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| Program Card |
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| Inside of Program Card |
I wrote about Zara in a prior post Zara Frances Cully Brown, but wanted to share her actual program. I was 10 years old when I went to her funeral. Below, I am posting the last performance that my Aunt Zara was playing as Mother Jefferson.
Every Christmas my mother Betty Mae Porter would draft an End of the Year Letter and send to all her friends and family. Every year I looked forward to seeing what she would write about, and even more interested to see what she would say about me. I miss those days, as my mother is no longer with us….I tried to pick up the tradition, but have not been very consistent. Maybe now that I am doing more writing, I can pick up the Family Tradition.
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| Porter Family Christmas Letter of 1978 |
Dear Friends and Relatives,
Here I go again on Christmas Letter #? (I’ve lost count.) It’s great to be alive and well and able to correspond with you once again.
We lost Aunt Zara this year. (She was “Mother Jefferson” on the T.V. “Jeffersons” show). She was my mother’s sister. We miss her very much! With my family dwindling, those who remain become even more precious. I do try to keep in touch with Polly and John Buggs and with their daughter Zaragale and her dear little family. I hardly ever hear from the other relatives, although we did gather together on the day of the funeral. I am honored to have some of Auntie’s beautiful furniture in my home. It is not only lovely but has great sentimental value for me.
Wally’s doing just great! He has the same title-Director of the San Diego Community Colleges Skills Center-but more responsibility now-as the Skills Center has been made an independent branch of the Adult Division. To this extent it is a promotion, and we are delighted!
I love teaching in La Jolla. This is my second year, and I’m going strong. This is my eighth year with the M.G.M. (“Mentally Gifted Minor”) Program. It’s both challenging and interesting. I have a third-fourth grade combination. The children are sweet, and their parents are supportive.
Yvette is in the fifth grade. She attends one of our “Fundamental” schools. They stress the basic subjects. Wally drives her to school, and she walks to the sitter’s afterwards. She has a great time playing with the sitter’s girls and some of their neighbors. She also thoroughly enjoys being a Girl Scout. With the latter group she attended camp this summer, and recently she did a fine job enacting “Uncle Sam” in their Christmas play performed at school.
Marshall attends Jr. High School. He is in the seventh grade and is, frankly, in shock! It’s so different from the cozy little neighborhood elementary school he attended! On top of that, he’s shooting up so fast physically. He just turned twelve in October, and he’s five feet, five and one-half inches tall! We’re trying to help him adjust to all this. It isn’t easy, however, to keep in touch with six different teachers, though. I’m considering private school, but they mostly have waiting lists, since Proposition 13 passed. He has a pleasant disposition and is helpful around the house.
We had a joyous Thanksgiving! State Senator Bill Greene (Yvette’s Godfather) came with his wife, my buddy, Yvonne and his two lovely young daughters. We had a great time with each other and the other fun guests. We’re going to the Rose Bowl game. That should be fun!! STAY WELL.
Love, Walter, Betty, Marshall, Yvette, Butsie (Dog), by Betty
P.S. Instead of taking a summer trip, we installed a swimming pool. It is so much fun, and the kids are ecstatic!
We have African Art in the San Diego Art Museum now! Wally and I helped in this effort.
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| Add on Note to Christmas Letter for Particular Individuals |
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| My Daughter Tori and I placing flowers on Wendell Culley’s unmarked Grave |
Summer of 2010, My daughter and I went to locate my Great Uncle Wendell Phillip Culley’s grave and headstone. Wendell was born January 8, 1906-May 8, 1983. Wendell was a jazz musician from Worcester, MA and played trumpet for Sissle Noble, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and played on over 200 recordings for many other singers and musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn. Wendell was one of Zara Cully Brown’s from the “Jefferson’s” younger brothers. Much to my surprise there was no headstone. There will be some family efforts to get Wendell a marker on his Grave. Our loved one’s should never be forgotten.
Location of Grave:
Rose Hills Memorial Park
Whittier
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: Garden of Affection, Sec 9, Lot 3149 Grave 4
Zara Cully Brown, listed are her husband and two of her children.
