Among all the wonderful people living in Camden in the 1900s, there was one special lady we should not forget. Her name was Henrietta Sophia Meinke Thomas and she was part guardian angel and part Florence Nightingale.
Her actual profession was that of a maternity nurse, somewhat like a midwife. Sometimes she worked with a doctor and sometimes she worked by herself, but the mothers in Camden had a lot to thank her for, namely, seeing that their babies got a good start in life.
When Henrietta (called Hattie by many) attended a baby’s birth, she didn’t just leave when it was all over. She stayed on for 10 days, taking care of both baby and mother, allowing the mother to bask in bed for a good period of time to recuperate. How different it is today, with mothers shoveled out of the hospital in one or two days, like a production line!
Henrietta Meinke was born in August 1880 in New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, and she was number 11 of 14 children. Her sister, Mary Oricka Meinke, the seventh child, was later to become my grandma Meyer. Hattie’s parents were John Frederick Charles Meinke, who emigrated from Germany and Maria Wilhelmina Schmeling of Ozaukee, Wisconsin.
In about 1885 the Meinke family, with all their children, moved to their new home on the Bass Lake Road. This was their family home for years.
In July, 1990 Hattie married Emory Melvin Thomas, and they moved to the Camden area. Here she became known for her skills in maternity care and was pretty much on call. As busy as Hattie was, her husband was equally so. He was known as a man of many occupations starting as a riverman in 1900, a salesman for Pioneer Tea and Coffee, a salesman for Bonk Syrup Company, a railroad engineer in 1910, a foreman for a feed mill, a machinery salesman and finally, a power plant equipment salesman in 1930.
Although Hattie may have worked with many doctors, the one I know for sure was Dr. Richard Cranmer who had a hospital in Camden. His hospital was a large white clapboard house on Bryant and his home was right across the street on Webber Parkway and Bryant. His home is actually still there, but the hospital was torn down some years ago and replaced with apartments.
My sister Lorraine was born at Dr. Cranmer’s hospital, with Hattie Thomas in attendance, and a lot of my cousins were privileged to have her attend their births. I, on the other hand (as I mentioned in a previous article), was born behind the kitchen door in our house behind the Victory Flagpole. Hattie was there, and that conjures up visions of her scooping me off the kitchen linoleum, the picture of which I would rather erase!
Hattie Meinke Thomas was a mother with two children, Ruth and Carl Thomas. She also had six grandchildren. The three from daughter Ruth, who was married to Cliff Famham, were Jim, Eleanor and John Famham. The three from son Carl, who married Betty Rocheleau, were Ronald, Judith and SusanThomas.
Aside from being a baby nurse, Hattie seemed to be able to multi-task, as she managed a Confectionary Store at 4221 Washington Ave. N. from 1915 to 1917. This she did when the owner, her father-in-law Melvin E. Thomas, passed away. Her maternity care continued on from about 1907 to 1938. After that, in the late 30s and early 40s, she became employed as a housekeeper and cook at the famous Earle Brown farm. She and another woman were in full charge of all the many tasks concerned with running this big household! She was in her 60s at that time.
At the age of 96, on Feb. 14, 1977, after having lived a full life, Hattie passed away and Camden lost a beloved friend. That was the end of an era.
Note: It would be interesting to find out if anyone living in the area still remembers Hattie and if they have any stories they can relate about her and the affects she had on their lives — email them to camdenews@home-media.com. Thanks to Jeanne Meyer Edberg and Judy Thomas Halvorson for their information and remembrances about Hattie!