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Note: Grandma Ruth died in 1934 when my Dad was just two years old. All the oldest 6 children were left without a mother. They were split up and all went to separate relatives. Later, after remarrying to Grandma Esther, Grandpa got the 6 children back together. They went on to have 5 more children, for a total of 11. How she died was reported to me both by my Dad and, then, later in greater detail by my Aunt Linda who had been age 9 1/2 at the time. She rode with my brothers and me in the hearse from the church to the cemetary at my dad's funeral. Basically, what I had known for years was that it was wintertime on the farm in Harrison, Michigan. She slipped on the ice, ruptured her aorta, she was all alone and wasn't found immediately, and bled to death internally. I had always though that, if a person had ruptured her aorta, she would probably bleed to death within 3 minutes. I also wondered, since it was cold outside, cold enough for slippery ice, if she hadn't bled to death, if she would have froze or died from exposure. Then, after speaking to Aunt Linda, I found out that she did NOT die immediately. It was actually 3 days later. She knew she was seriously injured. She crawled and dragged herself to the pickup truck and managed to crawl up inside. They did find her, but I am not sure how quickly. Aunt Linda said she WAS able to talk at that point and told them what had happened. They got her inside the house and sent for the doctor. Apparently, it was Sunday (I did check the 1934 calendar and the 16th was indeed a Sunday) and the doctor was having Sunday dinner with the owner of the local grocery/general store. The store owner said, take your time it is Sunday dinner, you deserve a break, etc. etc. But the doctor brushed him off and went right away, in a hurry. When the doctor arrived, however, there was nothing he could do. Aunt Linda commented that, now, they would take her into emergency surgery and could save her life. But, this was back in 1934 of course. She did not die that same day however. She lay in bed and died 3 days later on the 19th. She died the day after her 29th birthday. The children did get to go in and see her. Aunt Linda said that my Dad had said "Mama sleeps" several times when he saw her. He was 2 years old and Aunt Linda was 9. Ironically, her own Mother, Louise Fowle White died when Grandma Ruth was only 2 1/2 years old. I'm not sure what her cause of death was. The 6 children all went to different relatives to stay. I'm pretty sure my Dad and Aunt Linda went to Aunt Hazel and Aunt Louise. I'm am not positive who went with whom, but I seem to recall that Dad went with Aunt Hazel and Aunt Linda went to live with Aunt Louise. Anyway, both Aunt Hazel and Aunt Louise did not want to give them up. They were there for at least 3 years. Aunt Louise could not have children and especially wanted to keep the child she had. Aunt Hazel felt that the child living with her would be better off staying with her, I think this was my Dad and that her feeling was he had been so young and had grown too attached to her and should not be parted from her. He also recalled that it was very traumatizing to him to be taken away from her, since he was so young at the time. Note: By Aunt Hazel, I mean the Aunt Hazel on the White side, Grandpa White's sister. There was also a Hazel on the Sessions side, Grandma Ruth's sister, but she died very young, at about age 1, and did not live to adulthood. Grandpa had already gotten the first 4 children back, Ed, Jim, Shirley, and Dick, and then he did put up QUITE a fight to get Aunt Linda and my Dad back. I seem to recall my Dad saying it was at least a year after he married Grandma Esther before all 6 kids were reunited and living with Grandpa and Grandma. So it was at least 3 years that they both lived away, and at least 2 years for Ed, Jim, Shirley, and Dick. Some may have lived closer geographically to my Grandpa and may have been able to see him more frequently during the separation. Most of Grandma Ruth's relatives lived either in Viceryville and Lansing, which was a bit of a drive in those days, especially with farm chores to be done on a daily basis. He must have remained on friendly enough terms with Grandma Ruth's family, because he did attend a Sessions reunion with Grandma Esther and the 6 children after they were all back together. They are filmed all together on the "Sessions Reunions" video tape I have, including Grandma Esther. I wish I knew who the other 4 siblings lived with during this time. NOTE TO SELF: Look into this more - ask Aunt Leona and Aunt Esther if they know who had Uncle Ed and Uncle Jim. Rhonda or Barb may know who Uncle Dick stayed with. He was just a baby, only 13 months old when she died. Mike may know who Aunt Shirley lived with. Or Aunt Kathy or Uncle Lee may even know or have an inkling. Look into this.
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