Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!

Elmwood Springs, Missouri

1944

“Good morning, everybody. It’s another beautiful day here in Elmwood Springs and we have hardly been able to contain ourselves waiting for this morning.… We are so full of good news today, you will think I made it all up. First of all, I want to start by saying a great big welcome to the world to little Miss Dena Gene Nordstrom, who entered into the human race yesterday afternoon at four-twenty. The baby girl is the brand-new granddaughter of Lodor and Gerta Nordstrom and the daughter of their son, Gene. We all remember what all we went through when we lost Gene in the war … but by some miracle we have a little piece of him back, a part of him lives on … and we couldn’t be happier. Gerta says that as soon as baby Dena is able to travel, her mother will be bringing her to Elmwood Springs and we can’t wait to see you, so hurry up and get here so we can all give you a proper welcome. Also, yesterday we received a letter all the way from Canada. Last month a Mrs. D. Yeager said she was switching her dial when she heard us as clear as a bell … it was such good radio weather. Don’t faint, but Bobby actually got an A in deportment. Don’t ask me how, and we have lots more good news. We have a big winner in the Who’s the Most Interesting Guest You Ever Had in Your Home? contest. Wait until you hear this one—and I know it’s not nice to toot one’s own horn but—Mother Smith and I are so proud of Doc. He has won the Rexall award for proficiency in dispensing drugs for the second year in a row. So if you are listening down there at the drugstore … Doc: we are mighty proud of you.

“And now here are the Goodnight Twins to sing for you that old favorite, ‘I’ll Keep a Light Burning in the Window, Dear, ’Cause I’m Still in Love with You.’ ”