My father’s family were sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to colonize in the state of Arizona and settled first near Lehi, a Mesa suburb. Later they settled permanently in St. David, southeast of Tucson, where my father was born on 8 May 1888. He was the youngest son of Joseph and Mariah Taylor McRae. His mother passed away when he was thirteen years old and he was raised by his sisters, Annie Goodman and Mamie McGuire. According to family stories, he was spoiled by these sisters and was never really able to take responsibility for supporting his family.
My grandmother, Harriet Thurston Williams, left Utah with her parents when she was six years old, to come to Arizona. Her family was also sent by the church to colonize in Arizona. They settled near what is now Pima. They had been in Arizona for about eight years when her father, Peter Franklin Thurston, was killed by some of Geronimo’s band. This left a large family in a destitute situation as their mother was not well. My grandmother was the oldest child and had to help earn a living for the family. She was about thirteen years old and did washing for others and pitched hay to keep the family together. She said her feet were in bad shape most of her life because she went barefoot or wore shoes which did not fit.
My mother, Hattie Josephine Williams was the oldest child in her family, the daughter of George W. and Harriet Thurston Williams. She was born in Pima on 22 January 1891. As my mother died when I was four years old, most of my knowledge of her came from my grandmother, with whom I lived after my mother’s death. She was a very intelligent, talented woman and attended the L.D.S. Academy in Thatcher after elementary school. She and my father, Milton McRae, were married on 25 September 1912 in Thatcher. I would like to mention that my mother was engaged to be married while she was fairly young, and was jilted by the man she loved very much. Evidently she was haunted all of her life by this.
My mother passed away on 4 June 1924 at the age of 32. She only lived a few days after the birth of my brother, Lamar, her fourth child. She had a daughter, Eleanor Margaret, who died before I was born and I have a sister, Melba Corrine, who is two years younger than I am. My father lived alone for many years after her death and finally married Roxie Judd on 4 December 1945 in Mesa. His health was never very good after his marriage and he died on 20 February 1951 in Mesa and was buried in Thatcher beside my mother.
Dorothy Evelyn McRae was born 19 January 1920 in Mesa. I was my mother and father’s second child. My sister, Melba Corrine was born on 23 August 1922 and my brother, Milton Lamar was born 31 May 1924 in Thatcher.
I know little about my younger years, except that when my sister was small we lived in Superior. I have a memory of being on the front step of the house where my mother was stringing green beans and I was punished for something I did. At least I remember being with her. Because of her poor health, I lived for a time with Aunt Mamie McGuire in Pomerene. I do recall my father coming to tell me that my mother had died. It did not impress me as I had not seen her for some time.
Aunt Mamie and Uncle John McGuire were very good to my sister and me but they could not care for both of us, so I went to live with my grandmother, Harriet Williams, in Thatcher. This was a most fortunate thing for me as she showed me much love and raised me to be a responsible person. There was a lot of happiness in her home and she still had two boys who were not yet married. My grandfather had died on 3 April 1913 in St. Johns. We had a difficult time financially but I was not aware of this as a young child.
link: Life Story of Dorothy Evelyn McRae Keller, second installment
