Austin Aloyisius Mabrey (October 19, 1889-?) married Marie K. Junk (December 1, 1897-June 29, 1981) of Indianapolis, Indiana on June 23, 1919. They had nine children, Paul, Alice, Edward, John, Tom, Jerome, Francis, Marianne and Maureen.
Austin traveled most of the Mid-West during his youth, selling books. He was a convert to Catholicism and studied to become a priest in the Redemptorist Order of the Roman Catholic Church but left before being ordained. He apprenticed to a lawyer in Seattle, Washington and became a lawyer. He worked to recover depositor money lost to failed banks during the depression and ended his career as a special investigator for the Internal Revenue Service.
Frank E. Mabrey - I have many memories of "grandpa." I had the pleasure of spending a number of summers plus other time with my grandparents. Grandpa could be gruff and short tempered with youngsters but was a truly warm individual. I recall getting caught getting into his car with a screwdriver in my pocket. I was roundly chastised for the possibility that the screwdriver would pierce the uphostery. I also recall "helping" him with his tractor. I did not understand how attachments disconnected from the Power Take Off, so started unbolting the PTO. He stopped me and sent me away then later was irritated because several of the bolts had been removed before he had noticed me.
He had quite a sweet tooth, which his wife, "grandma", indulged, much to the delight those around to help out with the consuming. I was an adult before I learned to eat rice any way but grandpa's way - in a bowl, covered with brown sugar and milk.
Grampa was mostly bald all the time I knew him. His baldness matched where his fedora fit his head and I always associated his baldness with his wearing of hats. He smoked cigars until giving them up at an advanced age. His brand was Dutch Masters Presidents. He wore a gold wristwatch with a rectangular face and a gold expansion wristband. His preferred reading was western novels mixed with more serious works, many on the subject of religion. He took pride in the beauty of the roses he grew.
Grandma seemed always to be wearing an apron and cooking, or perhaps that was when I paid the most attention to what she was up to. Pies were a special favorite although she seldom partook of the sweets she produced. I remember her particularly relishing the radishes and onions she picked from her garden, at taste I did not share as a child.
She had a preference for floral dresses. I am sure I never saw her wear anything but a dress. Pants were not for her generation of women.
Grandma was especially indulgent with her grandchildren. I always felt welcomed and loved. This despite grandma's expression to her children and grandchildren: "We're glad to see you come. We're glad to see you go."
Many of my cousins, being younger, did not know grandpa and grandma well. Perhaps they may have known them as very old, unwell people. I hope they will have a chance to see this web site. For them I will include some more information and stories.
I recall visiting my grandparents when they lived in a small apartment, probably in Rockford or near Chicago, Illinois. The only entertainment for children was a bag of green plastic army men in various fighting poses. I spend many hours amusing myself with these. I also recall traveling with grandpa to his office in downtown Chicago and spending the day there. I recall that he had a big automobile. I later learned that the IRS would seize the automobiles of gangsters and other tax evaders and the cars would be assigned to agents to use while "looking for evidence."
When they retired they spent most of the year at the farm between Highland and Dodgeville, Wisconsin. My parents had lived there when I was a young child. Grandma thought retirement meant sitting down in a chair and relaxing. She often expressed the desire to "get into a wheelchair and have somebody push her around." Grandpa had other ideas.
The government was offering incentives to reforest farmland. Grandpa bought a tractor (International Harverst Cub) with an attachment for digging and he and grandma planted thousands of trees on the 160 acres of farm. This tree planting took place in addition to activities like raising a "garden" of over half an acre, doing laundry by heating water then pouring it into large tubs, agitating with a stick, running it through wringers and several rinse tubs, then hauling the wet laundry out to hang on the clothes line. I also recall helping to strip layer after layer of wallpaper from the dining room using hand scrapers and machine that softened the wallpaper glue with steam.
The farm house did get indoor plumbing but the heat was still from wood burned in the basement. The basement furnace had one large vent for warm air that went into the living room. Other rooms got heat by having vents that opened to the living room. I remember evenings with grandma standing over the large living room heat vent, her long dress billowing with the heat from the basement and look of comfort and contentment as she finally got warm.
I spent summers with them. I recall about 1962 there was a huge craze for elephant jokes, many of which I still remember. I arrived at the farm with dozens of memorized elephant jokes, none of which my grandparents, or at least my grandfather found amusing. He professed to not understand them as humorous although I expect this was only to avoid hearing them over and over.
I recall once being with my grandfather at a carnival of some sort. One of the attractions was an elephant ride. I very much wanted to take an elephant ride but he said "no", I would not be able to get down from the elephant. I pointed out the many other people taking the elephant ride, getting both onto and down from the elephant. He was not swayed by my argument and I did not get to ride the elephant. His argument mystified me for perhaps thirty years until I realized that he had probably said: "You cannot get down from an elephant, you can only get down from a duck."
During their retirement years, they spent the winters in Texas, at or near facilities of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the religious order to which their oldest son, Paul had belonged. They were very close with a number of the Oblate priests, including many who had been Paul's students. I spent Christmas vacation with them in 1965, the year I was a student at St. Anthony's Junior Seminary in San Antonio. We decorated a piece of driftwood as a Christmas tree and stayed up late playing pinochle with my Aunt Maureen who was, I believe, stationed at a local military base.
I intend adding to this. If there are error, please let me know. -- Frank (little Frank, the name given me to avoid confusion with my uncle Frank)