Mother Buries Baby

The following clipped from Thursday morning’s World-Herald is self-explanatory and deals with Blair people:

“Carrying the body of her dead baby, which died in an Omaha hospital Tuesday, Mrs. Raymond T. Reyes, 18, of Blair, Neb., hitch-hiked back home to bury the child.

Mrs. Reyes, carrying the body wrapped in a blanket, walked into the Campbell undertaking establishment in Blair about 6 o’clock Tuesday evening.

“He’s dead”, she said, holding out the body. “Will you bury him?”

J. E. Campbell, the proprietor, agreed to bury the baby without charge. The funeral was held at 2 Wednesday afternoon.

The baby was brought to the Omaha hospital three weeks ago. Mrs. Reyes was informed when it died Tuesday morning. She came to Omaha with her brother, John Maynard, to get the body. She obtained a removal permit by saying she had a car outside to take the body to Blair.

Going to the hospital, she asked for the body. She was asked how she intended to take it back to Blair. The brother said they planned to take the body in a street car to Benson, where a car would be waiting for them.

The hospital attendant refused to release the body. Maynard then agreed to call a cab, and one was summoned. The two took the body and apparently rode a short way in the cab, then boarded a street car and rode to the end of the Florence line.

There they started for Blair. On the way they were picked up by a motorist. The body was kept carefully wrapped, and the mother did not reveal it was dead. At Calhoun the driver let them out. They walked a mile, then got a ride with a trucker into Blair.

Mrs. Reyes’ husband has been gone from Blair for several months.

Note: Since the actual death date was not given, the news article date was used.