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All of the Osbourn children grew up in Logtown. They worked hard but also had lots of fun. From stories told by Mae, Edwina, Ruby and others, they loved to play tricks on each other, sometime at the instigation of their mother, Carrie, who was a strong disciplinarian but had a mischievious nature, too.
Edwina always lived with Mae. She worked at home, sewing, and later became the only girl to work outside the home when she worked at Barrett cleaners in Gulfport and then at Ramsey's Department store. Upon retirement she again worked at dressmaking and alterations at home. During WWII she would invite homesick young service men to share home-cooked meals with her, Mae and the family.
My first memory was their home at 417 Citizen Street, no doubt built by Dennis and/or Edwin. They later lived on Second Street near Bay High School.
Mae was a noted dress-maker and designer. No one dared call her a seamstress. She quickly let them know she was a dressmaker She was always looking for ideas for the clothes she created, expecially at the movies to see clothes designed for the stars (Her favorite designer was Edith Head). Then she would usually create her own designs. Many times I would hold my your breath as she would start pinning material on someone and start cutting (I just knew she was going to ruin it). When Bay High had May Festivals and SJA had Carnival Balls, Mae would make most of the dresses (queen and maids). She dressed many brides, and if you wanted an original, you went to Miss Mae. She was sometime assisted in the finishing and fine hand work by her sister, Ruby.
Mae was like a second mother to me. Some of the things I remember about Mae (and Edwina):
The way she would dress every morning - from the corset, nice dress, to shoes, make-up and jewelry. Her hair was always just so and nails were polished. She wore pince-nez glasses with a gold chain and hairpin attached which she stuck in the bun of her hair. She owned no flat shoes, even for yard work. The high heeled shoes she always wore had to be a certain height (I think 2 5/8 inches;
Her little nieces sitting on the machine to 'help' Aunt Mae sew and the way she would coax them to "try this on so I can see how it will look". They would soon have a new coat, dress or whatever they had tried on for her;


Osbourn History--2
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