Annie Tells the Story of Kent's Birth
03/12/08 19:57
Again Frant’s duties as a sheep man kept him away
from his duties as a father. We were still living
in Orderville. Dr. Mack told us if and when we
had any other babies it must be in the hospital.
Again Frant’s duties as a sheep man kept him away
from his duties as a father. We were still living
in Orderville. Dr. Mack told us if and when we
had any other babies it must be in the hospital.
A car could go from Orderville to Cedar City, by
way of Afton, Upper Kanab, Kanab, Fredonia,
Hurricane and on to Cedar in a day if all went
well. Frant had arranged with one of Aurelia
Stevens’ boys to take me to Cedar City in June as
we wanted to be there in plenty of time for the
arrival which was scheduled for July 24.
A few days before we were to go to Cedar City, the boy came to see us and tell us he couldn’t take me as he had to to go back to California and his job and family. What was I to do? Frant was at the herd getting the sheep located on the mountain. He would be in Cedar, expecting to meet Glenna and me there.
As the day wore on, my labor pains began and they finally came at five minute intervals. I was just frantic. I didn’t want to call a midwife and have another experience like when Gordon was born. Mother was with me. Finally she suggested we have a prayer.
We knelt down and asked the Lord to take care of me and open the way that I may get to Cedar City and the baby and everything would be alright. After this prayer, I felt that everything would indeed be alright, and I settled down to a restful sleep. Next morning I had hardly gotten up when a young man from Glendale called us to tell me he would take me to Cedar City if I wanted him to. He had learned from Charley Stevens that he had planned to take me. (I am sorry I do not remember his name.) We made the trip without any trouble. We had arranged to stay at Clara Hamblin Brackens’ place and pay her so much each week, ($5.00, I believe) for Glenna and I when Frant was there and when the baby came. Frant came down from the mountain for a day or two and we enjoyed his visit. We were there when President Warren G. Harding came through town.
We all stood on Main Street waiting for President Harding to arrive. They gave the little children flowers to strew in his path as he came past them. After he had passed, we noticed Glenna was still holding her flowers. When we asked her why she hadn’t thrown them as the others had, she said, “He had plenty without mine.”
We bought her a balloon filled with gas and tied it to her wrist. She was the happiest little girl I ever saw until it slipped off her wrist and went sailing over the tree tops as we tried to get it into the door. She wouldn’t be consoled until Daddy went to town and bought her another one.
Frant just couldn’t stay in town a month and do nothing, so he went back to the sheep herd, planning to come back for July 4th -- still expecting to have three weeks to wait.
July 4th I felt really miserable. When Clara and family decided to go to the mountain for the day, they wanted us to go with them but by 10 A.M. I decided that I would stay home and wait for Frant and the baby which I was sure was going to make his appearance that day. About 4 P.M., I called Howard and Julia to see if they would come and take Glenna to their place while I went to the hospital. Frant had not yet arrived. They came and called Dr. Mack and he took me to the hospital. They had a new nurse on, one I had never met. he told me the next morning that I had said, after they had given me ether, “I don’t think this is very nice. I had to come up here without my husband, then they gave me a nurse that I didn’t even know.” I became very well acquainted with Ada Moffitt while in there that 10 days and learned to love her very much.
Next morning, Frant, sensing that something was not per schedule, called Brackens place to talk to me, only to be told that I was in the hospital. He immediately called and learned that he was the proud father of a fine baby boy. Since everything was fine with us, he decided to stay on the mountain until his riding horse got his leg mended. That was the reason he hadn’t come home July 4th -- Flash was too lame to make the trip.
They were very good to me and let Glenna stay with me in the hospital for hours each day. One day she wrote a letter to her grandmother which said, “Dear grandma. Our baby is cute. Love, Glenna.” Dr. Mack thought that the prize letter for a girl almost five.
A few days before we were to go to Cedar City, the boy came to see us and tell us he couldn’t take me as he had to to go back to California and his job and family. What was I to do? Frant was at the herd getting the sheep located on the mountain. He would be in Cedar, expecting to meet Glenna and me there.
As the day wore on, my labor pains began and they finally came at five minute intervals. I was just frantic. I didn’t want to call a midwife and have another experience like when Gordon was born. Mother was with me. Finally she suggested we have a prayer.
We knelt down and asked the Lord to take care of me and open the way that I may get to Cedar City and the baby and everything would be alright. After this prayer, I felt that everything would indeed be alright, and I settled down to a restful sleep. Next morning I had hardly gotten up when a young man from Glendale called us to tell me he would take me to Cedar City if I wanted him to. He had learned from Charley Stevens that he had planned to take me. (I am sorry I do not remember his name.) We made the trip without any trouble. We had arranged to stay at Clara Hamblin Brackens’ place and pay her so much each week, ($5.00, I believe) for Glenna and I when Frant was there and when the baby came. Frant came down from the mountain for a day or two and we enjoyed his visit. We were there when President Warren G. Harding came through town.
We all stood on Main Street waiting for President Harding to arrive. They gave the little children flowers to strew in his path as he came past them. After he had passed, we noticed Glenna was still holding her flowers. When we asked her why she hadn’t thrown them as the others had, she said, “He had plenty without mine.”
We bought her a balloon filled with gas and tied it to her wrist. She was the happiest little girl I ever saw until it slipped off her wrist and went sailing over the tree tops as we tried to get it into the door. She wouldn’t be consoled until Daddy went to town and bought her another one.
Frant just couldn’t stay in town a month and do nothing, so he went back to the sheep herd, planning to come back for July 4th -- still expecting to have three weeks to wait.
July 4th I felt really miserable. When Clara and family decided to go to the mountain for the day, they wanted us to go with them but by 10 A.M. I decided that I would stay home and wait for Frant and the baby which I was sure was going to make his appearance that day. About 4 P.M., I called Howard and Julia to see if they would come and take Glenna to their place while I went to the hospital. Frant had not yet arrived. They came and called Dr. Mack and he took me to the hospital. They had a new nurse on, one I had never met. he told me the next morning that I had said, after they had given me ether, “I don’t think this is very nice. I had to come up here without my husband, then they gave me a nurse that I didn’t even know.” I became very well acquainted with Ada Moffitt while in there that 10 days and learned to love her very much.
Next morning, Frant, sensing that something was not per schedule, called Brackens place to talk to me, only to be told that I was in the hospital. He immediately called and learned that he was the proud father of a fine baby boy. Since everything was fine with us, he decided to stay on the mountain until his riding horse got his leg mended. That was the reason he hadn’t come home July 4th -- Flash was too lame to make the trip.
They were very good to me and let Glenna stay with me in the hospital for hours each day. One day she wrote a letter to her grandmother which said, “Dear grandma. Our baby is cute. Love, Glenna.” Dr. Mack thought that the prize letter for a girl almost five.