Mary, then Nancy, and John

We had three children, the first child was Mary, then Nancy, and John.

Mary was born on one of the hottest days the summer of 1936 at the home of Franklin's parents in St. Joseph, Missouri.

I recall the sound of the huge old-fashioned electric fan as it rotated and whirred sending a cooling breeze my way and the sips of ice water that my sister, Janice, and my mother-in-law brought. What luxury! The next door neighbors were having a house built, and I thought what a hot job they have out there in the broiling sun as I listened to the noises of saws, hammers pounding, etc and a few cuss words once or twice at least.

The doctor had the old school idea that in most cases its best to "let Nature take its course”. However, after a time, it was evident that this was a breach birth. He told his wife, who was also his nurse, that the baby might not be needing the new baby basket that Anne, Franklin’s sister, had bought and was having delivered to the house. However, when I heard someone say "It’s a girl!" and later when the nurse laid her in my arms, life was never the same after that very day!

We had talked about names. I liked the name Mary, so that was agreeable with Franklin. We thought we could name her after both of us, so we talked and more or less agreed on Linn, and the subject was dropped for the time. Later Franklin’s mom suggested Dale which was Franklin's dad’s middle name, so that it is. We didn't know that the doctor had sent it in to be recorded, but it was changed when she had to show it to get a job teaching.

Three years later, lacking one day, Nancy was born. This time I went to the hospital! Winter and summer were still pretty extreme temperature and weatherwise. We still had the same doctor. The day before I had so much energy that I cleaned everything indoors and out. I even scrubbed the Brooder House--no pun intended. I got enough exercise without going to the gym.

In the wee hours of the morning, I was sure that the time was almost up, so Franklin took me to the hospital. The doctor said that it would be a while, so he left me in the care of a nurse and left to chore or whatever. At that time family or friends had to stay in the waiting room until a nurse came out with any new information.

Time went on, and I think they were saying that I might leave. Everyone was getting pretty well relaxed, especially the doctor and his nurse, who were telling jokes. I was still on a bed, and the little gurney was beside me ready to take me to the delivery room when the time was ripe when all of a sudden the babe was getting tired of this nonsense and decided to make a quick entrance into the great universe. Boy, did that get everyone’s attention! While they were "throwing" me on the gurney, the doc says "Hold it! Hold it!", but I didn't know how that was possible, so it wasn't but a few minutes after they got me placed in the delivery room that we were the parents of another baby girl!

When they brought her for me to see, I looked twice to make sure. Her ears were folded over, her forehead was slanted back, and the back of her head was too big. Amazingly, by the next day or so, everything was in place and she was as cute as a button. I had always liked the name Nancy and when I suggested it everyone agreed. Then for a middle name I believe that Gran came up with Jane, her Mother’s middle name. I also thought it would be after my sister, Janice. Our old neighbors had always called her Jane and so did Bill, her husband.

The years passed and the attic was needing a cleaning. I ran across the old baby clothes that I'd been keeping, just in case. I decided that maybe it was time to get rid of them, including the diapers--everything. And so I did. About two or three months after that episode, it was evident that we were expecting a third child. Then it hit me: What have I done? What if it’s another girl? There were a lot of cute things I got rid of, and diapers were all alike then and cloth. Birdseye material was expensive (we bought the material and hemmed our own as we couldn't afford to buy the ones already made). Time passed. I marked on the calendar the day I'd be due.

Our old doctor had retired. There was a new doctor who was practicing in a small town nearby who had been recommended and delivered in a hospital in St. Joseph. By now we had electricity and running water but still no gravel roads. It came March, the month that I had marked on the calendar. It had snowed and was cold, and then it would get warm enough to thaw the roads. The mud would get deep then, if it froze again, it was like riding a bucking bronco to ride over the frozen ground in the car. It was either get stuck in the mud or the other--most of the time.

About two or three weeks before time was up, Franklin's folks decided that I had better stay with them (at least most of the time). I was back and forth. This particular day, Franklin and the girls had come to see me. Everything seemed as usual, so they went home. As I remember, Gran was keeping Nancy part of the time. They had just arrived home when they got a call from Anne that she had taken me to the hospital as I was going into labor. This was early evening. The doctor had been called, so the stage was pretty set for the performance to begin any time, or so we thought. I kept in mind the date I had circled on my calendar, which would be the next day. Night came and the doctor announced that he was going to take a nap and to call him when he should be there. At 3:00 o'clock in the morning I heard the doctor say "You have a fine baby boy".

Horses, as farming was concerned, were going out and tractors were in. Johnnie, as he was called then, was born with a built-in motor. Although he did like ponies after the girls taught him not to be scared of them.

I may write more about this subject at a later date. For now I will say: I have three fine kids!!

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