Francis M. Castillo

[Old Hippie]

From the old web site

Frances M Castillo

By Carmen Schultz

 

My mother Frances Mary Lyon, was born May 14, 1908 to Josephine Agnes Krajenke and Guy Andrew Lyon in Detroit, Michigan. Mom had an older brother Frank Howard Lyon who was her senior by 4 years.

Her High school years went well and she majored in business administration. She was a very fast typist and her short hand was very good. In fact, most her personal notes were taken in short hand. When she died, Bud and I had a whole file drawer full of information that we had to decipher as it was in shorthand. She often mentioned that during one of her summer vacations, she hired in at Nabisco as a secretary. She worked there quite a while when her boss came in and asked her age. She was only sixteen and he couldn’t believe it as he said that he thought she was a full time secretary. When she left that job, her boss asked that as soon as she finished school that she’d come see him as she always had a job there. That pleased her so very much. She was also very good in sports and won a trophy in swimming and diving for her high school during her senior year. She graduated early and went right to work.

While at a dance with friends she met her first husband Noel Mitchell Francis Sr. who was a drummer for the band playing. Noel was born on the Passamaquoddy (Indian word meaning People of the Dawn) Indian Reservation near E. Port Maine in 1890. He died 3-25-65 and is now buried at St. Ann Mission Indian Cemetery. They had one son, my older brother Noel M. Francis Jr., who was born in Detroit, Mi on July 2, 1927. After some rocky times, Noel and My mother decided to divorce. Mom and Noel Jr. then went to live with my Grandmother and Grandfather Lyon. While mom and Grandpa worked, Grandma cared for Noel and his older cousin Howard. These two were raised as brothers.

When my brother Noel was about 5 or 6, my mother met Ralph Maria Castillo and they were soon married. Ralph was born March 8, 1901 in Caracas, Venezuela, South America. Both families were staunch Catholic, so there was a problem with mom and dad who were both divorced to remarry. Dad’s brother was the parish priest and his mother (who spoke only Spanish) cared for the parish house so you see what I mean.

I (Carmen Louisa Castillo) was their first and only girl — born in Detroit, Michigan on April 22, 1935. I was spoiled from the day I was born. I was named for a favorite cousin of my fathers who had died at an early age while having her first child. She too had blonde hair and brown eyes and a birthmark on her chin where I have mine, and as the years went by, I heard many stories of her from both my mother and my father. I believe they both wanted to keep her memory alive through me. My brother Bud came 22 months after me and from that day on I had no peace. He was very much the average brother and I didn’t help much by always wanting to follow wherever he went. I was quite a tomboy and the things he did were a lot more fun than the things I was suppose to do.

Mother and Dad lived many happy days together both in Fenton, Michigan and Brownsville, Texas both helping one another and loving one another in their companionship. My mother was wonderful at making you feel very special and very important. She was outgoing and made friends easily. She was willing to change her ways a bit to honor my father. My father on the other hand wasn’t interested in having friends nor for that matter anyone around him except his family. He was very jealous of my mother and quite insecure. His English was broken and they lived during the war, which meant if you spoke broken English you might a spy. My mom took dads feelings into consideration though and at every chance would encourage him and boaster his moral. She was always pulling someone in to show what Dad had accomplished usually in front of him. Mom was intelligent, and encouraged all of us to do the very best we could possibly do. In our household, the dictionary was always out and it was a daily occurrence for someone to go to it. You automatically knew not to ask her how to spell something, as she’d send you to the dictionary and quiz you on what the word meant. Mother was so very much fun to be around and brought excitement to our lives. She played the guitar and ukulele and there was always sing-a-longs in our home. All my friends loved her as though she were their own. In fact I would hear often how lucky I was and how they wish she was their mother. I knew they were right, I was very blessed and I wouldn’t have changed my mother nor my childhood for anything in the world.

I remember as mom and dad grew older, dad told me that he prayed that he would be taken first as he had no idea how he could possibly live without mom. My dad got his wish, dying of cancer 5 years before my mother on Sept. 30, 1973.

My mother lived long enough to help me get started in a new home right next to the family homestead. She helped me with my children, while I started a new job and encouraged me at every move. My kids, who had lived miles away from the grandparents most of their lives, received the wonderful chance of knowing their grandmother as the loving person she was. She gave me some of the property to build on next to their home and was a very instrumental in helping me with the many difficult decisions about how the house should be built.

