I have always admired the older generation. Especially those who lived through The Great Depression. Their survival often depended on meeting extreme challenges head-on and finding workable solutions to immediate concerns. They learned to be tough.
My longtime friend, Cathryn Stroud, known as Gigi to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, is one of those amazing seniors. She recently surprised friends and family with her quick thinking, fast reflexes and superior skill when she discovered a slithery intruder inside her home, armed with fangs, venom and a noisy rattle.
You should also know that Cathryn is 93 years of age. She lives alone in a rural area around Coupland, and she is partially blind.
As soon as I heard there had been an incident with a rattlesnake inside her home, I couldn’t wait to talk to her and find out exactly what happened. As you might guess, the full story is incredibly amazing.
A few weeks ago, Cathryn’s four dogs began barking at something in her bedroom. Her daughter just happened to be visiting at the time and went to check on the situation. After alerting her mother to the fact that a venomous snake had found its way inside the house, Cathryn very calmly walked into the bedroom to tend to the matter.
“The dogs would jump at it and then jump back,” Cathryn said. “While they had it occupied, I was able to get close enough to step on its head really hard.”
Cathryn said she could feel the bones crushing under her foot, and although the reptile was still alive and moving, she could tell it had been seriously disabled by the forceful stomp.
“We got the dogs out of there, and after I was sure it wasn’t going to jump up at me, I lifted my foot and kicked it closer to the door,” Cathryn said.
That door just happened to be where a heavy cast-iron teapot was being used as a doorstop. Cathryn picked up the teapot and proceeded to completely neutralize the threat.
At this point, I am in shock at how this 93-year-old eliminated a serious danger in her home so quickly and efficiently.
When asked about the size of the snake, she replied, “It wasn’t that long, probably less than 2 feet, although I never saw it stretched out.”
And then, as if this venomous snake extermination was no big deal, she said, “I’ve killed much bigger than that.”
Locals may remember Cathryn from the 16 years she worked at Taylor’s Head Start program.
“I cooked for all the kids and staff,” Cathryn recalled. “I bought all the groceries and did all the paperwork. I was the only cook and had help from volunteers.”
She called the job rewarding, and described then-director Sonora Ross as a remarkable woman.
“I could not have done her job,” Cathryn said. “She was so understanding, even with some of the difficult situations she had to deal with.”
Cathryn and her husband, O.G., and their six kids left California in 1970 and moved to McDade. O.G. passed away not long after arriving back in his home state, and Cathryn later moved to the Coupland area.
Growing up on a farm in California during The Great Depression and during World War II, Cathryn’s family produced most of their own food. She learned the value of hard work at a young age, rising early to take care of chores.
Her family grew large quantities of potatoes, storing them in a cellar to have until the next year’s crop was ready to harvest. They also kept between 200 and 300 chickens and sold the eggs during a time when many families couldn’t afford much else to eat.
Cathryn’s father farmed the land with mules, and people would sometimes hire him and his mule team to build what was known as a sump on their land. Digging a sump in California was like digging a pond in Texas. With plentiful oil wells in the area, a sump would hold crude oil until it could be taken to local refineries.
After graduating from Wasco High School in 1950, Cathryn entered a training program for nurses at a local hospital. The course ended abruptly when an earthquake caused most of the hospital to collapse.
In moving to Texas, Cathryn traded earthquakes for tornadoes, walnuts (which she still prefers) for pecans and an almost snake-free environment for a rural area plentiful with rattlesnakes. During her entire time in California, she only remembers seeing one harmless snake out in the garden.
Today, Cathryn enjoys spending time with her children, 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, several of whom have remained in Taylor.
“My favorite memories at Gigi’s are the tea parties we would have,” said granddaughter Samantha Chicas. “She would always give me extra sugar cubes to eat, and she would always jump rope with us.”
When asked about the recent rattlesnake incident, Cathryn is quick to warn any children who may be listening to never approach a snake, but to always inform an adult so that adult can decide what to do.
I have always known Cathryn to be a kind and caring individual. Now I also know just how tough she can be when needed.
Final score: Cathryn 1, Rattlesnake 0.
Join me here in a couple of weeks as we explore another tale from Taylor. Until then, be proud of where you’re from.
Crow is a longtime Taylor resident and retired from the Taylor Independent School District after 40 years of service. For a topic or suggestion, reach out to Crow via emily.treadway@ granitemediapartners. com.
