Another Treasure Among the Trash

I found another piece of writing in my mother's hand in yet another journal book.  It seems my mother and I have a lot in common.   We enjoy writing real life stories but we are a bit scattered.   We don't give up though - we keep starting over and over and over again. 
Here is a story that I consider a great gem.  I will add the photo when I find it!  I told you I was a bit scattered but I will find it sometime and send it along with is particular blog entry.
" The first born of Thomas Joseph O'Donnell and Margaret Mary Coleman O'Donnell was born on the 25th of March 1917.  Although I didn't realize it at the time, it happened to be me - Rita Mary O'Donnell.  I was born at home at 50 Howard Avenue between Jefferson and Putnam Avenue across the street form the Bushwick Hospital.  At that time, the section was called the Bushwick section.  Today the area is considered a part of Bedford - Styvesant section.
As was customary in those days, I was born at home.  My mother engaged Mrs. Willet, a nurse, to be with her during her confinement.  When my mother felt certain my birth was imminent, she begged Mrs. Willet to call Dr. Stevens, the doctor she had engaged for the delivery. This officious lady refused her request.  The result- I was born before the doctor's arrival. Needless to say, my mother did not hire Nurse Willet for the birth of her other children.
My mother was born on her parents' farm in Middletown Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of ten children, two of whom died in infancy.  Except for the times she taught school in different districts, she lived on the farm till her marriage.  She attended school in a one room school house.  The school house was a mile or twp from her home near the home of the Beaumonts, her closest neighbor.  Her birthday was on the 16th of February 1887.  Her parents were George Francis Coleman, called Frank, and Hannah Byrne Coleman.  Her brother, Lawrence D. was born the next year on the 31st of March 1888.  The relationship between Lawrence and Margaret was a close and loving one. Mother said she was closer to Lawrence than any of her other brothers or sisters.  Christopher, called Chris, was born on the 29th of July 1889.  The other children arrived in rapid succession.  Mary was born in 1891 and died in 1892. Martin was born the 9th of November 1892.  may, christened Anna May, was born on the 2nd of May 1894, Francis B. 1895. Norine E.'s birthday is the 6th of October 1897.  Besides little Mary, another baby whose birth date is unknown, died in infancy.  Kathleen, the youngest child, was born posthumously, on the 18th of September 1901.  Aunt Norine told me that this baby, born between herself and Aunt Kathleen, was also a girl.
Sometime in February of 1901 Frank, Mother's father, slipped on a huge boulder in the woods between his house and his father's house on Route 858.  He sustained a compound fracture of the leg.
About six weeks later on Good Friday evening he and baby Norine were in bed together.  He had been given permission by the doctor to get up the next day, and was in fine spirit. Grandma and mother were home with him also.  He put down the book that he had been reading, fell back on his pillow and died instntly from a blood clot, which was called apoplexy in those days.  The date was April 2nd, 1901 (Good Friday).  Since none of the boys were home, mother had to go by herself to get help - a nightmarish experience which she never forgot.
When Grandpa died, Grandma, a thirty five year old widow, was left to raise seven children completely by herself.  The eighth child, Aunt Kathleen, was born five and a half months after Grandpa's death (her father's death) on 18th of September 1901.  Because mother was the ....."( and here my mother's story stops in mid-sentence.  This is too bad since I was really getting into the story!!