From Pigtails and Pinafores

About the Book

Born May 30, 1931, in a little town called Bagdad, Florida, in Santa Rosa County, Elsie Underwood Smith came from humble beginnings. Her father was a carpenter and her mother was a seamstress. In From Pigtails and Pinafores, author Elizabeth Hawkins helps tell her mother’s life story. Offering a mix of humor, history, and heart, this memoir narrates anecdotes about a young girl growing up in the Florida Gulf during 1930s Depression era and 1940s war era. It details how Elsie was surrounded by family, love, caring, and sharing. She discusses her experiences living with a number of relatives for the first ten years of her life and then with her strict and domineering father until she turned eighteen. From Pigtails and Pinafores describes Elsie’s humorous and real-life adventures and the mischief that often came her way. With photos and family trees included, this collection of stories shares one family’s treasured history and legacy.

About the Author

Elizabeth Hawkins earned an associate’s degree from Strayer University, Washington, DC, attended Prince George’s Community College, Largo, Maryland, and pursuing an undergraduate degree at Trinity University in Washington, DC. Hawkins began her federal government career in 1984 and is an Equal Employment Specialist. She and her husband, Charles, live in Prince George’s County, Maryland.