By
Irene Kilgore Palmer Elmore
I was born August 8, 1924 in Orme, Tennessee. My Parents were Harvey P. Kilgore and Annie M. Kilgore, her maiden name was Farley. My sister Marie, was born November 1, 1922, we were very close in age less than 2 years apart. We moved to Altoona, Alabama before 1927, because my brother, Harvey was born there January 28, 1927.
We had moved to Dunlap, Tennessee by 1930. My brother Grady was born November 12, 1930. We lived here for the next 8 years. I went to grammar school here for eight years. My brother Charles was born April 20, 1935.
My Mom and Dad were married June 21, 1921. The five children were born in fourteen years, from 1921 to 1935. During these years, we lived three different places. This was during the depression. My Dad had to go where he could find work. He was a coal miner.
After I graduated grammar school, we moved back to Orme, Tennessee where I was born. My Mom was a minister and came here to Pastor a little church. My Dad had to work away where he found a job. For the rest of the time I lived at home, he was away working.
1938
I started my first year in high school at South Pittsburg, Tennessee. We rode a bus from Orme. There was no high school there, maybe 20 miles away. I finished two years of high school in South Pittsburg and started the third year. After a few months, we moved again to Barter, Tennessee. Mom pastored a church a few miles away. Marie and I went to Baxter Seminary where we both graduated. I graduated May 1942.
While living here in Baxter, Tennessee, I met a man named Robert P. Palmer. We didn’t have a car so the church got him to drive us to the church Mom pastured. We didn’t know at first but learned he was attracted to me. This was a surprise because he was ten years older than me. I learned to like him. I was such a kid.
After graduation from school, Marie and I went to Detroit, MI to find a job. Peay was already there so he helped us find a place to live. He really looked after us. While there I worked at a Bakery, my first job.
Peay had asked me to marry him, but I couldn’t decide. He got his call to be examined by the military. War was going on and all young men had to register. When he knew he had to go back home, I decided to go and we would get married. Marie decided to come with us and we got married. On November 16, 1942 in Dalton, Georgia, we took Marie to Lynch Kentucky where Mom & Dad lived. Peay and I went to Silver Point, Tennessee where his Mom lived.
He didn’t pass his test for the Army. He had a spot on his lungs and was rejected.
For the next year we lived on the farm a few months and then to Baxter, Tennessee for about 6 months. Since he was rejected by the Army, we decided to go back to Detroit to work. We went there in 1944. We both worked in factories. My Mom, Dad and Marie were all there working. They needed everyone to work with the war going on. All our young men where in the Military and all three of my brothers where in the Military.
We stayed in Detroit working for the rest of 1944. From there we went to Dayton, Tennessee. We had a restaurant there and worked very hard. It was 1945 and World War was over. This was a happy time for us all. My brothers went in the military after this The Korean War.
Peay didn’t like the restaurant work that well so after a few months we went to Tampa, Florida. He ran a pool room there. I am not sure but he probably owned it. We lived in a mobile home.
In April 1946, I learned that I was pregnant with my first child. I was so sick at first. This helped us decide to go back to Dayton, Tennessee, where my parents still lived we lived with them till the baby was born.
Peay started another business. He got a Jewelry store. Peay kept while we lived in Dayton, Tennessee. He also started a new one in another town. He hired the two Phillip’s brother to run them.
Our first child, a daughter, was born December 10, 1946. We named her Judy. It was 18 months later that I was expecting again. Our son was born August 23, 1948. We name him Robert Michael. We felt blessed to have two beautiful children. We had bought a house on Main Street and lived there till the fall of 1950. We stayed settled for four years, but another move was about to happen.
I went to Dayton, Ohio to visit my Parents. While we were there, Peay decided to give the Jewelry business up. He came to Dayton, OH and told me he was staying there. I really was shocked. We had not come prepared to stay but it worked out. We both got a job and lived with my Parents. Mom kept Judy and Mike while I worked the afternoon shift.
I worked for the Air Force and Peay a factory job.
Of course, he was miserable being shut up, but he kept the job till early 1952, when he was laid off. I told him to go find what he wanted, wherever it might be. I kept my job while he wandered around looking. I can’t say I was happy with this decision but wanted a place where he would be happy.
