I’d Like to Meet- Alice Robertson Crawford (1890-1980)

I only got to meet one of my eight great grandparents, and honestly I would love to have been able to meet any one of them. As far as I can tell they were all unique and interesting individuals and each one contributed to my family’s values and culture in some way. But I think if I had to choose only one I would love to have met my father’s maternal grandmother, Alice Robertson Crawford.

Alice Robertson was born March 7^th 1890 in Forfar Scotland to James Robertson and Annie Crockart. Her mother died, probably of Tuberculosis when Alice was only two and she couldn’t remember her mother’s face. When Alice was older she would have dreams where she was about to see her mother, but she would wake up before she saw her. Her father, a joiner, remarried to Susan Ramsey a year after his wife’s death. Alice didn’t always get along with her new step-mother, and was often expected to care for her five younger half-siblings. In 1906, when Alice was 16, her father died, and Alice decided to leave home. She moved to London and began working as a lady’s maid. On the 1911 census of England she and nine other servants were living with and working for the Gladstone family. To the left is a photo of Alice and the rest of the household staff at one of the wealthy houses where she worked. Alice is kneeling in the center.

Alice had always wanted to see America and in 1911 she got her chance. A wealthy lady offered to bring her along to work in her New York City house. Later in life she would tell her grandchildren that she “did not come steerage” because her employer paid for her ticket. Alice arrived in New York harbor on the SS Adriatic on October 19^th 1911. She gave her age as 21, her occupation as a “domestic” and her older brother Robert as her closest relative. Alice worked as a maid in New York City for five years. When she first got there she visited a new church and sat near the front. There was an older man in the pew in front of her with whom she struck up a conversation. Later someone asked her if she knew who the man she had been talking to was. She didn’t. It turned out he was John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in America. Alice felt so self-conscience about talking to a millionaire that she started sitting in the back. Later one of her friends invited her to the Reformed Presbyterian church in New York City and she started attending there.

Alice and John on their wedding day

It was at the Reformed Presbyterian church that she met John Crawford. A Carpenter and fellow immigrant from Scotland, John had come to the US from Greenock in 1904, joining his half-brother who already lived in New York. John and Alice were married June 19^th 1916 in New York City. In addition to his carpentry John became the caretaker of the Church cemetery and the family moved to Westchester New York. They had three children James, Jean, and Don. The family struggled during the great depression; John often could not find enough carpentry work, though they at least had stable housing since the cemetery included a house for its caretaker. Alice was always hospitable, hosting missionaries, students, and travelers and caring for aging members of their church.

World War II also greatly affected the Crawfords. Both their sons Don, and James were drafted, Don to the army and James to the Navy. James was older and already had a family so he was not drafted until fairly late in the war, but Don was unmarried and was drafted early. One night Alice told her family that she was worried about Don and was certain something had happened to him. She stayed up all night praying for her son. Sometime later the family received word that Don had been seriously injured fighting in the battle of the Bulge and was recovering in a hospital. When comparing dates, they realized that Alice had been praying for Don on the same night he was wounded.

Through the war the Crawford family also met a young merchant seaman named Richard. He would come to their church when his ship was in harbor and he was hosted by the Crawfords on a number of occasions. When he was in port he decided to ask Jean Crawford on a date. He called up their home and Alice answered the phone. He told her that he’d like to talk to Jean and ask her on a date. Alice was thrilled and immediately accepted the date for Jean. It wasn’t until he hung up the phone that Richard realized that he had never actually confirmed that Jean, herself wanted to go out with him. Jean and Richard were married when he returned from the war.

Alice (right) and my other great grandmother

One story about Alice I heard only recently, Alice’s grand-daughter Sarah was at a church camp when she got sick and was sent to the camp infirmary. The head nurse was a very strict older woman and everyone was afraid of her. She was convinced that Sarah had food poisoning and started treating her for food poisoning. Sarah was quite sick and the younger assistant nurse thought Sarah should be sent to a doctor, but the older nurse was sure she knew what was best. After Sarah had been sick a few days Alice showed up at the camp for a church meeting of some sort. She stopped in to visit her grand-daughter and grew worried about her. Immediately she went to the older nurse and told her “Sarah needs to see a doctor and I’m taking her right now.” She packed Sarah up in her car and took her to the hospital, where it was discovered the Sarah had appendicitis and needed surgery as soon as possible.

As Alice and John got older they moved out of the cemetery house and into a nearby apartment, and their son-in-law Richard took over care of the cemetery. Eventually, when they were unable to live alone, they moved back into the basement of the cemetery house. Alice died of a stoke June 23th 1980 at the age of ninety. Her Obituary described her as “a remarkably dynamic individual who had clear insight into people’s problems and troubles and a compassionate heart and ready ear for all those in need.”