Thursday, December 17, 2015

Molly Catches Up with Jack Benny

by Pa Rock
Proud Papa

My middle child and only daughter, Molly Miranda, turned thirty-nine-years-old today - officially making her the same age as comedian Jack Benny was for most of his life.  Jack was a smart guy and probably figured that thirty-nine was just about the perfect age.  I hope it turns out to be Molly's best age and year ever!

Molly was born in what was at the time the "new" Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri.  Joplin is the city in southwest Missouri which gained way too much public recognition when a killer tornado swept through in 2011 and took a wide swath of the community away with it.   In addition to Molly, two other celebrities were from there also - the late Bob Cummings and the late Dennis Weaver, both staples from the early days of television.

Molly was born late in the morning and I was present at the birth - just barely.  The labor was quick and I was rushing in putting on hospital gear just as she was rushing out!  That evening her grandparents drove up from Noel to meet their newest grandchild.  Molly was in the observation room along with more than thirty other new arrivals.  She was on the front row.  While most of the babies were bald, Molly head was capped with little red ringlets of hair.  My mother immediately pointed to her and said, "That's our baby!"

The following day her other grandmother, Aggie, and her great-grandmother, Sophia "Nana" Wiederkehr Doerpinghaus, came to visit from Strafford, MO, and Aggie carried in the largest poinsettia that I had ever seen.

And then thirty-nine years raced by.

Happy birthday, Molly.  You are a great mom and a wonderful daughter!  I wish you the very best today and always!

1 comment:

molly. said...

Thank you so much Dad. And thanks to you & Rosie for calling! :) I love this post. I didn't know all of those details. Thank you for saving them for me. That really means a lot. :)
I love you. - Molly Miranda