March 11, 1905 to July 16, 1983
about 1936
about 1938
MARY ELIZABETH NEELY TODD PEPPER
My Mother is Mary Elizabeth Neely Todd Pepper – “Betty to her friends” born 11 April 1905 in Brownsville, TX where her Father Alonzo Solon Neely was doing his medical residency and her Mother was Elizabeth Gilmore Neely. She died in Urbana, OH on 16 July 1983 as a result of a heart attack. She was survived by Ray Emerson Pepper her second husband and my loving stepfather (born 19 June 1915 in Cleveland, OH and died 20 September 1996 in Urbana, OH). My Mother had only one child – me. My Father’s name was Joseph Robertson Todd (8/4/1905 to 9/25/1964).
My Mother spent her early years living in New Albany, IN where her Father had a downtown storefront medical office. In addition he was the OH (KY) River bridge doctor until one day he had to scoot himself sitting down on a single steel girder out into the middle of the River and retrieve a worker with a broken leg pulling him all the way back at which time he set the man’s leg and quit the position. My Mother had one brother, John Irving Neely (2/14/1914 to 9/1983). At some point the Neely family moved to Indianapolis, IN
My Mother contracted Rheumatic fever sometime in Indianapolis high school. She went to recuperate down to Louisville, KY to live with her one of her Mother’s sisters Francis Gilmore who was a wealthy man’s nurse in his old age. They spent part of their time in KY and in FL including traveling to Cuba. My understanding is that she never spent much sustained time with her parents after that. She liked the wealthy lifestyle and that created conflicts with her father – a doctor who didn’t even send bills for his services. She attended Randolph Macon College (a girls’ college at the time) in VA for one year and then transferred to Indiana University where she met and married my Father and graduated in 1928 with a B.A. degree with a major in French. After college gradutation, my Father went to work as an account executive for Indianapolis Service Engraving Co. – a print advertising firm.
From 1928 until the summer of 1940, my Mother and Father lived at 912 Bolton Ave. in a house they built in Irvington (Indianapolis) IN. We then moved to 618 St. Clair Ave., Grosse Pointe, MI.
While living on Bolton she was very active in the League of Women Voters and was considering a run for the IN state legislature, but moved to Grosse Pointe. While in Grosse Point she continued her activity in the League of Women Voters. When WW 2 got underway in Dec of 1941 she became the Air Raid Warden for our block and later became the Chairwomen for the Greater Detroit War Bond effort. She also participated in a number of other war related community activities.
In the Summer of 1945 my Mother got divorced and moved to Indianapolis, IN – the same city that her parents (Alonzo Solon and Elizabeth Gilmore Neely – “Mamaw and Trapper” to me) lived. Even though she had a college degree, it was not in teaching or nursing about the only jobs that paid a decent salary that would employ women. So her first job that summer was working for a detective agency that was hired to check up on movie house employees to see if they were stealing money. Her assignment was to buy a ticket and then note whether they tore it in two when she entered or kept it whole presumably to resell it and pocket the money. By fall she became a receptionist for Arthur Murray Dance Studio. She lived in a room on Capital Ave. I spent some time in Indianapolis that summer and most of it in Bloomington, IN with my grandparents. I thought I was going to live with my Grandparents Joseph Clinton and Emily Robertson Todd (Far and Lala) and was enrolled in Indiana University Elementary School. But, at the last minute three days before the start of school that didn’t work out and I was deposited in Howe Military School for two years. I didn’t find out until I was in my fifties that it was because my Mother would not turn over legal custody to Far and Lala (who were paying all the bills and would have been responsible for me). Mamaw and Trapper could not take me because they were going to have to be responsible for Jack Neely’s son, Jackie Neely, who was four years younger than I and was difficult to handle.
From receptionist at Arthur Murray’s my Mother quickly advanced to dance instructor and moved to Dayton, OH. I spent part of a summer the next year in Dayton and lived in a room at the Drurrips’ home. I had a job for about 3 weeks as a golf course caddy. I got fired when I refused to pick a ball out of a practice hole that the fellow was standing right over. I said, “ you pick it up since you’re standing right over it !”
My Mother then went on to become Assistant Manager and then Manager of Arthur Murray’s Ft. Wayne, IN. I spent part of that summer living with my Mother in a room at the Charlestons’ house and between my other grandparents before going back to Howe Military School.
A couple of years later my Mother started at Wolfe and Desaurs Department Store in Ft. Wayne, IN as an interior decorator – this became her career.
While during the three years my Mother and I were in Ft. Wayne, IN she was always working as I was also while going to high school - we were not close – we rarely ever had any meals together or had any activities together – I can recall only once going to Church together - - - she never the less was very supportive of me during some critical times. As an example, this was in the Joseph McCarthy era and the beginning of the “Cold War” – McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin became famous for a short period of time finding a “Communist” around every corner until he was exposed as a fraud. Not that there were not a number of communists and a few Communists, but McCarty was very free with the accusation. He even called George C. Marshall a Communist. Marshall was Army Chief of Staff during WW2, then Secretary of State and later Secretary of Defense during the Korean war. He authored the Marshall Relief Plan to bind war torn Europe together to withstand the Soviet Union. A high school friend of mine’s father called the FBI and said I was a Communist. The FBI contacted the school, my Mother, a Unitarian minister who was afraid to talk to me after that, and a car dealer I had talked to – the school would not let me join the Ft. Wayne North side High School History Club that I had pushed the school to start – I had wanted it to be called the “World History Club” – they did let me join the “Camera Club”. My Mother stood by me and supported me. She provided support when it counted. Later in life, I could never have been cleared by the FBI to work in the U.S. Naval Security Group with a relationship to the National Security Agency if I had been a Communist or associated with questionable activities.
When she married Ray Pepper and moved to Urbana, OH she went to work for the Rock Shop in Urbana as an interior decorator. Her career there was very exceptional. Two of her clients were a husband/wife team of scientists working for Nestles who were developing a decaffeinated coffee as well as Bill Saxbe who was the OH attorney general and AG under Richard Nixon and then Senator. Clients often flew her on their private plane to the Chicago and S. Carolina markets. She continued at the Rock Shop in Urbana, OH until she retired (not sure what year).
My Mother liked to be part of elite, throwback to the Louisville years and lifestyle – but she couldn’t break into the elite of Urbana; she was the wife of teacher – and considered an outsider in small town society. She tried the Urbana League of Women Voters but never really fit in and soon lost interest. Later in life Ray and Maude became quite active in Urbana Theater activities.
My Mother liked to have things with a flair – for guests she always had Anna Kelly the person who cleaned the house do the serving, rang a bell for service, and used very good dinner ware. Early in life she had rich auburn hair and later in life had orange/red dyed hair – she had fancy jewelry – fancy dresses. Ray Pepper always supported her, but was himself a very plain down to earth person. They learned how to accommodate each other.
I loved my Mom but I never really knew her the way I knew and loved Mamaw (Elizabeth Gilmore Neely and Dr. Alonzo Solon "Trapper" Neely). I was Mamaw’s sunshine and she was mine.
