Letter From Charles R. Hepner to Alfred L. Shoemaker, April 8, 1957

Authors

Charles R. Hepner

Document Type

Correspondence

Files

Date

4-8-1957

Keywords

amputation, Charles R. Hepner, phantom limb pain, amputated limbs, Zion Church, Hamburg

Description

A handwritten letter from Charles R. Hepner addressed to Alfred L. Shoemaker, dated April 8, 1957. Within, Hepner writes to corroborate a story he heard on Shoemaker's radio program about an amputated limb by relating his own experiences of phantom pain following an amputation and the method used to cure it.

Sender

Charles R. Hepner

Recipient

Alfred L. Shoemaker

Corresponds to:

Packet 706-13

City

Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania

Transcription

Shoemakersville Pa Apr. 8, 57

Dear Mr. Shoemaker, I heard you on the radio Sunday 7th about the man that lost one leg. Yes well Mr. Shoemaker I can vouch for that story I had of the same experience. I lost my right in a cornhusker in the year 1905 in Maxatawny Township near Kutztown. Dr. Dunkelberger and Dr. Hattenstein they fixed up my arm at home. And I was always complaining that my amputated arm was so heavy that I always walked on a slant or crooked and that my fingers were hurting so badly and awful pains. The day after the accident my mother was out to visit me. And she took the amputated arm along to Zions Church Windsor Castle and buried it on the family lot. My pains and heaviness increased on my arm. Pain was almost unbearable. I had lots of visitors and they were talking about the burying and one old man in his 80th years old said that they did not bury the arm proper on the right way. And they went out to the cemetery and dug open and found that there was some bricks laid on the fingers to keep them straight. And removed the bricks and covered it up again. That was in the afternoon. They looked what time it was and later they were at my place again and saw that I was walking straight again. And that heavyness was all gone and the pains in my fingers almost disappeared.

Thank God for the relief I had.

Now Mr. Shoemaker if anybody has any doubts about this story of my experience they are welcome to visit me and I will tell them just the same. I am living yet. I am 77 old.

I am a regular listener to your Germany program. Sincerely yours

Charles R. Hepner

Shoemakersville R.D.I. Pa

Hoping you will excuse poor writing and misspelled words. I am getting a little nervous

Language

English

Rights Statement

This item is available courtesy of the Ursinus College Library Special Collections Department. It is not to be copied or distributed for commercial use. For permissions which fall outside of educational use, please contact the Special Collections Department.

Recommended Citation

Hepner, Charles R., "Letter From Charles R. Hepner to Alfred L. Shoemaker, April 8, 1957" (1957). Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents. 64.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/shoemaker_documents/64