Jedi Nights

   Liz and the boys stopped by to bring Eleanor some walleye on Tuesday evening. Austin had a star wars book that he wanted Eleanor to read to him. May the force be with her.

Janet

   I surprised Eleanor with the topic today. I asked if we could talk about Janet as a child, and at first she said there wasn't much to say, but after a minute or two, the stories poured forth.
    Eleanor described Janet as an easy baby; easy to care for and easy to love. She remembered their maid Brenda always liked to dress Janet in nice dresses to take to the play area in Canal Zone housing. Brenda would wash and iron Janet's dresses and always took care that Janet was the best dressed child when they would go outside. Eleanor would have opted for simpler clothing, but Brenda wouldn't hear of it. One day Eleanor arrived home and Janet had a broken match stick curled tightly in her hair. Brenda informed Eleanor that Janet had the hiccups, and this was the best way to cure the problem. When Eleanor removed the match stick, Janet began to hiccup, so the folk remedy  must have worked. Brenda was a 40 plus year old woman who had come to Panama before World War II, she was from Portugal, and was Jewish. She spoke Spanish and some English, but didn't read or write in English, so Eleanor regretted not being able to keep in touch with her when they returned to the U.S. Eleanor remembers when Brenda took Janet to the Synagogue before the New Year to collect the money on her insurance policy. If you hadn't died during the year, you would get some money returned to you if you came to claim the money before the new year.  Brenda pretty much ran the household in Panama, "she even told Fred what to do, and he did it."
   The family left Panama in early March of 1949, and traveled by boat to Florida. Eleanor remembers being terribly sea sick as she was pregnant with David. They had to buy winter clothing in Florida, as they didn't have any heavy clothing while living in Panama. They took the train to Minnesota and Fred  continued on the his assignment in California. Eleanor stayed with Margaret in Goodhue,and they visited her parents quite a bit. Janet loved her grandpa Albers as he rocked her in his chair and sang her favorite song, "In the shade of the old apple tree." She didn't get along as well with grandma Albers, as she told Lillian that she was the big bad wolf and bit her on the leg.

Panama

   In the summer of 1946, Eleanor took an airplane in St. Paul, MN.to fly to Panama where Fred had been stationed. She recalls that the plane must have stopped at every airport between St. Paul and Florida where she would catch the plane to Panama. In Florida, she found that she needed a photograph to get a visa to enter Panama, and she was fortunate that she had some snapshots of her and Janet. She really didn't have to worry about the details when she went to England as the Army made all the arrangements. She received her visas and boarded the flight to Panama where she was seated with "two Mexicans who had been drinking beer and eating chili all day". The stewardess found her another seat, so the flight didn't turn out too bad, but it was exhausting. Upon arriving in Panama the sun was so bright and the temperature was so hot that she wondered why she had come. Fred soon found her and they went to the apartment he had rented above a bar called the Buzzard's Nest. The neon sign flashed on and off all evening. They had no furniture so Janet's crib was the top drawer of the chest of drawers. She remembers that they had no money,but she found an English 20 pound note in her purse which they took to the bank and received almost $50 American.
   After a couple of weeks, Eleanor went to apply for a nurses position with the Canal Zone Authority. People had told her there was a long waiting list for positions, and she probably wouldn't get hired. She was hired that day as she was given priority status because she was a veteran.  Throughout her career in nursing, Eleanor has been helped time and time again by the fact that she was a veteran. She makes no apologies for being given opportunities which she feels she earned by serving her country.
   Once she was hired by the Canal Zone, she qualified for housing, so Fred, Eleanor, and Janet moved into housing that was so close to the Canal that she could see the boats coming through the canal from her kitchen window. It was hot during the days, and rained a lot, but the evenings always cooled down to a comfortable level. She rode a bus to work and the Panamanians were very respectful of her because of her nursing uniform. She hired Brenda, a  Panamanian woman to watch Janet when she went to work. Brenda would buy fresh fish from the local fisherman, so they enjoyed great seafood while in Panama. They did take a few trips, but as Eleanor reminded me " it isn't a very big country."
   When she was preparing to retire, Eleanor learned that the civil service had given her credit for the two years that she worked in Panama,  that surprised her because when she left, she was given money that she believed was her retirement fund. This is a vivid memory, as she was given a thousand dollar bill as part of the payment and worried that she would get robbed all the way home from the office.Shortly before they returned to the U.S., Fred was sent to McCook,  Nebraska with his bomber squadron to drop feed to cattle stranded in the Blizzard of 1948-49.
   My wife's parents, Russell and Mary Mund were stranded in North Platte, NE in early 1949 by the same blizzard that brought Fred's bomber squadron to Nebraska.

Pennsylvania, Janet, and major decision.

