Sometimes just a tiny line can fill in a lot of details.

I was searching at NewspaperArchive.com today and came across this very brief birth announcement in the Sikeston Herald.

Hospital Notes

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Graham, of Route 3, Sikeston are the parents of a girl born Saturday at the Delta Community Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Graham were my uncle and aunt, whom we called Leroy and Lorice. This note announced the birth of their first child, Connie, though her name was not mentioned. This brief note confirmed the following for me:

1.)  Leroy and Lorice’s residence. They were living in Sikeston, Missouri in 1954. Lorice was from Missouri, so that’s no surprise.

2.)  Connie’s birthdate. The paper was published on Thursday, 25 November 1954. The note reported the girl was born the previous Saturday, which was 20 November 1954. I had previously recorded this birthdate for Connie, and this helped me to confirm that this was indeed my cousin’s birth announcement.

3.)  Connie’s place of birth. Delta Community Hospital in Sikeston, Missouri. That’s a fact I hadn’t previously recorded.

Source

NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Sikeston Herald, 25 November 1954, page 4. Retrieved on 17 July 2012.