From December 7th to 21st , Barry writes:
Everything rolled along nicely, on 21st Edith, Mc, and the baby
left for Richmond Va where I hope to God they stay. Preparations for
Xmass 1918 being held off on account of Belle’s condition, we are
looking forward every day for the new arrival. Doctor stated that it
would not be later than 18th.
On Christmas Day, little does the family know, their new baby girl
is hours away from making her appearance.
Xmass day
December 25, 1918, and everybody healthy and happy. John
and Budd was tickled to death with their toys and Xmass tree,
both of them received many useful things, shoes, clothes, Etc.
and toys galore. We had all the nice things that an average person
would have for the day.
Mr. Hurst, Belle’s Father, called around 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
Xmass Night
Belle was feeling all-right at time, and about 5-30 p.m. she began
to feel pains, at about 8 oclock I went to notify Doctor and get an
auto to take Belle to Marion Sprunt Memorial Hospital. Mr. Hudson
was kind enough to loan me his machine, driving Belle over, reaching
hospital at 9:30 p.m., having pains 30 minutes apart, they was not
very hard until 12 oclock midnight when I came back with Frankie,
Mr. Hurst- staying at house with John and Budd, baby Barry who is
to be Lucille and, was born on 1-05 am 26th day of December, 1918
weighing 10 lbs. 6 ounces, some girl, believe me, my dear wife and
myself were as happy as two kids, it was what we wanted, a girl.
From Xmass day on until New Years Eve, Belle doing fine, no
complications or draw backs whatsoever, she is a very strong girl I
brought her back home New Years day at home, she continued to do
well, so much so on this time, the Jan. 7th 9 p.m. she is sitting with
baby Barry in her arms, both of them having a head cold.
Sixteen months after the birth of Lucille, in the spring of 1919,
the Barrys welcomed their fourth child into the fold when
Julian Roy Barry was born at 6 p.m. on April 12, 1920. The journal
goes quiet for several years, but Barry picks up his pen when the
first tragedy strikes: Little Roy, only 2 1/2 years old at the time,
drowned in Wrightsville Beach on August 12, 1922. His body was
found on August 19 and he was buried on August 20, 1922.
After Roy’s death, the family returned to Wilmington where
their fifth child, Arthur Windell Barry, was born at Marion Sprunt
Memorial Hospital at 7 a.m. on September 8, 1923. And then two
more children, twin sisters Betty Marie Barry and Mary Anne Barry,
were born at James Walker Memorial Hospital, on July 2, 1930.
By the time John Barry writes again, his sweet Belle has passed
away in August 1931 from puerferal, septic infection. Things
Lucille and Roy on Christmas Day, 1920.
Belle with Roy.
Roy Dyer with Budd during Christmastime, 1920.
66
WBM december 2013