Friday, August 23, 2019

"Bitter Sweets"- Palmer and May Woods


  May Sherrod Bering Fox Woods hopping into her car,
 somewhere in the Humble Oil Fields...
There were two icons lurking in my grandmother's bedroom when I was a little boy- icons which could inspire many paragraphs- For someone who knew the whole stories of these venerated symbols in my childhood. But I will tell you what I remember... with some help from Aunt Joy, and that is probably as much as you want to know.

One icon was the old tattered Confederate flag in a dress box under her bed. It was the last remnant of the Magnolia Rangers, a Confederate Home Guard unit from League City, of which my grandmother's grandfather had been elected the captain, even before hostilities began. We would sometimes sneak in her room and try to peek at it. It seems like all I ever remember finding were shirt boxes full of “finger cookies,” actually just finger-length brownies made in advance for the holidays by Anna Belle, our wonderful maid.

The second was a beautiful enlarged photograph of May Bering Fox Woods, which hung right over my grandmother's bed. In my memory, she was wearing a turban, looking like some kind of gypsy fortune-teller or Eastern guru. It was about the only thing hanging in her room, besides a little Cushman Coat of Arms near the door. Now I know these two images were in constant battle, as they faced each other, one representing May's interest, support and spiritual protection of her little sister, whom she had practically raised, and my grandfather's heritage and pride, which was slightly less important than his thinly veiled disdain for May. It seems the two icons almost represented a struggle for Nell's loyalty and love, a contest never to be resolved.

May was a legendary character in our family, and yet had died long before us grandkids came along. She almost held a spell on my grandmother though, who venerated her about as highly as any person in her life. May had almost been a mother to her, as their mother had been a kind of “free spirit.” When she lived up in New York with Henry Fox, her very wealthy first husband, they sent my grandmother Nell to a girl's school up there, where she learned all about literature, art, social graces and life in general. But this life of privilege came to an abrupt end when May fell in love with a handsome sporting man, and left her first husband, to marry Palmer Parker Woods. Family legend says that even after May left Mr. Fox, he continued to care for her, and to some degree, generously took care of her. He always hoped she might return to him. Family legend says that she never ruled that out.

 Palmer and May

Palmer Woods was many things, and almost unbelievable, a true alpha male, a kind of legend in his own time. Born in Hawaii, and a descendant James Frank Woods and thus of the Parkers of Native Hawaiian royalty, he became a fighter pilot during WWI. He was a dashing, handsome war hero when he arrived in New York and stole May's heart. Palmer was a perfect candidate to give May hearty, beautiful children. The two had a lot in common; fun-loving, talented musicians, planted in a foreign culture, far from home, and a deadly attraction to alcohol. She apparently wanted very badly to have children, and Mr. Fox had failed to help her in that endeavor. We (my brothers and I) had been spared the details, which I still do not completely have a grasp of, even today. But the upshot of it was that May moved back to Texas with Palmer in tow, and he became a regular at the better golf courses in Houston. Among other things, Palmer was a shark.

May gave her fine oriental furniture and accessories to my grandmother, as a wedding gift, and started anew. My grandfather's chauvinistic pride was chronically frustrated by the generous and even luxurious gifts May provided to him and his wife, but he could not refuse them. At one time, when the Depression was at its worst, he and grandmother and their three children had to move onto their property and live in the Woods's guest house. No matter how much the Cushmans might have disapproved of the Woods's lifestyle, they would never bite the hands that fed them.

Palmer had nerves of steel which aided him in many high stakes golf matches, where considerable money was wagered- and which he usually walked away with the prize. According to family legend, he was a lady's man, a hard drinker, and a successful investor in the oil fields around Humble, Texas. He and May lived large, partied hard, and probably WWII saved them both from burning out sooner, when Palmer was made a colonel in the Army Air Corp and put in charge of Sacramento Air Depot, later renamed McClellan Air Force Base in California. Here was where the infant American air force tooled up its fleet to face the Japanese threat in Hawaii and the Philippines. Over 17,000 civilian air command workers built or repaired P-39 Airacobra fighter planes there, to be sent to the South Pacific. Over 4,000 military personnel there were under Col. Palmer Woods's command.

