Her Sweet 16 - And In The Paper Again

Her Sweet 16 - And In The Paper Again

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The article reads:

Miss Eileen Lenora [sic] Weaver Will Be Feted by Friends Tonight

Miss Eileen Lenore Weaver will turn "sweet sixteen" at one minute after midnight tonight as bells ring out the old and ring in the New Year and as glasses are raised and clink toasts in 1934.

Happy New Year and happy birthday at once will be on the lips of a host of guests who will assemble at Miss Weaver's home, 405 Corona drive, to watch 1934 come on the scene and to honor their hostess, who was The Herald New Year baby of 1918, and who made her debut in the world with 1918.

Shown above is Miss Weaver, then and now, so to speak. The baby picture was one of the first birthday presents, although she was several months old when her parents got around to the photographer, who was instructed to "try to make a good one, someone might want to see it some time."

"Page One" Again.

Neither he nor his subject thought that some time, 16 years later, to be exact, she would "make" page 1 in a newspaper.

Merchants were very generous that year, Mrs. Weaver remarks. And the family still has most of the gifts. Eileen does justice to both jewelers, one of whom gave her a diamond ring and the other a plain band ring. She wears one above the other all the time on her little finger, although they have been made larger.

When baby Weaver blinked the first blink on that New Year's dawn she was already a member of the American Red Cross. She has the distinction of being the youngest Red Cross member, and if someone wants to know how much it means, it must be explained that 1918 dawned upon a world wrapped in the war hysteria, and the Red Cross work was paramount then.

However, that membership, like the subscription to The Herald, ended after a year. But Eileen has always read The Herald.

Many Gifts

Most of the gifts were things that could be used during this absorbing period of childhood. For instance, the child's rocker and a dollar's worth of pleating - which Eileen is sure went for some long dress trimming - a baby's cradle and a baby dress. Had she been a boy, in addition to the cradle she would have gotten three presidents' pictures, that of Washington, Lincoln, and Wilson.

"That," Miss Eileen explains, "was probably to inspire the boy to become president of the United States."

And the man's hat which also was in that first gift bundle, somehow wasn't the thing a baby could wear or use, so Mr. Weaver wore it.

A silk American flag - more shades of the patriotism that swept the country about them - has been folded up and put away, and guests at the watch party probably will get a glimpse of this gift.

Banks in those days were quite sound, and .50 went to Eileen's account, although she can't remember now precisely what happened to it.

High Studentry

Miss Weaver is a junior at Oakwood high school, and is popular. She is musical and quite domestic, being an expert seamstress and baker. Not always has she lived on Corona drive. As a matter of fact the secion in which the street is located was yet to be built 16 years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Weaver lived at 122 Frank street and Mrs. [sic] Weaver was order clerk at the N.C.R. He is still with the company.

Whatever radios were back 16 years, nevertheless the local station announced the first New Year baby, and although every house did not have a radio, the announcement of Eileen Lenore Weaver being born at 12:01 went out on the ether for whoever cared to listen.

Another member of the house party also will be 16 years old tomorrow. She is Miss Helen Ealy, who wasn't quite so fortunate in the hour of her debut, but was a New Year's baby.

Eileen has a brother and a sister. They likewise think it is something of which to be proud - this New Year business. "But maybe you think we don't hear about her having a birthday so close to Christmas", says her sister Dorothy.

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