Friday, July 9, 2010

Dora Alice Davis

We read the beginning of the Davis family history as recorded by Birdie Bell Davis Harriman, 2nd daughter in the Davis family in this previous post.  The following is a brief account of the short life of Dora Alice, first child.

Dora Alice Davis (back row, middle )
Charles Harker Davis (back row, right)

This five-generation group is the only picture I have found of Dora, and it appears to be a composite made from several individual images.

On October 20, 1890 Mother hustled Daddy out on a cold night to get Aunt Bell to stay with her while he went for the Doctor. A little girl [Dora Alice] was delivered in due time, dark hair, brown eyes, plump and short of stature. She took up her abode in a large reed baby buggy Mother had managed to get for her.

Three years went by without much change in routine, tent life for Mother, dairy and steel work for Daddy while Dora Alice grew, walked, and showed good signs of being very bright and happy. She was very good at reciting her nursery rhymes and a great joy to her parents.

On April 20, 1893 a sister put in her appearance. Quite the opposite in characteristics. Very fair and red headed. They grew and learned to love one another in play for the first nine months. Then scarlet fever took over. Dora failed to break out and we lost her. This was terrible to the young couple, but they didn’t have time to grieve extensively for they were busy trying to save me, Birdie Bell. The fever had caused me to have dropsy [edema.] I was just learning to walk, and by the time I got over the two diseases I had to learn to walk all over again. I seemed very lonely and went round calling sister and saying, peek-a-boo, Mother related.

Because she was the oldest child, none of her siblings had memories of her, but still they felt a connection to her as their sister.  Many years after her death, members of the family placed this marker on her grave in Pueblo, Colorado.

Written on the back of the picture in Mable's handwriting:
"They all like the stone.  Thanks to all of you.  If the folks . . . " 
The rest is cut off, but I imagine it said,   "could see it, they would be so proud and happy." 

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