FIRST BABY GETS COLD WEATHER WELCOME
Police deliver mother to hospital
Trending
Paula Rae Meier won the first baby contest conducted by the Journal-KNUJ and 14 other local business enterprises on a cord cold day in January.
With the temperature 25 below zero, daddy Marvin Meier, unable to start his car, called police to take the mother to Union Hospital.
Paula was delivered at 3:26 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1, weighing 8 pounds, 9 onces.
"I wanted her for a tax deduction in 73," said Marvin, a geography teacher at the New Ulm Junior High School, "so I conducted a countdown all day. By 6 p.m. Monday, nothing had happened so I kinda forgot it, though I had tried and failed to start the car. Even warming the battery side didn't help. A tow truck called never got to us."
By 9:30 p.m., Mrs. Meier started light labor pains. The couple knew all about those since they have a son, Colin 3.
"By 1 a.m. Tuesday, the pains were regular and it looked like time was approaching to go to Union Hospital," said Meier. "I tried the car again, but no start, I called the police. A cruiser came in out 5 minutes and delivered us to the hospital."
Within half an hour, Mrs. Meier was in delivery room.
Patrolman Ralph Dunn and auxiliary patrolman Don Madison left an accident they were assisting to investigate to make run to the hospital. After delivering the mother (to the hospital) they picked up Meier's mother in downtown New Ulm to babysit for the child at home.
The Meiers live at 210 1/2 S. Franklin. They will receive prizes from State Bank, Thrifty Drug, Togs-n-Toys, New Ulm Savings and Loan, Citizens Bank, Lindsay Shoes, New Ulm Theatre, Ebert's and Swanson's as well as the Journal-KNUJ.
New Ulm Daily Journal, Jan. 2, 1974