Evy's Birthday Story

This story was read at Evy’s 80th birthday party in San Diego.

All of you are familiar with the story of Evy’s coming to California after Jackson’s Shoe Stores went bankrupt in the recession of the 60s. She got a job as a saleslady in a shoe store in Downy and soon after became the top seller among all the clerks. She expected to be made manager but the position went to the boss’s son. That was unfair and a signal that her efforts were not appreciated. She gave 2 weeks notice and turned her interest and skill to playing bridge. Now she was going to have fun.

She played, studied, and dreamed bridge. With her facility with numbers and her competitive spirit she became a top-grade player. She soon became a Life Master and was in demand as a partner at her bridge club. A top male player confided to her that she was the best woman player in southern California. Bridge became her life.

She visited us in Houston and played with us at Fuzz and Sandy’s house and at our bridge club. We caught fire and her enthusiasm to teach us was matched by our wish to learn.

Yes, that is all very interesting, but remember we are celebrating her birthday so now I want to talk about the actual event of her birth on May 20, 1922. To do that I have looked up Dad’s description in his oral history. I am going to read from it:

Saturday, May 20. I opened the store (a general store in Rosston, Pennsylvania) about 7 in the morning. I hung up my post office sack near the railroad to wait for the next Buffalo Flyer to catch it and in exchange, to throw one out for us.

Ann Duff that worked for us at that time suddenly called me to the telephone. I ran up the steps into the store and I answered the call. ‘Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov!’ and I hear my father-in-law’s voice, ‘A beautiful little girl, a dear little baby!’ I stood there listening to his words and I am so excited that I can’t answer and I am thinking, a little girl? Is it possible? Is it really true? Maybe because they knew that all the time we talked and planned and dreamed about the little girl, right off the bat they are telling me there is a little girl.

I am so happy! I am holding back tears of joy and I did not wait to show how happy I feel inside of me but I grabbed the Buick that we had and I am driving to see my vibel. I really do not want to say that I am ‘flying’ but this is the way I was driving to Pittsburgh that Saturday morning. I was drunk from happiness and in this drunken state God knows I will run over somebody! My father-in-law and my mother-in-law meet me at their door and they are kissing me and wishing me Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov! Wow! Is this a little girl, what a baby doll! I grabbed a bouquet of flowers and I am running to the hospital and I find my Raisel in bed, all dolled up and full of happiness and my Vibel says to me, ‘See my dear, we have a little girl, just like we wanted. A beautiful little baby and we are going to call her Eta Hudel, Evelyn Harriet.’ Even the name she planned out, but I am so happy that I do not care that she plans this whole thing out herself and it really does not bother me.

I waited there a little while and a nurse came and said, ‘Mr. Jackson, the doctor would like to see you.’ My heart begins to pound. I haven’t had a chance to see my baby and why does the doctor want to see me? I say to the nurse, ‘Is anything wrong?’ She does not say anything. My mouth is dry. I am feeling faint. Then I see that she takes me to the doctor and he is holding my baby. He is smiling and I feel relieved and I am sure that everything will be for the best.

He puts my Eta Hudel on a little table and I see my sweet baby. He says, ‘Mr. Jackson, I need your help with a little problem. It is nothing to worry about. I want you to hold your baby’s arm while I try to open her hand.’ I am loving to hold my baby’s arm but I do not understand. Then the doctor says, ‘I want to open her hand. It is closed tightly and I must open it.’ I watch him. Very gently he takes one tiny finger and opens it and then another finger and then another finger. The hand is open and there in that little hand, in my baby’s angel hand is---is the tiniest deck of cards I have ever seen!