Southwest Sierra — #48

D L Hall at the Golden Bear Mine 1987

The Midwife’s Apprentice ~ Last week I mentioned the process of remembering. After I wrote the second article in this series, almost a year ago now, a slew of memories surfaced. I wrote them down, but at that time, I didn’t think they were appropriate to share, and I sat my notes aside. Lydia Cartwright’s eloquently written story of her own home birth in Sierra City, recently published next to Southwest Sierra on the back page, inspired me to revisit those notes.

SS#2 included the story of my older brother DBJ assisting at an unplanned homebirth in Alleghany during the winter of 1982-83. According to weather records, that winter had even more snow than the previous one (also shared in SS#2 with 12 feet of snow falling over a period of four days in early April).

The slew of memories that surfaced after I wrote that article began with the realization that I wasn’t here for the winter of 1982-83. Oddly enough, the reason that I wasn’t here was directly related to my teenage ambition to become a midwife. It was also related to the fact that two years prior, I had attended John Woolman School in Nevada City for my freshman year of high school. This was an alternative boarding school established in the 1960s by the Society of Friends (Quakers). My best friend there was a student named Molly Minor. Molly’s older sister Lisa was expecting a baby near the end of summer 1982 and was planning a home birth. She lived on the Big Island of Hawaii and Molly invited me to spend the summer with her at her sister’s place on the Big Island! The birth of Lisa’s baby girl Uala, was the first human birth that I witnessed. I was 16 years old at the time.

Much to the chagrin of my parents and Alleghany School, I ended up staying on the island of Hawaii for 11 months. Molly, whose family was relatively affluent, had generously booked a one-way flight for herself, and a round-trip flight for me. She ended up using my return ticket at the end of summer, leaving me behind. (Back in the days when we could swap airline tickets). I apprenticed with a midwife on Hawaii and got to attend three more home births. I came back home to the Golden Bear Mine in early summer 1983.

By coincidence, not long after my return, I was at Tom and Donna Lee (D L) Hall’s house in Sierra City when a friend of theirs went into labor. She was planning a home birth and D L was her helper, what is called a doula today. When D L got the call that her friend was in labor, she told me to come. I was hesitant, but she insisted. So, I tagged along to the house in Sierra City where the homebirth was taking place. I waited downstairs while D L went upstairs to the birthing room. After a while she came down and told me that I could come up. My plan was to stay back in a corner of the room and as out of the way as possible.

Mary Kawa, the same midwife who had walked DBJ through the home birth in Alleghany the previous winter, was the midwife. When I walked into the room I felt a wave of energy, like heat flowing through me. Mary immediately turned towards me and waved me closer. She had me assist. A beautiful healthy baby girl was born. Later Mary told me that she also felt whatever it was that I felt when I walked into the room and that was why she had me help.

Mary lived in N. San Juan at the time, and I briefly apprenticed with her. However, being “on-call” was not feasible from the Golden Bear Mine. We didn’t even have a telephone and so, I gave up on my ambition to become a midwife.

Another coincidence is that Uala, that first baby, became a midwife herself. She is now part of a midwifery practice in Tulum, Mexico.

And there’s yet another coincidence! The date of this week’s publication, February 22nd happens to be not only George Washington’s birthday but also that of the late Donna Lee Hall. She remains as a spiritual mentor for many who knew her, with her Native American sensibility and good sense of humor. Native American wisdom recognizes that everything is connected. Coincidence is one reminder of that.

About the author: Rae Bell (aka Pauline) grew up in the Ruby Mine area. She currently resides in Alleghany proper and can be reached at

raebell44@gmail.com or PO Box 919, Alleghany, CA 95910.