Anita Moore

Natchez High School

Class of 1965

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Anita Moore - Class of 1965 - Natchez High School

First Name	Anita
Last Name	Moore
Graduation Year	Class of 1965
Gender	Female
Hometown	Natchez, Mississippi
Relationship Status	Widowed
About Me	Here's a story that was published in Gamma Phi Beta Sorority's magazine THE CRESCENT in Fall 2008 that pretty much covers my life growing up. A Special Bond Sisters share unique childhood in Havana, Cuba by Anita Ogden Moore on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 1:00am · Bombs, firing squads and communist governments are not normal parts of an American child's life. Ellen Ogden Hefley (Louisiana State) and her older sister Anita Ogden Moore (Louisiana State) are the exceptions. As young girls in 1960, they and their parents fled Cuba in the aftermath of Fidel Castro's political coup. Their story started in 1922 when Ed Ogden moved from Mississippi to the island of Cuba to take part in the family business, an international food brokerage. He met Nancy Allen of New Orleans while she was visiting relatives in Havana in 1929. Years later they rekindled their friendship, fell in love and were married in 1936 in New Orleans. Havana then became their family home. LIFE IN CUBA Four daughters were born to the couple; the youngest was Ellen, who entered the world during a hurricane in September, 1948, earning herself the nickname, "Stormy." Ellen's memories of Cuba are still vivid after all these years. "The tropical plants and flowers, the ocean only steps away -- it was a beautiful country," she recalls. For their mother Nancy, it was the perfect place to work as a botanical artist. "I remember our mother bringing home these enormous tropical plants and putting them in the bathtub where she could draw them from life," laughs Ellen. Anita agrees. "My childhood was absolutely marvelous," she says. "I loved my school and everything about living in Cuba." The Ogdens embraced their life and grew to love Cuba. Business was good, and while the girls attended an American school, they also became fluent in Spanish. They belonged to a country club where tennis, swimming, golf, bowling, and horseback riding were offered. They celebrated Cuban holidays, enjoyed the food and music, and attended a Catholic Church as well as an Episopal Church. COMMUNIST TAKEOVER Their idyllic childhood was interrupted in January 1959 when Fidel Castro overthrew dictator Gulgencio Batista and assumed leadership of the country. "We heard Batista's airplane fly over our house as he escaped the country into the Dominican Republic," remembers Anita. Initially, American and Cuban residents were hopeful that Castro would implement a democracy. After several months, however, the country changed into a more dangerous place to live as Castro began laying the foundation for his communist regime. While their parents tried to shield them from the frightening reality, the children still absorbed some of what was happening. "The Castro regime confiscated all property and homes; all businesses were nationalized," says Ellen sadly. "On our way to school we passed buildings with big, black Xs on the sides and we knew those people had been taken away, possibly imprisoned or shot. It was a sad, scary time." The women both recall that first Christmas under Castro's rule when residents were forbidden to decorate for the season. "If the government saw Christmas ornaments you could be shot," says Anita. In spite of the danger, Nancy found a way to bring some of the holiday spirit home for her family. "Mother gathered the neighborhood kids. I remember our friend Joan Cameron and her brother Doug were there," recalls Anita. "She had us decorate a red felt piece of cloth for a tree skirt." "It was nothing fancy, just patches sewn on in little childlike stitches," adds Ellen. "We used it under a little topiary bush inside our house where the decorations could not be seen from the street." Hoping the political situation would improve, the family waited and tried to carry on business as usual. Ultimately, when a family friend in the country was shot by a firing squad while defending her home and farm from confiscation, Ed knew it was time to ensure his family's safety. REFUGE IN AMERICA On February 6, 1960, Ellen was 11 years old and Anita was just shy of 13. It's a day they'll never forget; the family packed for a short trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, assuring friends they would see them soon. The girls have never returned. "Our parents never told us we were leaving permanently," says Ellen. "Castro's men often used children to find out information." While in new Orleans, Anita and Ellen were enrolled as boarding students at a Catholic school for the remainder of the year. Their parents returned to Cuba to finalize personal and business affairs. "Anita and I missed our parents terribly; we were very homesick for them," remembers Ellen. "I was afraid of dying and afraid we didn't have enough money. Anita was my lifeline; even though she was only one year older, was was so grown up." Soon the girls were reunited with their parents and settled permanently in Natchez, Mississippi, their family's ancestral home. They were also able to see their two older sisters, Nicky, a student in Roanoke, Virginia, and Mimi, a student in Washington, DC. "Once we made the final move to Natchez, the adjustment was not especially difficult, except for the normal preteen issues we were going through," explains Ellen. "We had new friends, a new school and a new life. People were very good to us and understood what we had been through." COLLEGE AND CAREER DAYS After graduating from high school, Ellen and Anita went on to Mississippi State College for Women, then transferred to LSU where both were recruited by the Gamma Lambda Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta. "The Gamma Phi Beta girls were so friendly and a very lively group. I made many long-lasting friendships," says Ellen fondly. Ellen took after her mother's artistic nature and used her talents to make an award-winning Sorority scrapbook for her chapter. She graduated LSU with a degree in art and a minor in Spanish. Anita also graduated and went into advertising, eventually working in accounting and real estate. She now resides in Atlanta and is the mother of one son, Bo. APPRECIATING FREEDOM Looking back on her unusual childhood experiences, Ellen feels privileged to have spent those 11 years in Cuba, where she was encouraged in art, music and education. Today she is a watercolor artist and a graphic illustrator; some of her work is on display at a local gallery in Natchez. She also manages the family businesses, belongs to numerous organizations and is very proud of her two sons, David and Rob. "Now I'm much more aware of our freedoms. I'll never forget that Anita and I lived through a real revolution while others lost their lives," she reflects. As a reminder of her past, every Christmas Ellen proudly displays the hand-sewn tree skirt that her mother brought out of Cuba. She has also made it her mission to educate people about the conditions in Cuba. "I want people to remember that things there have not changed in the last 49 years," she explains. "There are still human rights abuses and the people are living in fear with no choices." With the US travel embargo against Cuba in effect, neither of the women has seen her childhood home since 1960. Both would like the opportunity to return at a time when Cuba is free from communism. The sisters agree that the experience of living in Cuba has created a bond between them that is special and unique. "Ellen and I are very different," reflects Anita, "but we're also very close. I may have been Ellen's lifeline growing up, but was, and still is, my lifeline." By Mimi McMann, Editor The Crescent of Gamma Phi Beta Fall 2008 UPDATE: My husband, BRMoore, died of a brain tumor in Jan 2005. Bo was a Junior at Westminster Schools. We had been married 28 years. His office manager, Carole DeMine; his son, Jim Moore, from previous marriage, and I hired Hoyt Dodd to run the engineering part of building railroad tracks the 2 years he was ill. In November 2005, Jim and I sold the business to Hoyt, and he and Car...(read more)