Mom died after a bout with cancer and some time in the hospital. She came home and instead of going to the homestead, she lived with us in the new house next door. She could still look out the window and see all the same things she was used too seeing and wave at all the neighbors, yet she had us to help her. Bud and I were both able to be with mom quite a bit during her last days and Noel and Willie made several trips down to see mom before she died. I believe that she was very happy to be with her family and later to go to find dad. She died Dec. 16, 1978. They, Ralph and Frances Castillo are buried in Fenton, Michigan next to mom’s parents, Guy and Josephine Lyon. My brother Noel and his precious wife Willie and their children are all up in Fenton now, where I know they care for the families resting place.

This doesn’t begin to tell what a wonderful person my mother was and how she helped her children in so many ways. Thank You Mom!

 

[Old Hippie]

Frances M Castillo
May 14, 1908 to Dec. 16, 1978

By Ralph G Castillo

Mom was born in that time the world was just starting to recognize females were also free thinkers. She was among the first to express her freedom with the FLAPPER era when she got dressed for school as soon as she left the house her shoes got undone so the sides would flap as they walked.

Mom would do things that other girls would cringe at, she could play a Ukulele and while at Runyon Lake she would catch small rattle snakes, place them inside the Ukulele and when she strummed a tune, the snake would poke its head up and stick out its tongue in tune with moms strumming. Some songs Mom played and sang to us were: “It Ain't A-Goin-A-Rain No More”, “Down By The Old Mill Stream”, “KaKaKa Katey”, and many more that I've forgotten.

As a girl, some of moms parties would involve telling ghost stories and with everything pitched black she would pass around the dead persons body parts items like peeled grapes for the eyes, cooked spaghetti for the intestines, Jell-O for the brains and the list went on and on.

The girls would go canoeing in front of the Runyan lake cottages, making sure that no-one on land had on bathing suits, the girls would yell and scream as though they were having problems, loose the paddles and than tip the canoe over, swim under the canoe into the air pocket it made and waited until the men on shore wearing clothes would jump in to save the poor drowning girls, they would pop up before the men got too close to them, upright the canoe and paddle off leaving the Hero's wet. (This was always done on the other side of the lake where they were not known) and kiddo's this not recommended in today's society Because You Could Get In Serious Trouble.

Mom told us about going to speak-easies but didn't add much detail to those encounters.

Mom worked at Nabisco Biscuit Co. as a secretary and somehow would meet some of the famous silent screen actors (This story is fuzzy).

Mom's Mother, Grandma Lyons, a Catholic, had a Catholic Priest by the name of Father Louis Castillo over and during the conversation it was decided the mom & dad (Fr. Louis' Brother) might make a good match. They were introduced to each other and had two beautiful, smart children Carmen & Bud” Ralph Guy Andrew Castillo”. “And Now You Know” how they met, Carmen and I thank God for that meeting.

Mom was a story teller for the word go, she told us stories of her past, her only brother Frank, scary ghost stories, you name it she could tell it. Whenever we traveled she told us stories” remember guys this was before car radios with any hearing distance. She would make up games to make the time and miles go by faster. Of coarse we had the old Burma Shave Signs. For you youngsters, Burma Shave Signs were small red signs that were spread several miles along the highways, each sign had a word or two and you would have to read all of the signs, to get the meaning from all the signs.

In 1938, Mom and Dad traveled to Brownsville Texas with the hopes of going into Mexico to open up a tourist courts with cabins. At the border they would not let Dad get a visa since he was still a Venezuelan.  That is when they met the Thomlinson family we rented from them for several years while in Brownsville. Mom and Dad opened a produce store on a corner of Elizabeth Street across from Sacred Heart Catholic Church where Dads brother Father Louis was the pastor. We lived in Brownsville for a couple years and returned to Fenton, Michigan after a freeze cost us to loose the produce store.

In Michigan, from 1940 to 1948, Mom stayed at home taking care of “two loving children”. Dad wanted to learn radio repair so Mom would read the lessons to him. (Remember Dad wasn’t fluent in the English language) Dad got his degree and worked on radios in his spare time while in Fenton. In 1947, Dad had an operation, the Doctor suggested he take a vacation -- Brownsville here we come! It was this trip that Mom and Dad found and purchased the 2-1/2 acres on Lazy Acres Drive.

