Frances Hughes

Shared by Mom (Nancy Powell):

"Frances died from asthma when she was 42. Interestingly, she had it since she was a small child and in the 1930s the doctor told her mother to have her smoke clove cigarettes, starting at about age 5! Apparently it was the belief then that it would cure asthma. Of course, money was scarce in the 30's, so it was a sacrifice to buy the cigarettes, but they did, probably forsaking milk or something, and thus my aunt and my mother got hooked on smoking at a very young age, continued through adulthood, thus passing it on to my brother and sister and me, as well as my cousins. I believe she was still smoking at the time of her death. Of course, in the 50's and 60's, smoking was the epitome of sophistication."