Patricia Lucille Wessman was born on March 13, 1957. She was a cute, chubby-cheeked child, the sixth of eight children born to John and Beverly Glade Wessman the year they moved from the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City to a new home in the Sugar House neighborhood.
March 13, 1957, our sixth child was born. A beautiful little girl. After four boys we were thrilled for a change, especially [oldest child] Ann. Our small house in Rose Park seemed to burst at the seams. It was a four room home. John had built two bedrooms in the basement. We needed a bathroom which was a major expense. It was logical to me that this would be a good time to move as I wanted the children to go to school on the east side of town....Patty was a good baby but I tried to nurse her and supplement the feedings. She did not get enough. She seemed hard to feed but I worked at it. At three months she had Roseola. I gave up nursing her. She gained barely enough to be within normal bounds. She wasn't thin or malnourished... (From an interview with Beverly's granddaughter Eliza.)
Two months after the Wessmans moved to their new home at 1839 Bryan Avenue, Patty became very ill and Beverly took her to the doctor. The doctor's first diagnosis was influenza, but Patty was very sick. She was taken to the hospital where she died on October 20, 1957.
Since this week is the 55th anniversary of Patty's death, this week will include a series of posts about her, concluding on October 20.
Wednesday: the cause of death
Thursday: family memories
Friday: cards and memorabilia
Saturday: a collection of pictures
Thank you Amy. I have been looking forward to this weeks's posts.
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