The Deicison That Started it All - Betty is One Step Closer

Betty's father, Dr. Calkins, rests his head in the palms of his hands.  His finger tips threading through his hair, his pinkie knuckles digging into his closed eyes, and obscuring his view.  That sleepy, tingling sensation radiate from his bent elbows resting on his wooden desk.  Elbows that have kept the heaviness of his head a float in his palms, swarmed amongst strewn papers.  Papers that tell a story, one that none wants to hear or reveal.

Possibly what Dr. Calkins'
 desk looked like

Dr. Calkins sitting alone in his dental office located in the heart of Chicago's upscale shops in the Marshall Fields building slowly picks his heavy laden head off of his palms.  Blurred vision comes into focus as he lifts his head out of his palms, relieving the blurring pressure from his eyes.  Spread before him are ledgers, each line telling a story that one can not deny.  To his right, lay the next days mail ready for pick up.  Tucked carefully inside each envelope are the most recent slew of past due notices.  Each sealed with the dampness of an anxiety ridden lick, addressed with hand written desperation, waiting for their recipients' possible positive reactions.  

A sample dental ledger from
the 1930's

William, slowly with determined mental heaviness flips through the pages over and over.  Reviewing every entry, tallying each cent, ensuring they are being accounted for.  Exhaustion and defeat throbbing through his veins, fighting each thread of hope since opening his  dental practice.   Decisions needing to be made, changes need to happen , and sooner rather then later.

We go back a few years prior to the event above, the year 1929, right at the burst of the stock market bubble.  Individuals and businesses who placed their trust and financial future in the mighty stock market, like William, were left with a future of unknown trajectory.  Dr. Calkins found that dental needs, just like many needs during this time, took a back seat as survival became Americans' focus.  The required root canal for a tooth ache was quickly replaced by pliers in the tool drawer, a huge savings on the patients pocket book.

An example of a popular 1930
dental chair

Between 1929 and 1933, Dr. William's dental chair saw fewer and fewer patients each week. The chairs sat empty for hours, and days at a time.  Patients that could pay at first, eventually started receiving past due notices.  Along with the crash of the stock market, his patients means of being able to pay their dental bills, were whisked away as well.  Oftentimes dental bills ran on and on for years, until Dr. Calkins made the decision that it was costing more money trying to get paid then to quit collecting for their debt.

Several sobering years combined with lack of monetary resources, push Dr. Calkins to this night - the night of anguish over decisions needing to be made.  Changes that needed to happen in order for Dr. Calkins and his family's well being, a decision made for the better of his family.  Dr. Calkins, with his ledgers of accounting in front of him, makes the first of many hard business and family decisions. He decides to move his struggling dental practice to his house, where the overhead costs were minimal compared to those of Marshall Fieldings.

This decision will be the first of many decisions that will bring Betty closer and closer to Frank.  The beginning of the end of an era, and the start of a new.

Betty 'Rocks'

Unknown Calkins Baby
From Black Leather Binder

Elizabeth and William Calkins, welcome and delight in the arrival of their daughter, Betty Margaret Calkins. Born in the midst of  the 'roaring twenties' at the beginning of American Prohibition, and in the same year that the US Attorney General proclaimed it 'legal for women to wear trousers anywhere'!   Sept 13, 1923, the day a catalyst for hope,  Betty, is born.

During Betty's young life, the influence of music could be heard and seen where ever she went:

"Betty, it's time for your lesson." Elizabeth states matter of factly as she enters her daughter's play room, a room littered with dolls and their 'required' accessories.

"Ah, not now.  I'm not ready."  Betty whines as she continues to dress the doll she has in her hands.

Elizabeth turns to walk away from the room, and says over her shoulder, "Well, unfortunately, it's your piano lesson in 10 minutes, and your teacher will be expecting you.  Now put your doll down and grab your piano books.  I'll be waiting by the front door."

'Strolling Along with Grandma Elly'
Unknown Baby From Black Leather Binder

Betty hesitantly places her doll in its bed, the bed made just for her doll.  You know the ones, the kind that every girl between the ages of 6 and 11 want, the kind with the canopy top, and matching dresser.  Betty pulls the doll's covers over her doll and gently tucks her in, kissing her on the forehead like her mom does to her.  Betty quietly tip-toes out of the room making sure to not wake the sleeping doll.  She gently closes the wooden playroom door as quietly as she could, acting as if her doll was a real child, who would magically awake if she was too loud.

Once Betty shuts the door, she starts sprinting towards the living room.  Knowing how impolite it is to keep someone waiting, especially her piano teacher.  Betty skids to a halt in the living room, right in front of the piano.  She grabs her books and hastily turns to meet her mom at the front door.

When Betty reaches her waiting mom, she starts into her continual run on questions (like most girls her age): "Mom, how long does my lesson take? When we are done, do you think we can go look at the drums in the store?  Do you think you and Dad will let me get drums?  I really, really want to learn how to play the drums.  If I learn how to play them, they will help me with my piano and dance, I'll be better at keeping rhythm on both of them."