Another chapter starts in our life.
Peay always wanted to be in a warmer climate. It was a few months before he found a place in Florida that he liked. The town was Pensacola, Florida, which I had never heard about. We had been to South Florida several times but we missed Pensacola because it is in the Northwest Florida, which is closer to Alabama. He bought a small restaurant here but sold it later.
We left Dayton, Ohio the first of August 1952. The drive from Alabama to Pensacola made me wonder where in the world we are going. The roads were all two lane and no big towns. We arrived here in time for me to celebrate my 28th birthday, which is August 8th.
Here we were in this small town with no place to live. What a surprise when we learned that no one would rent to you with children. Of course, we had two. This was the moment I really broke down and cried. Peay knew some people here that lived in Tennessee the same time we did. A man by the name of Bill Landrome had an apartment house and he let us have one room. This was just a place to sleep and no way to cook. We had to eat all meals out. You can imagine how difficult this was with two small children. They wanted to eat more often than we did. I can’t remember how long we had to live like this.
We had to find a place to live soon because Judy would need to start to school in September. This would be her first year. I can’t remember exactly how this came about. We had a new car but very little money. The car was sold to have the money to buy our first house. The location was 120 W Wright St. It was a two story house; we lived in three rooms and rented the other rooms. This was the beginning of our life in Pensacola. Peay happened to like the ideal of buying other places and renting them. It didn’t happen overnight but we were able to live a good life as he bought more and more houses. It grew until we had 15 at one time. This was done of course by borrowing money.
Judy started first grade at P.K. Younge. Mike went to pre-school at the Episcopal Church close to where we lived. This was called daycare for their where no Kindergarten schools then.
I decided to look for a job myself. This is a military town. I applied at NAS Pensacola. They hired me right away. I think working for the Air Force in Ohio helped me. I worked in the Purchasing Department and liked it very much. The Base was located close to the Gulf. You could see the large ships that docked there from my office window.
I only worked a year because my health put me in hospital and had to have surgery. I decided to stay home and take care of my family. A year later we had a worse problem. In January 1956, at only 42 years old, Peay had a severe heart attack. He did survive but had a long recovery time. He was in bed three months. My Mother came to say and help me. I had to take on Peay’s job and Mama took care of him and helped with the children.
I will now move to 1957 for our big surprise. I was pregnant again. A son was born on February 9, 1958. We named him Phillip Duane Palmer. This really was a blessing to us. I forgot to say that we moved again before his birth. We moved to 802 E. Blount St.
We had a family reunion in October 1959. It took place here in Pensacola at my house. This was our last time for us to be together. Mom and Dad where both killed on their way back to Pompano Beach, Florida. They were hit by a big truck, we brought them back to Pensacola for burial. Without God’s help we could not have survived this tragedy.
We did have something good happen this year on November 20, 1959, Grady and Joann where married here in Pensacola. Since neither of them lived here at this time, they needed a place to live. They stayed with us a few months.
I think it was 1960 we took our first family vacation since Phillip was born. We went to New York City. We stayed in a big hotel downtown where we could walk around. What a great experience.
The next few years are blank to me, I can remember Phillip starting Kindergarten in 1963. He went to Pensacola Christian. After Kathy Kilgore was born in 1962, I did keep her while Joann worked, teaching school.
Our next move was to 1910 N Barcelona. Probably in 1964. This was in walking distance to Pensacola High School. Mike and Judy both graduated from here-1964 and 1966.
In 1965, Peay was taking Phillip to school when a girl ran a stop sign hitting them. Phillip wasn’t hurt so he ran back to the house to tell me. Peay got hit on the head and was unconscious. The hit on the left side of his head caused him to be paralyzed on the right side. He was in the hospital 30 days and never fully recovered from it. He still kept going with limited use of his right side.
In May, 1966 when Mike graduated from High school, our family took a trip to California. Mike and I did the driving, we were gone 18 days. San Diego was our first stop in California; we went to the Zoo and into Mexico. Our next stop was Los Angeles. We went to Knott’s Berry Farm and Disney land. We took a guided tour and had a good time. Our next stop was Las Vegas we saw the Smothers Brothers and Vickie Carr. They served us dinner also. We then went to see the Grand Canyon and went through New Mexico on our way home. We got home the 21st of June- a long trip.