October 31, 1948 we packed up and moved to Brownsville. Mom drove a white Chevy Coup with Little Grandma Castillo, Big Grandma Lyon & Carmen with fruit jars in hand (dad would not make potty stop for 4 females) followed by a stake-bed truck with Dad driving, Father Louis shotgun, and me in the middle” Boy, what a trip!  It seemed like years before we got to Brownsville”

Shortly after we arrived in Brownsville, Mom went to work for Model Laundry on Elizabeth street just blocks from the school Carmen & I attended. It was fun having her that close as we could walk to where she worked and eat lunch together. Mom was a great swimmer and a good diver she loved to do a jack-knife off the springboard at Dixon's Motel where we would go when it got Brownsville hot.

When Dad wanted to learn watch repair, it was Mom to the rescue again. I think Mom could repair radio's & watches as good as Dad, she just didn't have the practice at it.

Mom and Dad would do everything together but they always considered each other’s feeling before doing anything. They purchase the same vehicles like “Little Blue Station Wagons”. They smoked Kool Cigarettes and when either of them lit a cigarette, they would light two -- one cigarette for the other. When they quit smoking they had to do it together.

Mom was the main person for keeping this family in contact with each other. When she wrote a letter she would use carbon paper to make several copies of the same letter and always began it with a generic start like “Well Sweetie Pies” or “Well Kiddo's”. Thank God for computers now we don't have to handle with that messy carbon paper. She sure would have loved using the Internet Email system she could copy the whole family at the same time and not have to get her fingers black with carbon paper again.

After Dad died in Sept. 30 1973, Mom went to work for the F.A.A. (Federal Aviation Administration) at the Brownsville International Airport. She was the Chief’s secretary until she died Dec. 16, 1978. When she worked there she would fly around the country visiting Uncle Frank, Noel while on vacation.

And I'll bet Mom & Dad have matching clouds to float around on when they take their trips now.

[Old Hippie]

Frances Castillo

By Pamella

These are journal entries that Pamella did for an English Literature class in October 1997.


When I was about to enter into the fifth grade of school, I decided to move sixty miles from home and live with my grandma Castillo for the school year. My grandmother and I were extremely close. I guess you could say that I was her favorite grandchild. That year was one of the best years of my childhood! Most of my better qualities are ones that I inherited from my Grandma Castillo. She was a perfectionist, therefore, I am one as well. She was definitely one for “proper etiquette.” I find this also being one of my traits. My grandmother cherished many things, i.e. letters, drawings, notes from loved ones. I do the same. Growing up as a child of numerous divorces, my grandmother was my solid foundation. I could always count on her for anything. My eyes are becoming teary just thinking about her. She taught me so much. She used to work for the F.A.A. and I was a hit with all the kids when I arranged my class field trip to the control tower at the airport. She would boast each time that she would introduce me to people. This helped me establish a sense of self-esteem and pride. For my birthday that year, she really impressed my friends with the birthday party that she arranged. We all sat out on the porch (at night) and she told a scary story. As she told the story, she would use props to enhance the full effect. She talked about someone’s eyeballs popping out of their head and then passed around two skinned grapes for everyone to feel. When she mentioned brain matter, she passed around a bowl of cold, cooked spaghetti and everyone had to put their hands into it. It was very dark and not being able to see the props added realism to the whole story. We attended Catholic mass every morning at 7 a.m. prior to her dropping me off at school. Going to mass each morning really started my day off right. She volunteered at the church every other Saturday afternoon and I would accompany her. While Grandma typed letters and scheduled appointments for the priest, I would visit with the priest or do menial tasks—although she always made me feel as though I was a great help to her. Each day after school, we would stop by the 7-Eleven and she would let me get a Coke slurpee. The 7-Eleven employee got into the habit of preparing my slurpee each day just before I arrived. My grandma allowed me to drive (for the first time) when I was living with her. I must have been about ten years old and she would stack phone books and a pillow on the driver’s seat and allow me to drive up the dirt road, which was rather secluded—I was thankful for that. I remember barely being able to see over the dashboard. Boy, did I think I was hot stuff! I loved to sit in the kitchen and watch her cook or bake. She was a fantastic cook! Although our maid cooked most meals and they were delicious, it could not compare to the meals my grandmother prepared. My favorites were chicken and dumplings, sauerkraut and dumplings, chipped beef on toast, sausage gravy on pancakes and salmon croquettes. She was the best as far as packing lunches too. I could swear my sandwiches must have tasted better than anyone else in my fifth grade class. I had the most flavorful sandwich, a piece of fruit, several Little Debbie Treats, potato chips and the best beverage you could think of. It’s odd how someone can look forward to lunch with such enthusiasm. My grandmother was the greatest and I was so blessed to have lived with her when I was in the fifth grade.

