Lillian CORMIER BARR Lillian was born Mary Lillian Cormier, 9 Aug 1907 Gueydon, Louisiana to Rene Cormier and Louisa Lavergne.
She was raised on a farm in Louisiana, when small she almost went blind, her brothers would have to lead her home from school, she could see in the morning, but by afternoon it was black to her, she couldn't see, then they took her into town to the doctor and they gave her glasses and the doctor said she would have gone blind without them. When she was graduating form grade school, she received a blank diploma and every one laughed at her so when she went back to school she asked why she got a blank and they told her that the diplomas were not ready in time. That is why they got the blank ones., later getting the printed ones. she said she didn't know what good the diploma did her except to give her confidence in the world and to go on and fight for her own battles, etc.
Lillian later went to Michigan where she met and married Ray Richard BARR 18 Apr 1928 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Detroit, Michigan. Ray is the s/o William BARR and Sarah Annis RHODES, born 7 Mar 1891 Van Wert Ohio and died 15 Nov 1989 in Knoxville, Iowa. They lost their first child, when the second one (Dick) was born they lived on Medbury, Detroit (1930) some time after Dick was 6 months they bought a house on Omira St. Detroit, Michigan where they had five more children, one being still born, the other four (Jack, Joanne, Joe, Bob) were raised in the house on Omira. Lillian and Ray separated and then divorced in 1952. She continued to live in the same place till the children were all grown.
In 1974 Lillian sold the house and moved in with her son Joe and family in Westland, Michigan till she found an apartment at Westgate Towers, Westland, she lived there till she was unable to stay by herself, she then (1995) went to Hope Healthcare center until she could get into the Saint Jude Convalescent Center in Livonia, Michigan. She stayed at St Jude till 1998 when her daughter moved her to Fraser Villa, Fraser where she died at the age of 91 on 2 Apr 1999. She is now resting at Cadilla Memorial, Gardens West, Westland, Michigan.
During her years in Westland she did a lot of grandparent volunteering at the local school. she enjoyed that very much. She had 18 grand children and 33 Great grand children.
Lillian's own life story:
"I was born in or near Gueydon Louisian, my birth was never kept on record, Louisiana started to keep records of birth in 1908 and only a few were kep at that time. Midwives did not turn in birts even in the 1920"s.
My retirement used my baptism certificate for Social Security. They checked to make sure the state did not keep records in 1907-born 9 Aud 1907. My graduation in 1927 was from a small town in Louisiana called Leauraville, but the records were all lost due to the biggest flood Louisiana had at that time, we evacuated a few days later after our graduation, in fact, just two days later.
This town had never been flooded before, the Mississippi river near us had to be broken to save New Orleans from being flooded. After that a dam was built to ever have a flood like the 1927 one, and I was there to see it all. It was horrible. I came to Detroit a few months later.
My wedding certificate I had given to Joanne, but I have it now, as I had to get it when I filed for some of Ray's Social Security after his death as a divorce widows share. I want Joanne to take it back. It is soold I hate to touch it as it is falling apart. I was married in Detroit in Holy Redeemer church on 14 April 1928.