The Miracle Baby of Rabbit City Lake

Ward Allen Anthony:B. 10/23/1913D. 04/16/81Age 67

Family legend told it, a doctor was called when Ward Anthony was born. The doctor attended to the mother and Ward was delivered after a difficult birth.

Our own Grandmother, Rose Metcalfe stated to her children, Ward was so very frail, and puny.One could almost see his innards, she’d said, He reminded her of“a little sparrow bird,” all mouth and dark hair, chest rising and falling with each breath and little beating heart.The doctor counseled the Anthony’s, Annie and her husband, R.C. aka “Jim”;Little Ward would not live through the night.

Ward was swaddled in cotton batting and put into a cigar box.

The cigar box was placed in the kitchen stove, on the top warming oven.And for a long lengthy time in the months following, the kitchen stove continued to be well tended.

Grandma Rose Metcalfe wet nursed Ward when Annie couldn’t.She said, “He was like nursing a tiny, tiny monkey.”I think, in comparison, Ward was a polar opposite of her own big Metcalfe babies.She would often nurse Ward on one side and one of her own babes on the other.

Ward grew up in the little Rabbit City Lake community with mostly all of the Metcalfe’s, Charlie, Lucky, Jim, and Archie.Then, he grew up with their younger siblings, Emil, Leona, Cliff and Jean. They knew his faults and attributes. They all played with him, looked out for him and attended school with him.

I believe, he had what teachers call now a “learning disability”.I recall reading from the Seim/Oakes School record book one teacher’s comments of his reading difficulty and the view of his dismal future.

Each of the Metcalfe siblings was very fond of Ward. He was a special child. Throughout his entire life and theirs, their “special” friend. They humored and joked with him, worked along side him, and spent many Sundays and Easter dinners with him and let it be known they would not tolerate any one harming him.

Through a miracle, Ward survived the night of his birth and became his parents delight. To this mother, he was always her “Little Wardy Allen.”

To his friends he was remembered with fondness as a person who never harmed anyone with words or actions, had unique abilities and the great gift of good humor and optimism.

from, Family Tales, VickieMetcalfeWinter 2011