Dundy
County Nebraska Genealogy Trails|
Dundy
County Nebraska Genealogy Trails |
| The
Putnam Family Collection |
  Mae
[La Vella] Putnam and Buster | La Vella Mae Putnam Daughter of Judge Will Putnam - Dundy County, Nebraska La Vella Mae Putnam was born May 10, 1916 probably at home, as most babies were in those days. The doctor came and the mother and baby were cared for in their own home. The saying goes, "the mother had to stay in bed flat on her back for 10 days, then she could get up and go about her normal duties." Whether this is what happened here, is not known for sure, but the family lived on a farm eleven miles north of Haigler, Nebraska at the time of her arrival. From the time she was four years old Mae, as La Vella Mae Putnam was called, would grab hold of the horse's mane, wiggle and squirm and pull herself onto Buster's back. The horse was good sized, but tame. |
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In the picture of Mae and the family dog, you can see that
she wore a dress and was barefoot as most children were in those days. Usually
their one pair of shoes were "saved for good" when they went to town or
church. Notice that Genevieve is wearing long stockings and shoes. For people who have not visited this part of Nebraska, they would not know that the ground was sandy like the beach near the ocean and was soft and warm to bare feet. More than likely, Mae and
the other Putnam children went to grade school at District 43 -
Progressive Valley school which was located near the family's sandhills
farm. |
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 La Vella Mae Putnam, about 1935. The car is possibly an Oldsmobile, 1929 - 1930 model. |
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La Vella Mae Putnam died in Rochester, Minnesota on September 14, 1935  Written
on the envelope in Eunice's handwriting is "Rec. at time of Mae's
death' (1935).
The envelope is postmarked Amarillo, Texas, Jan 17, 1938. The Sympathy card was from 'Irene and Morey'. Eunice Mosier was La Vella Mae's oldest sister. |
Benkelman Post, 1935 La Vella Putnam Dies At Hospital On Saturday Death Was Both Sudden and Unexpected, Was Starting a 3-Week’s Treatment Miss La Vella Putnam died at the Mayo Bros hospital at Rochester, Minnesota, shortly after noon last Saturday. Her death was so sudden and unexpected that it was almost tragic. She died in a fever treatment, the purpose of which was to treat an infected kidney condition. When news of her death reached relatives and friends here by telegram late Saturday afternoon, they were so shocked and stunned that they scarcely knew which way to turn. At near eight o’clock that evening County Attorney Westermark, in whose law office Miss La Vella had been employed for over three years, left by car for Rochester, accompanied by Ted Putnam, brother of the deceased, the purpose of their trip there being to arrange for the return home of the body and to learn as much as possible concerning her sudden passing. Mr. Westermark personally conferred with the doctor under whose charge the treatment was given. But the physician was unable to shed much light on her death. He said that he really did not know what caused it. The treatment, which was in a hot chamber, required more than four hours, as was the first of a proposed series of treatments which would require three week’s time. She was nearing the end of the first treatment, he said, when the nurse who was observing her told him that La Vella’s pulse was weakening. He was able to restore near normal pulse action but was unable to restore respiration and she died almost before he realized it. He defended the fever treatment as one used hundreds of times in the Mayo hospitals and said that this was the first death in which the treatment was used in the hospital’s history. Although the treatment was new, he said tht it was being used by many specialists and in many hospitals with good results. And he further contended that the treatment has no direct connection with her death, at the same time admitting that he could not identify the real cause. The body was returned to Benkelman Tuesday morning. Ted Putnam accompanying it home on the morning train. Mr Westermark returned home in his car. Funeral services were held at the M.E. church Wednesday afternoon conducted by Rev. G. A. Schwabauer, assisted by Rev. H. R. Meyer and the church was crowded to overflowing with admiring , sorrowing friends. Interment was in the Benkelman cemetery. As a mark of respect and suggestive of the high esteem La Vella had won among her seniors in the business life of our city, Benkelman business houses were closed during the funeral service. La Vella had gone to Rochester the Saturday previous to her death, her original plan being for the purpose of having some plastic surgery performed on her face to correct a bad scar caused by a severe burn in childhood. She had planned the trip for months and after Mr. Westermark returned from his vacation, had made up her mind to spend her vacation period at the hospital for that peupose. Altho she had suffered servere attacks in her back at times for two or three years past, she did not consider them as serious. However, while going thru the clinic, specialists diagnosed the cause as being due to a kidney infection and recommended that this be give attention before proceeding with the plastic surgery. La Vella agreed to this and wrote her people to the effect that she had decided on the treatment and asked them not to worry as it was not serious. This letter was received Friday morning and the first treatment followed Saturday morning. La Vella was a splendid girl. She was a brilliant student during her school days and when she entered the Westermark law office she at once became very popular with all who came in contact with her in a business way as she was accommodating and painstaking in her work and thoughtful of all in her contacts. She was a charming young lady with a wonderful personality that built for her a friendship chain that extended far beyond the limits of her set, and the sorrowing relatives have the tenderest sympathies of a deeply grieved community in her sudden and almost tragic passing. She was called in the midst of almost perfect health and in the beginning of a useful and brilliant career. |
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The pictures and inormation on this page was donated by La Vella Tomlison, Great Grand Daughter of Judge William Henry Putnam. If you have additional information about this family, you can contact the Dundy County Host to include it on this page. |
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