An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood

Carter’s mother was born in 1898, four years after his father, and she “grew in spirit and influence all her life” (109). She was slender, with dark hair and sparkling eyes. She seemed like a different person to her son when dressed in her white nurse’s dress and cap.

At home, Lillian was the disciplinarian, but she also protected them from more severe punishment from Earl. If one of the children broke a rule, she would quickly tell Earl that they had already been punished.

Lillian decided what the girls were allowed to do, what the family would eat, and who would pay certain bills. She worked either in the operating room of the local hospital, Wise Sanitarium, or on private duty with patients, earning $4-$6 per day. When she was working, she left a note for the children about when she would be back and what their chores would be. Carter enjoyed visiting Lillian at lunchtime and meeting the nurses and doctors at the hospital.

At home, Lillian had help with cleaning and laundry but was up early to fix breakfast and to get the children dressed and on the way to school. She owned the farm’s pecan trees and supervised their harvest.