Eleanor Anne KRESSE
Photo (right): Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Lucille Kresse, her husband Al Kresse holding baby Eleanor, Mrs. William J. Patten, mother of Mrs.Kresse; and Rev. Ralph W. Kelly. In the background is Mrs. Charles J. Kresse, mother of Al Kresse. They are standing on the steps of the First Methodist Church on Washington St.
WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD | PHOTOS PROVIDED
Eleanor Anne Kresse was born on November 8, 1940, at the Saratoga Hospital. On June 7, 1941, she was baptized at the First Methodist Church on Washington St. The Saratogian documented the event with a photograph. Why was this christening a newsworthy event? The caption beneath the photo explains it best, and reading it led me to this story: Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, extreme left, stops outside the Methodist Church after coming to Saratoga Springs for the christening of seven-month-old Eleanor Anne Kresse, held by her father, Al W., as Mrs. Kresse, the former Lucille Madeline Patten, looks on. Also in the picture are Mrs. William J. Patten, mother of Mrs. Kresse, and the Rev. Ralph W. Kelly, who performed the ceremony. In the background is Mrs. Charles J. Kresse, Higginsville, MO., mother of Mr. Kresse. (Gurtler Photo) I stumbled upon the photograph while researching a story related to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Knowing Eleanor Roosevelt had visited Saratoga during her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's term, I had to learn more. I found a more detailed Saratogian article written the day after the event. Here are a few excerpts: Eleanor Anne Kresse, the seven-month-old daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Al W. Kresse, 91 White St., will have something to tell her friends about when she grows up. In the first place, she is named in honor of the nation's First Lady. Secondly, she broke the traditional custom of baptisms; she didn't cry. The President's wife held the baby during the ceremony performed by the Rev. Ralph W. Kelly and afterward said, "The baby is the most beautiful I ever saw." After the christening, Mrs. Roosevelt signed autograph books for Betsy Elmore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus B. Elmore, and Mary Ann Kelly, daughter of the minister and Mrs. Kelly, who also attended the event. Mrs. Roosevelt, who motored here from Hyde Park with her secretary, Miss Malvina Thompson, was dressed in a twotone orchid and purple crepe silk costume with a matching picture hat.
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A few guests sat in the rear of the church while Detective Walter F. A'Hearn, in plain clothes, stood guard at the door. News of the event spread quickly, and a sizable crowd gathered on Washington St. to watch the group exiting the church. After discovering this snippet of history, I couldn't help but wonder if little Eleanor Anne was still alive, and if she was, could I find her? I would soon have the answers to both questions. Grainy newspaper memento from 1962 of I will never forget that Eleanor Bailey’s and her daughter Lucy January 3, 2022, phone looking at the birthday check. call; it was noon in Saratoga Springs, 9 am in Tacoma, Washington, 2,892 miles away. When I dialed Eleanor Bailey's number, the time difference never occurred to me. An internet search provided the name, address, phone number, and estimated age of Eleanor Anne Kresse. Eleanor Bailey was her married name. If she were still alive, she would be over 80 years old. What were the odds that the number I'd found on the internet was still active or that Eleanor Anne Kresse Bailey would answer the phone if it were?
I was about to hang up the phone when a pleasant voice answered, "Hello."
"Hello, my name is John Greenwood. I'm calling from Saratoga Springs, New York. Is this Eleanor Bailey?" "Yes, I'm Eleanor."
"Were you born in Saratoga Springs? "Why yes, yes I was."
"Are you the Eleanor Kresse whose godmother was Eleanor Roosevelt?" "Yes, Mrs. Roosevelt was my godmother; what a surprise, nobody's mentioned that in years!"
saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
