Mary Tor Arrives on the Bathroom Floor

Denton, TX - January 13, 1983

Well before Christmas 1982, a “baby committee” was organized to prepare for the new arrival in the Tor family. Baby furniture, bedding and clothes were collected, and every base seemed to be covered. Doctor appointments were scheduled regularly.

On January 12, 1983, the committee gathered at the house to make final preparations, knowing that birth was imminent.

Early the next morning, Len called Katherine to tell her Yeth’s pains had begun. Katherine hastily called another meeting, thinking the baby would soon arrive, as it was Yeth’s fourth delivery. Mary Evans, Ruth Davis and Carol Riddlesperger joined Katherine for two hours, expecting to make a speedy trip to the delivery room... but nothing happened. The pains continued but did not quicken. So the committee decided they might as well go home and get some work done, and Len agreed to call when the “moment of birth” arrived.

At about 11:30 a.m., Len called Katherine in a panic: “The pains are very frequent!” (a new word that had been added to his vocabulary). Katherine called me and then her friends to let us know she was on her way to Yeth, and off she drove in a hurry!

She was too late. When she walked into the house, she heard the baby cry and rushed into the bathroom to check the situation. Yeth was on the bathroom floor and a baby girl was also right there, between Yeth’s legs, on the tile flooring. Katherine looked at Len in astonishment. He said, “I did not know what to do!” In her mind, K. thought, “You and me, too, buddy!” - then went to work on mother and baby.

Katherine used a towel to lift the baby up and place it on its mother’s tummy. Then she hastened to the phone and called 9-1-1. The paramedics arrive in about seven minutes and took over the task of separating and cleaning up mother and baby before moving both into the ambulance for the trip to the hospital. The baby was alive and well, crying lustily, so there really was no problem in the birthing. It just happened so unexpectedly!

Sometime in the next day or two, Len and Yeth were asked what they would name the baby. They had not selected a name, so they asked Katherine, whose suggestion was “Mary,” after Dr. Mary Evans, who had contributed so much time, money and love to the well-being of the family. So “Mary Tor” she was.

At the time, I thought she should have been named Mary Katherine, because both women had contributed so much to the big effort. My suggestion fell on deaf ears until September of 2000, when in a telephone conversation with big brother Ron Tor, I asked if he would talk to Mary and see how she felt about adding “Katherine” to her name. I told him I thought it was a great idea and I would pay any court cost in making the change official. We talked again a month later, and Mary had indeed become Mary Katherine in December 2000 at the age of 17. She had also become the tallest member in the Tor family and was an excellent student in high school in Stockton. She was totally American!

How is that for a great success story!?!!