Hard Times & the Great Depression
Lou, with the help of the older boys, struggled to keep the family together and succeeded up to her death. We do not know much about this period but it had to be scary for her and the kids. Ray had to grow up fast as he watched all he knew to be his family’s way of life change into a struggle to survive.
But, it was destined to get worse. Six years later when he was age 15 his mother died
The oldest, James, and his wife, took in Ray and Mary to live with them and their young children. That made a tremendous difference in his life.
During that time Ray dropped out of high school and got a job with the contractor building the new highway going south the Pascagoula. Ironically, it appears that the superintendant on that job was the grandfather of Ray’s future son Tom’s (this website creator) wife Mary.
James made him quit and go back to school. Ray gave his brother tremendous credit for insisting he finishes school.