Glenn was the long awaited son after three daughters, a cherished baby who was born in the spring and buried by fall. Glen was born in the days when surgery for this affliction was just beginning, it worked for some children, it improved some aspects of their lives but sometimes left them with more problems and some children died either from the surgery or shortly thereafter. It was a time of guessing by the doctors. Glenn was born at home with the assistance of the "Country Doctor".
The Doctor examined Glenn and found his head and arms to be normal, however, his legs were not moving. Upon further investigation he found a large red bulge in the middle of Glenn's back. The doctor's face said more than words, he explained, "It's a boy but he's not okay, he's has a hole in his spine, from his waist up he's a normal baby boy, but he'll never kick or move his legs or walk." The doctor continued "he won't live long, I'm sorry, this is nobody's fault, it just happens sometimes."
We can only imagine what was said or thought, or the pain they must have felt. Belle never spoke of him, and no one asked. All that has been told about this little boy is through the memories of his sisters. Lucille was about 12, Nora about 8 and Erva about 3 years old. They all have very fond memories of this happy, smiling and laughing baby boy. They all remember that their mother carried him on a pillow to support his back. Glenn always slept between Charlie and Belle in their feather bed. After Mother got up to get breakfast, the sisters would crawl into the feather bed next to Glenn and played with him.
"He was such a good baby!" "He would wave his little arms and laugh and smile at us, We loved him so much, he was our baby brother." The sisters were well aware of the birth defect and that he wasn't expected to live very long. They wanted so much not to believe that he would ever be taken from them.
Belle and Charlie took Glenn to the doctor for check-ups and one day a young intern was there and told the them that if they took Glenn to Ann Arbor the doctors there may be able to help him. He explained that there were new treatments and a lot of research and operations were being performed on babies like him. Belle did get her hopes up, but the old doctor took them aside and advised not to think about seeking this treatment. The doctor further explained that treatment would be experimental and the doctors in Ann Arbor would use this baby to learn from, putting him through all sorts of tests and operations to see what would happen, but it wouldn't help the baby. The doctor advised that this baby just needs to be given the best of care by the people who love him the most. He told them to take this baby home, love him and cherish him for the time he has left.
The girls never remember their Mother crying over Glenn, until the night he died, the three girls were asleep, but awakened by their Mother's scream of utter sorrow as he passed from this world. For a time Belle was inconsolable, the whole family was. They dressed Glenn in an embroidered white gown his Aunt Julia had sent from California, he was placed a tiny casket, painted white, lined with white bunting and set on a pedestal in the house. The girls remember their father lifting them up to look in at him .. he looked just like a little angel.
Glenn was buried in Fremont Township Cemetery, where his grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins were buried. In later years his parents were both buried next to him. His Father went to the undertakers soon after and ordered his headstone, which cost $28.00. Money they didn't have, but found because they wanted to honor this happy baby who had brought so much joy into their home.
We have not forgotten this sweet little boy. Whenever we went to the cemetery, with Grandma, there was always a quiet hush when we were around Glenn's grave, Grandma never spoke of him. However, our mothers always spoke of Glenn with much love and devotion, telling the story, over and over of this sweet baby boy that we always felt as though we knew him.
As told by Nora (Hunt) Elston and Erva (Hunt) Maitland
The Doctor examined Glenn and found his head and arms to be normal, however, his legs were not moving. Upon further investigation he found a large red bulge in the middle of Glenn's back. The doctor's face said more than words, he explained, "It's a boy but he's not okay, he's has a hole in his spine, from his waist up he's a normal baby boy, but he'll never kick or move his legs or walk." The doctor continued "he won't live long, I'm sorry, this is nobody's fault, it just happens sometimes."
We can only imagine what was said or thought, or the pain they must have felt. Belle never spoke of him, and no one asked. All that has been told about this little boy is through the memories of his sisters. Lucille was about 12, Nora about 8 and Erva about 3 years old. They all have very fond memories of this happy, smiling and laughing baby boy. They all remember that their mother carried him on a pillow to support his back. Glenn always slept between Charlie and Belle in their feather bed. After Mother got up to get breakfast, the sisters would crawl into the feather bed next to Glenn and played with him.
