Clara Vincent

Clara Mae Webb was born on May 22, 1930 to Tom and Martha Webb in Hunter Missouri which is in Carter County. This is part of the Missouri Ozarks in the southeast river country. Hunter was a tiny town deep in the country on the Current River. The river was clear and cold and was one of our favorite places to go when I was growing up. The town had a hundred people at best and was the site of many adventures for my Mother growing up in the depression and later for me as well. My Mom had six sisters and four brothers, she being the youngest. There was also a stillborn child that was just referred to as baby. There is only one sister remaining by the name of Mary Ellen who is 90 years old. She was a second Mother for me growing up. Della Bell was her sister that was twelve years older than she was that was given the job of raising her since times were so hard that my Grandma had to take in work as much as she could. Della was also very close to us. Longevity ran in the Webb family all living into their nineties except for my Mother. She even had one sister living to 103.

The Webb family came from the Tennessee-Kentucky Valley by wagon train on the way to California during the Gold Rush. They ran into trouble in Missouri and lost their horses. They thought it was so beautiful they decided to homestead there. The family became powerful in that they controlled a large area of land rich resources and game. John Webb and his wife Susan had eight children all born in Missouri. Their sons hunting prowess was widely known an gained the family wide respect. Their land was just south of the Mason-Dixon Line so of course they joined forces in the Confederate Army as what was done in those days but were not involved in slavery. However our government erected a monument for one of the relatives in the family cemetery for his service in the Confederate Army. Now our government will probably tear it out. One of John's sons played a key role in bringing the railroad through the area because nobody knew the country as well being so sparsely populated at the time.

Back to Clara! She moved to the city when she was only thirteen and moved in with sister Mary Ellen. They were in East St. Louis Illinois just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. They both went to high school and my Mom worked at Kreskies Drugstore lying about her age. She sent money home to her Mother only keeping what she had to. She eventually met my Father Edward Francis Vincent on a blind date and they were wed June 2, 1950. They resided in St.Louis but moved to Illinois where my sister and I grew up. My Mother had worked as a bookkeeper but eventually was a full time Mom. My Father worked for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad which eventually became the Union Pacific. He started as a telegrapher and went on to switching, brakeman, and freight conductor. I think he just loved to ride the rails. He never wanted to work passenger though. My Father died of Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1987 just 3 months short of full retirement. He was the center and the rock of our family for me and my Mom. We were devastated. The bright spot for my parents was that my Father had a lot of seniority and vacation at work so he was off a lot. I think it was 38 years on the railroad. There were a lot of trips they never got to take. Traveling was their favorite thing to do, especially for my Mother. They did have a retirement home on a beautiful lake in Missouri where we all spent much time together. We really miss those days. We went camping, boating, skiing, fishing and swimming all summer long. We watched deer and listened to the whiporwills at night. Just the sound of one brings tears to my eyes. Those were the best times for me with my folks. We usually took a big trip each summer to Colorado or someplace neat. We really had a lot of fun. We liked to horseback ride a lot. We never got to keep horses until after my Father died but that was a big dream for me and Mom. We had a lot adventures with the horses. My Mother was quite a horsewoman for her age. We just buried the last one earlier this year.

The thing about my Mother that amazes me is how she left home so young and survived so well. I could never have done such a thing. It wasn't any easier for my Dad either. Together they went on to do very well. They are truly the greatest generation. My parents gave us everything we ever needed and most of what we wanted. I don't think you can do better than that. We had love and a strong sense of family and religion. We had every opportunity to learn and go to school. We had art and music and travel. My Father played the guitar and sang. Had we lived in Texas I told Bubba he would've been playing at the Broken Spoke. He was good enough! Music was special at our house. He left me his guitar. I really miss playing with him. My Mother was never happier than listening to us play. She gave him that guitar when they got married. The other thing about my Mother is her generosity. She would not only give you her last dime but she gave of herself. Whenever somebody needed something for whatever reason she was there to help. If you had a problem she couldn't fix she did something to make up for it. She always takes care of everybody for everything. She was born to it, it came natural. You won't ever meet anybody more kind and sweet. She was always there for you, and will always be there for me. She left me a lifetime of kindness and wisdom to draw from. I will never rival her, it's just not possible for me. I'll try.

The last thing I must say about my Mom is about her grandchildren. She loves them all dearly and now there are two new great grandchildren which she loves the same way. She is extremely close to my son Vince. He is the apple of her eye. He was only two when my Father died and I told her to just hold onto him and I would share him with her. And boy did she take me up on that. They had big times together doing all the things that we did when I was growing up. He is special to her in that way but that doesn't mean she loves the others any less. They share a history together that she doesn't have with the other two grandkids even though she loves them just as much. Since my sisters kids grew up in Spain she never had the chance to bond with them except on vacation. Vince's little girl Jolie was a big thrill for my Mom. She would always say she couldn't wait to get her hands on her. Her pictures were known all through the nursing home. She could see Vince as a child in her and that's all she could talk about. It's such a shame she won't be here to see her grow. I do feel blessed that she was here to see her born and now walking. My Mother was hoping to get to see someday my sisters sons new baby but it wasn't meant to be.

One thing I can't forget was my Mothers work at church. She would find a way to let me know. She always worked in the church helping out in some way. She helped with the youth a lot and the WMU. When she moved from St. Louis to the country she joined a new church and helped the ladies there start with the WMU and do work in their community.

A visitation will be held 2:00 Wednesday, December 9, 2015, Providence-Jones Family Funeral Home with Services beginning at 3:00 PM