An Alabama Family in World War II, Part 37

by Glenn N. Holliman

A Letter from Robert W. Daly, Sr.

These exerts are from an October 2, 1943 letter which my Uncle Robert wrote in his humorous fashion to my father of the birth of  Robert W. Daly, Jr. on Sunday, October 3, 7:55 pm.  Robert (1901-1959) was a bank manager in Woodlawn, Alabama.  My Aunt Vena, cousin Mary and Robert lived on 3rd Avenue North, Irondale, next door to his father and mother-in-law, Ulyss and Pearl Caine Holliman, my grandparents. 

TO: H.B. Holliman, USS Bulter, Fleet Post Office, New York, New York
FROM: Bankers Boulevard, Irondale, Alabama

We are not looking for the baby before around the 15th of this month, but yesterday Vena broke water ...so we have been holding our breath every since, expecting any minute for the pains to start and then my pain starts trying to get her over to St. Vincent's before it is born on the road with me delivering with one hand and driving with the other one.  I do not know what the feet will be doing while all this is going on, driving I guess.

I may have to take over there any minute, so if it happens, before Monday a.m. I will add it on to this letter.  We have Martha Jane, Barbara Ann, and other names picked out but still can't decide on one, also Betty Daly.

Vena and daughter Mary
Daly Herrin, ca 1936

Vena insists if it is a boy that it be Robert William Daly Jr.; she says this is a refined name.  How's that for a break?  Can you believe it could come from your sister after living with the old boy for 15 years and still speaking to me.  Vena has been getting along pretty well except for losing some sleep. She has not been sick but a few times.

PS - Monday, October 4, 1943

Well, she started to hurt around 4 a.m. Sunday morning, so we got up and dressed and fixed a light breakfast.  She got easy, so I went back and lay down and slept until seven thirty.  About 4 pm she had two or three hard pains, and I called the doctor...so we started for St. Vincent's, all the way over I thought it would be born in the car, but finally we got there after some speeding.  The nurse told me when she examined her that I would not have to wait long, probably 2 hours.

                                                                       Robert William Daly with his curly black hair.

In a few minutes I saw the nurse rush up to the phone and I listened in to her conversation and she told the doctor to come on over at once the baby was about to be born.  Finally the doctor got there and went into deliver the baby.  In about 20 minutes I heard them patting the baby on the back or somewhere to help bring it to or get the throat clear....After about five minutes the nurse came by and told your Mother and myself it was a boy and it was fine.  After a little bit they brought Vena out and let us see the baby; it was wrinkled and looked old like all new born babies do when they first come out.  You know how your hands look some time when you wash them too much and they draw up after painting or something.  It weighted six pounds and five ounces and was perfect in other respects, no hair.  

We left her about 11 pm and came home, and this morning Vena was doing fine and not hurt but very little.  The baby has come out something wonderful over night and has a smooth complexion, Holliman features, Holliman nose, black curly hair which came out overnight, blue eyes. He seems to be perfect in every respect.  He is a very pretty baby, in fact about as pretty as I ever saw to be so young.  I think he will be an asset to the Holliman generation with a mixture of Daly and Holliman.  This should make him a very bright lad with two distinguished bloods mixed in one pot.  

The Daly family - Vena, Bob, Mary and Robert, Christmas 1943, Irondale, Alabama

Vena will probably be home in about five days if all goes well.  As you know she insisted on naming it Robt Wm Daly, Jr in honor of the old man.  I was not so hot on this, but she was the one to do all the suffering so let her have her way.  

If I have left out any details which you would like to know, just drop me a line and I will into details.  this may not be in detail enough for you.

Robert

My Uncle Robert included many additional details in this letter so his last sentence is a sample of his understated but every present Irish humor.  In time Robert ceased referring to his son as 'it" and nicknamed him affectionately as 'Bud'.  The 'bright lad' referred to in the letter became a Ph.D. in biological sciences and a college professor, thus fulfilling his proud father's prophecy! - GNH