Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-27
Babe Zohorios, AZ, Loses
Long Fight With Cancer
Continued From First Pag

COntlnueu from FlrSt rag
They are Ole Didrikson Of Beau.
mont, Louis of Newton, Tex;
Arthur Of Baytown, Tex; Mrs
Lille Grimes, Beaumont; Mrs
Philip Koch, jr., Pacific Palisades,
Calf, and Mrs. Dora Will, Nor
ristown, Ariz.
1t was estimated conserva-
lively that Mrs. Zaharias had
made million dollars in pro-
fessional sports.
Although for many months
the world had expected her
death at any time. it was not
until last Sunday that the hos
pital admitted the end was near.
A spokesman said this was pos
sible because the Babe had lost
interest in newspapers and no
longer listened to the radio.
They had avoided frank state
ments earlier for fear they
would depress her.
Her final weeks were relatively
free Of pain, although she was
given drugs at times. This semi
ease was made possible because
surgeons cut nerve.
Since Sunday she lost ground
rapidly because her veins were
worn out and she no longer
could be fed through them.
Mrs. Zaharias was sustained
only by food that could be given
by mouth. and that was very
little. She put up a courageous
show almost to the last. but
friends were sick at heart to see
the decline of the once-great
athlete.
Vowed to Come Back
One of the last sparks of COM
petitive spirit she showed was
recently when her life was
fading. She shook her fist from
her hospital bed and declared
IN beat this thing yet"
Often during the fading days
of her life her husband could
hardly talk to reporters as emo
ton gripped him.
Theirs was a wonderful love
story. the huge fellow and the
once-strong woman. who met on
the golf course. He took Babe
for daily drives as long as she
was able. He brought her or
chidS. They loved to just sit
and watch the fishermen on the
Galveston jetty.
And as long as possible he
kept up the pretense that all was
well as they Travelled from their
Tampa home to Galveston.
The public had been apprehen-
sive about Babe Zaharias' condi-
ton since early in 1855, when
tournament golf became an or
deal for her and she returned to
her home in Tampa, Fla, vir-
tually in state Of collapse.
On June %, 1855, Mrs. Ia
harias was operated on for a
ruptured disc of the spinal coll
umn. Late in July a trace of
new cancer was spotted. At the
time. doctors told her it would
be from three to six months be-
fore she could return to tourna-
ment golf. But as it turned out,
she had been in competition for
the last ime. From that time on
she was in and out Of hospitals.
Mildred Ella Didrikson, sixth
Of seven children of Ole and
Hannah Didrikson, Norwegian
immigrants. was born June rs
1914. in Port Arthur, Tex. AS
the youngest girl in the family
she was Baby" but she became
Babe" when she started hitting
home runs in corner-lot ball
games. as Babe Ruth was the
national hero Of the kids OF
that time.
In 1882 for her track proves
and in l945-6-7-50 and "a for
golf. she was voted the woman
athlete Of the year" in the Asso-
ciated Press poll. and overwhelm-
ingly was voted woman athlete
OF the first halt. of the goth
century. She received 3l9 OF
36l f1rst-place votes.
She tried all sports and ex-
celled in everything she at
tempted. The Babe three times
was All-American in basketball,
won the National AAU team
track title as q one-woman team,
captured two events and was Sec
ond in another in the 1882 Olym-
pics. In addition TO winning all
the major golf titles. the Babe
captured II consecutive tourna-
ments In 1867 a record that
may never be equaled. She won
nearly 100 tournaments from Sec
tional TO national Importance in
her career.
According to tennis officials.
she was about to master that
game but gave it up when she
was not permitted to compete
as an amateur. Her exhibition
stunts included pitching an inn
ing for the st. Louis Cardinals
and kicking leftfooted in a work
out with the Southern Methodist
football team. She was listed for
Q boxing exhibition with Young
E1N4hifnn h1it AZ u-an a.r..t.-s