My Grandma, Mary Theresa Jones

For my Christmas present, my grandma gave me a book called "Mary Fitzpatrick Family History."
There are stories about my ancestors, and stories about her childhood. If I can, I will scan a picture later, but here is her favorite story to tell (as it is written in the book):

Why I'm Named Mary By Mary Jones

Mother had intended to name Eileen. About two months before my due date, she was pretty sure she already in labor, and was sure she'd lose another baby after the four previous miscarriages in the first 8 years of marriage. At some point in those first hours, a Little Sister of the Poor came to the door for a donation for the poor people in their care. She found Mother crying. Mother told the sister her fears. The sister gave her a miraculous medal and said "Pin this to the baby's clothes and if it is a girl, call her Mary."

So when the tine 3-pound baby was born on June 9, 1921, Mother and Daddy followed the sister's advice. I was baptized soon after birth with a priest friend who happened to be on hand as godfather because there was doubt I'd survive. My church baptism was much later, in Ilion on July 4th at Annunciation Church with Uncle Jack Fitzpatrick from New Jersey and Kitty Butler as godparents. By then I was up to a proud 5 pounds.

Whether my arrival and survival was a miracle or not can be questioned. However a 3-pound preemie surviving at a time when incubators were scarce and expensive could be considered pretty miraculous.

I believe that God brings miracles through ordinary human means. The almost abracadabra instant miracle is dramatic, but all of the "little miracles" are just as real.

In my case, the miracle came by way of Mother and Daddy being steered to a pediatriacian Dr. O'Gorman...when pediatrics was a new field in 1921. Mother used to push me in my carriage to his office, a mile of city blocks every day. I don't know how many days in all.l He had me on a diet of strained fruit and vegetables in the days before Gerber's came along. Mother was her own baby food factory. Of course I got milk formula, probably a mixture of water, milk and Karo Syrup. I never had any refined sugar until I was 4 years old.

Perhaps another part of the miracle was that there was a warm June and July that year which acted like an incubator.

So I'm Mary Fitz-Jones instead of Eileen. Otherwise there might have been an Eileen Plock in Ellen and Wally's (my parents) family instead of Mary Theresa (My sister).

My grandmother married Harris Jones in 1945. They have lived "happily ever after" for over 64 years and are still in love. They have seven children--five boys and two girls. She taught music and still imagines herself conducting when she attends her grandchildren's concerts or listens to the radio.

I knew she attended church every week, but I did not know how deep her faith ran until I read the part of the story about her beliefs about miracles.