Katherine’s Illness & Hospital

Jan. 9, 1940, Tuesday, Anderson SC

In a letter that I received from Fern, she sent me a letter that I wrote to her when I was staying with Mother in the Heber Hospital after her operation so I could copy it into my Diary.

Dear Fern,

Ever since about 4:00 last night after school, Mother had been awfully sick. We worked with her, Ethel Clegg and myself. We stayed by her side and gave her Ether and Cholroform trying to get her to sleep. Previous times when we had done this she would sleep and when she would wake, her illness would be over. This night we were not successful.

Bishop Alden Turnbow and Glen Mohnon and Earvin Clegg administered to her. At 9:00 we took her Duchesne. The Dr. there (Dr. Murry) said that she had to be operated on before morning. There I was with nothing in my pocket but about $4.00 and my dear mother suffering with pain, pleading for the Dr. to give her more Ether so she could go to sleep…seventy miles of snowy slick roads between us and the hospital…the time was 12:00 midnight and the Dr. said she had to be operated on before morning. What was I to do?

I got in the car and went to the home of the County Treasurer and he took me to the County office and gave me a note for $50.00. I went back to the doctor’s office. We helped Mother in the car. She was still pleading for the Dr. to give her some more Ether. I hopped into the car and kissed her, and told her that she would be alright soon because we were going to take her to the Heber Hospital. After checking the tires on the car, Farland Jones, Ethel Clegg and I left Duchesne at 1:00 a.m. and arrived here at 3:00. It is a little after 4:00 now.

Mother is up in the operating room and I guess they have started to put her to sleep because I can’t hear her moan as often now. It is getting quieter and quieter up there now. It seems that I am going to have to wait years before I find out how she makes it.

The Dr. (Dr. Daningburg) told me a few minutes ago that it was going to be a serious operation and they didn’t know how long it would take to operate on her. She would have to stay in the hospital at least two weeks. She has a “strangulated hernia”. Gee, but I’m tired and sleepy and worn out, but I don’t want to rest, I couldn’t.

Mrs. Clegg is in the next room resting and Farl is here on the lounge sleeping, you are home sleeping and having sweet dreams but what’s Mother dreaming about now. Is she dreaming of going back to “home sweet home” where we were all so happy about fifteen hours ago, or is she dreaming of another land that is far sweeter than this one?

Oh Fern, she has got to back home; she is needed there. The family needs her.

Gee… but it’s quiet up there! What are they doing? Why don’t they hurry, hurry, hurry! I can’t write any more now. I will have to wait for awhile.

Well, here I am again. After I stopped writing this morning, I went up to the door of the operating room and when one of the nurses came out, I happened to glance in and I saw a sight I never before or ever want to see again. The nurse told a story of what they had found.

So we went back down stairs again. In a few minutes, we went back up and the nurse told us not to be surprised if Mother didn’t pass away on the operating table. You can imagine all of the things that ran through my mind when she told me that. So, we went back down stair again and waited, waited, waited and I finally fell asleep for about fifteen minutes.

When I work up, I was afraid to go back up the steps again for fear of hearing the wrong thing. But, I finally got my nerves together and climbed the steps with hope in my heart. I found that the operation was about over. It seemed as if they kept saying it was about over for hours. She was on the operating table for about two and a half hours. Then, they didn’t know how she would be until she woke up.

I’m sitting by her bedside waiting for the verdict. She has awoken a couple of times and recognized me but that’s about all.

Dec. 21, 1938

After I stopped writing yesterday I stayed here in the hospital for awhile then I went up town and got something to eat. I came back here and stayed until about 10:00 p.m. After ten, I went up to Tommy’s place and spent the night. I came down here a 7:00 this morning, stayed until after eight and then I got my breakfast and russeled up a Book of Mormon.

This morning the Dr. said that she was doing fine and that she cold drink cool water. She is getting so she talks a great deal now and it sure does make me feel ten times better than I felt yesterday at this time. If I have to stay a whole week and worry about Mother, I will be the next one in bed.

Gee, but it is lonesome in here without someone you know.

Dec. 22, 1938 – 1:30 p.m.

I stayed with Mother last night. She got along fairly well. Gee, but the nights are long and dreary. I haven’t had but a few hours sleep since I left home. I have been by Mother’s bed about all of the time. She hardly even wants me to leave long enough to get a bite to eat. When I come back she says, “What made you stay so long?” So, I guess I will have to stay again tonight.

But it is worth it. I’d say up day and night for my mother. Look what I get in the end by doing this. By staying here and having faith in the Lord and Praying to Him that He will help heal her so she can go back to little Thomas. It will be worth much more to me than staying up two or three nights with her.  I will still have my mother. I will get to see the younger ones grow up with the help of the splendid mother that I had to raise me. I want Mother to live and see Sis happily married.

About out of paper. I’ll see you later.

James

And so that is the way the letter ended and little did I know at the time that my mother would die and leave nine children motherless.

Contribution:  Kathryn DiStefano Griffiths – Granddaughter

Source:  James W. DiStefano – Son – Taken from his Missionary journal.