Lokiri Davis, GPC Student

Baby Curney

At every major family event we always talk and laugh about the older family members. The one family member that we have tons of stories about is my grandmother. There are many to tell, but this is my favorite. And no one tells it better than my mom. My grandmother, who only stood five feet, five inches tall and was very petite, was the commander and chief of her household. Even after her death in 1997, she is still remembered for being strong, witty, and not a quitter. Grandmother, was a strong and faithful believer in God, she stood steadfast to his teachings, which is what she instilled in her children and grandchildren. Through every trial and tribulation, she put God first. Through every joyous occasion, she put God first. She truly praised God whenever she had the chance. This is why my mother enjoys telling the story of grandma and Baby Curney.

The story goes, that in September of 1944 my grandmother, Earlie Mae Curney was married at the tender age of 17 to Jesse Curney, my tall, handsome, and meek grandfather who at the time was 23. To this union, in 1945 they birthed their first son, Jessie Curney Jr. II. They were both so proud to have had their first child together. He was truly their pride and joy and as my Grandmother would say, “a blessing from God.”

Three years later in 1947, my grandmother gave birth to Lily Mae Curney. Lily Mae Curney only lived to be three months old. During the night while she was asleep, she died. When my grandmother woke up the next morning, she found Lily lying in her crib stiff. Lily had died of what they called back then, "crib death." Grandmother could say nothing harsh of the incident, because she said that everything in life happened for a reason, so she did the only thing she knew to do, and that was to praise God. When people asked her how she felt about the death of her baby, she would often reply, "Lily was a sweet and beautiful baby."

After Lily, grandmother became pregnant again in 1949. Grandmother was not skeptical at all about this pregnancy; she knew that God knew best, and that he would look out for her best interest. So grandmother prayed everyday and praised God any way for sending her a healthy baby, because she knew that faith without works was dead. Nine months later she bore Annie Ruth Curney. Just as grandmother figured she was the healthiest baby, she'd had.

It seemed to me that grandmother was always pregnant. And yes, in 1953 she was surely pregnant again. With the new pregnancy, grandmother said that she had strange feelings. She didn't know why and she couldn't explain the feelings that she got but she had them up until her ninth month. When hearing this, we’d always ask why didn’t she have prenatal care, and my mother would reply, “ They didn’t have the funds or the technology as they do today.” However, the time came for grandmother to give birth. Grandfather loaded grandmother into their car and off they went to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the hospital, grandfather unloaded grandmother and helped her into the hospital room. The nurses laid grandmother on the soft white linen and prepped her to give birth. Once grandmother had dilated ten centimeters, it was time. Time for her new bundle of joy to arrive. Grandmother pushed and pushed until her baby came.

The doctors stared at the baby, and gave it a spank. There was pure silence. Then after several attempts to wake the baby, the doctor announced that the baby was still born. Grandmother named the baby, Baby Curney, because the sex was unknown and the doctor never told them. The nurses told grandmother and grandfather that the baby had been sick for a long time while inside of her. They also told her that the baby had been dead for a few months while inside of her, too. My mom said that is why she had those strange feeling during the pregnancy. One of the feelings that she felt was herself slowly dying the entire nine months, from carrying the dead sick fetus. The doctor then noticed that grandmother began hemorrhaging excessively. They saw that her temperature had dropped too low.

After the medical team witnessed all of this, they told grandfather that grandmother was dying and that he should go pick a casket and find a nice funeral home. Grandfather left, wondering how would he take care of two kids and work at the same time. Grandfather was not accustomed to caring for the children. All grandfather did was go to work and pay the bills. Its been said that grandfather was seen praying night and day asking God to make a way.

So back at the hospital the nurses rolled grandmother into a cold room. The walls were made of wood panel and there was not any atmosphere in the room at all. Grandmother was near death and the doctor knew that is why the nurses were ordered to place her in that room. Before the nurses left, they fluffed her pillows and made sure her sheets were comfortable so she could die peacefully.

At the time, grandmother was the only one in the room. She had not had any family to visit her all day. Grandfather was unable to visit, because he had to work, watch the children, and make funeral arrangements. While all this was going on, grandmother laid in a hospital bed fighting for her life. Grandmother said what she remembered, was that the battle was not hers; it was the Lord's. While she laid in the hospital bed, fading away, she mumbled out, "Oh Lord, come and see bout' your child."

Grandmother then turned her head to the left of the room and stared in the corner. While starring at the corner, she heard the most beautiful music playing. Grandmother said it sounded so loud and live, as if a mass choir was on the side of the bed singing to her. Grandmother said the ravishing voices were singing "all night all day, angels watching over me." The music continued as grandmother stared deeper into the corner, not wanting to move, thinking she'd stop the music. Then the music faded to a lower pitch and out of nowhere her mother-in law and mother came into the room. She knew she hadn't had any visitors that day and no one else had entered the room. They also weren't ghosts, because they weren't dead. They didn't speak to her and she couldn't speak to them. They made her feel good. They fluffed her pillows and fixed her cover around her. After they were through primping her, grandmother said that they disappeared into thin air.

After their disappearance a new doctor with a new medical team rushed into the room and said, "If we don't help this girl she'll surely be dead before the morning." Grandmother could only see his arms. She said he had the biggest, hairiest arms she'd ever seen. The doctor checked grandmother and gave the nurses strict orders. The nurses gave her IV's and various medicines. Gradually she was coming back to life.

Grandfather heard the news of grandmother getting better. He and the children would visit her everyday. When grandmother came to herself, she told grandfather about the nurses placing her in this cold room to die. She told him about her mom and his mom visiting her in the form of spirits. And how they took care of her. She also told him about the loud mysterious music that had her in a trance. She then told him about the doctor and nurses who had all the answers and knew everything. Grandfather, who never said much of anything, replied with a nod and a smile. He was just glad that grandmother was feeling better.

After that incident, the doctor told my grandmother not to have any more kids, because if she did, she would become very ill again and might not be so lucky. Unfortunately, the doctors were very wrong, because my grandmother had six more children after that and they all survived. Baby Curney taught my grandmother that she could overcome all obstacles in life if she would just place God first. This is one the many morals that my family and I have learned from hearing this story.