Katrina's Lives Lost:	Clementine Eleby, 1926-2005
Submitted By: 		N.O.V.A December 2005
Source:			Times Picayune 11-25-2005

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Clementine Eleby had one son, eight daughters, 34 grandchildren and 50 great
grandchildren, and every one of them was taught to live by the Golden Rule.

"She told us, 'You will never have a problem if you treat people the way you
want to be treated,' " said Earline Coleman, one of Eleby's daughters.

"Even if someone did you wrong, you should still be nice to them and speak
to them, just handle them with a long-handle spoon," said Dorothy Beal, the
second oldest, recalling her mother's advice.

Clementine Yarbar was born in north Louisiana, in Lake Providence, where she
met Griffin Eleby Sr., a truck driver she married when she was 16 and he was
20.

She was in her 20s when their first child was born, and then there was
another -- and one time two -- every couple of years.

"We didn't know we were as poor as we were," said Ethel Jackson, the oldest.
"No matter what we had, my mother believed in sharing. And she taught us to
respect everyone."

Clementine's family was her full time job, whether they lived in the Desire
Housing Development, the 9th Ward or Uptown. One simple childhood chore
became a Saturday morning ritual.

"She would start washing hair," Coleman said. "She would sit eight of us
girls down in front of cartoons. She would get out the curling iron, then
the pullers to straighten our hair even more. Then she would start the
ponytails and made the bows. She would go down the line, from the smallest
girls to the oldest. Then you were set to go."

Every morning, there were grits and eggs. At midday, she cooked a hot lunch.
And she was there after school, usually ironing while pots simmered with
dinner -- mustard greens, fresh beans, hogshead cheese. "And cornbread,"
said Griffin Jr., the second to youngest and only son. "She made everything
from scratch."

Music was a big part of family life. The Eleby children grew up down the
street from Fats Domino's house; they would often gather at the gate and
listen. Eleven years ago, shortly after a stroke that left her in a
wheelchair unable to speak, Eleby attended a B.B. King concert at Lakefront
Arena.

"She loved the blues," said Coleman, who recalled that Al Green was also on
stage and made his way down to shake some hands.

"My Mom would not let go of him," Coleman said, laughing. "He had to dance
himself away."

In recent years, Clementine lived in eastern New Orleans with middle
daughter Barbara Lee, who was able to get her away from rising floodwaters
and across town to the Convention Center.

"She'd tell us, 'Baby' -- she called all of us 'Baby' -- 'things are going
to be all right,' " Lee said. "And I said, 'Mom, we're going to make it,
Baby.' "

Clementine Eleby died at the Convention Center about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday,
Sept. 1. After weeks of waiting for her remains to be released from the
morgue at St. Gabriel, she finally was buried Oct. 29.

"When I hear one of my children say, 'Grandma told me this,' " Coleman said,
"I know she's still here."