   Eleanor was married to Fred Neeley at the First Baptist Church in St. Paul, MN on July 28th, 1945. Reverend Herschel Roper was the pastor and Lorraine Albers and Ruby Soeffker were the witnesses for the wedding. After the ceremony, Fred and Eleanor went to Goodhue for a couple of weeks before moving to Cochranton, PA.
   Fred's family lived in Cochranton, so they decided to move there to see if they liked it. Fred found employment at a zipper factory, and Eleanor took the bus to one of the surrounding towns where she applied at a Catholic Hospital for a nursing position. Nurses were is such demand that they offered to let her start that day, even though she wasn't Catholic.When Fred returned home that evening and asked what she had done today, she told him that she had found a job and was starting tomorrow. They rented an upstairs apartment from the Powell's. She remembers the name of the family, because when she went into labor and needed to go to the hospital for my sister Janet, Mr. Powell drove her to the hospital, as Fred was at work and they didn't own a car.
   Eleanor remembers how nice Fred's half brother Buster and his wife Velma were to them. Buster was a bread delivery man, and Velma was a school teacher. They had two girls from Velma's previous marriage. Eleanor described Velma as a beautiful woman with golden hair. One day Buster and Velma drove Fred and Eleanor out to the Neeley family home in their car. She remembers Buster's comment of "My God, she's pregnant again!" as Fred's mother came out of the house. Cora Neeley was pregnant with Paul Neeley, who was born a couple months before Janet.
   Janet Neeley was born on April 29th, 1946 and was baptized in an Episcopal Church in Cochranton, PA.; Buster and Velma Neeley were her god parents.Shortly thereafter, Fred decided that he wanted to rejoin the military, as he didn't see himself working the rest of his life in a zipper factory. Eleanor was happy with the decision as she had enjoyed military life and the idea of travel appealed to her. When Fred returned to the Air Force, he had to go to a training program, so Eleanor took Janet and returned to Minnesota where she lived with her Aunt Margaret until Fred received his assignment.
  Note: When I use italics, I am injecting editorial comments. I hope that what I write here is not offensive to people, but I have made an effort to record her thoughts as accurately as possible.
 I would speculate that Fred and Eleanor had enjoyed the thrill of the military during WWII. You were doing something of vital importance and literally risking all on a daily basis; so life in Cochranton and a job at the zipper factory weren't as satisfying as they would have liked. My mother has always had a special affection for her Aunt Margaret, and as I have been talking with her, it is always Margaret who my mother had confidence in and knows that the door is always opened for her. Eleanor has commented several times as we have been working on this project that Fred did not graduate from high school. He was embarrassed about this and kept it a secret for quite a while. "He was very intelligent, but never had the opportunity to get his education, he could have been an officer".

Faith of our fathers.

   Yesterday, when we returned from the hospital, Eleanor's apartment was being cleaned so we decided to check her mail and have a cup of coffee. The activities director came through and told us there was Lutheran communion service in the main dining room. We went to the service and wound up sitting in the front row as we were late;  good Lutherans always fill the back of the service area first, so those who come late will get the added benefit of sitting in front.
   Today we decided to talk about being Lutheran. Mom was baptized Lutheran by Pastor Korn who came to the house ten days after her birth. Eleanor was born at home and her birth wasn't registered until November 30th. Her grandfather, Peter Albers lived in Goodhue with her aunt Margaret, but often came to the farm to visit. Eleanor remembers him saying prayers and reading from his German Bible."Komm, Herr Jesu" was the prayer he always began meals with. She was confirmed on Palm Sunday, 1934 at St. Peter's Church in Goodhue, Minnesota. Except for brief times in Pennsylvania, and during WW II, she has always attended the Lutheran Church. It provides her with great confidence and comfort. She has always felt that religion is important, and always tried to be active in church. I can remember when she first came to Seward, she helped with communion set up at Heartland. My father joined the Lutheran Church while they were stationed in Panama, and they even helped with the founding of the Lutheran Missionary Church in Panama. Eleanor recalls that it was built with cinder block and wasn't much to look at. As time has passed, it is increasingly difficult to get to church but she is fortunate that St. John has a regular service schedule at Heartland.
   Joanne and I are Methodist, and I think Eleanor wishes we were still Lutheran. Getting me to go to communion with her is always her way of trying to keep the door open to Lutheranism.

Hospital Daze

   Went to the clinic with Eleanor this a.m. for a visit with Dr. Froehner. When I arrived, Eleanor was light headed and felt that something was wrong. After an exam and blood draw, she was taken to the hospital for a sodium infusion and more blood work. Dr Froehner is concerned about her low white blood cell count. We used to blame the sodium imbalance on the cortisone shots, but she hasn't had one in nearly a year, so something else is causing the problem.
   Thanks to Mary Ann for the note to Dr. Froehner. She gave us a prescription to start the process for the lift chair. Thanks to Barbara who talked mom back into the lift chair, as she was going to "wait for her stroke" before getting one. I am scheduled to pick Eleanor up at 2 p.m., so this is a fast update on the events of the day.