They lived in Carmel, California, and members of the family made their way out there to visit the Woods, and partake of the good life. My grandmother had already driven herself and her children across the desert several times, to see her sisters Daisy and Mildred in California, and again when the Woods moved there. Her independence, and fearlessness was another frustration for my grandfather, who rarely took a pleasure trip, and thought life was about work. These adventures no doubt helped to instill the world traveler in her daughter Joy, who would visit many countries around the world as an Olympic official.

Ever game, Palmer pitted his skills against the greatest golfers of Carmel at Pebble Beach, and met and befriended Bing Crosby there. The two became very good friends, drinking buddies, and Palmer was often entertained by him. These were golden times on the California coast with Bing crooning and Palmer playing his Uke, and everyone singing along. May's and Nell's mother Ginny moved out to California, where she lived until she died in 1945.

 May entertains young people in her home during
 the war...that is her son Parker just to her right.

The Woods children, (Henry) Parker and Annie, lived there with them but returned to Texas after the war. In a rare opportunity to return decades of benevolence, my grandparents gave them a home until they were grown and married. Uncle Parker became famous for his brilliance and shocking informality. There was never a gathering where he was discussed where someone did not remind everyone that he had to be made to put clothes on, preferring to run around the Cushman household in his underwear. Parker was always the height of Hawaiian type elegance and practicality. It will be no surprise that he got married so many times, and had so many lady friends that we lost track. Really! Parker had one son, John, born during his last marriage in Montana, while working as a chemist for Champion Paper Company.

Parker's sister Annie, my father's first cousin on his mother's side, married Al Rollins, soon to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. Al was his first cousin on his father's side (His father was Al's mother's brother). So their children, (seven!) were related to us from both sides of his family, and related to us more like first cousins. 

 Annie, Parker and a first cousin from the Bering/Durant,
side, Peggy Gray Peterson.

May passed away while in California, and eventually Palmer moved back to Texas and remarried a couple of times, rather unsuccessfully. Their swinging lifestyle eventually caught up with both of them. Meanwhile the mystic picture of May loomed in my grandmother's room for the rest of her life, where May's commanding countenance set the tone, and no doubt reminded my grandfather every day, who was really boss. All my grandmother would ever say about her oldest sister was... “I loved my sister May, she was so good to me...” Much later I came to perceive a silent message coming from that portrait... May was saying to my grandfather, “you treat Nellie right, or I am coming after you!”

Thanks to my Aunt Joy Cushman, a witness to these people and events, for much of the info told here...as well as the photographs... and apologies for any glaring mistakes or omissions.

3 comments:

  1. Wonderful writing and storytelling! It is tricky to gather and save these family stories and Aunt Joy is a wonderful resource. So is Yvonne Finley who at 87, and possessing a truly exceptional memory, can elucidate greatly on the Cushman family as well. Again, thank you for this very well done piece of our history!
    Love, Jane Rollins Hargis

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your writing and I love seeing the history of our ancestors laid out the details of stories I’ve heard from our elders. That is a true gift indeed!! Parker‘s last marriage was to Jean Tedley, and they lived in Hawaii until she died; and he moved back to the Humble/ Houston area to live out the rest of his days . He was married three times. His son John was born during his second marriage to Shirley.

    ReplyDelete
  3. INSTEAD OF GETTING A LOAN,, I GOT SOMETHING NEW
    Get $5,500 USD every day, for six months!

    See how it works
    Do you know you can hack into any Credit cards machine with a hacked Credit cards??
    Make up your mind before applying, straight deal...

    Order for a blank Credit cards now and get millions within a week!: contact us
    via email address:: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    We have specially programmed Credits Cards that can be use to hack Credit cards Machines
    Nation Wide, the Credits Cards can be used to withdraw at any Credits Cards or swipe Machines, at
    Stores and POS Machines. We sell this cards to all our customers and interested
    buyers worldwide, the Credit Card has a daily withdrawal limit of $5,500 at any Credit cards Machines
    and up to $50,000 spending limit in stores depending on the kind of card
    you order for. Credits Cards Can also be used in any other cyber hack{Services}, we are here for you anytime any day.

    Here is our price lists for the Credits Cards:

    Cards that withdraw $5,500 per day costs $200 USD
    Cards that withdraw $10,000 per day costs $850 USD
    Cards that withdraw $35,000 per day costs $2,200 USD
    Cards that withdraw $50,000 per day costs $5,500 USD
    Cards that withdraw $100,000 per day costs $8,500 USD


    make up your mind before applying, straight deal!!!

    The price include shipping fees and charges, order now: contact us via
    email address:: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    ReplyDelete