Memories of Carolyn "Casey" Black Underwood

In memory of

Carolyn "Casey" Black Underwood

Fallbrook, CA, USA

August 16, 1931 - November 17, 2020

Aug 16, 1931 - Nov 17, 2020

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American Heart Association

The American Heart Association wishes to express its condolences to the family of Carolyn Underwood on her passing. We truly appreciate the charitable bequest Roger and Carolyn left our organization in their trust. It is because of individuals like the Underwoods that we are able to continue in our mission of being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Thank you.

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Julie Adams Conde

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$130.00

Raised by 4 people

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Jan Swin

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Ron Drake

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Ron Drake

In fond remembrance of my mother-in-law Casey, I am honored to share a few things about Casey's life that she shared with me through the years. I enjoyed hearing about her life and family history which I have summarized.

Casey was a member of the Black family which settled in Slieghuireland, Connecticut. Her grandfather was a farmer in the area where the Black family descendants still reside. Casey's father Ira, the twin brother of sister Ida, was born in Watertown, Connecticut in 1891. He graduated from Watertown high school and was accepted at Yale but went to stay with his uncle in Los Angeles who was a lawyer so Ira could attend law school at USC. He joined ROTC followed by Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army (Infantry) during WW 1. One of Ira's duty assignments was at Ft Niagara, NY where he met his wife, Louise Woolfolk, whose father was in Niagara for the summer selling fruit from Orlando, Florida with America Fruit Growers. Ira (33) and Louise (6 years younger) were married in Niagara Falls, NY in 1925. Louise's mother was Hattie Woodroof and the Woodruff name was passed along to the children.

Ira and Louise lead a military life, moving every 3 years or so transferring to different stations and assignments as they raised a family of 4 children: Bob, Nancee, Casey and Woody (Ira Woodruff Black Jr). Ira was assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco in 1931 when Louise was pregnant with Casey. The Army wouldn't pay transportation costs for Louise because she was pregnant. Louise and Ira had lost a child (David) shortly after birth following Nancee. Therefore, Louise was afraid to go to an Army hospital, so they traveled to LA where Casey's aunt Ida was a nurse to help with the childbirth. Casey was born in St Luke's catholic hospital in Los Angeles on Aug 16, 1931. Louise recuperated at Ida and Reagh Fisher's home in LA. Ira was stationed at the Presidio for four years where Woody as born at Ft Letterman hospital.

In 1935, Ira was assigned to the Philippines so the family traveled 4 weeks by boat with 3 year old Casey from San Francisco to Manilla. The family lived in Zambuango, Philippines by the Sulu Sea - Southern part of Philippines where they lived like royalty with servants, house boys and cooks who did the food shopping. They had friends with Vintas, small sail boats, and enjoyed a nice social life with frequent dinners at the Officer's Club. Casey recalled jumping from their back porch into Sulu Sea. Casey took first grade "in a box" from the Calvert system. She celebrated her 5th birthday on the boat returning to San Francisco. She attended the 2nd half of first grade in Ft Wayne, Michigan where her father was assigned. She recalled that it was really a dirty place between the Detroit rivers and factories.

Casey remembered living on post in military housing and her Dad leaving to attend summer training at Battle Creek, Michigan. Ira returned from maneuvers with a red mustache that Louise detested. Ira was transferred to West Point as the Post Exchange Officer where Casey attended 5th and 6th grades. Her mother was a "Gray Lady" Red Cross volunteer. Following West Point, Ira was assigned overseas so Casey's mother and the 4 kids went to Lexington, MA to live on the Washington Lee campus where they had a maid that helped with housework and fixed dinner and did the dishes. In Lexington, her mother joined the community Presbyterian Church, played golf and bridge and sewed a lot. They lived in Ft Meade Maryland when her Dad worked for G3. Casey remembers skipping 8th grade because she had high scores and only attended 3 years of high school before her Dad was transferred to West Hartford, Connecticut where Casey attended the Oxford school for girls (prep school for college) from which she graduated with 23 others at the age of 16. She recalled how difficult Oxford was with all French classes taught only in French.

