Mama takes ill

Everything was finished. What remained of Julia Ann Snyder Scott’s life was now distributed among four of her six children.  The other two lived so far away that they could not attend the funeral or fulfill any of the other responsibilities associated with the death of a parent. Julia never had much, but upon her passing, they had to sort through it, divide it and donate what might be useful to someone.

The family did decide to have an Easter dinner that year, although for the life of her Leta couldn’t figure out why her sisters were so insistent. Maybe, she considered, they felt some guilt at their lack of availability during their mother’s final weeks. Leta had born much of the responsibility, even going so far as to host their mother’s wake at her home.

Julia took ill right after the beginning of the new year. The cold she had at Christmas developed into pneumonia, which her frail body could not shake. Throughout January, Leta found herself at her mother’s apartment daily—bringing soup, cleaning, talking to the doctor and making sure that during the illness her mother was as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

Twice Julia felt better, but then she relapsed. During the first week of March, the cold advanced into pneumonia, which developed into severe sepsis. Her breathing became labored, and one morning, the doctor directed Leta to take her mother to the hospital, where she could have more thorough and constant care. She passed on March 17, 1924 at 8:25 p.m., and was buried on the twentieth.

Over the subsequent three weeks, she and her sisters sorted through their mother’s belongings. She lived in a small apartment, so there was no house to sell. As the men took the last pieces of furniture away, Leta stood with her sisters Louise and Nellie, all of them shedding light tears at the finality of it.

With a large sniff, Louise said, “So we’ll all meet at my house at two for Easter dinner.”

“Yes,” Nellie agreed. After a long pause, she spoke again. “Leta?”

“Aaron will be with us, too,” Leta finally answered.

It was the last time the children of Julia Ann Snyder Scott would have a holiday meal together.