![\"\"](\"http:\/\/genealogygals.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/blog1912-5.jpg\" "\\"blog1912-5\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nMary McDonald McHugh was born in 1872, the daughter of Patrick McDonald, N’s great-grandfather. She was my mother-in law, Marian’s aunt. I think my mother-in-law may have been a favorite niece and Mary a favorite aunt. Among the things my mother-in-law kept was this dress, crocheted for her by her Aunt Mary. It is about 100 years old now and looks like new, a tribute to my mother-in-law’s ability to organize and preserve. Mary was the first of the family to die on December 29, 1928. Her one year old granddaughter, Harriet died two weeks later, followed a week later by Harriet’s ten year old sister, Dorothy. Virtually every member of the family contracted pneumonia following the flu and many were hospitalized in Spokane, a 50-minute trip now, longer then.<\/p>\n When one year old Harriet died her sister, her mother, and her aunt were also patients in the hospital.<\/p>\n It is difficult to imagine losing your mother and two children while you are suffering through a potentially life threatening illness yourself.<\/p>\n The other item I found is from my side of the family and a happier keepsake. It is the contract my mother signed with the pediatrician when my brother was born in 1942. When I cleaned out my mother’s house I found every utility bill she had paid since she moved into the house in 1954, every card she had ever received and a host of other things that made me crazy. On the other hand I also found this contract and my father’s elementary school photos and my early report cards. So, while I never quite seem to get organized, I am grateful that I have so much to organize.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I started in once again on everyone’s perennial New Year’s resolution–get organized. The same thing happens every year and every year I forget the reason I failed to get organized. I started going through old files and then–“Hey, look at …<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> The doctor promises to visit once a week for six weeks and again at two months. In addition my mother will bring the baby to the doctor’s office once a month for checkups and vaccinations for the first year. My mother promises to pay Dr. Grossman $45.00 in installments. On the reverse side is a list the payments she made, 14 in all, mostly for three dollars initialed by the doctor.<\/a><\/p>\n