The Woman Behind the Case
You cannot understand the Gracey Case without knowing a little about the woman who fought for the right to teach her children at home.
Cecile Aubin Gracey
In every community there are individuals whose lives ripple quietly in ways not recorded in the history books, yet leaves an unmistakable mark on those surrounding them. Cecile Aubin Gracey was one such person.
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Before her name appeared in the headlines, she was known as a tender mom, active in her children's endeavors, be it leader of the new 4-H club, director of the church choir, or just showing up for her kids performances at school. She collaborated with her husband, Jerry's, endeavors, starting with a turkey farm, chicken farm, crops and then an apple orchard with a cider mill. Jerry was a deisel machanic.
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As a mother of nine, she ran an active household while running the cider mill business. Though she never attended college, her talents were well known. In high school she earned awards for both music and sports. She wanted to attend college, but was not supported by her family. Years later, she commented that she wished she had known to seek the support of her teachers, a regret she carried to her grave.
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By the late 1960s, the Gracey family's world began to change. Slowly, the family's activities took on different shapes as the family became increasingly connected to conservative Catholic groups in the region. Among these was the Vers Demain out of Sherbrooke, Quebec, whose teachings and gatherings attracted families seeking deeper faith and clear boundaries. Vatican II reforms bought doubt and confusion for many Catholics, and for Cecile and Jerry Gracey, the conservatives offered clarity, structure, and moral and spiritual value.
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As the family adopted a more conservative stance, they also changed their style of dress, simple, modest, and intentionally countercultural. Cecile sought advice from the conservative voices of that time: Charles Rice, a prominent professor of law at the University of of Notre Dame, Dr. Willima Marra, Fordham University professor of philosophy and a co-chairperson of the Interstate Council for Parental Rights, and James Likoudis, collaborator with the State Education Department, president of Morality in Media, and contributor to the work of Dietrich von Hildebrand and Alice von Hildebrand in their work on sex education through the organization, Veil of Innocence.