California here I come.

   Eleanor was rotated from England back to New York in 1944, and received an honorable discharge shortly thereafter.She had entered the Army Nursing Corp on June 15, 1943 and was discharged on September 10th 1944 at Mitchell Field, New York. She final discharge papers rated her character and service as "EXCELLENT".
   She was now faced with the question of what she would do with her life. She decided that she really didn't want to return to Minnesota, as she wasn't the same person I was when she left. A fellow nurse, Lt Carpenter and Eleanor decided to go to California, and since Carpenter had relatives in Pomona, they decided to take a train out west.
   Once in Pomona, they stayed with Carpenter's relatives and both nurses found jobs at the blood bank. Eleanor said that she drew the blood of Ingrid Bergman and Mrs. Ronald Coleman, so lots of people were still active in blood drives at this point. Eventually Carpenter and Eleanor found an apartment in Los Angeles, which was quite a feat as there were shortages of housing in most of the cities with defense industries.
   One day in May 1945, she was riding the bus home from work and sat next to a army airman. He was in uniform and Eleanor said he had the biggest brown eyes she had ever seen.  As she was getting off the bus, she smiled and said "why don't you come up and see me sometime". She had no idea why she said it, but a couple days later, this army air corps Sargent showed up at the door. "Fred" was in California waiting for orders to be sent to the Pacific Theater. He had seen a lot of combat as a bombadeer, and gunner on B 24,s in Libya and Italy. They dated for the next three months, and got married on July 28th, 1945.

A trip to Lincoln.

   Today was St. Patrick's day, and we went on a trip to Lincoln to look at hearing aids and lift chairs. Miracle Ear was our first stop and Eleanor had her hearing aid adjusted. The volume was turned down and the technician    thought it might be because she turns the hearing aid when she puts it in. Her aids have a program that adjusts to the setting that is previously being used, so every time she would turn them while putting them in her ear, the program would lower the volume. He disabled the program so now it sets to default, which is the LOUD setting for her.
  On to Jim's Home Health Care, the people we had worked with when we looked at getting Eleanor a scooter.We tried several chairs and finally found the right combination of size and features. The chair has only and up and down setting, as thee more buttons on the control, the more difficulty in using the chair. We then needed a short lesson on Medicare, and the process to be used in  applying for a partial reimbursement. I was ready to get the chair today, but the sales rep told us the Medicare forms must be dated before the purchase or no go with reimbursement. The reimbursement can include up to 80% of the motor cost, so could be about $240 if we get the application approved. We left with some brochures and a date in mind to start the process. Eleanor has an appointment with Dr. Froehner on Tuesday.
   On to Culvers for walleye dinners. The fish was great and we all had plenty to eat with a little left over which Eleanor graciously consented to take with her. she was exhausted when we arrived back in Seward, and was getting ready to sleep the rest of the day.
   Last night, I was visiting and Eleanor commented on how much she misses Lorraine. Her sister has Alzheimer's, and  has gotten to the point where she doesn't know Eleanor any more. She always felt closest  to Lorraine and sometimes worries that her own memory is fading away. It is, but she still has lots of good abilities and stories to tell.

Lt. Albers

  The 187th  Army Hospital was located near several fighter and bomber air bases, and most of the patients before D Day were airmen. One day while she was in surgery a nurse came to relieve her and told her she had a visitor. Robert Dierks was from Goodhue, and Eleanor's Aunt Margaret had given him an address to find her when he was sent to England. He had hitched a ride on a delivery truck to the hospital to see her.That was the biggest surprise she remembers from her time in England.
    Social life consisted of going to dances on the airbases. Lots of scotch and water-- they were in Scotland after all. The bomber squadrons had the best parties because they had ice for the drinks, and some airmen would actually churn ice cream while flying to and from a bombing mission. I never realized that it would get that cold at high altitude, but I'm sure things like making ice cream and ice cubes for the party that night would take your mind of more serious concerns.
   D-Day. Things really changed after D Day. The hospital became much busier. Eleanor said everyone knew it was going to happen-- both our side and theirs. The roads were full of men and trucks. The hospital wasn't that far from the coast and Salsbury. The flights to the United States became more frequent as the casualties came in.In all the time she was in England she remembers only one trip to London, it was tough to get off and transportation was difficult. London was pretty torn up with all the damage from bombings and areas of rubble. The clean up comes after the war in most cases.

