With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week at the age of 96 after an historic, nearly 71-year reign, I couldn’t help but think of my late grandmother, Iris Spencer LaTour, who passed away on July 26, 2009, at the age of 91. She was a native of London, England, who lost her father, George Spencer, a month before she was even born in May 1918. He died April 23, 1918, at the age of 31 during the Battle of Zeebrugge during World War I. Once of age, she enlisted in the British ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) during World War II. This was a women’s branch of the British Army formed in 1938. While serving in the ATS, she and her fellow members had the honor of meeting with Queen Elizabeth (not yet the Queen Mother), who was making the rounds encouraging the troops. The then Princess Elizabeth also served in the ATS as second subaltern (lieutenant) and trained as an auto mechanic.
My grandmother’s life drastically changed one day when her typewriter broke and she was told to “Get LaTour. He can fix it.” Raymond LaTour, a Cajun from Ville Platte, was a member of the U.S. Army stationed in England. They met that day, and despite their 12-year age gap (my grandfather being the senior), the rest, as they say, is history. They married in England on December 11, 1943, and welcomed their first child, my Aunt Elaine, on Christmas Day in 1944. My grandmother and aunt left England on a long voyage on the Queen Mary ship in 1946 to join my grandfather back in the states. I can only imagine the culture shock she faced when she first arrived in Cajun country.
As the first war bride in Evangeline Parish, she built her life here and became a naturalized citizen of the United States on November 3, 1959. She shared a special bond with her best friend, Gwen Johnson, who also was from England and married a Ville Plattian. They met after both arriving here in Ville Platte, but due to their similar paths, they became life-long best friends, always sharing a spot of tea and discussing the royal family. Both ladies became very well known, respected and involved in their new Ville Platte community over the years. Their children and grandchildren grew up and went to school together.
My grandparents had five children and seven grandchildren to whom my grandmother instilled her British traditions. She prepared British meals for holidays and shared customs, such as making traditional Christmas pudding each year as dessert for the Christmas meal. Once we were old enough, us granddaughters enjoyed spending time with her in the kitchen and helping her make it. According to tradition, several silver dimes were baked into the pudding with good luck to those who found one in their piece. The pudding, which is more like a fruitcake, is covered with brandy then lit to warm it up before being served with a custard sauce.
The children and grandchildren also grew up with tea time. Every time we would go visit, my grandmother would offer us tea and biscuits (cookies). To this day, I still enjoy hot tea the British way, and whenever I visit my Aunt Elaine, we carry on the tradition. She also keeps alive the tradition of making the Christmas pudding each year, passing it on to the great-grandchildren who enjoy helping her with it.
My grandmother always continued to keep up with the royal family over the years and would share many stories with us about them. She, along with Mrs. Johnson and a few of the children, watched a film of the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II after the fact at a drive-in theater in Opelousas, and later, she watched the royal weddings on television. To this day, the royal keepsake plates are still hanging on the wall in her home where my aunt now lives.
I will never forget my high school graduation gift from my grandmother and my aunts and uncle. They all chipped in, and my grandmother and Aunt Elaine took me on a trip to England and Paris in July 1994. While there, I was able to visit many historical locations, including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, all locations steeped in royal history, as well as the beautiful English countryside. I learned so much on that trip of a lifetime, during which I also was able to meet some of my grandmother’s family members while there.
I am proud of my British heritage and will be watching the upcoming coverage of the queen’s state funeral during the next week. As one of Mrs. Johnson’s granddaughters (who I grew up with) shared with me, “Mama said hopefully Grandma and Mrs. Iris are having tea with the Queen now.”
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.