Laura Belle Davidson, 90
DOVER, Del. - Laura Belle Davidson passed away on Thursday, August 12, 2021. Laura was born on September 4, 1930, to Gilbert and Ethel Downs. Laura grew up with her older brother and sister on the family farm during the Great Depression. She worked very hard along with her parents and siblings to help operate the farm. The farmhouse had only one electric light bulb in the kitchen. Laura would tell stories of her father driving them across the farm during the winter in a horse drawn sleigh. The snow would sometimes be up to her father's waist. Laura shared a bedroom with her sister Mary Hester, and both have recalled times when the bedroom would get so cold they could see their breath. The only sources of heat in the old farmhouse were a fireplace in the living room and a wood stove in the kitchen for cooking. In the mornings Ethel Downs would send the family dog, Skippy, running upstairs to wake the kids.
In the summertime Laura would do her part working on the farm. She would help her mother with lunch and dinner for the men working the fields. Both lunch and dinner were full course meals with cooked meat, potatoes, bread, multiple side dishes of vegetables, pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, and cakes for dessert. All of which were freshly prepared every day. Laura would clean chickens as needed for meals. She never failed to mention the pin feathers of the chickens that would prick her fingers and make them bleed. If you asked her the best way to cook a squirrel, she would tell you it's just like you would make fried chicken.
Laura said she never felt the effects of the depression due to living on a farm and always having enough to eat.
After Laura married and left the farm she settled in Smyrna, Delaware. While raising her two children she worked as a waitress overnights at a diner and took care of her children during the day. She said she didn't recall sleeping much during those years. In the early 1960s she took a job in Dover, Delaware working in a law firm as a paralegal. She worked for the law firm for the next 40 plus years, finally retiring in 2005 at the age of 75. Her life was embodied by those of the Greatest Generation. She exemplified personal responsibility, humility, and hard work. She died as she lived, without complaint and with dignity.
In addition to her parents; Laura was preceded in death by her son, Robert G. Davidson Jr.; her brother, G. Francis Downs; and her sister, Mary Hester Ford.
Laura is survived by her daughter, Deborah Thierwechter; her grandson, Larry A. Lavender, Jr. and his wife Jennifer; and her sister-in-law, Patricia Downs of Middletown, Del.
A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 11 a.m. at the Bryn Zion Cemetery, located on Rt 300, West of Smyrna across from Faith Baptist Church, which is located at 1575 Bryn Zion Rd., Smyrna, Delaware. Due to the recent spread of the new virus strain, masks and social distancing are strongly encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church of Dover, 209 S. State Street, Dover, DE 19901.
Condolences may be sent by visiting www.fariesfuneralhome.com