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ns dock at Clermont Harbor.
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wine in the backyard most
Little by little family,
Echo staff photo by Bennie Shallbetter
grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, children and grandchildren gathered around forming a tight knit close community. With friends and familiar summer families filling most of the area it lent an air of safety and a protected environment that allowed children the freedom to roam. Neighbors looked out for neighbors, as they still do, Millie says, and it was easy to feel comfortable and secure.
“This is a place where you can find peace,” said Millie. “I think that is the ultimate goal ... while other people count their money; we count our blessings.
Ina and Millie share a common memory for children spending their days in the close knit community-the feeling of freedom.
“My most outstanding memory was the freedom,” said Ina. “Of roaming the
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go where ever we wanted to,” Millie said. “Mother gave us a lot of freedom and raised us basically by herself. (August and Mildred went their separate ways when the children were young and Mildred later remarried Charles Savard, who came into town with the Corps of Engineers.)
But even though there was a lot of freedom, Mildred still had certain expectations of her children, Millie says, and was able to command the correct behavior without even raising her voice or giving any spankings.
Play days were filled wTith fishing and crabbing with strings, roaming the beaches, bicycles, May pole festivals, and of course, playing the biggest game in town, marbles. “We coveted out marbles,” Millie said. The children stayed in the water till the coming of jellyfish season ran them. Other days were filled with school, sports events, music lessons and of course, church on Sunday. Millie’s mother and grand mother were among the founders of the Clermont Harbor Methodist Church.
Festivals and get together? came and went through the years' For many years' Millie remembers Buddy Haverty’s annual barbecue where Pouchie Luxich would roast a pig. Somebody would have some sort of home made fire water in a barrel and the day would be filled with food and volleyball. Haverty’s yard contained dozens of hummingbird feeders and the yard would be a buzz with hummingbirds. The Usher family held Gatsby weekends. They dressed in 1920’s attire, attended church, and then held a barbecue.
On the July 4, a parade snaked up and down every street. The grand Marshall would blow a whistle to signal the start of the parade at Poinset Ave. and it would proceed to the first house with food and drink, when the grand Marshall would blow the whistle to stop. When enough socializing was done, the whistle would blow and the group would proceed to the next house. Floyd Garcia gave a prize for the best decorated bicycle and Ina’s son Eric Hogue won one year for his unicycle. The parade would end at Harold and Lillian’s Bar where Harold would serve pieces of his sheet cake.
Millie, who now lives in the old school house, says
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Usher as a teen in Clermont Harbor.