The only known photo of Louise Rabb Drawdy.

The house in Charleston where Bertha was born. Sometime in the late 1900's the house was registered as an Historic Home. The home sustained damage during the Civil War when a cannon ball crashed through the outside wall of the home.

A newspaper photo of the Catholic Orphanage, date unknown. The orphanage was located on Queen Street and was torn down in the late 1900's.

A photo of the orphanage class with Bertha standing near the top.

The following documents are available for you to view:

• W. Robert Little, part 1
• W. Robert Little, part 2
• W. Robert Little, part 3
• Bertha's Baptismal Certificate
• Bertha's Birth Certificate
• Charleston Foundling Home 1930 Census, page 1
• Charleston Foundling Home 1930 Census, page 2
• Bertha's Parents Marriage Certificate
• Frank's Birth Certificate
• Frank's Baptismal Certificate
• Frank's Two Names
• Frank's Confirmation Proof
• Frank Unmarried in Church
• Frank and Bert's Marriage Certificate

"WITH ALL MY HEART"

THE LIFE OF BERTHA DRAWDY HENRY

In the eyes of the world, only those individuals who are recognized with awards or stories written in magazines and newspapers or seen on TV or in films, are considered important. Little is thought of those who live quiet lives, who work diligently to raise families, support their loved ones or care for others in their communities. These individuals are often unrewarded by the society in which they live, as though their lives have little meaning.

My mom was one of these unsung heroes. There is no statue in a public park which will recognize the heroic way my mom lived her life. No public presentation of a medal will be given for the love and joy which my mom shared with all she met. My mom is gone now from my sight, and yet her smile remains always in my heart. This is for you, Mom. And by the way, as you were so fond of saying -- "I love you with all my heart!".

Bertha's story

This is the life story of Bertha Drawdy Henry, born Bertha Gertrude Drawdy on May 19, 1924 in Charleston, South Carolina. Bert died on July 29, 2008. Her parents were Perry Murphy Drawdy and Louise Lenora Rabb. A few years before Bertha died, she wrote a short story of her life, of what was most important to her. Bert's story is the best way to begin to tell you about this kind, generous and beautiful woman.

My Life Story

In looking back at my younger years, I started thinking of the time I met my wonderful husband. I was 18 years old and our church had a dance every Friday night for the USO. My sister, my girl friend and I went to the dances often. On one particular night leaning on the jukebox was a handsome sailor. I told my sister and girlfriend that I would marry that handsome sailor some day.

Well, the handsome sailor asked me for a dance and later he walked me home. He asked me if he could call and come over again and that is how it all started. My handsome sailor (Frank) was transferred from one place to another and then the Navy sent him back to Charleston.

Frank and I got together again when he returned to Charleston and he asked me to marry him. I said “yes”. On the 17th of June, 1944 we were married at 7 o’clock in the morning at Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, South Carolina.

I had lived most of my life in the Catholic orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina. Since my parents were deceased, my fiance asked my priest, Father May for permission to marry me. We had not set a date yet, but Father May told us that his Anniversary Mass would be at the Cathedral in two weeks. The Cathedral would be filled with flowers and the choir would be singing and it would not cost us anything. I said that we would take it. We had a 3 day honeymoon at Myrtle Beach just north of Charleston and then we went to Beaufort, South Carolina where my husband was stationed. We lived there about a month.

Frank was then transferred to Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod and then to Quonset Point in Rhode Island. From there he was transferred to San Jose, California, then Mountain View, California and Alameda, California. After Frank was transferred to the South Pacific, I traveled on the train to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to stay with his family.

So I had to write to him and tell him the good news that he was going to be a father. As luck would have it, the war ended and Frank was home in Pittsburgh a a week before our first daughter was born. We rented an apartment and started looking for property to buy. We found a beautiful lot on Mt Troy Road on the north side of Pittsburgh and we bought it.

After we had paid off the lot, we began building a house. We really liked the house, and we lived in it for ten years during which time we had three more children (all girls). We then moved to Baltimore, Maryland. We lived in the Baltimore area for ten years. During this time Frank worked with Westinghouse Electric.

We had a wonderful home in Baltimore and many wonderful friends with whom we still keep in touch. Frank then took a job in Phoenix, Arizona with Motorola, Inc. and we moved again. Two of our girls were married in Phoenix.

We then moved to Austin, Texas where we lived for more than 17 years. Frank worked for Motorola until he retired. We made some wonderful friends in Austin who feel as though they are family.

Then three years ago we moved to San Angelo, Texas. We have a wonderful home next door to our daughter Christine and her husband Keith. Our daughter Jill lives in San Angelo as well. Franciene still lives in Austin with her husband Larry. Their daughter Erin lives there. Our daughter Jean lives in San Diego.

It has been wonderful being a mother and seeing my children and two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren and the wonderful husband to whom I am married. I thank God every day for being so good to me. I also thank the nuns and priest who reared me and taught me how to be a good citizen and how to enjoy life with all the ups and downs. I am thankful for my lovely family and wonderful husband. I can really say that Life is beautiful and I have so much to be thankful for.

