Grandma Josephine's Last Days

Written Nov 12, 1932 by Sarah Elaine Kendell Diary of the Accident and Resulting Death of Josephine N. Kendell Thursday, Oct 6, 1932. While walking through a dark narrow hallway at the plant No. 132 of the Utah Packing Corporation, she stumbled over some capping discs which were lying in the hallway. She fell with much force after trying to recover her balance. She cut a deep gash over her right eye just below the line of the hair of the head. The wound was perhaps 2 inches long and cut to the skull. She was taken to Dr. Draper’s office where her head was sewed in five stitches. She tried to work afterward, but was unable to do so for very long at a time. While she was at Dr. Draper’s office, she asked him to examine her heart, which he failed to do. Friday, Oct 7, 2032. Upon waking we noticed that her right eye was discolored above the lid. Again she tried to work but with less success than the day before. (Noticed) A large knot the size of a hen’s egg appeared above the wound. Saturday, Oct 8, 1932. The right eye was all baggy with blood. The left one was also affected. Dr. Draper redressed her wound, putting a smaller dressing on. This one was of (new skin). Sunday, Oct 9, 1932. Both eyes were very baggy above, h______ and in the corners with blood. The discoloring reached down into the cheeks. Her heart was also much worse. She came home Saturday with it bothering her very badly. Sunday it got worse all day. Monday, Oct 10, 1932. Eyes and heart still worse. Mr. Barrett of Utah Pack came out. Sent the Doctor out with instructions to take her to the hospital. Dr. Draper said, however, he thought she would get along just as well at home, said it was too noisy and warm for her to rest well in the hospital. He gave her eight small pills to be taken in 4 doses to last one day. He said her heart was working like a Chinese puzzle that it was not beating at all but that was only wobbling. Tuesday, Oct 11, 1932. Heart seemed some better. Changed medication to digitalis 30 drops 4 times a day. Wednesday, Oct 12, 1932. Called Dr. to come take stitches out. He said he would be out Thursday to take them out. Thursday, Oct 13, 1932. Stitches were taken out in the afternoon. Dr. wanted to know again if she wanted to go to the hospital. She said “no” but if he thought it was best she would go. He thought it was just as well for her to remain at home he said. He wanted her to come in Saturday for extra pictures to see if her skull was fractured. We asked him what the treatment would be if there was one, if it would require hospital care. He said treatment would be similar to that which she has already received, would not be necessary for her to go to the hospital for treatment.

Saturday, Oct 15, 1932. Took Mama to the hospital for exray pictures. Dr. Draper said there was no skull fracture but for some reason he would not let her come home. He said she had concussion of the brain and that she was not getting better as fast as she ought. Sunday, Oct 16, 1932. All we children went over to see her. She seemed to care very little whether we came or went. Had very little to say. Tuesday, Oct 18, 1932. Found her with her teeth out. She did not know that they were out. When I asked about them she said she guessed she had vomited them out but that she would have noticed it when she ate. I asked her when she vomited. She could not remember but asked the other woman in the ward who said it was just after supper Sunday afternoon. I asked her if she had had nothing since then and she said that she had. She seemed not to remember the details of the spell except that she had had her supper and vomited suddenly. When the nurses got there she was setting on the chair with her feet on the floor. She said she got them all quite excited and worried. She seemed to care very little about what we were doing at home. She did not worry about us at all. Thursday, Oct 20, 1932. Seemed about the same as Tues. She said that the doctor said she had a blood test which indicated Thyroid trouble but she seemed as usual not to worry about it. I asked the doctor about it and he said that the only test or symptom of goiter which she had was the blood test. He said we could not expect the Utah Pack to stand the expenses much longer. I asked him if he thought she was better, if she had recovered from the shock and he did not answer. He only said he thought we could take her home Friday. Friday Oct 21, 1932. Took Mama home. She seemed better than before. Said she wanted to get home. I asked her if they were not good to her and she said yes, but that since the Doctor said she was to come home she was anxious to get there. She went to bed as soon as she got home. Saturday, Oct 22, 1932. Mother sat up a while in the afternoon. We children washed and ironed and did Saturday’s work. She ate quite a bit for dinner. About 5 p.m. Mrs. Edith Peck came to see her. She told us that Uncle Henry Firth had passed away. Mama said that was a blessing. Mrs. Peck stood by the bed talking to her about him, asking her questions about him. While Mrs. Peck was talking, Mama started to snore. She was all yellow, and then she went blue. Emma almost fainted. We put camphor to Mama’s nose and after a few minutes she came to. Soon afterward she fell into a short sleep during which Mrs. Peck went home. When she awoke she seemed better and would not believe that she had fainted. We asked her if she was ready for her supper, she said that she was. She ate little except some black currents. She was just getting through when Jobe, Cora, and Keith Kendell came. She talked to them a few minutes then all of a sudden she vomited all that she had had for supper and dinner. She seemed in terrible agony, pulling the quilts up to vomit in, spitting at the ceiling, on the floor, and all over. After the first spell she took, I asked her if she was hot or cold because she sweat so. She replied that she was cold and wanted to get warm and be put to bed. While she was vomiting she broke out into that sweat again only much worse than the first time. She kept rolling from

