Great Aunt Glady's House

This is a half Cape, I've heard the story a hundred times how these houses were considered sadhouses. Because there were no children, there was no need to add on the other half of the house. Aunt Gladys had no children but she was a wonderful surrogate mother for my mom, whose mother died quite young. Aunt Gladys made a point of buying dolls and things for mom to make her happy as a child. My mother in turn oversaw Aunt Glady's care when she was in her 80's and wanted to stay in her house. Mom would cook for her and visit.

I loved Aunt Gladys, she let me use her summer living room off the garage for pajama parties. Uncle Frank used to smoke cigars and watch TV out there. When Mom inherited the house I used the back room for my art studio summer and winter. It was filled with hand painted French Provincial furniture she bought at a New York gallery auction. That furniture was shipped to California and used by Emma in her apartment for four years while in college. Two years ago it was shipped back to Duxbury and is in 408 Bay Rd cottage.

Aunt Gladys claimed her secret to longevity was not mixing her scotch with any sweet mixes. She lived to be 96yrs and is the reason I said I drank scotch when asked in college. She later denied she ever told me to wait until 5pm to have a cocktail. Aunt Gladys met her husband, Uncle Frank, in World War I in Paris where she was an US Army nurse.

Surplus Street is a great street to walk on, except for the occasional dog it is quiet and there are not many cars. My family's homestead is just across the street from Aunt Glady's, it is one of the first land grants from Plymouth Colony. Aunt Gladys grew up at the farm with her eleven siblings.