Dear Joyce:

I don't recall Rhona living at your house, but she confirms your recollection. Her stay at your house stemmed indirectly from the accident.

The accident occurred on May 24, 1952. Dad spent several weeks in the hospital in Newport News. Rhona, David and I remained at our house on Rockbridge Road. Apparently a succession of relatives and housekeepers stayed with us until Dad came home sometime in June. At the end of June, Rhona, David and I went to Baltimore - David and I to board the train to Camp Skylemar and Rhona to stay in Baltimore for a while with Julia's family, the Solomon's.

While David and I were in camp and Rhona was in Baltimore, Dad had a stroke (probably brought on by the accident). The story we've always heard is that the doctors in Portsmouth-Norfolk were unable to do anything for him, and advised the family that he would likely die. Uncle Edel called
someone in Baltimore who was able to get Dad an appointment with a renowned
brain surgeon named O'Tennesack (sp?). Aunt Lubah rode with Dad in cab-o-lance from Portsmouth to Baltimore. O'Tennesack performed a successful operation on Dad. Rhona thinks all of this happened in the July-August timeframe.

Dad went to Lubah and Howard's when he came back to Portsmouth. David and I went to Bess and Julius's when we got home from camp. Rhona went to your house after she returned from Baltimore. Rhona doesn't recall how long she stayed at your house, but after a while there she, too, went to Lubah and Howard's. I don't remember how long David and I stayed with Bess and Julius, but I do recall that during my stay with them I started nursery school at Peter Rabbit and that Aunt Bess took me there.

I hope this is helpful and stirs your and Ellen's memories a bit. I look forward to learning/remembering more about the family during our youth.

Love to all of you,

Joel