Oral history transcript with Aster Palmer, daughter of Lillian Fletcher (p 1 of 2)
Item Information
- Title:
- Oral history transcript with Aster Palmer, daughter of Lillian Fletcher (p 1 of 2)
- Description:
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My great-grandmother , Lillian Fletcher was born May 7, 1864. She was one of 9 children of Amos and Clarisa Fletcher of Nashua, New Hampshire . She was a student and then teacher at the Perkins Institute . In 1890, Lillian traveled to Hawaii and South Dakota to teach . She married Myron Moore, settling in Seaside Oregon, where she died July 12, 1932.On April 16, 1982, I recorded an interview of my grandmother, Aster Palmer . Aster was the daughter of Lillian Fletcher. This is a transcription of the portion of the interview about her mother Lillian Fletcher and the Perkins Institute.Aster : My mother [Lillian Fletcher] had , to me, a very interesting life. When she was a young girl, she had cataracts . And in those days they didn't remove cataracts as easily as they do now . My mother and her parents lived in Nashua, just out of Boston. So, when my mother was six years old, my grandmother [Clarisa Fletcher] took her into Boston to an eye specialist to see about her eyes. The doctor examined her and said that anything that he would do would disfigure the looks of eyes . As it was her eyes looked alright. So while she was in the doctor's office some young intern said, "Madam, may I look at the little girl's eyes. Of course, grandmother said, "Yes." He looked at her eyes and he said, "Oh, I'm sure this operation could be performed very easily . " Of course grandmother had just had my mother in to see the specialist and she wasn't going to be influenced by anything a young intern would say. However, the interesting thing, to me, is that my mother was only six years old at that time and she remembered that doctor's name . Later on, when she went to school...she went to school in the little country school-house and the children always wanted to read her history lessons and English lessons, because they can go out in the shed and read those to "Lily."Howard: Your mother couldn't read at all?Aster: My mother couldn't read at all, no. However, when she was older, ready for High School, they sent her into Perkins Institute for the Blind , which is located in Boston . It's still there. I visited it. She was sent to the school there. While she was there, she hunted up this doctor's name, who had been this young intern when she was only six. To me, the interesting part is, that she, as a six-year-old child , remembered this doctor's name . She went to see him and he wanted to operate on her eyes. Well , Dr. Magnus [spelling?], who was head of the school, he would not approve of her going and having it done without her parents' consent. She went anyway . She was kind of ornery that way and so am I. She went to see the doctor.. .looked the doctor up and he arranged for her to be hospitalized at the Catholic Hospital there in Boston. The first operation was not a success!Howard: What do you mean, not a success? Aster: Well, she couldn't see.
- Name on Item:
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Aster Palmer ; Howard Hickman III
- Date:
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1982
- Format:
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Documents
- Genre:
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oral transcript
- Location:
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Perkins School for the Blind
Samuel P. Hayes Research Library - Collection (local):
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Students with Deafblindness at the Perkins School for the Blind
- Subjects:
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Deafblind people
Special education
Teachers of deafblind people
Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind
- Extent:
- 1 manuscript
- Permalink:
- https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/mk61sk507
- Terms of Use:
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Samuel P. Hayes Research Library, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA
Contact host institution for more information.
- Notes:
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Transcript of a portion of an oral history with Aster Palmer, daughter of Lillian Fletcher, conducted by Howard Hickman III, on April 16, 1982. Topics include the early life of Lillian Fletcher, her education at Perkins including life in the cottages, and her position as instructor for Edith Thomas, a pupil with Deafblindness at Perkins. Page 1 of 2.
- Notes (acquisition):
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From the collection of Howard Hickman III, donated 2005
- Accession #:
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Fletcher001