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| Photo by Scott Michaels |
Location of Gravesite: Photos from Findagrave.com
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: Freedom Mausoleum, Columbarium of Victory
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| Photo by A.J. Marik: Zara Cully Brown’s wall nitch |
© Yvette Porter Moore-All Rights Reserved
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| Zara Frances Cully (Copyright Protected, Not to be used without permission) |
I was asked recently if I had a younger picture of Zara Cully Brown. So I have decided to post a few of her pictures. I am pretty sure Zara’s Great Grandson has some pictures of her, and will make a request and post at a later date.
Zara F. Cully was my Grandmother’s, Agnes Cully Peters oldest sister. Aunt Zara was born February 26, 1892 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her parents were Nora Ann Gilliam and Ambrose E. Cully, who were born and raised in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, and in 1890 relocated to Worcester, MA. Zara’s mother gave birth to numerous children. The number has been told through the years to be about 21 children, but as of date, I am only able to document twelve, as some of her children died in childbirth, through miscarriage or at a very young age. Aunt Zara died February 28, 1978.
Aunt Zara and my Aunt Hannah both married a set of Brown brothers. Zara married James M. Brown, Sr (Daddy J) and with their union they had four children, and one died in childbirth. Their children were: James M., Jr., Mary Gale (Polly), and Emerson, whom are all deceased.
Here are the other two Photo’s in my Collection:
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| Aunt Zara’s Press Photo Copyright Protected, Not to be used without permission. |
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| Aunt Zara with my Dad’s mother Helen (Bunn) Porter Thompson in my parent’s living room. Copyright Protected, Not to used without permission. |
I remember Aunt Zara very well, even though I was ten years old when she died. I remember how my mom would get excited when she would call us on the phone. My mother would put me on the phone to talk to her, and Aunt Zara would always ask me how I was doing in school, and if I was enjoying my extra-curricular activities. She would let me go after she told me she loved me.
I attended Aunt Zara’s funeral, (I was 10yrs old) and I was amazed by the many people that came to her funeral. The cast from the “Jefferson’s” were in attendance, and I had the opportunity to meet them during the Repast. My favorite cast member at that time was Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict). He kept me and all my little cousins running around laughing.
I will always remember my Aunt Zara as a wonderful woman. She was very kind to me and our family. Let me tell you one thing that might be a little trivia…My Aunt Zara on the “Jefferson’s” loved Bloody-Mary’s….Well in real life she really did! That was her drink of choice! So, I know that Zara has her Bloody-Mary in heaven while my mother is drinking her Martini’s.
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| Zara Gale Buggs Taylor March 28, 1946-Nov 19, 2005 [My 1st Cousin, 1x Removed & Grand-Daughter of Zara Frances Cully Brown, from the sitcom, “The Jefferson’s.” |
Copyright
The material, both written and photographic on these pages is the copyright of Yvette Porter Moore unless stated. Material on this site may be used for personal reference only. If you wish to use any of the material on this site for other means, please seek the written permission of Yvette Porter Moore
© 2010-2011
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| Betty Peters-1929 Photo by D’Laigle |
Currently I am researching the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, and will raise-the-bar of my research by visiting New York this June 2010. My daughter Vanessa will go with me, as she is my official photographer and will document our footprints. We will be staying in a local Bed & Breakfast which is located two blocks from the actual Apartments my mother lived. This will allow me to walk the streets my mother walked and breathe in the culture of Harlem that my mother knew so well.
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| Betty Mae Peters, 16 yrs old |
When I was a little girl, my mother recorded her life stories of New York and the background of her family history on tape. She would tell me that she was writing a book, but never got around to finishing her project. This is why I feel the strong need to finish her book, even though there is so much that has been taken with her in death. For this very reason, we should never put off what we can do today.
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| Marian Anderson and My Grandmother Agnes Cully Peters. My Grandmother was her personal fashion designer |
My Great Aunt Zara Cully Brown
While in Los Angeles, Betty received her CA teaching credential from Los Angeles State College, and attended Pepperdine University, where she received her Master of Arts degree in Multicultural Education. Betty became very popular and active in the social and political circles of the Los Angeles Community. Betty taught at Rosewood Elementary School and later founded the Friendship Guild where she was president. This was an elite organization of women who remained as Betty’s dearest friends throughout her life.
Digging Roots: My Family History 