My Grandma Castillo was from Michigan and as a special treat, she took each of us grandkids on a trip to Michigan one year after the other. I was about ten years old when it became my turn to travel with my grandma. This was to be my first airplane flight. I was so excited! Prior to my trip, my grandma took me out shopping and bought me all new clothes for traveling. The night before we were scheduled to depart, she wrapped my hair in cloth strips—sort of the same concept as curlers. The next day my long hair was beautifully curled, thanks to grandma, and I wore my new pastel yellow dress with sheer long sleeves. I also wore matching knee high socks and white patent leather shoes. I had a matching white patent handbag to complete my ensemble. I was raring to go! My grandma made sure that I was allowed to tour the cockpit prior to departing. There were more buttons and knobs than I could ever have imagined. The stewardess (as they were called back then) pinned a pair of gold colored wings onto the lapel of my dress. The plane trip fascinated me. I remember viewing the cars from up high and thinking that they looked like race cars on a play racetrack set. As we flew over the city, everyone appeared to be smaller than my Skipper doll. During our 7-day trip, we went to Niagara Falls. I sure was fascinated with that outing. We wore raincoats and took a boat trip under the falls. We also got to climb the side of the falls with an escort and I remember being excited, yet scared at the same time. I picked up several souvenirs and a booklet on the many attempts to successfully walk across or go over the falls unharmed. People were trying everything from walking a tightrope to placing themselves into a metal barrel and actually going over the falls. Many people died attempting to do this. I couldn’t believe the risks people had taken in order to gain fame. We also traveled across the border into Canada. Although we were only in Canada for an hour or so, I thought this to be a minor detail that could be avoided when repeating my Canadian adventure. We also visited the graves of my great grandparents, located in Fenton, Michigan. The headstones were made of granite and marble and I remember how absolutely beautiful they were. Back at my cousin’s home, my godmother, Lynn Rashleigh (Frances), placed her wedding gown and veil on me so that she could get a picture of me in her wedding garb. I still have that photograph. I was sad to leave my cousins and travel back home, but I was so thankful to my grandmother for taking me. My first major trip proved to be a very memorable one!

Amber loves for me to tell her stories. Whenever she is visiting us for the weekend or the summer, she constantly wants me to tell her stories about my life. Although she’s heard most of my stories, she doesn’t mind listening to some of them again. She loves the story about my grandmother smacking my cousin Dee, right in the face. You see, my grandmother Castillo (my Grandfather was from Venezuela), always had a budget. She would stock her “powder room” with items as they went on sale. I remember the shelves always being fully stocked with anywhere from twenty bottles of shampoo, ten packs of tissue paper, eight cans of Comet cleanser, to fourteen rolls of Bounty paper towels and the list goes on and on. On Saturdays, my grandmother would go through all the circulars and write her shopping list according to which items were on sale at which supermarket. She would spend an entire morning driving clear across town to save ten cents on a head of lettuce. A lot of older people did this in those days. Boy, do I sound like I’m old or something? I mean, this was roughly twenty years ago. Dee was about twelve and I was thirteen. We were all standing around the dinning room table at the time and grandma was preparing her shopping list. Dee asked if we could buy some type of “extras” that were mere luxuries, and not necessities. When my grandmother responded with, “No,” Dee rebutted with, “Well my grandma Choody would buy them because she’s not on a budget!” This was certainly not the thing to say to my Grandma Castillo. She took both her hands and smacked Dee right upside the head several times. It was the funniest thing we’d ever seen. It reminded me of the way the Three Stooges would smack each other. After we got over the initial shock of my grandmother smacking her, we nearly busted open with laughter. That was one of the very few times we ever saw my grandmother display any type of anger. I can still picture it just as vivid today, as twenty years ago. Amber absolutely loves this story! She never gets tired of hearing about her aunt Dee getting smacked upside the head by our grandmother.