'Talking to her pansies'
Unknown Calkins Girl From Black Leather Binder

A moment of silence sliced through the entry way, as Betty puts her shoes on.  Without skipping a beat, Betty clamored on as they walked out towards the driver waiting patiently with the back seat door open.  "You've always told me how important music is, how it helps make a lady well rounded and stimulates my mind. So what do you think?  Don't you think it would be splendid to have a daughter who would be so well rounded?"

Betty slides past the open Lincoln door, and climbs into the back seat. The slippery leather seats tempting her to slide across the back like a slip and slide, but without the downward motion.  She sits, bouncing ever so slightly in place, staring doe eyed, plea-fully, and hopeful at her mom.

Elizabeth carefully climbs into the back, being sure to keep her dress smoothed down so she could slide easier into the back.  She looks to her left to see her daughter, doe eyed and begging.  "Well, I'll have to talk with your father." as she tries to hold any semblance of laughter from her voice.

Picture of unknown lady driving car
From Black Leather Binder

After Betty's piano lesson, Elizabeth exclaims in heightened excitement from the back seat!  "Oh driver, will you please rush us to Williams office?  I just remembered Lilly Pons has an appointment with William today.  Oh, I do love her voice, it's like a choir of angels when she sings."

Betty sitting in the back seat next to her mother, starts to fill with childhood excitement and energy, similar to a bouncy ball being dropped from the second story window. She just loves the kindness and beauty that makes Lilly so appeasing and personable.  Lilly always makes sure to acknowledge Betty along with her parents each time she sees her, only making Lilly just that much more of a super star.



Elizabeth, with the same excitement as Betty, does everything she can to remain calm and composed while they drive into the city.  Elizabeth watches her daughter try not to bounce in the back seat, smirking to herself as she watches Betty attempt to monitor herself.   Elizabeth starts reminiscing about the many other times that she's had the opportunity to briefly converse with Lilly, most times ending with an invitation to one of her shows at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Unknown Calkins Girl
From Black Leather Binder

Elizabeth caught up in her memories of their trips to see Lilly perform, suddenly comes back to reality as they pull in front of the Marshall Building.  Once stopped, their driver walks around and opens the door for the two ladies.  They both walk quickly, with out seeming like they are rushing, through the busy Marshall Field building.  Elizabeth, wanting to keep herself as put together as possible, decides to take the escalator up to William's office.

Oh, how Betty loves the escalator!  It's as close to a carnival ride as a child can get in this stuffy store.  The place that tests her (and all children) in her ability to look with her eyes, and not her hands; walk, not run; and remember to act like a ' lady'.  The escalator was the one shining token of relief in a not so child friendly store.

Betty while riding the escalator envisions that it's the roller coaster at the carnival.  It takes all her might to keep calm and remain standing next to her mom, especially with the roller-coaster visions running through her mind.   All too quickly, her carnival ride is over.  However, she knows that once off the escalator it's just a few steps to Dad's office,  knowing Lilly is there makes it better that her ride is over so quickly.

Mother and daughter enter the office just in time, for Lilly was getting ready to leave.  Lilly, hearing the office door open, turns in time to see Elizabeth and Betty walk in.

Lilly Pons
Opera Star

"Why, Mrs. Calkins, I was just exclaiming to Dr. Calkins that I do hope to see the two of you at my next opening this spring at the Met." Lilly exclaims in star like, authoritative, fashion as she places her stylish hat on perfectly smooth long dark hair.  "Please send me a notice if you two can make it.  I'll have them reserve the best seats."

"Oh Lilly, we would be honored to attend.  Thank you so much."  Elizabeth, in a star struck, overly pleasing tone replies.

Betty, in childlike awe, steals a stare at the scene before her.  Her mother, in adoration, conversing with such a beautiful star like Lilly.  No matter that she's an opera star - she's famous, beautiful, and kind.  Betty, in inspiration, looks at this moment and with child innocence and asks, "Mom, are you going to ask Dad about the drums?"

"We'll talk about that later." Elizabeth nervously replies.  In an attempt to quickly hush her daughter and not embarrass her in front of Lilly with such silly talk of drums.

Sample of the Calkins lifestyle
From Black Leather Binder

"The drums, you say little Betty?  Why I think the drums are such a grand instrument." Lilly exclaims in earnest attention.

"You do?  I love them!  They make such a noise and keep the entire orchestra on beat." Betty in huge overly exaggerate tones,  gestures with her hands flaying around in front of her as if playing a set of drums.

"Why my darling girl, we should indeed take a real look at having you learn to play the drums." Elizabeth reassuringly and calmly says. Placing her hand on Betty's shoulder, indicating that it's time for her to hush, yet knowingly trust that they will indeed look into having her learn to play the drums.

Betty in innocence and excitement does her best to keep from jumping up and down and running around in joy and anticipation.  Finally!  She's going to learn to play the drums.

- Although the story above is based on actual facts, the reality of how Betty was able to talk her parents into letting her learn to play the drums is unknown.  I can't imagine Nanny (Elizabeth) being ok right away with her only daughter playing the drums, especially when you take into consideration their rich lifestyle and elite social life.  In any case, this means that my grandma rocked!

The star quality smile of Lilly Pons was indeed the work of Dr. William Calkins.  Through his work, the Calkins family became acquaintances of the opera star Lilly Pons.