Former Wife of Jim Chapin mother of the singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and his 2 brothers Tom and Steve. She was born the daughter of the literary critic Kenneth Burke and his first wife Lily Mary Batterham Burke. She died in 2015 as confirmed by her granddaughters Abigail and Lily.
In an Interview by Mike Grayeb and Linda McCarty about her son Harry's childhood and his development and success as a singer-songwriter and social activist.
What were some of the core values of your family, and how were you able to teach those values to your children?
With the little boys, it was always consider each other, think before you act -- all the obvious things. He's littler than you. Figure out what he was really meaning to do. Take it slow.
I was actually brought up in a houseful of women. I had three sisters and we weren't used to little boys. But there always was this thing about considering the poor and not having the values of being greedy. All of us had those values all along. I think raising boys is easier for a woman alone than raising girls. They're more tolerant of their mother, I think.
Teenagers question mores and the way Harry questioned mores was going into the Air Force Academy. I mean we were very anti-militaristic and anti-war and everything else. He realized about ten minutes after he got there what a mistake it was but it took him a while to get out. It was a thing of trying something absolutely different than anything he was brought up with.
What inspired your children to be interested in music?
Music and art were always a part of life in a way. They had always been interested in The Weavers and I guess they started by listening to their records. I still have some of their old records around.
I had always known Pete Seeger since we were young together. His wife went to high school with my cousin's wife, Judy Housekeeper. We met them when the boys were little. But Pete Seeger and Tom keep up, and last summer I went with Toshi, Pete's wife, to the memorial service for Judy Housekeeper. Harry and Tom had played benefits together with Pete.
What is his most enduring legacy?
That, I think, is the kind of question a mother doesn't do well on because you think of him as a baby, as a little boy going to school. My knowledge of Harry was his earliest 15 years.
The other years, I would go to concerts and say, 'wow, look at this.' I can't figure out how he affected the world really at all because he was just a part of my life. So that's the kind of question you'll have to ask someone who's aware of sociological curves or something.
What lesson can we learn from his life?
I was so appalled that it was cut short. Personally, I think he shouldn't have rushed around so much. He should have paid more attention to his health and his driving and the situations he was in.
But he was thinking about larger issues most of the time rather than picayune problems of living. It was part of his character I guess.
source: https://www.harrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm
In an Interview by Mike Grayeb and Linda McCarty about her son Harry's childhood and his development and success as a singer-songwriter and social activist.
What were some of the core values of your family, and how were you able to teach those values to your children?
With the little boys, it was always consider each other, think before you act -- all the obvious things. He's littler than you. Figure out what he was really meaning to do. Take it slow.
I was actually brought up in a houseful of women. I had three sisters and we weren't used to little boys. But there always was this thing about considering the poor and not having the values of being greedy. All of us had those values all along. I think raising boys is easier for a woman alone than raising girls. They're more tolerant of their mother, I think.
Teenagers question mores and the way Harry questioned mores was going into the Air Force Academy. I mean we were very anti-militaristic and anti-war and everything else. He realized about ten minutes after he got there what a mistake it was but it took him a while to get out. It was a thing of trying something absolutely different than anything he was brought up with.
What inspired your children to be interested in music?
Music and art were always a part of life in a way. They had always been interested in The Weavers and I guess they started by listening to their records. I still have some of their old records around.
I had always known Pete Seeger since we were young together. His wife went to high school with my cousin's wife, Judy Housekeeper. We met them when the boys were little. But Pete Seeger and Tom keep up, and last summer I went with Toshi, Pete's wife, to the memorial service for Judy Housekeeper. Harry and Tom had played benefits together with Pete.
What is his most enduring legacy?
That, I think, is the kind of question a mother doesn't do well on because you think of him as a baby, as a little boy going to school. My knowledge of Harry was his earliest 15 years.
The other years, I would go to concerts and say, 'wow, look at this.' I can't figure out how he affected the world really at all because he was just a part of my life. So that's the kind of question you'll have to ask someone who's aware of sociological curves or something.
What lesson can we learn from his life?
I was so appalled that it was cut short. Personally, I think he shouldn't have rushed around so much. He should have paid more attention to his health and his driving and the situations he was in.
