Today would have been Kim's 53rd birthday. We miss her.
We asked Mom to tell us the story of Kim's birth day. Our memories are such treasures to us. What I found out through Mom's retelling of the story that we got a baby sister and a horse the same day. Life was good in 1957.
Here is the story for Hailey, Ryan, Jerome Jr (and the new baby boy due in May) of their Nana's beginnings and her 50th birthday party:
January 8, 1957
We were living on "the bottom" which is what they called living by the river west of Gretna across the road from where my parents "Will and Gladys" were building a new home. While their home was being built they lived with us. Gene and I had the bedroom upstairs, my folks had the larger bedroom downstairs and Jan and Terri were in the small bedroom. This is before the house was built on to several years later.
My brother, Roland and his wife Peg had lived there before and moved to Rising City on a farm that her parents(John and Clara Peglow) had purchased. Another brother, Harold and his wife Irma moved to the home place where the folks had lived.
Because my parents were there, we had a built in babysitter. I woke up with contractions and we left soon after as Jan and Terri had both been short labors. We arrived in the parking lot at Methodist Hospital (old hospital on Cummings St.) at 3 a.m. and was in no hurry at that time. There was an orderly who told me to get into the wheel chair and he would take me up to OB floor. He left Gene off on main floor to admit me. As soon as the elevator door closed I had a very strong contraction. I told the orderly the baby was coming. I think it scared him because when we got to the floor he gave my wheelchair a push toward the nurses and said "it's coming" and he was gone.
The nurses were used to calming things down on the OB floor. They smiled and asked me if this was my first and when I said it was my third they moved quickly and pushed me right into the delivery room bypassing the labor. Kim arrived before Dr. Vroman and was delivered by an intern. She was the fastest delivery of all my children. I didn't waste any time getting to the hospital with the next three.
I remember someone in the delivery room saying they were glad we didn't live in Ashland because we would not have gotten to the hospital in time.
January 8, 1957 was a cold day and there was snow on the ground. I don't think it was near as cold or snow as deep as today. That evening there was a horse sale in Council Bluffs and Gene went with my brothers, Bill and Merlyn. I think this might have been when we got Penny.
I think I came home on the fourth day. It was nice to have built-in help when we arrived home.
There have been many snowy, cold birthday parties during Kim's 52 birthdays. One memorable party was when we celebrated Kim's 50th birthday on February 24, 2007 after her first round of chemo treatments this is what I wrote in my journal:
Kim's 50th Party:
Rainy day turning to snow. Gene bought a hayrack at the Farmers Annual Sale at Fair Center. Went to Kimmel Building at 1 p.m. to decorate for Kim's 50th Birthday Party using the "50's " theme.
Served snacks at party. Pink Ladies dressed in pink sweatshirts with initials stitched on front. Kim, Bella and Hailey had Poodle Skirts. The guys greased their hair back and put a roll in their jeans and the sleeves of their white t-shirts. Gene got a flat top hair cut for the celebration.
Picture man took individual pictures in a picture booth.
Served snacks, played bingo, hula hoop contest and newlywed game. Lots of 50, 60 & 70's music.
Monte was MC for the Pink Sister's show when they sang "Middle Aged Woman."
Gabe and Tyler had to go back to Omaha early to remove snow. Monte's, Jan's, Kim's, Katie and Liz stayed at Sleep Inn.
We asked Mom to tell us the story of Kim's birth day. Our memories are such treasures to us. What I found out through Mom's retelling of the story that we got a baby sister and a horse the same day. Life was good in 1957.
Here is the story for Hailey, Ryan, Jerome Jr (and the new baby boy due in May) of their Nana's beginnings and her 50th birthday party:
January 8, 1957
We were living on "the bottom" which is what they called living by the river west of Gretna across the road from where my parents "Will and Gladys" were building a new home. While their home was being built they lived with us. Gene and I had the bedroom upstairs, my folks had the larger bedroom downstairs and Jan and Terri were in the small bedroom. This is before the house was built on to several years later.
My brother, Roland and his wife Peg had lived there before and moved to Rising City on a farm that her parents(John and Clara Peglow) had purchased. Another brother, Harold and his wife Irma moved to the home place where the folks had lived.
Because my parents were there, we had a built in babysitter. I woke up with contractions and we left soon after as Jan and Terri had both been short labors. We arrived in the parking lot at Methodist Hospital (old hospital on Cummings St.) at 3 a.m. and was in no hurry at that time. There was an orderly who told me to get into the wheel chair and he would take me up to OB floor. He left Gene off on main floor to admit me. As soon as the elevator door closed I had a very strong contraction. I told the orderly the baby was coming. I think it scared him because when we got to the floor he gave my wheelchair a push toward the nurses and said "it's coming" and he was gone.
The nurses were used to calming things down on the OB floor. They smiled and asked me if this was my first and when I said it was my third they moved quickly and pushed me right into the delivery room bypassing the labor. Kim arrived before Dr. Vroman and was delivered by an intern. She was the fastest delivery of all my children. I didn't waste any time getting to the hospital with the next three.
I remember someone in the delivery room saying they were glad we didn't live in Ashland because we would not have gotten to the hospital in time.
January 8, 1957 was a cold day and there was snow on the ground. I don't think it was near as cold or snow as deep as today. That evening there was a horse sale in Council Bluffs and Gene went with my brothers, Bill and Merlyn. I think this might have been when we got Penny.
I think I came home on the fourth day. It was nice to have built-in help when we arrived home.
There have been many snowy, cold birthday parties during Kim's 52 birthdays. One memorable party was when we celebrated Kim's 50th birthday on February 24, 2007 after her first round of chemo treatments this is what I wrote in my journal:
Kim's 50th Party:
Rainy day turning to snow. Gene bought a hayrack at the Farmers Annual Sale at Fair Center. Went to Kimmel Building at 1 p.m. to decorate for Kim's 50th Birthday Party using the "50's " theme.
Served snacks at party. Pink Ladies dressed in pink sweatshirts with initials stitched on front. Kim, Bella and Hailey had Poodle Skirts. The guys greased their hair back and put a roll in their jeans and the sleeves of their white t-shirts. Gene got a flat top hair cut for the celebration.
Picture man took individual pictures in a picture booth.
Served snacks, played bingo, hula hoop contest and newlywed game. Lots of 50, 60 & 70's music.
Monte was MC for the Pink Sister's show when they sang "Middle Aged Woman."
Gabe and Tyler had to go back to Omaha early to remove snow. Monte's, Jan's, Kim's, Katie and Liz stayed at Sleep Inn.
It was a good party in spite of the bad snowy weather.
SKS
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