Woman seeks closure from birth announcement error. ~Truro Daily News, Sept 17, 2009

Saltscapes gets lots of letters with stories of various kinds. Here's one. It begins in Truro, NS, and ends in Truro, NS. It shows the important role that historical societies play, the power of the written word-indeed, the power of a typo-and the lightness of vindication.

"When I was in my early 20s, my father said to me, 'When you were born, I had to hide all the newspapers from your mother. Your birth announcement read, We are pleased to announce the death of our daughter, Juanita Gail.'

Since my mother had lost her first daughter through childbirth, the misprint was particularly significant.

Nothing more was said, and with it representing such a delicate issue it was never discussed further with either parent.

Fast forward to September 2009. At 63, I returned for the first time to my birthplace of Truro, NS. I wanted to see the house I had lived in for my first two years. It was still standing and looking good. I also stumbled upon the Queen Street Annex makeshift maternity ward of the war years, where I was born. 

I still had an entire day in front of me before I was to leave Truro. It was then that I realized I had unfinished business. 

First: a visit to the Colchester Museum and Archives where an original copy of the 1946 Truro Daily News did in fact reveal the actual misprint. It was a moment of breath-catching revelation and redemption. There it was: it had really happened. 

A small group of us-Nan, Carol, Olivia and Jim-just gasped and stood pointing at the paper.

'Glad you're not dead,' said Jim, smiling, as I headed out the door.

By now I was on a mission. The Truro Daily News office was just a block around the corner from the archives, and at the front desk, after introducing myself, I told Carl, the editor, that I had some unfinished business with the newspaper. I said I was looking for some kind of follow-up-a correction notice or something-but that it was ok if that didn't happen. 

Feeling this was a story of worthwhile community interest, Carl assigned a reporter to the story.

And voila, the 63-year-old typo made the front page of the newspaper.
 
I left Truro feeling as if I had made friends and received support and understanding. I felt vindication and a sense of redemption over a burdensome oversight that I carried in my psyche for so many years.

So now, truly, I have been born again."

Thanks to Juanita Sahl, nee Talbot, of Surrey, BC, for sharing it with us. (We're glad she's not dead, too.)

Heather White
Editor, Saltscapes