Impression by Violet Bloom

Ruth Faye Leonard was born in Idaho in 1910. When I first saw Ruth’s lovely photograph, taken perhaps as her engagement photo, I felt her warmth, empathy, and compassion and I had no doubts that Ruth had become a nurse. She was a modem woman in her time-she completed her education and went to nursing school. She became a registered nurse and two years later, she married Harry Yost, the love of her life on October 24, 1934. She spent her life working to help nurses get better wages and to provide medical care to people in remote areas. Ruth and Harry had two children and a long happy life together. Ruth died when she was 97 years old-dying the day before their 73^rd Wedding Anniversary. Harry died a year later, at the age of 100.

Ruth kept this baby doll her entire life. However, when I saw the photo of the doll, I immediately felt that a baby in Ruth’s family had died. In my mind I could see a grave marker, but I couldn’t make out the name. This prompted me to look for Ruth’s grave and I learned there is a family plot. Ruth had two older sisters, named Letha and Grace, and a younger brother named Clyde. However, if you look at the cemetery records, there is a grave marker for “Baby Leonard”-and I found a death certificate of an unnamed premature baby girl who was born on July 30, 1911, two months before her due date. She only lived one day and was never given a name, which troubled me. I believe it troubled Ruth too. The baby was born a year after Ruth and four years before her brother Clyde.

Why didn’t her parents name her baby sister, especially since a death certificate was administered? And when exactly did this baby doll appear at the Leonard household? I believe that Ruth’s mother, Viola, was so distraught about the death of the baby, that she couldn’t bear to give the baby a name. I believe Ruth’s father Joseph brought home the doll to ease his wife’s pain. In that time period, it was common for women who had lost a baby to “adopt” a baby doll. Some women “pretended” it was a real baby by feeding it, giving it a bath, and changing the baby’s clothes. I don’t know if the doll helped his wife recover because she didn’t have another baby for four more years. But it made his three daughters happy.

All the girls played with the doll. Ruth’s sister Letha was 5 at the time, sister Grace was only 3, and Ruth had just celebrated her first birthday in June. I believe Ruth unknowingly connected at a higher level with her deceased baby sister. In my opinion, Ruth “took over” the baby doll when she was a few years older and ended up keeping the doll her entire life. I believe Ruth called the doll “Baby” when she was small and possibly “Baby Ella” when older. To be honest I am surprised Ruth didn’t give her deceased baby sister a name when she was an adult after her parents passed away. Perhaps her other siblings were opposed to it.

Whenever someone is near the baby doll, they may hear Ruth’s lovely soothing voice. I am convinced that Ruth’s spirit and the spirit of her baby sister are both attached to this doll. Ruth’s voice may be heard-singing a lullaby, talking playfully with the baby, and/or comforting the baby when crying. It is possible the baby can also be heard crying or giggling. Ruth and her baby sister will play with colorful lights and I believe Ruth would consider an SLS appearance. However, I don’t think Ruth will respond very well to questions until she feels comfortable.