1967 - Not A Typical Year

I was only five (5) years old, so I can only assume this year started off as a typical year.  However, before the year would end, I would have a few tragic losses.

On May 18, 1967, my parents (Jerry Eneau Modrell and Leona Frances Scott) filed for divorce.  The divorce was granted June 30, 1967.  I have the Kansas City Times newspaper clippings that prove those dates.  My dad had told me that he was granted the “care, custody and control” of us kids.  I need to get a copy of their divorce decree that would prove that statement.  He had said he was one of the first men in the state of Missouri to be awarded that type of custody.  My brother lived with my father, and for a very short time, I lived with my mother (see this post).

On September 17, 1967, my Grandma Modrell (Maxine W. Eneau) passed away.  I was told it was from eating with a dirty fork in a restaurant.  She got real sick and was placed in a hospital and within a short time, she passed away.  I do not have proof of this story and I did not hear this from my dad so I need to see if I am able to find some documentation to prove this statement.  She was laid to rest in Ashland Cemetery, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.

On November 7, 1967, my mother (Leona Frances Scott) passed away.  She had not been feeling well and called my dad to see if she could get a flu shot (according to my dad, she was still on our insurance since back then the only choices were either a family plan or single plan and since he had custody of us kids, he carried the family insurance).  He let the clinic know she would be coming in for a flu shot.  On the way home, she stopped at friend’s house as she was getting sicker by the minute.  She laid down on the couch and within a few minutes, she had passed away.  She had a reaction to the Streptomycin shot she had received.  My Uncle Bill (one of her brothers) had told me he worked with a man who was in the hospital and received the same shot and died before the needle was out of his arm earlier that year.  I lost my mother twice this year – once to divorce, and then forever when she passed.  She was laid to rest in Green Lawn Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri (it is located in Swope Park).

Several people have told me this year is the reason I don’t have a lot of memories of my childhood.  From this point, I can only provide maybe five (5) different memories until I reached high school age.