The Midwife Who Erased Her Name From Four Hundred Lives

The Midwife Who Erased Her Name From Four Hundred Lives

A barefoot of dread: a shoebox on a dry granite stone, forty-one ceramic tiles painted with first names and dates, and a woman whose name appears on her grave but nowhere in Merritt County's official records - who delivered 412 babies over forty years without a single birth certificate bearing her name. What made a respected midwife vanish from the paperwork, and who decided to keep it that way?

In this episode, we follow how an independent folklorist, Jean Tate, and local residents piece together the life and work of Judith Stein, the woman who took over births in Varick after Dr. Howard Meeks retired and who served the town without a medical license; we trace clinic ledgers, a misfiled letter, and a shoebox found by runner Amy Graham to ask whether the erasure was chosen by Judith or imposed on her.

Person: Judith Stein
Person: Jean Tate
Event: 412 deliveries between October 1961 and October 2001
Date: October 3, 2019 (shoebox discovery)
Location: Varick, Merritt County

- The shoebox contained 41 ceramic tiles, each 3 inches square, painted with a woman's first name, a date, and a pair of cupped hands.
- Judith Stein died in 2013 at age 78 and her name appears on her headstone but not on any birth certificate or vital statistic in Merritt County.
- Judith was born in 1934, completed nursing training in 1957, and returned to Varick in 1958 to assist Dr. Howard Meeks.
- Dr. Howard Meeks retired in October 1961 at age 72, after which Judith began attending births in Varick without a medical license.
- Judith delivered 412 children between October 1961 and October 2001 and worked Tuesday-evening volunteer shifts at the Varick Community Pantry for 31 consecutive years.

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