Kern daughters reflect on how mothers shaped their lives
Mothers and daughters. Theirs can be deeply loving relationships, or stressful ones. But all leave lasting imprints on daughters. In advance of Mother’s Day, Bakersfield Life asked some local daughters for memories of their mothers and how they impacted their lives.
Beatris Espericueta Sanders
Born in 1957 in Weslaco, a town in the southern tip of Texas, Frances Espericueta was one of nine children. Her parents were immigrants and she grew up “happily with her siblings and family working in the fields, following the change of harvest throughout the United States,” said her daughter, Beatris Espericueta Sanders.
While working manual labor, clipping grapes from the vine, Frances met her now husband of 47 years, who was the second oldest of 12 children. The couple married, had five children, and started their own journey of becoming stewards of the land, farming their own crops and raising a family.
“My mother instilled in me the value and authenticity of her upbringing; her work ethic and selfless outlook on life,” Beatris said. “To this day, she continues to work hard beside my father to provide support and love for her children and grandchildren.
“She often reflects on her humble beginnings, in awe of God’s blessings throughout her life, so thankful for every single day,” Beatris said. “She stays faithful to her Creator and is an example to all who know her of what is still good in this world.”
Beatris Espericueta Sanders is president of Adventist Health Bakersfield’s Philanthropy Foundation.
Lynnette Zelezny
Sheila Woods Clemmer was born in 1936 in London, England. As a child, she survived the London Blitz, during World War II. Her father was in the Royal Navy and often away during the war.
“A young war bride, she married my father, an American pilot, in England. She and her
family immigrated to the U.S.,” recalled her daughter, Lynnette Zelezny. “I am the first born in my family of three siblings.
“While raising children, my mother, a nontraditional college student, earned her community college degree and then a bachelor and master’s degree from the University
of Texas. She became a rehabilitation counselor and loved working. She only recently retired.”
She remembers most her mother’s passion for education and extraordinary pride in being an American citizen.
“She modeled strength, the spirit of adventure and the value of life-long learning.”
Dr. Lynnette Zelezny is president of California State University, Bakersfield.
Susan Gill
Leatrice Joy Pace was born in 1923 in Wenatchee, Wash., and given a first name that her daughter, Susan Gill, said she always hated. So, she went by Joy. Her father was a big movie fan and named all his daughters after movie stars — Thelma, after Thelma Todd; Norma, after Norma Talmadge; and Leatrice Joy, after Leatrice Joy.
Shortly before Joy’s birth, the family left Kentucky, where they had lived for generations, and moved to Washington. A carpenter and farmer, who also worked in lumber mills, Susan’s grandfather built every home the family lived in, while her grandmother took care of their growing family.
Joy was a tomboy. She was also smart as a
whip. She loved English grammar, which she imparted to her daughters. She was the valedictorian of her high school class in 1941.
With the advent of World War II, she dazzled many soldier boys who came to the area. Joy went to business college and became a legal secretary in the county prosecutor’s office. Although offered opportunities to go to law school, she decided to keep earning money as a legal secretary.
She married a man who promised to take her to California. They moved to Sacramento, where she went to work for the state as a secretary. A deejay, her husband eventually took a job in Bakersfield and introduced her to the station’s lawyer, Barney Gill, who hired her.
This was definitely not love at first sight, her daughter recalled. Both were married to other people and Joy did not much like “Mr. Gill,” who she called a terrible boss. He thought she was a fabulous legal secretary.
When their marriages ended, Joy first enjoyed the life of a single woman; however, Barney kept chasing away her suitors. The couple married in 1956 and she became a stepmother to his two children, David and Marilyn.
Barney dabbled in politics, with Joy by his side. In 1971, the couple took over the Office Bar and it became one of the hottest restaurants in downtown. But balancing being a prominent lawyer and great restauranteur was difficult. The restaurant business was fun, but it was short-lived.
Joy continued working as a legal secretary, later designated as a paralegal, for Barney, until he died in 1990. She was one of the most knowledgeable probate people in town.
“Joy was the mother of two children, my sister, Chris, who was born in 1962, and me. She was a wonderful mother and later was a wonderful grandmother to our children,” Susan recalled.
“She loved the law as much as my father did. And she loved my sister and me more than anything in the world — until we had children. She was a fun grandmother, who doted on her grandchildren.
“She taught me to love the English language and to be a stickler for good grammar and punctuation. She and my father were equals and partners in every respect, as my husband and I are, now. By watching her I knew I could have a career and be a good mother, and that was important as one’s career is, being a mother is far more important. She made me believe it is cool to be smart. And, she taught me not to take myself or life too seriously.”