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.

Frank's Unspoken Dream Comes True

Frank Houser Senior Picture 1941
Page 50 of Pomona High Yearbook
compliments of classmates.com

Let's jump back a few years, and get to to know more of Frank Lambert Houser's earlier days:


While moving from Montana to California, then up and down California following the crops, working side by side his mother for hours on end, future hopes and American dreams were luxurious available for the rich.  


Today, the secret dream he held onto while working as a migrant worker, is coming true: 


Frank, after carefully dressing in his finest attire, walks into the room where his mom stood.  Grace admires the man standing before her, with love and pride in Frank and all that he has become.  She quietly cherishes this moment, marveling at how remarkable both of her son's have turned out in spite of the rough start in California.  


Frank strolls through the house ready to leave, and asks his parents if they too are ready.


It's late spring of 1941, Grace grabs her handbag, tucks a tissue inside, and sets off with Frank Sr, and Frank Jr.  (James unable to attend since he was (most likely) pursuing his dream - crossing the ocean and on his way to the South Pacific.  If he were here he wouldn't miss watching his young brother for anything.)   

Pomona High School

They arrive at Pomona High School, Frank Jr, parts from his parents and lines up with his class mates.  Today he becomes a high school graduate, a dream that seemed highly unlikely several years ago.  


Frank in anticipation, like most young graduate boys, straighten up a bit taller.  It could be from the formality of this American ritual, pride over his accomplishment, or merely so their parents could easily find them in the crowd. 


Grace finds Frank easily in the sea of graduates.  He didn't need to straighten up, he naturally stood taller then most his age.  


Today IS a good day.


Frank steps up to receive his diploma.  As he takes his diploma from his Principal, Principal Johnston E. Walker, gratitude and happiness start welling up in his heart.

Frank Houser is identified in red asterisk.
 Page 50 of Pomona High yearbook.
compliments of classmates.com

Grace, elated, watches him from the crowd, as he receives his diploma,   Grace's heart swells, both of her boys graduated, overcoming extenuating and difficult circumstances earlier in their life. 


Frank, on his way back to his seat, catches Grace's eyes.  They they smile at each other across the distance.  Frank quickly looks away in fear of the tears welling up.  They've been through a lot together, looking at her face beaming with pride while dabbing away her tears.  He knew he too would be overcome with emotions that he'd rather not reveal, and looking away was the only way out.


Frank takes his seat, brushes away the feelings that threaten to surface.  He couldn't imagine having his friends and classmates see him overcome with feeling, feelings he has kept buried deep inside.  As the procession of graduates come to an end, Frank and his classmates stand.  They ceremonially move their tassels from one side of their cap to the other - symbolizing their entrance into adulthood. 

Yearbook cover from Frank's senior year

Today, is for celebration and happiness - as one door closes and another opens.


Today is a good day, the future is bright, one could dream their dreams - even in dire circumstances.  Frank's future is encouraged, even celebrated.  He knew that if he received an education and worked hard, he would find his way out of poverty.


This fall, Frank had a lot to look forward to - a future.