"He was such a good baby!" "He would wave his little arms and laugh and smile at us, We loved him so much, he was our baby brother." The sisters were well aware of the birth defect and that he wasn't expected to live very long. They wanted so much not to believe that he would ever be taken from them.
Belle and Charlie took Glenn to the doctor for check-ups and one day a young intern was there and told the them that if they took Glenn to Ann Arbor the doctors there may be able to help him. He explained that there were new treatments and a lot of research and operations were being performed on babies like him. Belle did get her hopes up, but the old doctor took them aside and advised not to think about seeking this treatment. The doctor further explained that treatment would be experimental and the doctors in Ann Arbor would use this baby to learn from, putting him through all sorts of tests and operations to see what would happen, but it wouldn't help the baby. The doctor advised that this baby just needs to be given the best of care by the people who love him the most. He told them to take this baby home, love him and cherish him for the time he has left.
The girls never remember their Mother crying over Glenn, until the night he died, the three girls were asleep, but awakened by their Mother's scream of utter sorrow as he passed from this world. For a time Belle was inconsolable, the whole family was. They dressed Glenn in an embroidered white gown his Aunt Julia had sent from California, he was placed a tiny casket, painted white, lined with white bunting and set on a pedestal in the house. The girls remember their father lifting them up to look in at him .. he looked just like a little angel.
Glenn was buried in Fremont Township Cemetery, where his grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins were buried. In later years his parents were both buried next to him. His Father went to the undertakers soon after and ordered his headstone, which cost $28.00. Money they didn't have, but found because they wanted to honor this happy baby who had brought so much joy into their home.
We have not forgotten this sweet little boy. Whenever we went to the cemetery, with Grandma, there was always a quiet hush when we were around Glenn's grave, Grandma never spoke of him. However, our mothers always spoke of Glenn with much love and devotion, telling the story, over and over of this sweet baby boy that we always felt as though we knew him.
As told by Nora (Hunt) Elston and Erva (Hunt) Maitland
Glenn was the long awaited son after three daughters, a cherished baby who was born in the spring and buried by fall. Glen was born in the days when surgery for this affliction was just beginning, it worked for some children, it improved some aspects of their lives but sometimes left them with more problems and some children died either from the surgery or shortly thereafter. It was a time of guessing by the doctors. Glenn was born at home with the assistance of the "Country Doctor".
The Doctor examined Glenn and found his head and arms to be normal, however, his legs were not moving. Upon further investigation he found a large red bulge in the middle of Glenn's back. The doctor's face said more than words, he explained, "It's a boy but he's not okay, he's has a hole in his spine, from his waist up he's a normal baby boy, but he'll never kick or move his legs or walk." The doctor continued "he won't live long, I'm sorry, this is nobody's fault, it just happens sometimes."
We can only imagine what was said or thought, or the pain they must have felt. Belle never spoke of him, and no one asked. All that has been told about this little boy is through the memories of his sisters. Lucille was about 12, Nora about 8 and Erva about 3 years old. They all have very fond memories of this happy, smiling and laughing baby boy. They all remember that their mother carried him on a pillow to support his back. Glenn always slept between Charlie and Belle in their feather bed. After Mother got up to get breakfast, the sisters would crawl into the feather bed next to Glenn and played with him.
"He was such a good baby!" "He would wave his little arms and laugh and smile at us, We loved him so much, he was our baby brother." The sisters were well aware of the birth defect and that he wasn't expected to live very long. They wanted so much not to believe that he would ever be taken from them.
Belle and Charlie took Glenn to the doctor for check-ups and one day a young intern was there and told the them that if they took Glenn to Ann Arbor the doctors there may be able to help him. He explained that there were new treatments and a lot of research and operations were being performed on babies like him. Belle did get her hopes up, but the old doctor took them aside and advised not to think about seeking this treatment. The doctor further explained that treatment would be experimental and the doctors in Ann Arbor would use this baby to learn from, putting him through all sorts of tests and operations to see what would happen, but it wouldn't help the baby. The doctor advised that this baby just needs to be given the best of care by the people who love him the most. He told them to take this baby home, love him and cherish him for the time he has left.
