We just had a party for the confirmation class. A mere 200 people.
1962 December 1
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Durward and Estelle Titus Box 224 Route1, Carlos MN USA
Dear, mom, dad, Willa, and Martin,
Congratulations Willa and Martin. (I believe this is referring to Willa’s pregnancy with their 4th – due May 1963.) I hope you’re feeling well and not working too hard. We just had a party for the confirmation class. A mere 200 people. I made 10 gallons of mooley water (lemonade), baked three 9 x 13“, eight round layer, and one square tin of banana cake. I use 3 pounds of confectioners sugar, and dumped a lot of coconut and peanuts in the frosting to make it go far enough. Had quite a bit of leftover. Made three rounds with the lemonade.
Two weeks ago, Al caught, a 36 pound swordfish behind the Victor. Was it a beauty and did we eat fish! It was about 4 1/2 feet long.
We had a really good earthquake too last week. I really thought the end was here. I had just been up with Tom about 2:30 AM and had lit my kerosene lamp and had dozed off again. When it hit, I woke with such a start, and made a dive for the lamp. I caught it, but nearly fell when I tried to stand up. I was just going to yell for Phyllis to get out of the house when it was all over. I didn’t dare go to survey the damage until daylight.
Our radio landed on the floor and now works better. My glasses went flying out of the cupboard, but only broke one. All my medicines I keep up here for the dispensary was on the floor, my medicine cabinet in the bathroom was cleared of its contents as were on the shelves in the bedroom. The perfume Al had bought for me for my birthday, broke in the closet. We had a pleasant smell in the closet and bedroom. A few things on the walls were shaken off, but none of our pictures broke.
Last weekend we had a baby brought up here. The mother said it had a cold. I looked at it and it had such a funny color – then it kinda gasped, and I realized it wasn’t breathing and grabbed it from the mother and laid it on the dining room table and begin artificial respiration. At first with the legs pushing them up, then when it wouldn’t work, so mouth-to-mouth had to be tried. I had to do a tube and suction it. I got some thick mucus out, so had Al build a fire in the stove to steam her while we gave her artificial respiration. It would take two or three breaths of its own, and then stop. A little while later take two or three more and stop. If only we had a respirator and oxygen. Our boat was gone. The baby came at 9 AM and around 1 PM it started on its own a little for longer periods of time then it would quit again. It’s temp went up to 104°, so we had to take it out of the steam. The mucus was still quite thick, but not so much of it. I gave it small doses of penicillin, and about 2 PM coramine1, a respiratory stimulant a ¼ cc. I was scared to give it, so went slowly at first. It improved some, breathed far longer period of time, but still stopped. Its reflexes stayed good, and as long as it breathed, it remained active.
Our boat came back at 4:30 so when we saw it coming, we made a mad dash down the hill so we could take it to Lae. Al had taken over for a few minutes while I hastily packed some of my clothes. He’d packed his and Phyllis packed the kids. Phyllis took care of the kids all day, which was a big help.
I gave it more coramine before we went down the hill. The baby and Paula‘s car crib with two boys carrying it and I am giving it artificial respiration. It stopped a few times, but it was easier to start it again after the shot. It was hard getting it onto the boat and keeping it going, but we did. After we got settled on the boat, I gave it another ½ cc of coramine and then it kept going pretty good which was lucky as I got real sick. I’ve eaten very little all day and then didn’t think of taking a Dramamine before we left.
A Teacher called on the radio so an ambulance and oxygen was waiting. I called the hospital the next day and they said the baby was fine out of the respirator and oxygen. So it sounds like it would recover – it was a tiny six week old twin. We stayed that night and light and came back on Saturday.
Here we have to be so careful with all our sores they can be infected so fast. I’m always getting infection and scrapes on my legs. I noticed that my leg was a little tender behind my ankle bone. I wasn’t aware I had done anything but when I looked, it was a tiny scrape and probably from when I shaved my legs. I fixed it up like I always do only to having it get sore and my feet swelled a little. I had a Band-Aid on it, and under the Band-Aid were all kinds a little blisters, and soon these little blisters were all over my ankles and weeping. My foot was twice the normal size so I gave myself a shot of penicillin. About two minutes afterwards I begin feeling hot and flushed and felt like fainting. I told the girls to go get Al from the office and went and laid down. I thought perhaps I’d gotten into the vein. In spite of the fact I pulled back the plunger. As soon as I lay down, I was all right. Just a little woozy I guess because I’m not used to shooting myself. It was right after that the baby came so I had to recover from my ‘shot’ fast.
