STRATTON OBITUARIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== STRATTON, Eugenia SPRING 1933 - 1953 Unknown Newspaper clipping, Aug 1953 - Polio claims one; Brother is ill Mrs. Kenneth Stratton, 19, Dies at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City - Billy Spring is in Mercy Hospital - A young Henry County woman, and expectant mother, died early this week at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City, and her 9 year old brother is in Mercy Hospital there, recovering from the ravages of the same disease. Mrs. Kenneth Lee (Eugenia) Stratton, 19, a native of Calhoun, died at 2:30 p.m. Monday, August 3 of bulbar polio, haven been taken to Menorah on Friday. She was first rushed to the city on Thursday, but when room was not available, she was returned the following day. At the time of her seizure by the disease, Mrs. Stratton was living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Spring, west of Calhoun, as her husband is in service. On July 18, the young brother, Billy Spring, was brought to Clinton, then on July 20, was taken to Mercy where his case was diagnosed as polio. Billy's mother remained in the city near her son's side, and Mr. Spring made frequent trips back to the home in Calhoun to see about Mrs. Stratton. The young woman was given shots to prevent the dread disease, but after her seizure, Kansas City physicians expressed the belief that the disease struck her and her brother at about the same time, and that it developed more slowly in Mrs. Stratton. Mrs. Stratton also entered a Clinton hospital before being rushed on to Kansas City on Friday. At Menorah she was placed in a respirator. Immediately after her death there, a caesarean operation was performed in an effort to save her unborn child. However, the baby, a boy, was stillborn. The brother, Billy, is doing fine, and is out of the isolation ward at Mercy. He is now eager to be at home, where he can ride his prized bicycle and have his arm around Buster, the dearly-loved dog at the Spring farm. - An Exemplary Young Woman - Her pastor made the comment that Mrs. Stratton was to all appearances a perfect physical specimen of young womanhood. And not only was she beautiful of face and disposition, but she was also efficient and methodical in her work. Her scrap books and picture albums, illustrated with her own drawings and sketches, all evidenced her orderliness and artistic ability. She was a gifted musician and had an outstanding, low-throated soprano voice. She also excelled as a pianist and in school she was a cheerleader and a member of the band, besides being an honor student. In all functions of her church and school she was generous in the use of her time and talents. Her spirited, effervescent personality, coupled with a sweet, sunny smile and an ability to get along with young and old alike, won her many friends. Her heart sang with the joy of healthful, happy living. A native of the Calhoun community, Eugenia Spring was graduated from the Calhoun High School in the class of 1952, and afterward went to Kansas City. She worked awhile there for Sears, then for TWA. In July, 1952, she was wed to her sweetheart of school days, Kenneth Lee Stratton who, in the meantime, had also moved to the city with his parents. The young couple made their home with the Strattons until the husband entered the service early this year. Pvt. Stratton, stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., was able to get a furlough after his wife was stricken, and he arrived in Kansas City in time to visit with her for two hours before her death. As her condition grew critical, parents and loved ones were allowed only to see her from the doorway of her room when they came to visit with her. Surviving Mrs. Stratton, in addition to her young husband, her parents, and her brother, are two adoring grandmothers, Mrs. Bertha Spring, Calhoun, and Mrs. Anna Campbell, of the home. Last rites were conducted at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 5 at the Calhoun Baptist Church, where "Jeanie", as she was affectionately known, was a member. The pastor, the Rev. R. C. Reichert, brought the message of comfort. A quartet, composed of Mrs. Ed Pearson, Luther Hutcherson, Mrs. Henry Slack, and Ferman Kee, sang "Good Night and Good Morning", "Shall we Gather at the River", and "Beyond the Sunset". Mrs. Lawrence Goodrich was at the piano. Escorts for the burial in the Calhoun Cemetary were Redfort Reichert, Bill Ketchum, Tommy Dady, Jim Bilbruck, Bill Hudson, and Jerry Wiley. The young mother was buried with her babe in her arms. Persons from out of town who visited the grief-stricken parents and were present for the last rites included: Mrs. Spring's sister, Mrs. Ila Stickrod, Denver, Colo.; the young husband's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harper Stratton and Betty Ann, Kansas City; and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Spring, also of Kansas City. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. 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