Mae apparently was quite interested in her family history. Many items were received by Larry Wilson from Arlene. Arlene had kept her mother's things after Mae died. Among these items were family group sheets dating back to the early 1700's.

According to her daughter Arlene, Mae kept both herself and her home immaculate. She did her chores in her morning dress, then would change into her afternoon dress. She had a good sense of humor and was a practical joker. She enjoyed music, ballet, good television shows, and just loved Liberace. She rarely attended church and was never baptised. Whenever she was tired she would drop down into a chair with the phrase "Ho hum Harry", a phrase that Arlene's family still uses. She was 
very afraid of thunderstorms, probably stemming from her childhood when their house in Dubuque was struck by lightning. She had a "green thumb" and loved flowers. She was a fervent letter-writer and kept in touch with the various members of the family.

Historical
1878: United States - First commercial telephone exchange in New Haven, Connecticut
1879-1883: Chile, Peru, Bolivia - Chile battles with Peru and Bolivia over Andean territory in the War of the Pacific
1879: South Africa - Anglo-Zulu War in South Africa
1880-1881: England, South Africa - the First Boer War between England and the Dutch-speaking Inhabitants of South Africa
1881-1899: Sudan - The Mahdist War in Sudan
1881: England - First electrical power plant and grid in Godalming, Britain
1882: England, Egypt - The British Invasion and the subsequent occupation of Egypt
1883: Indonesia - Krakatau (often mispelled Krakatoa) volcano explosion in Indonesia (Java and Sumatra)
1884-1885: Africa - The Berlin Conference signals the start of the European "scramble for Africa", attending nations also agree to ban trade in slaves
1884-1885: Japan, Korea - The Sino-French War led to the formation of French Indochina
1885: United States - Singer begins production of the "Vibrating Shuttle" which would become the Model T of sewing machines
1886: Russia - Russian-Circassian War ended with the defeat and the exile of many Circassians, Imam Shamil defeated
1888: Brazil - Slavery banned in Brazil
1888: England - Jack the Ripper is believed to have begun murdering in August and murdered his last victim in November
1889: Brazil - End of the Brazilian Empire and the beginning of the Brazilian Republic
1889: France - Eiffel tower was Inaugurated in Paris
1889: India - Mirza Ghulam Ahmad establishes the Ahmadi Muslim Community
1890: United States - The Wounded Knee Massacre was the last battle in the American Indian Wars, this event represents the end of the American Old West
1891: United States - James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, Invents basketball
1894-1895: Japan, Korea - After the First Sino-Japanese War, China cedes Taiwan to Japan and grants Japan a free hand in Korea
1895-1896: Ethiopia, Italy - Ethiopia defeats Italy in the First Italo-Ethiopian War
1896: Canada - Klondike Gold Rush in Canada
1896: Greece - Olympic Games revived in Athens
1896: Philippines, Spain - Philippine Revolution ends declaring Philippines free from Spanish rule
1897: Korea - Gojong, or Emperor Gwangmu, proclaims the short-lived Korean Empire lasts until 1910
1898-1900: China - The Boxer Rebellion in China is suppressed by an Eight-Nation Alliance
1898-1902: Colombia - The One Thousand Days war in Colombia breaks out between the "Liberales" and "Conservadores", culminating with the loss of Panama in 1903
1898: United States, Cuba, Philippines - The United States gains control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War
1899: England, South Africa - Second Boer War begins, lasting until 1902