one side of the bed to the other. We tried for three hours to get her warm and dry. Emma, Thelma, Cora and I working as fast as we could. At last she seemed warmer and seemed to rest and sleep. Cora and Jobe and Keith went home. After about 2 hours she opened her eyes. We asked her if she was ready to go to bed. She just looked at us with a blank gaze and started to say something which was such a jumble that there was no sense to it and fell again into drowsiness. A little later she needed to get up. Before we could get her pajamas down she had filled them. We took them off and put her to bed and she fell asleep again at 1 a.m. I slept down on the spring beside her. Emma went in the bedroom but neither of us could sleep. A little after three, Mama roused and we got her to bed. This was the first time since about 8 a.m. we could get her to speak sense or even look at us as if she knew or saw us. When I asked Dr. Draper about it later, he said that she had been unconscious. Sunday, Oct 23, 1932. Mother seemed very weak. Would eat nothing. Her stomach was still unsettled. Wanted to see no one. Not even Aunt Sarah Forman she said. Stayed in the bedroom all day. Monday Oct 24, 1932. I stayed home from school with Mama. She is very weak. Stomach is more settled but she will eat nothing. Tuesday Oct 25, 1932. Emma stayed with her. Still she eats very little except milk. I went to see the doctor. He said she had been unconscious and that she must eat or she couldn’t last long. If she does not eat soon, I am to get a tonic. Wednesday, Oct 26, 1932. Called Dr. Draper. He said to call and get a tonic for Mama. I called and got it and gave it as he prescribed. Thursday Oct 27, 1932. She ate very little. I went to school. I think it was Emma who stayed home with Mama. I sent a card to Aunt Sarah Forman after I had talked with Mama and asked her how she was and whether or not she wanted us to send for Aunt Sarah. She said no that Aunt Sarah was busy and she acted as if she didn’t care about anything. I wrote Aunt Sarah that Mama seemed no worse, that her appetite was poor but that she had not seemed anxious to see her. I mailed that card in the afternoon. During the day she started to ask for Aunt Sarah. During all that day she had had to eat only ¼ slice of bread and butter, 1 teaspoon fruit, 1 egg, lemonade and a little fruit juice. She seemed weaker. Friday Oct 28, 1932. Mama started (unreadable) In late afternoon I went to Bishops’ to call Dr. Draper and report her condition as he had asked me to do. I told him how she was and he said if we didn’t get her to eat right away she would have to go back to the hospital. ON the way back I stopped to talk with Aunt Mary. She came out and stopped me and wanted to know how Mama was. While we were talking Emma called to me to hurry home that Mama wanted me, and Georgia came running to get me. As we were going home she told me that Mama was calling for me to come and take her home. When I got to the stable Edward was there milking. He told me that he went in to see how Mama was and she asked, “Where is Sarah?” He told her and she said, “Ask her if she

doesn’t think it is about time for us to do home.” He stood there a minute and she said, “Tell Sarah that I am ready to go now and that I want her to get the car and take me.” By this time Edward was so upset that he went out giggling and told Emma. Emma went in and could not find out where she thought she was. Earlier in the day Mrs. Mitchell came down to see how Mama was. We told her we couldn’t get her to eat anything. She said she would fix something for Mama’s supper and for us not to worry about it. We were so anxious to get her to eat that we kept asking her if she couldn’t think of anything at all that she would like. At least she told us that she thought that she would like some roast chicken. We set about as fast as we could to get it ready. When I came home from calling the doctor and went in to see her, she said, “Well are you ready to take me home?” I said, “Are you ready to go,” and she answered, “Yes, Let’s go,” and she raised up a little. I asked her “What shall I take you home in a wheelbarrow?” She looked surprised and said, “No, Where is the car?” I told her it was in the garage and asked her where she was. She said that she was up to Mitchell’s. I asked her what she was doing and she answered that she was telling Mrs. Mitchell how to clean and roast that chicken. We tried to get her to change her mind, but she was away from home. Wanda Mitchell brought the supper down soon afterward. It was sweet potato, tomatoes, lettuce and dessert. It looked nice but we could neither get Mama to eat it or believe that she hadn’t been to Mitchell’s helping all afternoon and was still there. By this time the chicken was roasted, so we tried to get her to eat it. She tasted it, said that it was good, but she couldn’t eat any. Emma cried because Mama talked queer. I was worried and as we needed wheat, I went up to Cook’s to get some and ask Mrs. Cook to come down and see Mama.