Virginia Harlan Myers Hill

July 13, 1915 to October 22, 2009
I had to attend a credit union meeting in Des Moines today and on the way home I felt an over-whelming urge to stop in Iowa Falls. We had put my mother in Hospice a couple of weeks ago, and as I was returning to Waterloo this afternoon I wasn’t going to stop in Iowa Falls because I had a board meeting to attend – but I felt compelled to stop.

When I arrived at the nursing home I could tell that my mother was in her final stages. I sat with her about 10 minutes and at the encouragement of my youngest daughter (via phone) I took her hand and told my mom it was ok to go. I told her to make sure to say hi to Uncle Oliver (he died 2 weeks ago), to Dad and to Jesus...she took one more breath and was gone.

I believe 4 things (1) there was Divine Intervention in my urge to visit Iowa Falls, (2) my Mother was waiting for me to tell her it was ok to go, (3) there was a flock of people waiting to meet her in heaven and (4) my last words to her were, “Say hi to Jesus.” And she promptly delivered the message.

It’s been a long week and a very long day. We will be having her services on October 31st – yes, Halloween. It’s All Saints Day plus my mother loved to dress up for Halloween – when I was younger I sometimes think she enjoyed Halloween more than the kids. So – next week remember Virginia when the Goblins come calln’ at your house...one of those ghosts - you never know...

Right Baby

My Uncle Oliver passed away a week ago. He was 89 years old. He had been doing some yard work and had bumped a wasp nest and they subsequently stung him over 40 times.

He went to the hospital and because of the stress caused by the wasps he had a heart attack and passed shortly thereafter. The funeral was held Saturday, October 10th, 2009. He was not the first Uncle or Aunt to pass, but it is the first time in quite some time that all of the 1st cousins have been together and it was great catching up on 40 some years. The picture is where we are waiting to have our picture taken.

So, what does that all that have to do with "Right Baby"? When I was young I had 2 dolls and I had called one "Right Baby" and the other one had come to be called "Wrong Baby". Ann, one of my cousins, remembered those dolls, as they had once been hers (something I just learned) and asked me, "Bobby, why did you called one of those dolls "Right Baby" and the other one "Wrong Baby"?

"Did you love one more than the other?"

It seems she had thought about this every once in awhile over the last 40 years. Ann and her sister Judy Lee frequently took care of me when I was little. Their Mother, Aunt Mildred, kept me supplied in comic books. I was a sickly kid and spent a good portion of the 4th grade in and out of the hospital. Aunt Mildred would visit me frequently, especially when my Mother couldn't get into town. And ever time she came she came loaded with comic books and I guess at some point in time the "Babies" came into my possession. Both babies did well and I loved them both the same.

"No, Ann, that wasn't it at all. I was sick one day and threw up on one of the dolls and she started to smell so I called her "Wrong Baby". It didn't matter how much my mother cleaned the doll she still carried that stigma [and smell] of puke with her. I ostrazied her and made her sleep at the foot of the bed and when all of the other dolls and stuffed animals were having a party she was never invited. She had to sleep at the foot of the bed."

"Oh..." Ann seemed a bit disappointed, but was glad the mystery had been solved for her.
I still have "Right Baby", "Wrong Baby" has long since passed.

"Right Baby" is the ugliest doll I have ever seen and she curretly resides in a box with her head wrapped in plastic (her head started to melt several years ago). I won't be taking her picture as I want to remember her as she was before her head started to melt.