The girls never remember their Mother crying over Glenn, until the night he died, the three girls were asleep, but awakened by their Mother's scream of utter sorrow as he passed from this world. For a time Belle was inconsolable, the whole family was. They dressed Glenn in an embroidered white gown his Aunt Julia had sent from California, he was placed a tiny casket, painted white, lined with white bunting and set on a pedestal in the house. The girls remember their father lifting them up to look in at him .. he looked just like a little angel.
Glenn was buried in Fremont Township Cemetery, where his grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins were buried. In later years his parents were both buried next to him. His Father went to the undertakers soon after and ordered his headstone, which cost $28.00. Money they didn't have, but found because they wanted to honor this happy baby who had brought so much joy into their home.
We have not forgotten this sweet little boy. Whenever we went to the cemetery, with Grandma, there was always a quiet hush when we were around Glenn's grave, Grandma never spoke of him. However, our mothers always spoke of Glenn with much love and devotion, telling the story, over and over of this sweet baby boy that we always felt as though we knew him.
As told by Nora (Hunt) Elston and Erva (Hunt) Maitland
The Doctor examined Glenn and found his head and arms to be normal, however, his legs were not moving. Upon further investigation he found a large red bulge in the middle of Glenn's back. The doctor's face said more than words, he explained, "It's a boy but he's not okay, he's has a hole in his spine, from his waist up he's a normal baby boy, but he'll never kick or move his legs or walk." The doctor continued "he won't live long, I'm sorry, this is nobody's fault, it just happens sometimes."
We can only imagine what was said or thought, or the pain they must have felt. Belle never spoke of him, and no one asked. All that has been told about this little boy is through the memories of his sisters. Lucille was about 12, Nora about 8 and Erva about 3 years old. They all have very fond memories of this happy, smiling and laughing baby boy. They all remember that their mother carried him on a pillow to support his back. Glenn always slept between Charlie and Belle in their feather bed. After Mother got up to get breakfast, the sisters would crawl into the feather bed next to Glenn and played with him.
"He was such a good baby!" "He would wave his little arms and laugh and smile at us, We loved him so much, he was our baby brother." The sisters were well aware of the birth defect and that he wasn't expected to live very long. They wanted so much not to believe that he would ever be taken from them.
Belle and Charlie took Glenn to the doctor for check-ups and one day a young intern was there and told the them that if they took Glenn to Ann Arbor the doctors there may be able to help him. He explained that there were new treatments and a lot of research and operations were being performed on babies like him. Belle did get her hopes up, but the old doctor took them aside and advised not to think about seeking this treatment. The doctor further explained that treatment would be experimental and the doctors in Ann Arbor would use this baby to learn from, putting him through all sorts of tests and operations to see what would happen, but it wouldn't help the baby. The doctor advised that this baby just needs to be given the best of care by the people who love him the most. He told them to take this baby home, love him and cherish him for the time he has left.
The girls never remember their Mother crying over Glenn, until the night he died, the three girls were asleep, but awakened by their Mother's scream of utter sorrow as he passed from this world. For a time Belle was inconsolable, the whole family was. They dressed Glenn in an embroidered white gown his Aunt Julia had sent from California, he was placed a tiny casket, painted white, lined with white bunting and set on a pedestal in the house. The girls remember their father lifting them up to look in at him .. he looked just like a little angel.
Glenn was buried in Fremont Township Cemetery, where his grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins were buried. In later years his parents were both buried next to him. His Father went to the undertakers soon after and ordered his headstone, which cost $28.00. Money they didn't have, but found because they wanted to honor this happy baby who had brought so much joy into their home.
We have not forgotten this sweet little boy. Whenever we went to the cemetery, with Grandma, there was always a quiet hush when we were around Glenn's grave, Grandma never spoke of him. However, our mothers always spoke of Glenn with much love and devotion, telling the story, over and over of this sweet baby boy that we always felt as though we knew him.
As told by Nora (Hunt) Elston and Erva (Hunt) Maitland
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