Man searches for 3 other babies born Christmas Day 1959 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Mishawaka

Kathy Borlik
·4 min read
George Gherardi and his mother, Clara, are in the bed in the center of the photo. Susan Robertson and her mother, Joanne, are to the far right. The other two mothers and babies are Timothy Mortimer and mother Jean and Douglas Toombs and mother Carolyn. All four babies were born on Christmas Day 1959 at Mishawaka's St. Joseph Hospital.
George Gherardi and his mother, Clara, are in the bed in the center of the photo. Susan Robertson and her mother, Joanne, are to the far right. The other two mothers and babies are Timothy Mortimer and mother Jean and Douglas Toombs and mother Carolyn. All four babies were born on Christmas Day 1959 at Mishawaka's St. Joseph Hospital.

A Christmas birthday wish and a few New Year’s stories. It is officially a hodge-podge.

George Gherardi has a treasured photo from 1959. He was born on Christmas Day in Mishawaka’s St. Joseph Hospital.

Three other babies were born that same day. George said the mothers and babies — little George Gherardi, Susan Robertson, Timothy Mortimer and Douglas Toombs — made The Tribune.

A year later, the babies appeared in the paper again with a birthday cake and Santa. All were cute little people. George looked the least impressed with Santa.

In the background of the photo, there is a stunning aluminum Christmas tree and some interesting draperies.

George said he went to Mishawaka High School with Susan Robertson. After graduation in 1978, he lost track of her. He never knew what happened to Timothy and Douglas.

“I’ve made a few attempts to locate them on social media, but nothing. I don’t know if they moved on. I don’t know if Susan married and changed her name. Susan’s father, David, taught at Mishawaka High School,” George said.

A preliminary search found that David Robertson died in Fishers, Ind., in 2010. Susan was listed as a survivor and her last name was Mannell. No hometown was provided for her.

George’s mother, Clara Sparazynski Gherardi, died in 1992. His dad died shortly before he was born.

Four babies were born on Christmas Day 1959 at Mishawaka's St. Joseph Hospital. The four, Susan Robertson, left, Timothy Mortimer, Douglas Toombs and George Gherardi receive birthday wishes on their first birthday. Santa presents a cake to the gang. The photo was published in the South Bend Tribune.
Four babies were born on Christmas Day 1959 at Mishawaka's St. Joseph Hospital. The four, Susan Robertson, left, Timothy Mortimer, Douglas Toombs and George Gherardi receive birthday wishes on their first birthday. Santa presents a cake to the gang. The photo was published in the South Bend Tribune.

The other two Christmas babies add to the mystery. Douglas’ dad (Edward Toombs) worked for Uniroyal and died in 2018. According to the obituary, Douglas was living in White Pigeon.

And there are a lot of Tim Mortimers in the world, according to Google. No obituary was found for his father, Robert. Another deeper dive into research found an obituary for a sister, Debra Mortimer. Tim was listed as a survivor and living in Oklahoma.

“I have these photos and it would be great to know where they are. Maybe there are a few relatives living in the area. I’ve always wondered,” George said.

If you have information, you can write to him at Gherardi1@hotmail.com

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New Year’s Eve is often a time to find a warm blanket and watch the people in Times Square. Some people go out and put on a happy face.

Dr. Rob Riley, retired physician from the South Bend Clinic, has a better way to approach the new year. He and his wife, Lee, have three other couples in for a slumber party.

Dr. Rob said it started a few years ago. “We have room in the house. No one drives home. No one worries about the other drivers. The first time was a big success. There are hors d’oeuvres, games and talk. We stay up until 3 or 4 a.m. Then, the next morning, we go for a long hike. It isn’t the crack of dawn, but it is early. It is three to six miles.” No matter what the weather, they hit the trail.

He added that he determines a theme for the bar. This year, it is the Winter Olympics. There will be drinks from Olympic countries such as Canada and Norway. He does some research and comes up with his own concoctions.

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Diane Werts, of Mishawaka, looks forward to the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) presentation of "The Thin Man" series on New Year’s Eve. The six movies were produced from 1934 to 1947. The two stars are William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. There is a wire-haired terrier named Asta.

Nick is a steely-eyed detective. Nora comes from money but likes a good mystery. The series has clever dialogue, twists, turns and fashion, Diane said. “It is the height of old Hollywood.”

Diane grew up with black and white films and watching WGN out of Chicago. As a student at St. Joseph's High School in South Bend, she was a member of "Beyond Our Control" from 1971-74. Later, she was a television critic and movie aficionado. She worked at New York Newsday and the Dallas Morning News.

“The Thin Man” starts at 8 p.m. and “After the Thin Man” is on at 9:45 p.m. on Friday. “The first two are the best ones. Then you can turn to the ball dropping in Times Square,” she said.

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Florence Weigand was the hostess for a New Year's Eve open house. It was the perfect way to spend the evening, according to her daughter, Jill Purkey.
Florence Weigand was the hostess for a New Year's Eve open house. It was the perfect way to spend the evening, according to her daughter, Jill Purkey.

For Jill Purkey, of South Bend, there is a special memory. She remembers how her mother, Florence Weigand, celebrated New Year’s Eve. “She always hosted an open house for friends and family. Maybe 20 to 40 people. They could stop in and have some unforgettable punch and goodies before going on to their other New Year’s Eve celebrations.”

Jill added that her father, Rudy, died when he was 55. “So my mother was alone for many years. By having the open house, she was never alone on New Year’s Eve. She hosted the party every year until the day she died, ironically on New Year’s Eve day in 1992. I still put up her 10-foot Christmas tree in the living room in memory of her in 'her house,' where I now live.”

•••

Find a way to celebrate and look forward to a better year. Somehow it will all get better.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Born Christmas Day 1959 in Mishawaka hospital, man searches for others