top of page

JOURNAL YEAR

PUBLICATION

DATE

Search
  • Jan 28, 2021
  • 2 min read

HENRY ATTEMPTS TO CATCH THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN. HANK SEES GWTW.

Cloudy - dull day.


We had a telephone call last

night at 10 o'clock from N.Y.

City - The Road Comm gang

called and want Henry

to catch the midnight train

at G.R. and go to N.Y. City of

go by plane - Ernie Thorne

said he would pay expenses.

Henry hustled around got

ready + Hank + Orlo took him

to G.R. but were 15 mins late to

catch train so came back

and Hank took him to G.R.

this morning and after going

to Hospital to see Jen, he took

morning train for N.Y. City.


Jen's doing fine so far.

Still in oxygen tent. I

washed to-day. Hank + Marvin

and lady friends saw "Gone With

the Wind" at Regent.

Henry had planned to attend the Road Builders meeting in New York City with his fellow Road Commissioners but decided to cancel the trip when his sister Jen required hospitalization and an operation. When he received a late-night call urging him to come to New York by train or plane, following a long day at the hospital on the day of Jen's operation, Henry must have felt comfortable that his sister was doing well and excited to be able to make the trip after all.


As I read Edna's recap of what transpired, I felt the hustle and bustle of activity in the house, the excitement and the urgency to get him out the door and to Grand Rapids in time to catch the midnight train. I was right there with them on the ride to the station. I felt the disappointment that was surely felt upon arriving 15 minutes too late.


I may have tossed in the towel at that point but Henry goes home, gets a bit of rest, and heads back to Grand Rapids, stops to visit to his sister at the hospital, then catches the morning train to New York City.


Edna seems excited that Henry is heading to New York City ...perhaps his first and only trip to the Big Apple. She is equally delighted that Hank and Marvin went to see Gone With the Wind with "lady friends."


I love everything about this journal entry. It is all about love and delight on a "cloudy - dull day."

 
 
 
  • Jan 27, 2021
  • 1 min read

OPERATION DAY FOR JEN

Beautiful Sunny Day.


This is Morse's Birthday.

27 yrs old. Gave him

$1.00 for gift.


Henry, Lyd and I arrived

at Blodgett Hospital at

eight o'clock this morn

just time enough to see

Jen before they prepared

her for the operating room.


She went to operating room at 9:25 and returned

at 5 min to 11.


She was placed in a

private room No. 222

in an oxygen tent.

Coming along good so far.

Dr. P.L. Thompson did the

operating.


We took Lyd back to Jen's

house at 6 o'clock

Jen seems to be in good hands with Dr. P.L. Thompson. She came through her surgery quite well and is resting in an oxygen tent in a private room.

It must have been somewhat frightening to be placed inside of an oxygen tent. I suffer a bit from claustrophobia so perhaps it's more my own fear of being trapped that makes me feel that way.


I also think it was probably a bit unnerving to see someone you love placed inside of an oxygen tent.


Oxygen tents aren't something you see in use at hospitals any longer. Now, there are more effective ways of delivering oxygen to patients. There are several other things that used to be commonplace in hospitals that you longer see.

 
 
 
  • Jan 26, 2021
  • 1 min read

Updated: Feb 15, 2021

HENRY IS PART OF THE NEW QUARTET

Snowing + blowing most of

day.


Henry + I went to church.

The New Quartet composed

of Henry, Mr Utter, M[?] Hall,

and Sam Patterson

sang "Jesus is All the

World to me" at church

service this morning.


This P.M. — Henry, Lyd

andI wen to Hospital

to see Jen.


She is feeling fairly good

but dreading the operation

some what.


Took Hank to Wingeier's

to a birthday party for

Walter.


Oh how I would have enjoyed attending church that Sunday and hearing my great grandfather sing that hymn as part of a quartet.


"Jesus Means All the World to Me," was composed in 1904 by William Lamartine Thompson, a music store owner who was born in Ohio in 1847. Thompson also stated his own music publishing company after other companies rejected his compositions.


His most beloved and recognized composition is "Softly and Tenderly" is one of my favorite hymns. It has been recorded by the likes of The Andrews Sisters, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Amy Grant, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, a trio made up of Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, and Kelly Clarkson. It has also been featured in several films including The Trip to Bountiful, Junebug, and Urban Cowboy.


 
 
 

© 2023 by Train of Thoughts. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page