying up at the house, she said will it be alright if I leave it with Will. I’ll have him bring it to you or you can pick it up at his office and in that way meet him too. So I said sure. Will called me and he wanted to bring it to me. I couldn’t see him until next Saturday night. That was how I met Will. Will brought me up to the house, said he had a client who had a house and he wanted to show me the view of the city from it. I said O.K. He said they were away. I came up and saw the view and said “Let’s get out of here, they might come back.” I didn’t know it was his house, and didn’t know til a few days later, from there on I had special delivery notes sent to me everyday, etc. Isn’t it funny how life goes on and on.
I had a reader who came into the shop, I never knew she was a reader, or rather a fortune teller. Anyway, she was in the shop a few days after I met Will, she told me I would be married in a few months, of course I didn’t believe it, but I met Will in April and was married in July. We were married in the house in front of the fire place I believe the 16th of July 1944. I sold my shop to Dorothy Carlson an operator who worked for me. That shop is still there under my name “The Agnes Beauty Shop.” I started that shop in 1926, so it is 50 years old and still going. I wanted to keep on working, but Will wouldn’t let me. Said it wouldn’t look right for a lawyer’s wife to be working, etc. I loved beauty work, I used to work from 8 a.m. til 12 at night some times, I had nurses from the hospitals near my shop come in at 9 pm for a permanent wave. I would be on my feet all day and never seemed to be tired, it was my own business and was really fun for me.
Shawna Bake and I asked my mother Marilyn (one of Agne’s granddaughters) about this because it seems sad that she had to give up her Beauty Shop. My mom said that when she was growing up she got to have a lot of permanent waves done by her grandmother. She had a metal container at her house where she could wash your hair. Then, you would sit in a chair and have one on one time (like you would getting your hair done today), but with your grandmother. This was really special. Then, you would sit under the drier and wait and wait. When my mom was young she would wonder if her grandma had forgotten about her. But then the drier would switch off or the timer would go off and her grandma would come and pull the drier up off of her head and led her over to the other chair to have her curlers taken out. If you look at photos of my mother when she was young there are quit a few where she has very curly hair -A permanent wave from her Grandma Royal.
Her Granddaughter Elizabeth Michels said that the day Agnes, her grandma died they drove by the beauty shop and it was still there and named after her. Elizabeth says she has a table next to her bed that was her first beauty shop stand and it has a Marcelle iron in the drawer, which are the thinner curling irons.
Well, I wanted to keep busy, my house was big and lots of work. Will wanted me to join the Eastern Star so I did. He was a mason and belonged to several Masonic orders. I joined Beauceant too. It was president of Beauceant and was president of the Portland’s Woman’s Club in the same year. I also of been president of the President’s Club, Irvington Club, Vice President of the Portland Serosis. I didn’t want to go on as president we started to travel a lot and I wouldn’t be here. When I was president of the President’s Club, Will’s 50th year celebration was in Boston. I couldn’t go with him til the next day on account of the President’s club, but anyway, I can say I slept at Harvard.
Will rented a car in Boston and we drove to New York. Saw New York. Took a boat ride around the Statue of liberty. Took sight seeing buses. Drove to Williamsburg, Chicago, ended up in DesMoines, Iowa to see his brother and family Malcom Royal was his name. He was a Doctor. We also went over to Lincoln, Nebraska and saw Paul (a Dr.) and family. We left the car in DesMoines and came the rest of the way home by train. Sure liked Will’s Mother. She wasn’t very well and wanted me to give her a facial.
I remember before we started on this trip I nearly cut off the top of my thumb. Will wanted me to go to the hospital with it (I was carving meat for dinner when I did it) I just let cold water run over it and put a bandage on it. This was just before we started our trip. It was a real deep cut. We were in Chicago and Will was busy seeing some one there, I called a practitioner and went over to her office. When we got to Malcolm’s house the bandage was off and I said Malcolm can you see anything wrong with this thumb? and he said no, why and I told him about it and he was quit surprised at the healing. That night at dinner the phone was in the dining room where we were eating and Malcolm answered it, some ladies little boy was sick. Malcolm was telling her all that she should do for him, was so sympathetic with her and when he hung up the phone, he said I don’t know whats the matter with that kid.
