American Association for Women in Community Colleges

Salute to Strong Women
Liz Akers

A strong woman in my life would have to be my mother, Marjorie Lois Crabtree. She currently resides in my childhood home near the Mississippi River in Quincy, Il. Because my dad was a railroad man his job took him away from the family during the week. This put major a responsibility on my mom for getting eight children ready for school every day. She always prepared our breakfast and evening meals, took care of the little ones who didn’t attend school, fed, changed and washed cloth diapers, and cleaned house. While taking care of her own children she babysat other neighborhood children. I remember how cold it was when she cleaned house because she would open all the windows, even in the winter, to allow the fresh air flow through the house. She would say that opening the windows made the house feel fresher, but to me it also made the house feel warmer. Another memory was the Sunday afternoon meals she prepared after we came home from church. It never seemed to take her very long but our meals were always delicious and hot.

As we were growing up my mom was a Sunday school teacher and in the early 60’s she became a Cub Scout leader for several years. She also went into the education system as a head start teacher’s aide. She was responsible for all the craft work for the Cub Scouts and as a teacher’s aide.

Because my mom had the responsibility for taking care of us, my dad, on his weekend’s home, would bring my mom gifts from wherever the railroad would send him. One of the gifts he bought her was a diamond and ruby watch from Chicago. She never was able wear the watch because it would always lose time.

My mom being in her mid 70’s and with her health deteriorating is still a strong woman. Like the energizer bunny she keeps going and going to help others. A few years back she passed the watch over to me. When I look at the watch I think of all the hard work she put into raising the eight of us and the others she has helped through the years. No, I do not wear the watch either but that’s because of the sentimental value it has.