My Granddad, Frank, Sr., believed in the democratic process, voted in every election, and was so dedicated to the voting process that he became a certified polling booth volunteer at his local precinct, the Thelma Elementary School in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. He instructed the voters on the proper procedure of casting their ballots in every local, state, and federal election. He continued to volunteer his time to the community in this way for over twenty-five years.
But Grandmother believed in the democratic process too, and often canceled out his liberal vote by her conservative vote. This was the only sore spot in their relationship but when it came to politics, they both drew a distinct line in the sand and never wavered. Beatrice was very proud of a woman's right to vote and she exercised this God given right religiously, sometimes at the expense of her husband's peace of mind.
For instance, during the presidential election between democratic nominee, Adalai Stevenson and the republican nominee, Ike Eisenhower, you would have thought the north and the south had gotten into it all over again. Grandmother was a conservative northerner from Detroit, but oddly enough supported a southerner, Republican candidate General Ike Eisenhower! This was her conviction and she stood by her candidate.
Granddad, on the other hand, was a southern Democrat, in favor of a definite Yankee, named Adalai Stephenson. It went against their personal “grain” to be so divided over an issue because they were so appropriately matched in their personal relationship and life-long marriage of forty-two years. Some evenings their kiss goodnight was postponed until the wee hours of the morning because they would have long, passionate debates about their “man.” History shows that Grandmother put her man in office that year, for General Ike Eisenhower won the presidential election for four years. But Granddad never did stop volunteering at the voting booth, and he never, ever stopped voting his conscience. Back in those days, people saw that voting was a privilege not to be taken lightly, even at the expense of marital bliss! But their marriage was remarkably resilient and they forgave each other before they turned out the light.
