Lucille Polk was a strong presence in my mother's family growing up. My mother told me stories of Mama Cille...how she knew when my mother was pregnant just by looking at her, how she had a big heart and took in foster kids. Lucille was called Mama Cille by all her grandchildren and great grandchildren and we heard about how much she was loved by her family and how tough she was. However, outside of my grandmother, Wadie, I doubt any of us had a clue to what had happened in her life.
Mama Cille was born in Hearne, Texas to John William Polk and Selena Jones. I don't know much about her childhood. She died a year before I was born and the details of her life were not shared with me as far as I can remember. Most of what I know about Mama Cille is from the few stories that were shared with me or the research that I have done on my own. I would have loved to meet her and hear her voice. I don't even know what she looked like. What I do know is that her life was not easy.
Mama Cille was 14 when her mother, Selena passed away due to influenza. Within a few short months, Mama Cille married Wade Hamilton Kerr. From what I know of Wade in his younger years, he was not without his demons...he had a serious drinking problem and he would get violent at times. Things were very rocky during this time in Mama Cille's life. She had suffered through a still birth in 1933 and found herself pregnant again by 1934. By the time Mama Cille was was 22 she had three children and her marriage was falling apart. It was not long after that Mama Cille and Wade separated. Mama Cille continued to do what she needed to do to take of her children and put food on the table. Mama Cille definitely did not go through this alone...she had a great support system in her sisters, Martha, Mary, Anna Bell, Mattie Mae and Aunt Ruby.
After a time, things started to turn around for Mama Cille. She even met a new man, Willie Fountain and they had a brief romance. Unfortunately this was the beginning of a dark time in her life. Willie was not a good man and he scared my grandmother...she would hide whenever she heard him coming. I do not know exactly what he did to my grandmother as she would not talk about it but it affected her all of her life. Eventually grandmama told Mama Cille what was going on. Mama Cille broke things off with Willie. Now here is where things get a little murky.
In 1937, Wade is arrested for the murder of Willie Fountain. According to the newspapers and court records, Mama Cille and Willie were seeing each other while she was estranged from Wade. Eventually she and Wade decided to reconcile. Mama Cille had previously given Willie a lock of hair that he wore on his hat. Mama Cille wanted it back so she and Wade went to Willie's to retrieve the lock of hair. We will never know what exactly happened during this meeting but at the end, Willie was dead from a gunshot wound. Wade turned himself into authorities afterwards. I have some doubts that the reason Wade shot Willie was because of a lock of hair. I cannot help but wonder if the reason the shooting took place was because of the treatment of my grandmother by Willie. There is a big part of me that thinks that in spite of the fact that Wade was not a good husband he would not stand by and let anyone harm his kids.
For Mama Cille the following seven years are full of upheaval. The story is covered all over Corsicana... I am pretty sure that everyone was talking about it and now her husband was in jail. Wade fought the charge for two years but he was eventually was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years. I am not sure what happened between Wade and Mama Cille during this time but they could not work it out and she filed for divorce and it was granted in March of 1940 shortly before Wade was released from prison. Whatever happened between Wade and Mama Cille, their marriage was over and she later listed herself as "Widowed"on the 1940 census.
From what I can tell, Mama Cille decided to start anew and made the decision to relocate to California. At some point my grandmother followed her and so did Mama Cille's sisters. I have heard numerous stories of life in California and now that I think about it, my grandmama never talked about living in Texas. She only spoke of her memories here in California.
Mama Cille settled in the Bay Area and rebuilt a good life for herself with her family surrounding her. Her children had grown up, married and settled in the Bay Area as well. At the end of her life, she was surrounded by her sisters, her children, her grandchildren, nieces, nephews, foster children and friends.
It is really inspiring for me to see what Mama Cille lived through. She had many trials and tribulations through her life and she seemed to handle it all with a strength and dignity that appears to have never failed her. I guess that famous quote is right, "It is not how you weather the storm, it's how you dance in the rain". I am proud to be her descendant and I have a better understanding of why the women in my family are so resilient. My mother is my hero and I have always wondered where she got her amazing strength and courage. How could she keep a positive attitude while in the midst of heartbreak and turmoil? Apparently it is a trait that Mama Cille instilled in her children and grandchildren. Mama Cille was an amazing woman and while I feel sad that I never got to know her personally, I am happy that I was able to research her and tell her story.
*I want to give a shout out to my Aunt Lisa who helped me piece a lot of this together. I never would have understood the depth of character Mama Cille had if my Aunt had not filled in the blanks. Thank you.
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