March 14, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Mrs. Degroot.

Last evening, I was pondering who I have known who did not drive.   Just one generation older, my Mother could have come up with several friends who never drove.  In fact, my Mother drove earlier than most of there contemporaries.  Many other ladies thought her fast.  But for me, the only lady I knew well and had never driven was Mrs. Degroot.

Mr. and Mrs. Degroot emigrated from Holland just after they married at 20 and 22.  They settled in Harrisburg, where Mr. Degroot opened his successful architect firm.  Their five children were born  close together.  When the eldest became a teen, they decided to move to D.C., because of all the Universities.   Mr. Degroot told me, "We could never have afforded to send all five away to college and graduate school, so they moved.

They bought a house on Morrison Street in Chevy Chase, just two blocks off Connecticut Avenue.  Mrs. Degroot walked to everything she needed: bank, library, church, grocery store, drug store.  She told me that she never needed to drive either in Harrisburg or Chevy Chase.  All five children stayed at home for college and graduate school.  Their move was very cost effective.  Their son Bill was in charge of the Pulmonary Lab. in Galveston where Ken worked for 3 years.  He was the contact.

Mrs. Degroot was a lovely, old fashioned lady.  She took no part in the finances of the family.  Their system worked.  At the beginning of the month, she would tell Mr. Degroot how much money she needed that month and he gave it to her in cash.  At no time did he ever demur.  When Mr. Degroot died, the family discovered that she had never written a cheque and of course, she had never driven.

Mrs. Degroot was kind and gracious to me.  After we moved to Bethesda, I stopped by at least once a month for afternoon tea.  She was a happy lady and always felt she had much independence, even though she could not drive.  I had not thought about Mrs. Degroot for years, until I found I can no longer drive.  Something good comes from everything because both Ken and I were fond of the Degroots.  Now I have been remembering her all day....and smiling.