World War II

   Finally a chance to sit and talk about the things that I had intended for this blog. This morning we had coffee and talked about World War II. I asked her why she decided to join the Army Nurses, and she talked some about patriotism, but more about the feeling that this event was history in the making and she wanted to be part of it. She was also interested in seeing life outside Minnesota, and wondered if she would ever leave if she didn't take the opportunity.
   She enlisted in the Army Nursing Corp and went to basis training in Clinton Iowa with her friend Irene Wreitmann. While at Clinton, the mothers of the nurse trainees were brought by train to see the progress their daughters were making. It was probably the first time her mother Lillian had ever left Minnesota, and she was very impressed with the VIP treatment she received. After graduation, Eleanor went to Colorado Springs, Colorado for additional training. In the Spring of 1943, she left for England aboard a boat and landed in Liverpool, England shortly before Easter Day, 1943.  She remembers going to church in Liverpool for Easter services, and the blackouts the city was under in the evenings. None of the women she was trained with were assigned to England, so she went solo for quite a while. My mother is definitely not a shy person, and I am sure the self confidence she shows today was evident in England.
   Eleanor was assigned to the 187th General Hospital in Scotland. The hospital was centered in a castle that belonged to the King of Ethiopia, Heille Sal-lase. Her serial number was M7795870, I was amazed at how quickly she could recite the number; they must really drill it into you at boot camp.
   Before D-Day she would care for injured soldiers, and once every six weeks she would go on a flight from England to the U.S.A.. They would bring back wounded soldiers to Mitchell Field, which is outside New York City and then reload the plan with supplies for the trip back to England. One thing to look forward to on the flight was the stop over in Greenland where they would stop by Camp Ichabod, a local officers club for drinks.While in the U.S. Eleanor usually called home which was a great opportunity that most serving in the military during WW II didn't have. Her parents were always glad to hear from her and she enjoyed talking with them. Many times people would come to her when they heard she was flying to the States and ask if she would call their family, Eleanor remembers making phone calls for people she had just met to their loved ones to let them know everything was o.k..
 

Emergency Room

 Eleanor had a great day yesterday, so I was surprised that we wound up in the emergency room today. The urinary tract infection has returned and this time she will need to take antibiotics for seven days instead of three. The doctor was new to Seward and is a major in the air force. Mom worked emergency rooms quite a bit in her career. After we were released, we went to Mac Donald's for a strawberry shake.  I will have to fill her prescription in the morning, and hopefully she will sleep well this evening.

Saturday Pancakes

Our son Dan called last night and said that Jill and the girls were coming to visit on Saturday. We suggested they come for lunch and decided to have pancakes, bacon,and a fruit bowl consisting of fresh blueberries,strawberries, and peaches. We picked Eleanor up at 12, so we would all be here when Dan and Jill arrived. We had a great time visiting and eating pancakes, it was a long and leisurely dinner for everyone but Joanne who was cooking the pancakes.It is difficult for Eleanor to get out on trips with her walker, but she is a real trooper and she enjoyed the afternoon.

Coffee and earthquakes.

I stopped for coffee this afternoon to visit with Eleanor. We watched the footage of the Earthquake in Japan. Since they show the same clips over and over again on the weather channel, we began discussing earthquakes. We remembered the small quakes while we were on Okinawa, and she remembered the first time she was in a noticeable earthquake. She looked out the door and saw Lorraine and A.C. Kendall's car rocking in their driveway. I asked if perhaps it was their son and his girlfriend, but she laughed and said we were in school at the time--otherwise it might have been.
   I usually file her mail while I am there, since she worries able the possibility that she might throw something away. She had a pile destined for the garbage, but one letter was to inform her that an annuity she had with Kemper had been transfered  to Zimmer Life, so it's good that we have our no throw policy in place.
   Next week we have plans to go to Lincoln for a hearing aid tune up; which is greatly needed, then on to Jim's Home Health Care to look at lift chairs, and finally to Culver's for walleye. They have always had walleye in the Lenten season, and Eleanor loves her walleye. She always loves to remember fishing with Fred in Minnesota and all the great fish dinners they would enjoy.

Liz saves the day.(vacation.)

   Joanne and I have been in Mexico the past two weeks, so it fell to my daughter Liz to be "on call" for Eleanor. We have had a great string of healthy days the past several months, so we had hoped that the string of good luck would continue. Last weekend Eleanor called Liz and wanted to go to the emergency room. E had a bladder infection, so Liz took her to the hospital and wound up staying several hours with her while she had a sodium infusion. My sisters both tried to call while they were at the E.R.and were alarmed that they couldn't reach her. .

   This week Liz went to Heartland to a soup supper with Eleanor. They were in line to get dinner when it was announced that a construction crew had broken a gas line at Heartland and they were evacuating the residents to the high school. Liz took Eleanor to Dairy Queen for a hamburger and then to her house to wait for the all clear. This time she called my sisters to tell them where mom was. Live and learn.