My Mom - Kitty Urie

Visitor Number Hit Counter since January 10, 2009

(Note: All Visitor Counters were reset in January 2009.)


My mother was Kitty Urie. Her real name was Ella Nora Thomas Urie, but everyone called her Kitty. She actually got the nickname when she was a new baby. They said she looked just like her great grandmother Catherine "Kitty" Ricets Thomas, who had been born in Baden, Germany. So the nickname stuck and everyone always knew her as Kitty Urie.


Mom's baby photo, summer of 1925
Mom at a young age in Chestertown
She was born May 2, 1925, second daughter of Louis Lucien Thomas and Ivy Mae Simns Thomas in Rock Hall, Md. She had difficulty speaking until after she was in grade school, spoke "dutch" or a gibberish, that only her big sister, Clara, could understand. She also suffered from severe headaches even as a child, causing her to be ill quite often. They didn't think she would live to adulthood. When she was about to marry my father, Donald Urie, her father went to him and said she may not live long and that he should take that into consideration.
Mom on right as child with Aunt Clara on left
Aunt Clara on the left, Mom on the right.		 Mom is in the center front as a child
Mom is the center front as a child
But World War II was in full swing, so they married and Dad was off with the troops in Europe soon thereafter. Mom had just turned 17 years of age, one month before they married.

teenage photos coming soon

For awhile Mom stayed in Baltimore with her Aunt Anna Simns LeCompte, her mother's sister. While Dad was in training to be a medic, Mom rented a room in the Jensen home in Elgin, Texas, about 30 miles from Austin. These kind folks became my Uncle Ralph and Aunt Helen, when I met them at the age of 3 and again at the age of 6. (Aunt Helen died a few years later and Uncle Ralph remarried, but these details will be on another page). This page is for my mom.

texas photos coming soon

Mom's family was always very important to her. She had two sisters and one brother. These are some older photos of Mom with her brother and sisters.


Mom and sister Clara, year unknown
Mom with brother Billy in 1941

Mom with youngest sister, Barbara
Mom with brother Billy
Mom tinted these photos herself

Mom with sister Clara at Ocean City, Md, 1941
Sisters, Clara, Barbara, brother Billy
and father "Lute" 1941 in O.C., Md
Mom was very artistic. She could draw and was really good at oils. I have tried to locate some of her paintings over the years and thanks to Dad & Dorothy, have managed to get a couple of them, which I have shared with my brother, Kevin Urie. (You can read more about Dad & Dorothy, my new mom, on their pages).

Since I worked on this page, my Mom's older sister, (Aunt Clara, pictured in some of the photos above) passed away. My cousins Joanna and Lou Ann gave me some things to remember her by and among them was a couple of Mom's paintings and a portrait of Mom that was painted by a friend, Kitty Hammond. There will be photos on a special page of Mom's paintings which I am currently working on and will post a link here later. I apologize for the crooked photo, which is my bad, not the portraits. I need to have Jim take the picture because I always do them crooked.


My cousin's Joanna's son, Gregg did a whole CD of photos of Aunt Clara's life, including all the known photos of her childhood up through her last years and including the funeral. At a later date, I will post some more photos from Gregg's CD with a link here. He did a wonderful job and the photos are so beautiful. They really bring back some bittersweet memories for me. And Gregg, if you read this, I want you to know how much I appreciate the CD of photos. It was nicely done! Aunt Clara would be very proud of it and you!!! Which I'm sure she was of you and Melissa anyway!!!

Mom was very active in the children's divisions at the Chestertown Seventh-day Adventist Church, and she had a beautiful alto voice. Mom, Dad & I did some singing around at local churches the last couple years of her life. She encouraged me in my music, my many collections, hobbies and interests and always towards church activities. During the years that our church did not have a Pathfinder's Club, she continued working with me so that I could still earn the Honors that were available. I earned many of my nature honors and continued earning them after I had children of my own, eventually earning my Master Guide. (See Religion Page for more information). One memory that stands out in my mind is when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Hot, hazy summer days, Mom would take time out of her busy day, would put my baby brother in our car, and drive around the country roads so that I could collect my flowers, leaves, seeds, butterflies, insects, rocks and more to earn all those honors. Once every week she would take me to a nearby larger town, Sudlersville, so I could get some books from the library to read.
Mom and Me circa 1964
Mom and me, probably ca 1964		 Mom and Girlie circa 1964
Mom in front yard with Girlie ca 1964
Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in spring of 1963 and had a mastectomy. Three months later she endured a total hysterectomy. Fifteen months after that, we buried her at Wesley Chapel Cemetery. She was 40 years old. She actually died of an aneurysm in the center of her brain, supposedly, born with it. I believe it was due to the surgeries since her headaches were much worse afterwards. She was survived by her husband, Donald Urie; children, Kay Urie, age 14, Kevin Urie, age 3, her parents, Louis Lucien Thomas and Ivy Mae Simns; sister, Clara Thomas Liers; sister, Barbara Thomas Starkey; brother, Bill Thomas; and nine nieces and nephews. She was a great lady, a wonderful mom. A large part of me died that awful night, October 29, 1965. I miss her so much.



There are so many memories that I have of her and I would like to write them all down. It's hard for me to do, but I feel it's important for my brother and his children and my own children to at least know some things about her. But the memories I have are all so bittersweet because I still miss her so much. I will try to add more to this page as time goes by, but it's just too difficult right now for me to continue.
Webpages designed by:
Copyright  ©  2003 Kay Price