The details of my birth are of special interest only to me and my family, but I have included them as an example of how delivery of babies was handled in the late 1940’s in Heber. By 1949, here is how it went, at least for me.
I arrived on this earth—and in Snowflake, Arizona to be exact—on a cold January morning in 1949. As recounted by my mother, it was very possibly the coldest morning in 1949. At least it was very cold. It was so cold, in fact, that the doctor’s car would not start and he had to walk to the hospital for the delivery. Well, not exactly a hospital…..maybe I better start over.
In 1949 my parents were living in Heber with my three older brothers. My two oldest sisters had passed away as children. My brothers were about nine, five and four, or thereabouts. Since there was no doctor in Heber, mothers had to go to one of the nearby towns if they wanted to be close to a doctor to attend the delivery of their baby. Snowflake at the time had a full time doctor (Dr. Shumway) and what was called a “maternity home.” It was a two-story brick building designed for taking care of women who were having babies. It was located a block or two behind the Snowflake Stake Center which is located on Main Street in Snowflake. If you take the road on the south side of the Stake Center and head west a couple of blocks, the maternity home was on the southwest corner. I don’t know which story or room I was born on or in, but that doesn’t matter much.
When it got close to the time for delivery, and since it was winter and road conditions were unpredictable, Dad took Mom to Snowflake so she would be close to the maternity home when I decided to come. Mom stayed with Aunt Larue Bigler. She was really not an aunt but she lived in Snowflake and she was a relative in some way or another. Anyway, Mom went to stay with her.
I guess I was in a hurry to get here because I didn’t wait for a convenient time. I arrived in the early hours. As mentioned, the doctor about froze walking to the maternity home. I don’t know whether Mom had to walk or not. I hope not.
I arrived safely. I don’t know any of the details about the delivery. I don’t know how much I weighed or how long I was. I don’t even know exactly what time I arrived. I just know I got here. I do know that I was given the name of Kay Scott Porter. I think I got the name Kay because Mom liked it. The Scott was Mom’s maiden name. Porter was Dad’s name. I don’t know how long I stayed in Snowflake but eventually I got to go home to Heber.
A lot of people in states outside of Arizona have commented that it was neat that I was born in “Snowflake” Arizona since they picture it as a hot place. I guess I think it was pretty neat, too.
Years later the “maternity home” was demolished but it served its purpose. I don’t know what happened to Dr. Shumway. I don’t remember a doctor in Snowflake when I was a child. We always had to go to either Holbrook or McNary to see a doctor. I am still here and writing about this blessed event. I am grateful to have a chance to spend some time on this planet. I know I have been given lots of opportunities to grow and develop. I hope I have taken advantage of many of them. I am grateful for a chance to come here and get a body and I am especially grateful to my parents who have sacrificed so much in so many ways in my behalf. I love them both more than I can convey. No one could have had better parents than I had. This part of my journey all started on that cold morning in January, 1949.