After we came home in October or November and Dad retired and came to Portland. I had Harriet and Al and family for Thanksgiving Dinner. Audrey and family too. and Dad. He didn’t look too well. He stayed a couple of days with us, then went over to Harriet and Al’s house to stay with them. Dad became very ill at Harriet and Al’s house and had to be taken to the hospital where he died. He is in the Riverview cemetery with Donald. I had my marker put there too. I imagine it was hard on Dad to have to retire, but his company retired their men, I think at 65.
Religion.
I remember when we first when we first came to Portland, I found out the Byes were here, I got in touch with them. They lived where the Twiliger Plaza is now. Mrs. Bye was a Christian Scientist, and so were Eva and Jen. One day they asked me if I would go to the church with them, I said I would love to, it was the first Church of Christian Scientist they went to, when we left that church I thought this is the church for me. I sure liked it. When I was a girl we joined the Episcople Church that became too much like a Catholic Church we thought, then the Presbyterian Church, but liked the Christian Scientists Church because it was all from the bible, not some one else’s thoughts about the bible, I have studied Christian Science for over 50 years. And have had some wonderful healing with it.
Marilyn.
I believe Marilyn was born in November and I remember Will and I were at the Scottish Right Dance that night. He in a tux and me in a long dress. Will was called to the phone and was told Audrey had gone to the hospital, so we went right away to the hospital just as we were. She was a beautiful baby. Marilyn loves this story about her grandparents coming to her birth all dressed up.
Donna.
I can remember when Donna was born I was walking my Pomeranian and went by their apartment and Jon hollered out the window “You can’t bring that dog in the apartment.” So, I didn’t. They had a lovely apartment a block from me. He was working at the library then. I often think of Audrey as a young girl. I was so busy in the shop trying to make a living, her father only gave me $50.00 toward her up keep, that was a month, while he was in Portland, and when he left town, I had to keep lawyers after him and finally received nothing, cause I didn’t know where he was.
Jon.
Well back to the Royal house again. I can remember when Jon was born, Audrey and Jon were in their first house in Oswego. And, I was out there straightening up the house before Audrey came home from the hospital, when the door bell rang, and here was Fray and his wife, guess they had heard about the baby, I don’t know, well they came in and we had a long talk, first and last time I have seen him since my divorce. Although when he came to Portland some times he would call by phone.
Fire.
In November 1946, I was preparing for a Thanksgiving dinner, had my turkey all stuffed, made some pumpkin pies, Audrey and family were coming to dinner. I was tired and I went to bed early. The furnace wasn’t working right, and Will came up and told me he was going to try to fix it. It was an old furnace. I said oh leave it alone, but he didn’t. the basement caught fire and he hollered to me to run up to the Brownsfields and phone the fire department. I only had my nighty on didn’t get a robe on or anything, and went up to the Brownsfields, no slippers, my teeth were in the drawer. It sure was some fire, people say they cant drive up the hill, it’s too narrow, I tell them the fire engines are up here. Audrey and Jon came over and got me and took me to their house. All my clothes burnt. Well no Thanksgiving dinner, the turkey was burnt on the counter, etc. The library was the only room in the house that wasn’t burned, we lived in there for a while why the house was being repaired. With Jon’s help talking to Will, I loved down to the Sovereign Hotel, which had a little kitchen and bedroom. Stayed there for several months, while they worked on the house. I used to go from there to Will’s office and help out a little. Answered the phones, etc. while he was helping with the repair of the house. After getting the house repaired Will decided he wanted to travel, he lined up trips with the travel bureau. We travelled by freighter, only 12 passengers allowed on a ship, wonderful way to travel then, in those days a ship would stay in a port 3 to 5 days, and you could see the country and come back to the ship to eat if you wanted or sleep. I have written about our first trip in 1959 and one in 1960.
Countries we have been in: England, Scotland, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Curiso, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Japan, Korea, Formosa, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Jarakata, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Chili, Argentina, Brazil, and through the straights of Magelang. You can read all about it in the typed record that Grandma Royal created straight from the diaries she kept on all of her trips in the book Grandma Bake made for our family. Eventually, I will add some of the highlights of her trips on to this Blog.
BAKE MENAGERIE 