Doris Mouser was a gold mine of historic information about the little community of Hematite, and she loved to share what she knew with others.
“She never lived anyplace but Jefferson County, and she was proud of that fact,” said her daughter, Janet Leitterman, 65. “She left a legacy of information for her family and friends to treasure forever.”
Mrs. Mouser died Dec. 29 at age 90 of complications from breast cancer.
She grew up in Hematite’s close-knit community, getting baptized in Joachim Creek and graduating from the local elementary school.
“She watched her parents be frugal, and learned from their ways,” Janet said. “They never wasted anything. Clothing was made from feed sacks and handed down from one child to another, then cut into pieces to be made into quilts or rag rugs. Her dad raised a huge garden which he shared with everyone.”
She learned other skills as well.
“Her mom cared for the sick in the community, so she learned those skills and cared for many herself over the years,” Janet said. “Her mom was a great cook and she learned cooking, preserving and canning from her.”
Young Doris began learning embroidery at age 9, and completed her last project just months before her death.
“She shared her needlework with family and friends,” Janet said. “Pillowcases, scarves, pictures were freely given to whoever admired or wanted her work.”
Most family activities centered around school or church.
“There were bazaars, peanut stabs, weddings, funerals and other things, all organized and run by the ladies of the community,” Janet said.
Doris’ father introduced her to her future husband when she was only 14.
“He came home and said, ‘Doll, I found you the perfect husband. His name is Clyde and he works on the farm down the road,’” Janet said. “It was love at first sight for them both.”
They were married at the courthouse shortly before her 17th birthday, with their mothers standing as witnesses, beginning a nearly 64-year journey of wedded bliss.
“They grew up together, really,” their daughter said.
The couple had three children in 16 years. Mrs. Mouser was a full-time homemaker, and the family was active in the Hematite Christian Church.
“The school didn’t have a nurse,” Janet said. “So, if someone got hurt, the teachers would send them to our house a block or so away, and my mother would take care of them.”
She offered first aid for clothing as well as bodies.
“If their clothes were torn or dirty, she would give them an outfit of mine or my brothers’ and keep theirs to wash,” Janet said. “I would take theirs back to school the next day, but mine somehow never came back. I didn’t like that part, but that was just the way things were.”
That generosity was typical of Mrs. Mouser.
“If you complimented her on something in our home, it would most likely go home with you,” Janet said with a laugh. “We didn’t have much, but she sure knew how to share.”
Mrs. Mouser loved scrapbooking, with her community as her focus.
“She started her first one in 1936,” Janet said. “She’d cut out things from the paper, a lot about PPG, schools and churches. She had a whole box full of nothing but funeral cards. She was a great source when you were trying to remember who died when. That was kind of her thing.”
When the Hematite School closed in the early 1970s, she was entrusted with the records, including grade books, and would display them at annual reunions.
Mrs. Mouser also was a longtime poll worker.
“I think it was more of a social thing than anything to do with politics, honestly,” Janet said. “She got to visit with people she might not see at school or church. They’d bring food and have a big potluck. It was a big social event.”
Widowed in 2007, Mrs. Mouser began to slow down somewhat, especially following a heart attack in 2011. She went – reluctantly – to live at Crystal Oaks Assisted Living in early 2012.
“She wasn’t happy about the idea at first,” her daughter said. “But I told her, ‘Think of this as retirement. You don’t have to cook or clean, you don’t have to worry about upkeep on the house.’
“And, you know, she just embraced it, all the activities. She was such a social person, and she just blossomed. She loved her life there.”
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, Mrs. Mouser underwent surgery but elected not to have chemotherapy or radiation. The cancer recurred in September, and she went downhill quickly.
“One of my brothers or I was with her 24/7 from Dec. 12,” Janet said. “We spent a lot of time talking about life, telling her we loved her. She said, ‘I miss my husband. I’m ready to go.’ She said she knew she would be in a good place.”
Janet said she tries to follow her mother’s example when it comes to living a full and happy life.
“She put others first, was always respectful and kind and worked hard to help others any way she could,” Janet said. “If we all lived our lives the way she did, the world would be better.”
“Life Story,” posted each Saturday on Leader Publications’ website, focuses on one individual’s impact on his or her community.