Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Coral Gables Times
Thursday, December 20, 1962, page 19 (of 28)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
ASSISTED BY 'GORGEOUS GEORGE' 89-Year-Old Authoress Pens a Yarn
By JUNE GRAY Woman's Editor An 89-year-old Coral Gables authoress will soon have published "The Flame Vine," a 350-page romantic fiction of the story of Florida from 1910 to the present. Mrs. H. I. Marshall, called Effie by her friends, titled her book "The Flame Vine" because this vine covers everything it can grasp as it grows, just as the city of Miami is doing as it grows. Although the book, a result of three years of study, is centered in the Miami area, it deals generally with the entire state. "I did a lot of practical research by traveling all over the state so that I would know it well," Mrs. Marshall said. Her writing career began when she was 14 when she sold a story of a prank she had played on her brother to the Toledo (Ohio) Blade for a dollar. This settled her determination to be a writer. "Leaves on the Current," a book of blank verse poetry, was her first publication in 1946. Since that time, Mrs. Marshall has had seven prose works published. Among them is a series of novelizations of great women of the Bible. "Deborah, The Prophetess" is dedicated to the only other surviving member of her family, her sister, Mrs. Blanche Thomas, who has been visiting her for the past couple of months from Lincoln, Neb. Another novel, "Sunflower Gold," tells about her youth on the Kansas plains. She was born near Hiawatha, in the northeast corner of Kansas, March 1, 1873, and started teaching school there on her father's ranch in Gove County at the age of 16, continuing her own education during the summer and winter vacations. She taught school for five years, and in "Sunflower Gold" she tells about being caught with all her students in the schoolhouse in a Kansas blizzard. She had been living in one room of the schoolhouse and had to care for all the children until the blizzard was over. Mrs. Marshall was also her sister Blanche's first teacher. "She was very strict," Mrs. Thomas recalls. But Mrs. Marshall said her sister was a very good student. She never had to spank her, and when she was four years old, she wanted to go with Effie to spend two nights on the range in a sod house so that their father could file a homestead claim on the property. Their brothers had refused to go. When 24, Mrs. Marshall began a 10-year tour as itinerant lecturer which led her to every state in the Union and 12 European nations. She was also associated with Frances E. Willard and Susan B. Anthony in their campaign for home protection and woman's suffrage. Although Mrs. Marshall's eyesight and hearing are not as good as they once were, this petite woman leads a very active life. She is in demand to review her books as well as others, and to give lectures. She gave six book reviews last week including two in one day. She also teaches the Frances Asbury Sunday School class at Bryan Memorial Methodist Church. She and her first husband Edward Mark Lawrence of Lubec, Maine, built a home in Coconut Grove when they were married in 1912 so they could spend their winters here and summers in Maine. Twenty-five years ago, they built the 12-room French-city house where Mrs. Marshall still lives alone with her cat Georgeous George, whom she says is the boss, at 1026 Hardee Rd. After Mr. Lawrence's death in 1940, she married Dr. Henry I. Marshall, a world traveler, author, University of Miami professor, and retired Baptist missionary to Burma. He died in 1952. Mrs. Marshall's only daughter died soon after birth, but each marriage gave her five stepchildren. On Mrs. Marshall's typewriter now is another book, "Illuminated Men," the story of the influence of the Quaker Church in America. She does all her composing in long hand in her upstairs book-walled library and then types the manuscript. "I cannot type and think at the same time," Mrs. Marshall confesses. "When I type, the mechanics of it require my full attention." She is listed in Who's Who and the Miami Social Register, and is licensed to preach by the Free Baptist Church. She has made two trips around the world with her sister, in 1959 and 1961. Her Laramore-Rader Poetry group has designated the third Tuesday in December as Effie Lawrence Marshall Day, because Mrs. Marshall has been hostess for their Christmas party for so many years. This year's party was held at her home Tuesday. PAUSING FOR a moment's reflection, Mrs. Effie Lawrence Marshall glances up from her manuscript. The author of eight books, she does all her writing in longhand. With her is Georgous George, whom she found at her home when she returned from her first trip around the world in 59 (Times photo.)
PEOPLE
Carol Flowers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Flowers, 633 Camilo Ave., is home for the holidays from Brenau College, Gainesville, Ga., where she is a sophomore and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. The Flowers' will also be visited by Mrs. Flowers' cousin, Sam Alderman and his wife Betty of Atlanta. The Aldermans are spending the holidays with Sam's aunt, Mrs. Elinor Culbreth and his grandmother, Mrs. Emma Alderman, 1221 Wallace St. Sam is the son of the late Coral Gables dentist, Dr. S. G. Alderman. * * * Mr. and Mrs. Sam Anderson, 4855 University Dr., will have as houseguests for Christmas Mrs. Anderson's brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. William Jamison of Cape Coral. * * * Capt. Curtis W. Haley was graduated from the U.S. Air Force's Squadron Officer School at the Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala. Friday of last week. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis E. Haley, 3910 Harlano St., and a graduate of the University of Miami, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. * * * Ann Whitlock, 1301 Coral Way, a graduate student at the University of Illinois, directed "Mother, What Is Man?" and the "Last Word," given at the UI Theater last week. * * * Judi Anne Leeward is among 400 students at Christian College participating in a month-long celebration of "Christmas for the Young in Heart," before leaving Dec. 20 for her home, 2415 Granada Blvd., to spend the holidays with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Albert J. Leeward. * * * Santa Claus is coming to town tonight (Thursday) at seven o'clock on a firetruck with sirens screaming for a Christmas party being given at 45 Almeria Ave. for all the children of the members of the Ray Renuart Post and Auxiliary No. 5718 Veterans of Foreign Wars. A cover dish supper will precede the party at 6 p.m.
WATER HEATERS
Rheem Glass Lined, 10 Yr. Warranty 20 GAL. ELECTRIC $35.95 30 GAL. ELECTRIC $41.95 RAY BALL PLUMBING, INC. Complete Plumbing Service. All Union Plumbers 4251 S.W. 8th ST. HI 5-2461
Combs Funeral Home INC.
WALTER H. JACK J. PAUL H. Combs Funeral Home INC. Serving Faithfully since 1896 Northeast Chapel 1539 N.E. 2nd Ave. Coral Gables Chapel 1661 S.W. Douglas Rd. (37th Ave.) PHONE FR 3-2101 DADE COUNTY'S OLDEST FUNERAL SERVICE
BANK HOLIDAY NOTICE Christmas Day
Tuesday, December 25, 1962, being a Legal Holiday, the Banks comprising the membership of the Greater Miami Clearing Association will not be open for business on that date. All orders for Currency, Payrolls, etc., should be obtained not later than Monday, December 24, 1962. GREATER MIAMI CLEARING ASSOCIATION Stanley H. Wolff, President
Daniels CORAL GABLES
Phone HI 3-1647 Open Every Night Until 9:00 Reg. 4.95 3.95 Specially Priced Martha Washington 3-POUND BOX ASSORTED CHOCOLATES Gift wrapped in Holiday paper. Other candies, one to three pounds, 69c to 3.95. Boxed Christmas Cards 1.00 to 4.75 Personalized with name or monogram, one-day service, 25 for 95c. Christmas Candles 1.00 to 3.00 Including Pyramids, Ropes, Brandy Goblets, Trees, Snowballs, Nights of Christmas and others. Tapers, pair 30c to 75c Fancy Cheese Gifts 3.95 to 9.95 Assorted cheese in useful trays or ash trays. Boxed Stationery 59c to 4.00 It's So Easy to Shop Because It's So Easy to Park Our Flexi-Charge offers many shopping advantages