In 1958 Arnie and Newlin learn that Eddie has acute leukemia. They had just signed to buy a house in the San Fernando Valley, but managed to get out of it so they could rent an apartment adjacent to the UCLA campus — for a shorter commute by bicycle for Arnie and for the convenience of being closer to the hospital for Eddie.
 |
| Eddie's ID from UCLA Medical Center, 1958 |
 |
Nursie is writing on the Wakulla County tax assessor's stationery so she crosses the title out.
(She had been tax assessor after her husband died; he had also been tax assessor for Wakulla County.) |
Here are a few of the last photos of Eddie's life:
 |
| Allan with a very thin Eddie, summer 1958, Los Angeles, California |
 |
| Eddie playing in the back yard of their Westwood apartment, summer 1958 (developed in November 1959) |
 |
| Eddie and Newlin in the yard of their Westwood (Los Angeles), California, apartment |
Here is a get well card from Newlin's nieces and nephews Julia, Robert, Susan, David, and Jane:
This letter is from Newlin's cousin Helen Durrance. (We always called her Aunt Helen).
 |
The Durrance clan, with Sallie Durrance and three of her four daughters, their spouses and grandchildren, Florida;
Helen on the ladder in the back |
 |
Sallie Durrance and her four daughters, with Helen in the very back, Florida, 1952;
the other three daughters are Bertie, Copie and Devota |
 |
| The Durrance family at Alligator Point, Florida, 1956. Due to beach erosion, the house had to be moved back at least two times |
 |
| Helen's nephew Wilburn Lamar "Sporty" Hartsfield, 1957 |
 |
| Two of the Durrance sisters (one is Helen) with Floreine (Newlin's sister), November 20, 1955 |
Newlin mentioned that Eddie was in an experimental program at UCLA for testing leukemia treatments, and he was lucky to be in it; families were desperate to seek out such experiments for their dying children. She once said that Eddie got two of the four drugs that would within two years have prolonged his life into young adulthood.
Also in that UCLA leukemia treatment program was Richard Skelton, the son of comedian Red Skelton. He was four years older than Eddie, and Arnie and Newlin observed Richard's progress closely, as Eddie's ups and downs with treatment would shadow those of Richard. Richard died in May 1958.
 |
| hematology report for Eddie, UCLA |
Eddie died on September 7, 1958 at the UCLA Medical Center. Newlin reminisced that in those days one could open the windows in the hospital, and at the very moment Eddie passed away a gentle breeze blew through the room. They allowed themselves some time alone with their deceased son before calling in the hospital staff.
He was subsequently buried in a vault in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale next to his Aunt Dolly. Several decades later, after Arnie died and Newlin had purchased plots in Tallahassee, Eddie was disinterred from Glendale and reinterred in Florida, making room in Forest Lawn for his Aunt Laura to be buried there in 1992 next to Dolly.  |
| September 16, 1958, certificate of death copy at the Division of Vital Statistics, Department of Health, Los Angeles |
 |
Eddie's 1958 certificate of death lists September 7 for his death, acute leukemia for the cause, and September 9 for his burial
|
Over a year later, Arnie and Newlin make a $500 donation to Cal Tech in Eddie's name, presumably with money from an insurance policy.
For the rest of their lives Newlin and Arnie donated to leukemia charity work and to charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation: Newlin always remembered that Eddie had wanted his parents to buy a new car, which they would do only a bit later in 1960.
next post Arnold and Newlin: 1959
previous post Arnold and Newlin: 1958 kids' photos
first post in Flashbacks How the Nevis family came to California
first post in Arnold's Story July 1943
first post in blog Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943
