Lula Mae Talbot

   Cause of her death was Starvation diet.

  General Notes:

From DeWayne B. Johnson's book "I Have Met a Lot of Generals," 2007:

"I remember her heating gladirons in the oven and ironing clothing and linens by the light of kerosene lanterns. That same oven turned out freshly baked bread unlike any found in the markets of today...

"My mother played the piano for pleasure--hers and the family's. I can also hear the tinkling notes of 'Angel Voices Ever Near'--and weep at the memory.

"She died in 1942 at age 49 in Long Beach, Calif. She should be remembered for many things (pecan pies!), but a couple of memories stand out.

"There were the Saturday night family baths in that big galvanized tub in the kitchen, filled with hot water from the top of the wood stove. My turn came late and the water was fairly well saturated with [grime] of the weeke when my turn arrived. I never saw my parents as they bathed spared major destruction."

Son DeWayne B. Johnson wrote of his mother, Lula Mae, on 8/17/1986:

"The 12 years of widowhood -- it seems a short time now but a long time then in the context of a boy growing through the teens -- for my mother were mostly years spent scraping to stay alive, taking in boarders, working on my uncle's [George M. Talbot's] dairy ranch, slaving at Jergen's soap factory. She even worked for a time as cook and housekeeper for the movie stars Frances Dee and Joel McCrea.

"Very soon after Alex's death the 37-year-old widow, three children, cousin Owen Mulholland made their way across country in the Model A Ford open touring car to California, Burbank. We came at the invitation of Uncle George M. Talbot, owner of the Talbot Dairy.

"Of that trip, the rust-orange dust accumulated while crossing Arizona evokes the strongest memory. There were flat tires, how many I have no way of recalling...

"Lula and Aunt Fannie Talbot belonged to the Bon Ami social club, primarily devoted to bridge. (The tagalong youngsters popped popcorn and played street games: tag, run sheep run, hide and seek, totally inocuous by today's standards.) Most of the Bon Ami members were married couples. It was that group that constituted the bulk of Lula's contacts, leading to the job at Jergens soap and to acquaintanceship with widower Frank Joanis, a Burbank grocer.

"Their dating continued for several years until Joanis quite suddenly married another woman whom he had recently met.

"The move to Long Beach was occasioned by supposed house maid opportunities that never materialized...

"My mother died at 49, the victim of a fad starvation diet that was supposed to reduce the size of a goiter, more imaginary than real (Real enough but of no consequence.)

"She was a loving mother, ill-equipped to help a young man, Clifford, and a growing boy, DeWayne, to understand the changes in their male bodies...

"To put things a bit into historical perspective, World War II was well along when Lula died. The Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor had occurred six months previous, Dec. 7, 1941. Lorna and I were married on Aug. 22, 1942, soon after her death in June."

  Noted events in her life were:

• Moved: Moved to Newman Grove, Nebraska, Abt 1912, Newman Grove, Madison, Nebraska, United States. The first home of Alex and Lula Mae was "recently vacated by Conrad Erickson" according to a clipping from the [Newman Grove?] newspaper at the time.

• Moved: Moved to Long Beach, California, 1941, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States.

• Moved: Moved to Burbank, California from Nebraska, After 3 Jun 1930, Burbank, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Lula married Alexander L Johnson, son of John Jacob Johnson and Marie (Mary) B. Jensen, on 12 Feb 1912 in Grand Island, Hall, Nebraska, United States. (Alexander L Johnson was born on 28 Sep 1885 in Seward Co., Nebraska, United States, died on 30 May 1930 in North Platte, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States and was buried on 3 Jun 1930 in Newman Grove, Madison, Nebraska, United States.) The cause of his death was Heart attack resulting from ptomaine poisoning.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Alt. Marriage, 14 Feb 1911.