Bertha and Emerson Downing
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I remember when I first met Emerson. I was at work, and my aunt called me and told me to come home early, because a Gringuito was coming in answer to the ad for the room, and I was the only one who could speak English.

My mother, sister and I were living with my Aunt in a brand new house she had bought with lottery winnings, on Mazatlan 161 (Colonia Condesa, right near the Angel). The house had two floors and three bathrooms, and she advertised one bedroom and bath for rent to supplement her income.

I came home early; it was raining. I peered out of the Venetian blinds waiting for him. He arrived in a little beat-up old Ford. The minute he stepped out of the car, I said “He’s for me!”.

He came into the house; we showed him his room; he rented it on the spotÖand he never left. Poor Bolton Mallory — I dumped him right away.

This is the house we were married in. We did not get married in the church because Emerson was not a Catholic. His best man was Oliver Ormond, an FBI friend from Texas, who was later killed in a plane crash. Only my side of the family came to the wedding.

Bertha and Emerson Downing
View larger image
I remember when I first met Emerson. I was at work, and my aunt called me and told me to come home early, because a Gringuito was coming in answer to the ad for the room, and I was the only one who could speak English.

My mother, sister and I were living with my Aunt in a brand new house she had bought with lottery winnings, on Mazatlan 161 (Colonia Condesa, right near the Angel). The house had two floors and three bathrooms, and she advertised one bedroom and bath for rent to supplement her income.

I came home early; it was raining. I peered out of the Venetian blinds waiting for him. He arrived in a little beat-up old Ford. The minute he stepped out of the car, I said “He’s for me!”.

He came into the house; we showed him his room; he rented it on the spotÖand he never left. Poor Bolton Mallory — I dumped him right away.

This is the house we were married in. We did not get married in the church because Emerson was not a Catholic. His best man was Oliver Ormond, an FBI friend from Texas, who was later killed in a plane crash. Only my side of the family came to the wedding.

Bertha Downing as told to her son Dan

In February of 1943 I embarked on a trip by myself to visit my fiancÈ Emerson and his family in Michigan. As a passenger service representative for Mexicana de Aviacion, I flew for free on standby from Mexico City to Dallas, where I would change planes to Detroit. However, in Dallas I was bumped from the connection to Detroit because I had to give up my seat to soldiers that were scheduled to fly there.

So, I took a taxi to the train station, and boarded a train to Detroit, within minutes of its leaving the station. It was an overnight trip, and I was treated very nicely by soldiers aboard. I arrived in Detroit the next morning, and the station was completely empty ñ what was I going to do? I knew I could call on American Airlines for help if needed*and just as I was about to do so, Emerson rushes into the station to get me. Apparently the arrival time had changed, and that’s why he was late.

We drove to his cousin Lucille’s house in Detroit, where we had breakfast. I remember that a call came in from Aunt Estelle, who “wanted to meet this woman”. She was a retired English professor that later had a building named for her at Eastern Michigan University. When we arrived, I started discussing Charles Dickens with her, and her opinion of me immediately changed for the better. That was a relief, as she had written Emerson a nasty letter when she learned that he had broken off his engagement with Mary Ducat to propose to me.

There we waited for Emerson’s brother Jack to take us to the family farm in Romulus. I was greeted by the formidable Downing family, all waiting to meet this Mexican woman that was going to marry Emerson. There was Jim Yarger and his wife Marion (Emerson’s eldest sister) and their little kids Harold, and Alvin; Jack’s wife Margaret, and their eldest daughter Susan. A large family reunion was organized, and I mainly remember being stuck with washing all the dishes afterwards.

I was fascinated by snow, which I had never seen, and by the chickens on the farm. The chicken house had heat and music from a radio to encourage them to lay more eggs.

We stayed at the farm in a small room, and visited other family members and friends in the area ñ Miss Cooper, The Greggs. †Emerson took me to visit Cleary College, where he had graduated from, and also to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We went shopping at Hudson’s in Detroit ñ I was fascinated by Hudson’s ñ such a large, fancy department store! I shopped every department on every floor.

We stayed about two weeks, and then flew back to Mexico together. Oh for those times again. I was full of enthusiasm and self-confidence, and scared of nothing.

DAN DOWNING

Whereas McAllen saw a white Christmas (Cristyís poolÖ) , in Boston in was a white day after Christmas.

Becca, having made it back in one piece by train — broken foot in a cast — is on her way with Sarah and Pat to Connecticut, Barbara L has moved to rehab at Emerson with hers, the Jims are on their way home with Casey, Greg’s picking up his Mom at Logan, and quiet again reigns at Linda and Dan’s. And Paxie says “I need rest”.

Only a few images remain.

DAN DOWNING

Whereas McAllen saw a white Christmas (Cristyís poolÖ) , in Boston in was a white day after Christmas.

Becca, having made it back in one piece by train — broken foot in a cast — is on her way with Sarah and Pat to Connecticut, Barbara L has moved to rehab at Emerson with hers, the Jims are on their way home with Casey, Greg’s picking up his Mom at Logan, and quiet again reigns at Linda and Dan’s. And Paxie says “I need rest”.

Only a few images remain.