Born To Be a Newspaper Man
by Martin J. McGowan Jr.
Return Surprise
Aside from seeing my new son, another surprise awaited me on my return from the naval cruise. I soon learned that my father had taken ill and was confined to Mt. Sinai hospital in Minneapolis. I went quickly to see him and on my way I met my uncle, Allen McGowan, who had just visited my Dad. Allen said it did not look good for my father. He had helped out at the Press while I was gone and my father was hospitalized.
I don't know when my father started smoking, probably quite young because he went to work at age 12. He smoked all his life at a time when the dangers of smoking were not well understood. He developed emphysema which left him short of breath and affected his heart.
When I went to his hospital room he was indeed quite sick. I don't know what medication he had been given but he was struggling for air and somewhat sedated. I sat with him and he asked about my trip. Then he said he wanted to say what a fine family I had. I was glad to hear that comment but I had the feeding he wanted me to know that before he died. I was really moved by that discussion and let him know about it.
His doctor was Dr. Moses Barron, a noted physician at that time. Later I had his son, Dr. Jesse Barron, for my doctor. That was quite a coincidence but I met the younger Dr. Barron when he was a guest oh my television program, "Seminars for Seniors," on KTCA-TV, Channel 2, in St. Paul. More on all this later.
Somehow my father staged a recovery and was able to return home, though in fragile health. The surprising thing about his return home was that whatever the doctors gave him in the hospital made cigarettes taste bad and he quit smoking. However, quitting then was too late to have any beneficial effect.
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