Page 82 - my-people-abbie-harris-beck

MAMA

Mama Became very ill. The doctors in Geneva did not know what could be wrong
with her. Papa's first cousin Dr. John Highsmith had the first hospital in North Carolina.
Papa, Mama with Jesse, now three years old, headed for Fayetteville North Carolina to
see Papa's cousin. Papa's cousins couldn't find the problem. Papa's cousin told papa to
take Maggie to the best, John Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. Mama was operated on in
John Hopkins. The doctor told papa that mama would need a months rest near the
hospital. Papa left mama with a lady that lived across from the hospital so that mama
could go to the doctor every day. Papa had left Jesse with his mother, Jane. He needed
to get back to Geneva for his business.
In the meantime mama and the lady had become real friends. In a month papa
went back to John Hopkins to get Maggie. The doctor told papa that mama could not
travel to Geneva, but could go to Owensville where his mother and Dr. Highsmith could
look after her. So papa left mama and Jesse with his mother and returned to Geneva. On
one of
Dr. Highsmiths visits to mama, he told her that she was not improving and he wanted to
take her to the hospital. Dr. Highsmiths' wife was a nurse. He told Bertie," when I bring
Maggie to the hospital, I want you to be with us." At the hospital they began to work on
mama. Afterwards they told mama that we opened your incision to take care of the
infection, you will get well now. When papa came back to North Carolina, mama was
well and back to Geneva they went. The nice lady in Baltimore, (I never knew her
name)and mama became friends and mama made visits each year to visit and shop for the
family.
After Dr. John Highsmith and papa had died, mama was visiting Aunt Bertie and
talking about how sick mama had been. Bertie said "Maggie, I'll tell you now what was
wrong with you. John and I opened your incision and got a piece of gauze with tape and
hair, a very small pair of scissors inside of you. We couldn't tell cousin Bill or you because
he would have gone to Baltimore and killed the doctor at John Hopskins."
When mama told us about her operation we forgot to ask what the operation was for.
Never did know.

DOCTOR
HIGHSMITH
OWNED
FIRST
PRIVATE
HOSPITAL
IN N.C.

Highsmith Home (1986) (cemetary behind the house)