But he was thinking about larger issues most of the time rather than picayune problems of living. It was part of his character I guess.
source: https://www.harrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm
Former Wife of Jim Chapin mother of the singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and his 2 brothers Tom and Steve. She was born the daughter of the literary critic Kenneth Burke and his first wife Lily Mary Batterham Burke. She died in 2015 as confirmed by her granddaughters Abigail and Lily.
In an Interview by Mike Grayeb and Linda McCarty about her son Harry's childhood and his development and success as a singer-songwriter and social activist.
What were some of the core values of your family, and how were you able to teach those values to your children?
With the little boys, it was always consider each other, think before you act -- all the obvious things. He's littler than you. Figure out what he was really meaning to do. Take it slow.
I was actually brought up in a houseful of women. I had three sisters and we weren't used to little boys. But there always was this thing about considering the poor and not having the values of being greedy. All of us had those values all along. I think raising boys is easier for a woman alone than raising girls. They're more tolerant of their mother, I think.
Teenagers question mores and the way Harry questioned mores was going into the Air Force Academy. I mean we were very anti-militaristic and anti-war and everything else. He realized about ten minutes after he got there what a mistake it was but it took him a while to get out. It was a thing of trying something absolutely different than anything he was brought up with.
What inspired your children to be interested in music?
Music and art were always a part of life in a way. They had always been interested in The Weavers and I guess they started by listening to their records. I still have some of their old records around.
I had always known Pete Seeger since we were young together. His wife went to high school with my cousin's wife, Judy Housekeeper. We met them when the boys were little. But Pete Seeger and Tom keep up, and last summer I went with Toshi, Pete's wife, to the memorial service for Judy Housekeeper. Harry and Tom had played benefits together with Pete.
What is his most enduring legacy?
That, I think, is the kind of question a mother doesn't do well on because you think of him as a baby, as a little boy going to school. My knowledge of Harry was his earliest 15 years.
The other years, I would go to concerts and say, 'wow, look at this.' I can't figure out how he affected the world really at all because he was just a part of my life. So that's the kind of question you'll have to ask someone who's aware of sociological curves or something.
What lesson can we learn from his life?
I was so appalled that it was cut short. Personally, I think he shouldn't have rushed around so much. He should have paid more attention to his health and his driving and the situations he was in.
But he was thinking about larger issues most of the time rather than picayune problems of living. It was part of his character I guess.
source: https://www.harrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm
In an Interview by Mike Grayeb and Linda McCarty about her son Harry's childhood and his development and success as a singer-songwriter and social activist.
What were some of the core values of your family, and how were you able to teach those values to your children?
With the little boys, it was always consider each other, think before you act -- all the obvious things. He's littler than you. Figure out what he was really meaning to do. Take it slow.
I was actually brought up in a houseful of women. I had three sisters and we weren't used to little boys. But there always was this thing about considering the poor and not having the values of being greedy. All of us had those values all along. I think raising boys is easier for a woman alone than raising girls. They're more tolerant of their mother, I think.
Teenagers question mores and the way Harry questioned mores was going into the Air Force Academy. I mean we were very anti-militaristic and anti-war and everything else. He realized about ten minutes after he got there what a mistake it was but it took him a while to get out. It was a thing of trying something absolutely different than anything he was brought up with.
What inspired your children to be interested in music?
Music and art were always a part of life in a way. They had always been interested in The Weavers and I guess they started by listening to their records. I still have some of their old records around.
I had always known Pete Seeger since we were young together. His wife went to high school with my cousin's wife, Judy Housekeeper. We met them when the boys were little. But Pete Seeger and Tom keep up, and last summer I went with Toshi, Pete's wife, to the memorial service for Judy Housekeeper. Harry and Tom had played benefits together with Pete.
What is his most enduring legacy?
That, I think, is the kind of question a mother doesn't do well on because you think of him as a baby, as a little boy going to school. My knowledge of Harry was his earliest 15 years.
The other years, I would go to concerts and say, 'wow, look at this.' I can't figure out how he affected the world really at all because he was just a part of my life. So that's the kind of question you'll have to ask someone who's aware of sociological curves or something.
What lesson can we learn from his life?
I was so appalled that it was cut short. Personally, I think he shouldn't have rushed around so much. He should have paid more attention to his health and his driving and the situations he was in.
But he was thinking about larger issues most of the time rather than picayune problems of living. It was part of his character I guess.
source: https://www.harrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm
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