After Loretta's funeral

Anton and Maggie Janson had three children--Orlinda, born in 1915, Loretta born in 1917, and Reinhard, born in 1921.  According to mom (Orlinda), she and Loretta were very close, so it broke her heart when Loretta died at 21.  


From stories mom told about her, Loretta had to have a physical before she could try out for the swim team at the U.  They found she had a hole in her heart, so she wasn't permitted to be on the team.  Mom said she was never strong, or particularly healthy, which was probably due to her weak heart.


What she died of, tho, was rheumatic fever. (An inflammatory disease that may develop after an infection with Streptococcus bacteria (such as strep throat or scarlet fever). The disease can affect the heart, joints, skin, and brain).


She had just graduated from the University of Minnesota that spring, and she died 27 October 1938.  Mom was 23, and Reinhard was 17.  Sulfa drugs were developed the following year, and mom always said they would have saved Loretta's life. 

 The B&W photo here was taken the day of the funeral.  The older woman in front is mom's aunt Catherine (Naber) Bahns and her daughters and son, plus mom behind her and uncle Reinhard on the right.


Cousin Gary dropped off some photos this week that I hadn't seen in years--one was Margaret and Anton's wedding picture (2 posts down) and this one, below.  It's grandpa and grandma with Loretta's funeral flowers.

THANKS to Gary!

The aunt we never knews

 Mom said her sister Loretta died at the end of October, 1938.
It was October 27th, seventy-two years ago today.

I think I would have liked Aunt Loretta, and mom wouldn't have felt so alone all those years.

There's a Portuguese word for a sense of missing something or someone you never had.  It's a sense of saudade for the aunt we never knew.

Loretta Janson 1917-1938

This was mom's favorite and only sister, Loretta.  She was 2 years younger than mom, and she died at 21 years old. I think mom missed her all her life. 

Yesterday, at the Minnesota History Center in St Paul, I found her death certificate.  Mom always said Loretta died of rhumatic fever, and I suppose some of the symptoms corespond with what's written on the certificate, but acute nephritis is kidney failure.

Any medical types reading this could leave a comment, ok?