52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Misfortune

This photo was likely taken in the summer or fall of 1908. Pictured are my great-grandparents, James Louden Dean and Eva Maud Bean and their three eldest children, Marjorie Elizabeth (my grandmother), Kenneth Emery and Dorothy Irene. Dorothy was born in June of 1908.

You may remember that the Louden Deans were a farming family, living in North Hatley, Quebec. Then, as now, it was primarily a dairy farm which also had a good-sized sugar bush, which means they also produced maple syrup. One of the farms that adjoined Louden's belonged to Robert Dean, a paternal uncle, and it was there that he met with great misfortune on October 1, 1912.

     "A very serious accident occurred here Oct. 1st, which might have proved fatal. While engaged in cutting ensilage for his uncle, Mr. R. Dean, J. L. Dean had the misfortune to get his hand caught in the machine. Mr. N. E. Drew was the first to notice the accident and immediately reversed the machine, but not until his arm was badly cut and torn. Dr. Hume, of Sherbrooke, was immediately summoned and temporarily dressed the wound. He was taken to the Protestant Hospital at Sherbrooke, where it was found necessary to amputate the arm above the elbow. He is doing as well as possible at present.
     Last Tuesday about fourteen men gathered at the home of Mr. J. L. Dean and had a "bee" to cut his grain and help with this work in general. On Wednesday about twenty women had a sewing bee for Mrs. Dean, who is an invalid and is in Sherbrooke taking treatment of Dr. Lynch. Much sympathy is felt for the family in their sad misfortune."

As noted in this clipping, my great-grandmother was already suffering the effects of "creeping paralysis", some type of degenerative disease like ALS or MS, when this accident occurred.  One nice thing to see in all this was the reaction of the community as told in the article above and another below.

     "We are pleased to note the large attendance at the "benefit" to Mr. Louden Dean given by Mr. A.C. LeBaron and the orchestra, assisted by Mr. Blair, of Waterville, last Monday evening. The cause was indeed a most worthy one. All deplore the great misfortune of Mr. Dean."

     "Mr. J.L. Dean, who met with an accident a short time ago, is recovering as speedily as possible."

     "Mr. J.L. Dean has returned home from the hospital and is doing as well as can be expected."

In addition to these articles, I am also lucky to have my grand-uncle Ken's memories which he contributed to a history of the area. He remembered that it was his father's glove that became stuck in the machine, causing his arm to be pulled into the cutters. Uncle Ken also wrote that it was another neighbor who made a tourniquet out of binder twine, likely saving Louden's life in the process; it was a long way into town on a horse-drawn wagon and then to Sherbrooke by train to get to the hospital for surgery.

Uncle Ken also said that once his father recovered he was determined to learn how to do everything around the farm that he could do before the accident, and he did in a very short time, "even to milking the cows, two teats in one hand."

As Amy Johnson Crow reminded us in her email with the month's topics, stories of overcoming difficult circumstances are important to pass on from one generation to the next. If Louden's descendants were to use his story as inspiration in overcoming their own troubles, that would be the best outcome of all.
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1. Dean, James Louden, etc. Photograph taken ca. 1908. Privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, NY 11570.

2. "Minton," The Stanstead Journal, 17 Oct 1912 p. 5, col. 4, paragraphs 2-3; digital images, Google News Archives (http://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 28 May 2017).

3. "NORTH HATLEY," The Stanstead Journal, 7 November 1912, p. 2, col, 1; digital images, Google News Archives (http://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 28 May 2017).

4. "Minton," The Stanstead Journal, 31 October 1912, p. 2, col. 2, 4th item, digital images, Google News Archives (http://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 28 May 2017).

5. "Minton," The Stanstead Journal, 28 November 1912, p. 2, col. 2, 3rd item, digital images, Google News Archives (http://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 28 May 2017).

6. Conner, Reg, The Vine and the Branches (North Hatley, Quebec), 246-247.