Wistful Wednesday: A Sad Story

This is one of the photographs that I found in the trunk last winter.

We still have that cute puppy “Tippy” this time nestled in Auntie Beryl’s arms. Beryl was 24 years old and the mother of two.  Grandpa James X. was 53 that year. Cousin Donna was 18.

Beryl ( Daughter in law), James X.  and Donna (Niece)

It was summertime in 1942. 

Donna was 18..no doubt she had just graduated from High School.( She was Tracie and James X. Niece)  She got a job as a telephone operator.  She married a soldier in November of 1943.  He was off to Europe in 1944. About the time that his letters stopped coming she gave birth to a son.  When her son was just three months old she got the “official” notice.

This is how it read:

“It has been established from reports received in the War Department that your husband, S/Sgt. Robert W. Weeks died April 23, 1945 while a prisoner of war of the German Government.  The Secretary of War extends his deep sympathy.”

She must have been so sad. In August of that same year she was in the hospital with double pneumonia..her recovery was slow. She moved in with her parents.  She seemed well and the next spring even moved into her own little cottage across the street from her parents.  On July 13, 1946 she died after being sick for only twelve hours.  The cause of death was hemorrhages during a siege of double pneumonia.  She left behind her fourteen month old son Billie.  He was raised by his Grandparents Emma and Rubert. Emma was Grandma Tracie’s sister.

I have finished all Grandma Tracie’s diary entries..she also left another book.  She took an old Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture from the year 1915 and pasted obits, birth and marriage announcements inside.  I have just begun to read them, from them I pieced together Donna’s sad story:(