I got some terramycin, and while in Lae and my wound has healed nicely- only now I have that rash all over my body. I’m scratching and scratching but none of it weeps so I hope I won’t give it to the rest of my family. I gave myself a second shot of penicillin and I got such a reaction. I had a lump the size of a baseball for about two weeks. It was so painful I could hardly move my leg so I’ve decided I’m not going to give myself any more shots. At last the pain is gone and the swelling is almost gone. I boiled the needle for a good 10 minutes, so I think perhaps the penicillin wasn’t good. I can’t blame my technique.
Paula and Tommy have picked up real well. Their stools will seem much better– normal. Tommy eats bread and a little cereal but potatoes still aren’t tolerated. He goes have milk and eggs yet. I hope he’ll keep going now. He says mommy and night night, Oluia, flower in Jabem is Navla. He climbs up in his highchair and starts banging on his plate when he wants food.
We sure hope dad is feeling well and not working too hard and that the rest of you aren’t working too hard.
We pay 25% duty on records
5% duty on close
0 on books, paper, pencils, and colors.
45% on jewelry or cosmetics
0 on food, (canned meat or popcorn can’t be imported)
We love you all so much and remember you are in our prayers. Thank you so much for your letters.
Love, Ina.
Footnote:
1 Regarding coramine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8057823/In the 1960s, methylphenidate was introduced and was used as a respiratory stimulant for a short period.31 By the end of the 1960s, all analeptics had fallen out of favor. A controlled study of nikethamide (Coramine), dimefline and prethcamide done in 1969 made the following statement,
Despite claims to the contrary, the results of this critical and controlled study of the effects of different respiratory stimulants in chronic respiratory failure did not document changes in action or efficacy.35
1962 December
Letter written by Ina Erickson from the Malalo Mission station to Beryl and Bruce 2314 So 7th Ave S Minneapolis, MN USA
Dear Beryl and Bruce
We are sure happy to hear that Danny came through the surgery OK. I hope his wound is all better by now. We surely understand your concerns about having to leave him in the hospital and the worry about someone caring for him while you work. It’s wonderful that you do live in the states where you can get help for him. We pray that God will help you find a competent babysitter. He’s been so faithful in answering our prayers.
Tommy is much better now. He can eat bread again which is a great relief and some cookies and cake. He still seems to be bothered with potatoes though. I guess I really shouldn’t wonder why he is sick all the time. I caught him dipping my shoe into a pail of scrub water and drinking it. And another time I caught him drinking out of a pan of water I was soaking some of the muddy clothes.
He has eyes like grandpa Jackson’s (Benjamin Jackson, Ina’s mom’s father) big round brown eyes, shining with mischief all the time. Today he had a suitcase by his crib. He would climb up on it and grab a hold of the top of the crib and pull himself up and dive headfirst into the crib and hop out again. And then he would do it over again. He also learned how to crawl into the track grip, our little tractor that brings us up and down the hill. (Tom is about 17months old here)
We got tired of waiting for a chain for the track grip so Al set to work and made a link for the chain. It has broken several times since, but he’s been able to fix it with sawed off nails. So we’ve had the use of our track grip. Our Victor has been in working order and my washing machine is working and our bathroom is working and so we really are set up in business .
Paula (2 ½) sings some of the New Guinea songs and is constantly dancing like they do. I’ve been trying to teach her our songs but she doesn’t catch on to the tunes very easily. She helps me set the table sometimes. One day she wanted an extra plate and knife fork and spoon. She set it right on the table then I asked her who it was for and she said Millie the cat.
Will be having an American couple1 that just arrived from the states with the Bagleys2 for Christmas. This year will be much better than last. It would have to be pretty bad, to be worse than last year. They have three children 10, 9, and 6 so will enjoy swimming very much. Tommy enjoys the water a lot and he paddles around and gets dunked but doesn’t seem to mind. Paula is getting braver and braver again and she was so afraid for a while.
A very merry Christmas to you. God’s blessings and we look forward for pictures of Danny.
Love Al, Ina, Paula and Tom.
Footnote:
1Ramin, Robert, Inez. Administration 1962-1973 4 children. John, Paul and ? a 4th was born maybe in 1963. Bob was the Mission Comptroller in Lae. Inez was from Amery, Wisconsin and became one of Ina’s best friends in New Guinea. They lived in Lae. They were a middle aged couple.
2Reverend Robert and Naomi Bagley. Evangelism, 1962-1968. The the Erickson’s knew the Bagley’s. Ina and Naomi were classmates at Fairview. Bob was at the Seminary when Alvin was there.
Mr Ramin on the right in a cap. The 3 Ramin children- 2 are in the Tract Grip and one standing in red shorts. Paula and Tom the small children in the Tract grip.