Kerri Rosenthal Lamers was the apple of her father’s eye, which in and of itself isn’t all that unusual. Daddies have special places in their heart for their daughters, especially when that daughter is an only child as Lamers was. That’s just the way things work.
What is unusual, though – and heartwarmingly beautiful at the same time – was his way of keeping her close.
And that brings us to today’s positively precious installment in our 70 for 70 history series.
Installment No. 57: A father’s love
Today’s artifacts: A receipt from St. Tammany Parish Hospital for the 1956 birth of Kerri Rosenthal Lamers, accompanied by the beaded ID bracelet she wore home as a newborn.
Why they are significant: Fifty-six bucks. That’s how much it cost T.E. “Toby” Rosenthal and Dottye Davis Rosenthal to have their baby at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital back in October 1956.
We know that because, on the day little 5-pound Kerri Rosenthal Lamers drew her first breaths, Toby – a fourth-generation Mandeville native – neatly folded his receipt and saved it in his wallet. It would remain there for the next 62 years, until his death in 2018.
“Dad was a sentimental guy,” Kerri said, “so I guess that was why he carried the receipt. I am an only child, and of course he loved me with all his heart.”
Today, that receipt is still in remarkably good shape for a nearly 70-year-old slip of paper. A few creases. A little discoloration. But otherwise near-perfect. Ditto for the bracelet, which looks like a miniature version of the friendship bracelets so popular among Taylor Swift fans of today.
A lot has changed since that day Lamers arrived in the world, of course. For starters, the use of beaded ID bracelets for newborns – common in the 1950s – has long since been discontinued as a choking hazard. Sadly, that $56 maternity bill is also a product of a bygone era.
Still, the fact that the Rosenthals held onto them for so long speaks volumes, both about the love their family shared and also about the crucial role St. Tammany Parish Hospital has played in the lives of local families from the time it first opened its doors on Dec. 1, 1955.
That being the case, it occurred to Lamers that the receipt and the tiny, beaded ID bracelet – all of three-quarters of an inch across – might make nice additions to the health systems archives.
“Future generations, and this one, would be amazed,” she said.
So, she reached out to donate them. The hospital, of course, gratefully accepted.
Of note is the value assigned to the items on the obligatory donation form Lamers signed upon gifting them to the hospital: “priceless.”
Do you have a St. Tammany Parish Hospital story or item to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at CommDept@stph.org.
Next week – Installment No. 58: The shoes off her feet
Last week – Installment No. 56: ‘Heroes among us’