Arnold's Story: April 26, 1949

Bright's Disease is now called acute or chronic nephritis.

next post  May 2, 1949

previous post  April 19, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: April 1, 1949

The Cottage Hospital is a not-for-profit care center in Santa Barbara.

The snow storm they got into between Hanford and Glendale was very likely in the Transverse Ranges, what Californians now call "the Grape Vine" for a stretch of Interstate 5 cutting through the Tejon Pass between the Tehachapi Mountains and the San Emigdio Mountains. In 1949 that would have been State Route 99 (also known at one point as US 99).

This was an empty envelope. Perhaps Hazel had sent other mail inside it, though normally she just forwarded any mail since it would already have been stamped. Or maybe she sent a check.

next post  April 19, 1949

previous post  March 28, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: March 18, 1949 MHN

Another family birthday (Leonard's). And Laura's choir sang on the radio. 

next post  March 18, 1949  Pat

previous post  March 17, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: March 8–12, 1949

Hazel's note was written on a Tuesday, so perhaps March 8, 1949, but the envelope is postmarked March 12, 1949, with Bill's handwriting.

next post  March 17, 1949

previous post  March 1, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: August 3, 1948

Hazel writes a birthday card and letter to her son Arnold on his 27th birthday. 

Daughter Dolly and her husband Lee have bought a used Terraplane car. 

next post  August 13, 1948

previous post  July 28, 1948

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: July 23, 1948

Hazel Nevis writes her son Arnold from Santa Barbara, where her husband is being treated at the Sansum Clinic for diabetes. 

Arnold is working in Whitehorse, California, in a lumber camp to earn some extra money for his studies at Harvard Medical School. He has long expressed a desire to become a medical missionary (presumably in the Presbyterian Church, the family religion on Hazel's side), but in this letter there is a hint that he might be rethinking his plans. Hazel and Arnold shared a strong religious bent (along with Arnold's sisters/Hazel's daughters Dolly and Laura). Older brother Leonard was far less religious, perhaps even an atheist or at best an agnostic. Hazel's husband Bill grew up Roman Catholic but married outside that church when he wed Protestant Hazel, so he was denied mass at Catholic services through much of his life. Near the end of his life, Hazel converted to Catholicism so that Bill could have mass said at his funeral. She did not mind the conversion, and in fact enjoyed the religious conversations with the priests during that process; and as a grandmother she no longer minded signing the document in which she promises to raise her children in the Catholic faith.

(Hazel's pagination is off for the last three pages.)

next post  July 28, 1948

previous post  July 22, 1948

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943