I was expecting my second baby in May 1962, near the end of the school year. We had planned to go to Salt Lake City, where my husband would study for his master’s degree. My mother-in-law suggested that I fly down from Minot, N.D., to stay with her, so I would be near a good hospital and not have to make the three-day car trip in my ninth month of pregnancy.
I thought it was a good idea, so I did.
It was the year of the World’s Fair in Seattle, and my sister’s family, who also lived in Salt Lake City, were going. They were far from being wealthy, but they were determined to attend. They did not own a car and rode the city bus line or walked wherever they needed to go. Because I was in town and had use of my mother-in-law’s car, my sister asked me to take them to the train station. It was an early evening train, so I felt OK in doing that. It was April 25.
They had prepared a lot of food to take with them. There were two large grocery bags full of food on the kitchen counter. Everyone said they were ready to go.
With me in the driver’s seat, they all piled in my mother-in-law’s car, and we left for the train station. At the train station, they got out … and then realized that no one had picked up the two big bags of food.
Good grief!
They were all upset with each other, trying to place blame. It was not a good situation.
I knew that their train would soon leave, and that it would stop in the city of Ogden, about 40 miles north, so I got into a Supermom mindset and rushed — as legally as possible — back to their house. I called my mother-in-law to tell her why I would be gone for a while and not to worry. What else could she say but OK?
Still in my Supermom frame of mind and being familiar with the location of the train depot in Ogden, I picked up the two bags of food and drove as fast as I could legally go. I arrived at the depot, saw the train and drove right up alongside it in the parking lot. Sure enough, there they were, standing on the very full train, still looking unhappy and rather angry with each other.
I got out and grabbed the two big bags, climbed onto the train and handed the food to them. They were very grateful to me, and I appreciated the kudos, but I sure did not want to go to the next town with them, so I quickly exited the train and drove back to my mother-in-law’s home. I don’t remember what time I got back, but I was happy to be able to go to bed.
Four days later, my baby boy was born.
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