On July 21, 1967, we saw our daughter get married. She married Rudy DuBose. The next year our first grandchild was born. It was a boy named Brian DuBose. On July 20, 1970, we welcomed a granddaughter, they named her Christy DuBose. These two grandchildren brought a lot of joy to our life.
In February 1970, Mike left going to Fort Lauderdale to work. Of course it was sad seeing him leave home and go so far away.
1970 was a busy year. In June, Peay, Phillip and I took a 2500 mile trip. We went to Michigan and took a boat to Milwaukee, WS. From there we came through Chicago, IL. Indianapolis, In, Louisville, KY and then to Nashville, TN where Marie lived. We also went the Tennessee Camp meeting before coming home. In September we went to River Ranch Acres to meet Mike. We spent 2 days together. March 1971 brought a big change to me. I went to work for the first time in 15 years. I worked 3 and a half days a week for Dewitt Reeves (State Farm).
Another trip coming up on June 11, 1971. Peay, Phillip and I left for Wyoming. We saw Yellowstone National Park. Two other high lights on this trip was going to Mt. Rushmore, where the Presidents are carved in the mountain. We also saw Pike’s Peak in Colorado.
In August we went to Pompano Beach to meet the lady that Mike would marry. Her name is Judi Caldwell. In October we would go back for the wedding. They had a beautiful wedding on November 6th, 1971. Our family is growing, we had a full house for Christmas that year.
Peay went in the hospital twice in 1972 (July and August). We went on our last long trip. We went to New York, Maine, Canada, Michigan, Minnesota and back home.
On September 14th, I quit my job at State Farm, Peay wanted me to stay home. I worked there a year and a half.
1973 was hard year. I went back to work fulltime for the Stanford Agency. The Doctor has told us that Peay would live not much over a year. He knew I would need to work when he was gone and wanted me to take the job; a hard thing to do. We would have lunch together.
Peay was baptized on April 15th his choice too. He took me to work on Dec 20th and passed away on his way to work. A very sad time.
He was buried on the 23rd of December. The children and I did not celebrate Christmas.
For some reason I quite writing a diary so I don’t have much memory for the first part of 1974.
I am sure I worked every day which kept me going. Phillip turned 16 on Feb. 9th. He got his driver’s license right away. On June 2nd of this year, Phillip and I went on a long trip west. We were gone 18 days. What an experience!
Early 1975 we moved from Barcelona Street after living here ten years. We moved to Malibu Circle. On May 5th of this year, I went on tour to Jerusalem for 18 days. What a joy to see the places I had read about in the Bible
In 1975, I changed jobs to USAA insurance. I would work here for five years. This was the best job so far. Phillip got married in August of 1976. I was now alone and heartbroken for this was a great surprise to me. During these five years, I would move four times.
In 1986 after being alone 13 years. I met a man named James Russell Elmore. After knowing him only 6 months we were married. I will just say that we traveled a lot during our 16 years together.
In December 1987 Phillip married Monica and have been together for over 33 years.
I need to tell about the losing two of my children before the ending of my story.
My daughter, Judy became ill in 1993 with Melanoma Cancer. This would take her life. She passed away on February 4, 1994. This was almost more than a mother could bear. She was such a beautiful person and I loved her so much. I think of her every day.
Just three years after her passing, we learned that Mike had cancer. He lived a year after being diagnosed. He passed away January 20, 1998. Without God’s help, I don’t think I would have survived.
The story ends with Russell passing away on November 23rd 2002. He was a very important part of my life.
Phillip you know the rest of my life so I will let you finish it when I’m gone.
I love you very much,
Mother
PS. If I had written the details of my life, it would have been too long. The many diaries that I have will tell the rest of the story. I wrote this during January and February 2010.
I will take the story from this point forward. Marie her sister, stayed with my mom for around 4 years and Marie passed in 2012. I decided for my mother since she could not drive anymore to move in with us. We provided her with a good home for the remainder of her life and will miss her every day.
She passed away on August 2, 2020
We love you Mom
Phillip and Monica Palmer
August 5th, 2020
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