PRIMUS, Beverly Helen 1943

PRIMUS

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 12/23/2016 at 17:18:10

Lee Primus' Infant Died Sunday in Spite of Eastern Trip

Funeral services for Beverly Helen Primus, 15-day-old upside-down stomach baby who died Sunday at Truesdale hospital in Fall River, Mass., will be held in Des Moines Friday morning.

The announcement is of more than usual interest to the people of this community as the father of the child is Lee Primus, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Primus, living west of Wellsburg. Lee lived here all his younger life and was well known in Wellsburg, where he attended school. Mr. and Mrs. Primus have another child, a five-year-old son. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Primus visited their son and family in Des Moines last week.

--The Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 29 September 1953, pg 1

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Father of Upside-Down Baby Is Wellsburg Man

Widely Publicized 15-Day Old Baby Of Mr. And Mrs. Lee Primus Dies After Airplane Trip To Specialist In East

The 15-day old daughter, Beverly Lee, of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Primus was the most publicized baby in the country for several days during the past week. The child was born with its stomach upside-down. The father of the child was born and raised in the vicinity of Wellsburg. He graduated from the Wellsburg high school and later attended Grundy college. He has been employed in a Des Moines law office and is taking a course in law at Drake university. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Primus from Shiloh township.

Surgeons in Des Moines were unwilling and unable to perform an operation to right the upside-down stomach and they advised that she be rushed to Fall River, Mass., where Dr. Truesdale, the only surgeon in the country familiar with such a case, would perform an operation. The child was taken in a civilian airplane from the hospital in Des Moines Thursday and arrived in Fall River Friday. A doctor and a nurse from Des Moines made the trip to look after the baby on the way. The baby lived through the trip but died on Sunday before the operation could be performed. Every radio and daily newspaper in the country reported the progress of the case from the time the abnormal condition of the child was discovered until the end.

Funeral Service in Des Moines
Following a post mortem examination, the body of the baby was returned to the parents in Des Moines. Funeral services will be held in Des Moines Friday morning.

Mr. and Mrs. Primus have another child, a son 5 years of age.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 30 September 1953, pg 1