Nancy Drew’s Newest Case: Not Just a Homemaker

By Paulette Brooks

When I was in junior high, I had a girlfriend who owned the entire collection of the Nancy Drew Mystery series. Once a week we would hang out at her house after school and I would take home the next treasure, returning that book in seven days. Our fun ritual petered out when she realized I loved Nancy more than her company. It was my dream to be an amateur detective when I grew up, and I knew that my first case was right around the corner if only I paid attention. It would take me fifty years before I would fulfill my destiny.

The important factors that allowed me to stumble upon my own mystery were my retirement and subsequent move to a different state, the lockdown during COVID-19, and a romantic WWII story written on a park sign. A retired librarian with time on her hands and little opportunity to make friends? Sounds like the perfect setup for me to finally sit down and work on that book I had always wanted to write.

In March 2020, my husband and I were scoping out walking paths in the part of Indiana where we had settled, close to our grown children and grandchildren. We fortunately discovered a forest preserve called MacGregor Park. I appreciated the informational signage which explained the history of the area, along with one sign that had the story of the woman who donated her property to create these nature trails. The old sepia photo of Sheila MacGregor drew me in, and her tale of wartime romance intrigued me.

My first thought was to write a short story about how Sheila, the feisty Scot, met Lyndon, her husband-to-be, amid the bombs of London. I imagined a whirlwind courtship as he convinced her to come to America to be his bride. My genealogy training kicked in and I was off in pursuit of learning more about this couple. Unfortunately, the library’s physical doors were closed, but fortunately, the online resources normally restricted to in-house use were now available to anyone with a library card and the Internet. I remember many mornings, still in my pajamas, sitting at my desk with a cup of coffee and my laptop, happily looking up family ancestry charts and newspaper clippings. My research journey began.

I learned how Lyndon traced his family in Central Indiana back to the Civil War. He had been a member in both the Indiana State and Hamilton County Historical Societies, as well as the Society of Civil War Families of Indiana. He took pride in establishing his place in history. When he died in 1977, the Indy newspaper where he had worked for his entire career, printed not only the list of his affiliations, which were numerous, but an additional memorial piece with personal heartfelt reflections from co-workers. His story was well documented.

In comparison, Sheila’s 2002 three-line obituary was terse and basically stated the summary of her life, other than being Lyndon’s widow, with this innocuous phrase: “she was a homemaker.” Because of this inadequate memorial to a woman who had left her mark in Indiana, I wanted to uncover her life story and correct what felt like an injustice. To add insult to injury, I discovered the information on the park sign, as to how Sheila came to be in Indiana, was inaccurate. At last! I had a mystery to solve and a fascinating woman to research.

I was able reach a few people by phone who knew the Scottish immigrant personally but hit pay dirt when I connected with two women who referred to her as their Aunt Sheila. Their mother, Millie, had been Sheila’s best friend and it was she who convinced her to come to Indiana. They had been roommates in England and had done war work together. They were more than happy to share family photos and stories.

They explained that Sheila MacGregor was a woman of nature, lover of dogs, and did not suffer fools. Her wish at the end of her life was that the land she inherited after Lyndon’s death be donated to the township to establish a forest preserve where all could come and enjoy the trails. The farmhouse where she lived for over forty years plays an important role in the novel as a place of sanctuary for Meg, the fictitious present-day librarian who manages to do all the research I did in real life. Art sketches featuring different breeds of dogs show up in all the historical chapters; homage to Sheila who walked her shelter rescues every day, rain or shine, around the park’s perimeter.

The satisfying results of three years of sleuthing and research? I got to be Nancy Drew and solved the case of the park sign mistake. The information was corrected to give a more accurate version of Sheila’s arrival in Indiana. The other was that I had the privilege of producing a novel that showcases an extraordinary and resilient woman who lived on three different continents. Truly she was so much more than just a homemaker. My hope is that Sheila’s experiences will inspire women to carry on, like she did, despite the obstacles and challenges life put in her way. Most importantly, every woman’s story deserves to be told.

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A retired librarian and debut novelist, Paulette Brooks was born in Toronto and lived in Canada for the first half of her life. According to her Scottish grandfather, they had a distant family connection to the explorer David Livingstone. She lives with her husband outside of Indianapolis where, when not writing, she loves to read, bake pies, garden, and work on jigsaw puzzles, all the while trying to keep up with the activities of her six grandchildren.

Find out more about Paulette on her website https://pbrooksauthor.com/

NOT JUST A HOMEMAKER

How can a single word – homemaker – be the essence of an extraordinary woman?

At the end of her remarkable life of ninety-three years, spanning a world war and three continents, Sheila MacGregor Beals donates her beautiful, forested property to create a nature preserve. Her story deserves to be told.

Will the Sheila’s farmhouse be a place of safety?

In the year before the park opens, Meg, a resourceful librarian who has moved to Indiana to escape an abusive husband, is renting the farmhouse where Sheila once lived. Almost a century separates them, yet each ultimately finds solace in the same woodland retreat where they both resolve to treasure their hard-won independence.

Who will question the story of wartime romance on a park sign?

After Meg finds Sheila’s brief 2002 obituary with the sparse summary “she was a homemaker,” she feels indignation that spurs her on with a renewed purpose to discover more about this enigmatic woman. A romantic story on the park’s informational sign launches Meg’s further exploration of the Scottish immigrant’s life. Unbeknownst to her, the account is erroneous.

Can Meg solve the mystery of Sheila MacGregor?

• Rigorously researched and skillfully told, the narrative is rich in local history and genealogical allure.
• Ultimately, a story of resiliency and the power of friendship.
• “More Than a Homemaker,” is a debut novel inspired by true events and perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Kate Morton.

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