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Sharon was bom September 7, 1'939. ® thought she was the prettiest baby ever bom.
But she sure gave the doctors and nurses, to say nothing of myself, a hard time getting here.
Dr. Howell finally had to call in another doctor to help get her here. I went into old Lake
Shore Hospital on Sunday, September 3. Sharon wasn’t bom until the following Thursday

morning. The doctors decided to use forceps. The doctors didn’t think they could save either
one of us at this point—much less save both of us. And this is what they told Eric and our
families. They didn’t know very much about “C Sections” then.
I was given four baby showers. All of the companies Eric bought merchandise from

sent gifts such as a baby buggy, baby stroller, bassinet, bathtub, silver spoons, silver cups.
We had enough expensive baby goods to open up a baby store.
At about three months old, Sharon caught one of the worst colds a baby could have.

She couldn’t nurse, she couldn’t breathe. We bought a medicinal vapor lamp to put under a
tent which gave her much relief. She began to grow and get stronger and notice things.
Eric never came home for lunch, but now he didn’t miss a day after Sharon came
along. He ate lunch with us until she started kindergarten.

During my pregnancy I was so sick the doctor had me stay in bed the last three
months. We had to get a maid. I really stole E. J. Tukes from another lady she was working
for. I didn’t tell her I was pregnant for several months. Nobody could tell I was pregnant. I
had a jewel with E.J. She washed, ironed, cooked, and kept the house. Nobody could equal

E.J. She had two years of college. We paid her $7 a weeks—and we had to pinch to do that.
In fact, she was getting only $5 a week from the other woman who had three or four kids.
I believe E.J. loved Sharon as much as Eric and I did, if that could be possible. E.J.
had the patience of Job with Sharon. She stayed with us for years. I feel E.J. was an asset for

Sharon, and she surely was a great influence in her life. There will never be another E.J. It
was like losing a member of the family when she died.
I guess .the biggest problem Sharon ever gave us was when she was about 3 years old.

Anytime she saw another child, she’d am up to the child, grab his arm or hand and bite,
leaving her teeth marks. I spanked her, I bit her back, but nothing kept her from doing the
same thing the next time she got near another child. Eric and 'I1 both learned that when we

saw another child coming near, we had to get hold of Sharon.
Mrs. E.A. Wright ran a kindergarten in her home. I visited her in the early 1940s to
see if she could enrolll Sharon in her class at the beginning of January. Sharon was just 2

years old. Mrs. Wright asked about her age and said she didn’t take children who weren’t
“housebroken.” I told her Sharon was housebroken and could capably take care of herself.

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