Bertha's early life was not an easy one. She was the youngest child in a family of nine children, four boys and five girls. When Bertha was four years old, her mother became ill with cancer. After her mother's death, the five youngest children were placed in the Charleston Foundling Home, a Catholic orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina with the stipulation that none of the children could be adopted by other families. Bertha spent the next fourteen years living with the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy at the Charleston Foundling Home. Bertha came to regard the nuns who raised her as her family, and one of the nuns in particular, Sr. Mary Vincent, as her surrogate mother. While living at the home Bertha also met and was baptized by the priest who would one day marry her and her husband Frank, Father James J. May.

The photo above left shows Bertha with her father, sisters Perrine on the left and Madeline on the right. Bertha is 5 years old. The photo above right shows Bertha as an infant.)

Bertha attended Bishop England high school and received her diploma in 1942. Because of the Second World War and the need for paper products, Bishop England High School did not publish a yearbook in the year that Bertha graduated. Bertha's class has sponsored several class reunions and Bert and her husband Frank have attended at least two.

There are a few documents which have been found which give some insight into Bertha's childhood. One is a census document from 1930 when Bertha was living in the Charleston Foundling Home. There are two pages to the document; Bertha's name appears on page 2 as "Gertrude Drawdy". The census document is linked above on the left side of the page. This document also gave information as to which of her siblings were sent to the orphanage. Included among the documents is Bertha's Baptismal certificate and her Birth Certificate.

Bertha's Parents Marriage Record

An interesting document which has been found is the marriage record of Bertha's parents -- Louise Lenora Rabb to Perry Murphy Drawdy. In the far right hand column of the record is a dispensation from the church for the marriage. Louise Rabb was a Catholic and Perry Drawdy was not. The document is written in Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church of that time. Bertha had told her children that Louise Rabb's family disowned her when Louise married outside her faith.

Marriage to Frank Henry

Bertha and her husband Frank told many stories about their early life together and how they were married. There are some documents, which may be viewed, related to their early years. Both Bertha and Frank were Catholic and wished to be married in the Catholic Church. At that time of their intended marriage both had to produce copies of their baptismal and birth documents to the priest if they were to be married in the Church.

There was some difficulty with Frank's required papers because he had been baptised "Francesco Iannarino", even though his birth certificate listed him as "Frank Henry." The doctor who had delivered Frank at his parent's home only knew the family as "Henry", and was not aware of their original and still legal Sicilian name "Iannarino". When the doctor filled out the birth certificate, he listed the newborn child as "Frank Henry". Frank had to obtain a letter from his parish priest testifying that he was Francesco Iannarino and had been baptised and received the sacrament of confirmation in his neighborhood parish. Those documents are also available with links on the left.

According to a story which Bert and Frank told to their children, they were married under both the names of "Henry" and "Iannarino". Frank had enlisted in the US Navy under the name "Frank Henry" since that was his legal name. For his wife to receive benefits should he die in the service of his country, the marriage must be recorded as Frank and Bertha Henry. To satisfy the requirements of the Catholic Church, Bert and Frank had to be married under the name in which Frank was baptised -- "Francesco Iannarino".

Bertha's Early Years

Bertha often sang a little nursery rhyme to her children. It is entitled "My Little Monkey". Bertha's rhyme is a bit different from the one which is usually published and sung. Bertha learned this nursery rhyme as a child.

Bertha's nursery rhyme

I had a little monkey

I sent him to the country

To buy some gingerbread

Along came a choo - choo

Knocked him cuckoo

Now my monkey's dead.

The traditional nursery rhyme about the Little Monkey is written this way:

I had a little monkey

I sent him to the country

I fed him on gingerbread.

He jumped out the winder

And broke his little finger.

And now my monkey's dead.

Bertha's childhood memories

Bertha spoke seldom of her childhood in the Charleston Foundling Home. There were a few stories which she did tell. Those stories related to daily life at the orphanage. While this is just a listing, Bertha did elaborate a bit on each one.

1. The children went to Mass each morning accompanied by the nuns who ran the orphanage.
2. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal with a thin broth consisting of canned milk mixed with a bucket of water.
3. Lunch was usually a piece of bread with either ketchup or caro syrup spread on the top.
4. The children were given one egg a year at Eastertime.
5. The children were given two new dresses a year which had been donated by someone in the community.
6. The children seldom had meat to eat.
7. In elementary school, Bertha was required to help the younger children wash and dress before she ate breakfast. Everyone ate breakfast at the same time.

One of Bertha's first memories concerns her very first day at the Charleston Foundling Home. She was almost 5 years old. There was a birthday party being held for someone in the orphanage. Bert did not elaborate on whether it was one of the nuns or one of the children. Bert saw the cake and stuck her finger in the icing. For this she was punished by being made to sit on a stool in a corner.

Bert said that on Sundays her sister Madeline, who was now married to Eugene Drawdy, would visit with her at the orphanage. The young married couple would take Bert out, perhaps for ice cream or some other treat, and give her a coin to save or spend for herself.

Still More to Come -- Please come back later!