Age 10 to 20.

You will find as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others. Henry Drummond

 

While living and working on this Nebraska Dairy farm, I attended a one-room school, which happened to be right across the highway from our farm. That’s right, one room for all 8 grades and one teacher for all grades. I still remember her name and it happens that one of my classmates from Nurses Training is her sister. Marilyn told me last year while I was in Omaha for my College of Nursing Alumni functions that Elaine is still teaching.  I just whipped out my calculator and figured out she is 83 years old. Talk about being dedicated to doing things for others. I take my hat off to that special lady.

I graduated from the 8^th grade at age 13 and entered high school the following year.  No longer just across the highway but still I walked to school.  It was about a mile. Remember it is often cold and snowing in Nebraska.

While in high school, I sang in the Church Choir, as well as participating in Operetta performances staged by the high school.  I also found time to be a cheerleader and still remember my favorite cheer. “ S U C C E S S   That’s the way you spell success. Beat _______ name of  other team.

Now that I had the idea that I was becoming a young lady I informed my father I wanted to graduate from the barn at age 16. Being the wise man he was, he sold the milk cows and started raising beef cattle. Hum! Just a different job, but I was good at rounding up cattle with my Indian pony and cattle dog to drive the cattle to the yards, where we would either brand them and return to the fields, or cut them from the herd to send to the stock yards.. Never could master that darn laureate to be able to rope and tie down the cattle. Tomboy? Probably. 

I don’t remember why but my father sold the Dairy Farm and we moved to Iowa. A farm in the Corn Belt, right on highway 66. That  is where I completed high school, having participated as a baton twirler with the marching band, singing in church, both in the choir and solo. Singing in school with the Glee Club and other musical events, such as entering the Iowa State music contest as a high Soprano. The musical number I chose was “Italian Street Song” by Victor Herbert. I do not remember where I placed but I’m pretty sure I came in 2^nd place. My lilting soprano voice was a gift from God.  No voice lessons except of course from the high school music teacher.

My job as a farm girl had been pretty much reduced in compared to Nebraska, except for the summer. I always took a job to de-tassel corn   Much seed corn is raised in Iowa and the female rows of corn had to have the tassels pulled. We were paid $1.00 an hour. A job I continued to do, even on my vacations while in Nurses Training.

When I graduated from High School in 1950 I left the rural area of Glidden, Iowa and headed for Omaha.  I got a job at Mutual Benefit of Omaha as a typist.

In August I had been directed to assist some gals with filing. While in that department the girls were all talking about their boy friends that had just left for Korea. As I listened to them a light went on in my head. I suddenly knew without question that I wanted to be a nurse and I wanted to be a military nurse. I was so excited about my new idea; I could hardly wait to get off work to investigate schools of Nursing in Omaha. Much to my dismay, every school had started classes except one. Yikes!  This was on a Monday or Tuesday and I took my pre-entrance exam the following Saturday. I could not wait to find out if I had been accepted and still give 2 weeks notice to resign from my job, so I put in my resignation with the idea, there wasn’t a chance I would not be accepted. I was determined this was my destiny.

My parents thought I had dropped my brains somewhere along the way but went along with my wishes. I entered Training at Nebraska Methodist school of Nursing in September 1950 to begin yet another new task. And indeed a task it was. We were required to carry 21 college credit hours the first semester. Oh well, as social life was extinct what else did I have to do but study. We lived in Nurses Quarters and were allowed to stay out in the evening to the late hour of 2030 providing your grades were acceptable. If not you were in quarters at 1900 under supervised study in the library.  Some of our classes were taken at the University of Omaha (now University of Nebraska at Omaha). Chemistry was extremely difficult for me so I did have the opportunity to have supervised study periods.  On Friday and Saturday nights we were granted permission to stay out until 2230 and have one over night per month, providing we could prove we spent the night under adult supervision. I was indeed glad my parents had left Iowa and moved to Omaha. Be assured we had no opportunity to do anything without permission.

We signed in an out of Nurses Quarters and if you were late, your privileges were taken away for a specified period of time. At the end of 6 months, if you managed to survive all the regulations, we graduated from our probationary period and received our caps at a capping ceremony. I might add that through out our training we were required to attend Chapel every single day regardless of which shift you were assigned to.

Following our capping ceremony we were then assigned a work status taking care of patients under supervision in addition to the hours of class work. The second semester classes were held in classrooms in Nurses Quarters. It mattered not what your work schedule was. You did show up in class. No excuses were acceptable. My class started out with 42 students. When we graduated there were just 21 of us left and an extra student that had transferred from another school of nursing. They were tough and if you didn’t toe the mark or walk the straight line, you were history.

The second year marked the beginning of affiliations, such as Douglas County hospital for contagious diseases, Operating Room, Obstetrics, Special Diet Kitchen and the State Mental Hospital in Hastings, Nebraska for psych training. The beginning of my Sr. year brings me to age 20. So time out until the next chapter.

In parting I will say, give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.

 

Chapter III coming up after I meet the requirement of a specified number of replies.