[LaRee]

Grandma Castillo was the most interesting woman I have ever known. We drove across country a few times to see her as kids, and I remember being so excited to finally reach that long row of palm trees that lined Owens road just before Grandma & Grandpa's house. The excitement would build for all of us as we approached the house. There they would be sitting on the porch doing what they did best....enjoying each other's company. Most of my memories revolve around times spent on that porch. Grandma & Grandpa had their patio chairs facing out with a table in the middle. The rest of us would sit on benches around the perimeter. We would all anxiously wait for Grandma to finish her drink so we could take our turn making her another salty dog (child protective services would have a fit these days). Way back when Grandma & Grandpa both smoked. I remember that one of them would light 2 cigarettes, and we would take turns having the honor of delivering the lit cigarette to the other. Some nights Grandma would pull out her ukulele & belt out a few songs with us.... including the infamous "It Ainta Gonna Rain No More" Her laugh was completely contagious. She's been gone almost 30 years and I can still hear it.
Another memory I have about Grandma Castillo is that she & Grandpa would send us gifts every Christmas with a tape (reel to reel) As we prepared to open gifts dad would turn on the tape. It always began with a greeting from both. You could tell that grandma had prepared a cheat sheet with all of our names on it for grandpa as he said hello to each of us individually. Then Grandma would speak to us one on one & describe the wrapping on our gift. Dad would turn off the tape as we opened the present & would turn it back on once it was unwrapped. Grandma would then explain why she chose that particular gift & move on to the next grandkid. It was just like having them there with us Christmas morning. One of my favorite memories of Grandma Castillo is that she sent us a birthday card every year with a dollar in it. Her note always read "Have a short snort on me". I love that woman & can't wait to see her again in eternity. I hope she has her ukulele with her.

[lrashleigh]

A "salty dog without salt", donuts made with mashed potatoes, a ukulele and a song, Model Laundry, a beautiful rosary made by Grandpa, dangle earrings crafted by the same, a smile as wide as the Rio Grandee, a heart as big as the ocean, a love for family that surpassed all understanding....
How does one describe Frances Castillo?  She was pure joy on earth.  I loved her dearly, even though the miles separated us...She lived in Texas while I was in Michigan.
I remember when my Aunt Carmen was expecting her fourth child, and I was pretty upset with all of those brothers and "boy cousins" that kept crowding my life.  Grandma and I decided that we needed to be prayer partners to petition the Lord for a little "girl cousin".  We were both so delighted when LaRee was born...not that we didn't love the boys, too, but I was definitely outnumbered!  Lucky for the two of us that the girls didn't stop there, as Terry, Dianna, Shelly and Pamela joined "our side" later.  We never caught up to the boys, but I'm sure we outshone them in beauty
I'll always remember our visits to Texas.  What great fun we had "crabbing" in the gulf and pitching a tent on the beach, so Grandpa could stay out of the sun!  Those crazy shopping sprees at the Market Place in Mexico will always be tucked in my "memory box".  I loved to watch Grandma & Grandpa dance when we went over to the Mexican night spots...what fun!  One special visit was after my graduation from high school, when Grandpa & Grandma played host and hostess for an entire month to my friend Cathy and me.  It was fantastic!  On our way to Texas, Cathy and I flew "standby" while Grandma & Grandpa flew coach on the same flight.  Cathy & I were praying that we wouldn't get any seats on the same plane, so we could "spread our wings" and fly solo.  Little did we know that Grandma & Grandpa were praying that we wouldn't get "bumped" from their flight, and their prayers had a lot more weight than ours, as Cathy & I wound up in First Class sitting next to the Bishop of Corpus Christi...so much for living the "wild and crazy" life!
Another great memory was my wedding.  I remember writing to Grandma to ask what color dress she was going to wear to my wedding, as we wanted to order her flowers to match.  Her reply was, "I think I'd like a pink corsage, as I'm going to wear a white dress, and I don't want anyone mistaking me for the bride!  The last thing I want is a wad of rice thrown at me, thank you very much."  Grandma was always good for a laugh. 

Of all the memories I have of Grandma Castillo, my most precious will always be her great love of family.  Grandma loved people, and her own family topped the list.  When Grandpa Castillo was diagnosed with cancer, Grandma did everything she could to keep him comfortable at home.  With great love and admiration, my mother told me how she watched my grandmother carry my grandfather from the bedroom to a chair in the living room, so he could be with them when they visited...now that's love!  What a delightful woman she was, and I'm blessed to be able to call her Grandma Castillo!  I thank God for blessing me with such wonderful memories of her.