Momma Was Home, But She Wasn't There
by Clariece E.C. Burke
About the Author
As a retired Senior Case Manager from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Clariece worked on sharing her story on and off for many years.
Born during the Great Depression, Tuburculosis epidemic and the Oklahoma Dustbowl era, her life was certainly different than what life is like today for most people, but in several ways, ultimately still very similar.
She is a daughter, sister, mother, wife and survivor.
From the Author
I have started writing this book many times over the years, but I usually became frustrated and disposed of it. I believe each time I began writing it, I was doing it as a form of therapy to heal. I grieved the loss of a close family member from a very young age, as well as another loss in my teen years which I feel started a chain of events that unfairly altered the course of my life and I eloped at a young age to get away from my problems, instead of finishing school.
In 1989, I used an old standard typewriter to write the first draft. As a result, it only existed on paper, and I misplaced it somewhere over the years and never found it. I am sure I have forgotten a few details from my initial draft, however much of my life and memories from the past have always stayed with me, especially when the event came as a shock to me. I was 84 when I began finalizing my latest draft and started working on self-publishing it to share with the world.
I grew up during the depression when tuberculosis was a part of everyday life. The illness affected many families, who suffered heartbreaking losses of their loved ones. It was a time before running water or electricity when most people grew a garden and raised animals to provide food for their families. However, my story includes so much more than that. A close bond was formed between my siblings and me throughout our childhood as a result of the genuine love we had for each other. This is something we carried through our entire lives.
Sharing my memoir by getting it all put together like this has given me peace in my soul. I truly hope you enjoy it.
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