Casey attended Sweet Briar College (an all-girls school of 450) in Virginia where she sailed through academically to receive a degree in Political Science in 1952. She rode horses for 3 years and had long hair which she curled using socks. A French beautician cut her hair short and she never grew it long again. After college she went to Washington DC and couldn't get a job because she didn't know shorthand or how to type. So she went to Baltimore Institute to learn typing and shorthand. In January 1953 she got a job with the CIA as a secretary, but she didn't like the job. One day her boss asked her if she would like to be an analyst to read documents and mark what was pertinent for records information. The CIA sent Casey to the Foreign Service Institute in Washington where she was trained as a Dutch translator and then she took a job at the Dutch desk with the CIA to track down communists that traveled in Europe. It was at the Dutch desk where she met her husband to be Roger who was a case officer at the Czech desk. Casey was scheduled to be sent to the Haig for the State Department and Roger got orders for Germany with the CIA. They both turned down those assignments and got married at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DC, in 1956. Casey recalled being in the church office one day when a nice looking man introduced himself to her – it was Billy Graham.

Casey met Eisenhower at her brother Bob's graduation from West Point. Her dad and mother knew Ike and Mame Eisenhower socially from when her Dad (Captain) worked for Major Eisenhower when they were stationed at Ft. Benning. At Bob's West Point graduation where Eisenhower was the guest speaker, her dad edged his way up to the stage and called Eisenhower "Ike" and Ike called him Ira. Her Dad introduced Casey to Eisenhower and when Ike asked her where she worked, she couldn't divulge the CIA so she said she worked for the Department of Agriculture. Her Dad never knew that she worked for the CIA. Casey's Dad went to the Hague after the war and was an officer with the allied forces Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section that recovered artwork stolen by the Nazis from the Jewish people during the war in Europe. Ira received the Order of the Orange Award from the Dutch government for his role with the "Monuments Men".

After leaving government work, Casey and Roger moved to Ravenswood, West Virginia where Roger accepted a job with Kaiser Aluminum. Casey took an office job with Victory Construction Company and was active in the Presbyterian Church where she and Roger taught a junior high youth group before Susan was born in 1957. Roger and Casey were the youngest couple working for Kaiser in the company town and their new baby got all sorts of attention from the Kaiser family. They lived in a tiny two bedroom house and, on one occasion, Roger cut off part of his finger in a lawn mower and Casey's mother came to stay with them to do everything for Roger until his finger healed.

Roger and Casey wanted to live in the country. They found a 2-acre lot for sale next to a dairy farm which was owned by the County Sheriff. Casey's aunt had left her a $1,000 savings bond and Roger borrowed $1,000 from his mother that helped them secure a $17,000 loan from the local banker who liked Roger because he grew up on a farm. They bought house plans for $7.50 from Better Homes and Gardens and built a cape cod house on the 2 acres they bought from Sheriff McCoy. They painted the house New England barn red with Cabot Paint. Susan, Dave and Sally were born at the closest hospital in nearby Gallipolis Ohio. They didn't have horses or cows but Roger had a big vegetable garden and the kids had a large sand box, swing set and a dog named Rusty. The McCoy’s had a pond they used for ice skating parties and Roger would always make a big pot of vegetable soup and mulled wine. Susan went to 1st grade while they lived in Ravenswood and Casey and another girl started a pre-school at the Episcopal Church. But the schools weren't good so Roger was able to get transferred to Kaiser's office in Oakland, CA. They sold the home they built for $24,000 and moved to California in 1965.

Casey was shocked at the California home prices and Roger didn't want to live near the other Kaiser people adjacent to Oakland, so they settled in Danville where they purchased a home for $37,500. Casey recalls that was a very high price and their cupboards were bare. She remembered being lonely in the big State of California with the hippie culture at nearby Berkeley. Shortly after they arrived on Sally's 3rd birthday, there was a welcoming earthquake that damaged a Danville restaurant. They immediately joined the Presbyterian Church to make friends and Casey got involved as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader.

Casey's mother and father were opposites. Her mother was a big spender and her father was tight. Casey's father was a military man through and through – a workaholic, retiring as a Colonel at age 60. She remembers her father was super smart, rode horseback and loved the outdoors, flowers and plants. When he was home he was a wonderful family person. He was raised strict Methodist and wouldn't drink or smoke. Casey's mother was very conservative and took charge of things. Her Dad hated her mother’s smoking so she only smoked in the kitchen. Casey's mother was a homebody and excellent cook. Casey remembered her mother making all the kids clothes because army pay wasn't great. Her mother was more social, played bridge and golf and made friends wherever she went. She liked to go places and do things and liked the finer things in life. All of her children came first. Casey recalled her mother telling her "Casey you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it and always take money with you in case your date gets drunk or something." Since then Casey could not stand having an empty wallet. Her mother was always there when she came home from school with cookies and sweets. Her mother was an encourager.
Casey was closest to her Dad probably because her parents lost a child before Casey was born.

Casey's father Ira died at 75 in a veteran's home in 1968 and her mother Louise died at 85 in 1982. They are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

With fond memories of Casey,
Ron Drake

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