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Copley nurses share memories at annual picnic

They spend their lives in service to others.

In the Nightingale Pledge, they promise to "devote themselves to the welfare of their patients, their families and their communities. They seek to nurse those who are ill whenever and wherever they are needed."

For some, it is a commitment that lasts until they draw their last breath.

They are nurses, the dedicated men and women whom we rely on when we are sick and count on when we need help.

Years ago, many area nurses trained for their nursing career at Copley School of Nursing. Established in 1893, the school offered a two-year curriculum until 1911 when it changed to a three-year program. In 1912, the Copley Nurse Alumnae group was organized.

Even though the last graduating class went through commencement in 1980, the alumnae of the Copley School of Nursing is a vital and strong group with a membership that includes active centenarians.

"We have one member, Lillian Darr, who is 108," said Kally Klose, a member of the class of 1945. "She can't make it to our picnic anymore but she always sends a letter to be read to the group."

The alumni organization includes members from throughout the Chicago area with a large concentration in the Fox Valley. Some continue to do nursing after retirement and others just try to help where they can, whether it is within their church, retirement home or local community.

I was privileged to spend an afternoon with many of these nurses at the home of Helen Mitchler, where the group enjoyed a picnic with former state senator Robert Mitchler helping with the hosting duties.

Many alums stopped to greet 100-year-old Elizabeth Wilson who had been a supervisor to some.

"They were all good nurses," she said. "And in those days the supervisor just made sure that everyone was doing her job. We didn't hire or fire."

Ollie Bradshaw, who also worked as a supervisor, agreed.

"In the early days, the only jobs open to women were teaching and nursing, so I chose nursing. Looking back, I realize I made the right choice" she said. "I would have been a lousy teacher. I was too easygoing."

Bradshaw, who, at 91, makes the trip from Libertyville for alumnae events, said it took a certain type of personality to become a nurse.

"If you had a shepherd's heart and cared about people and wanted to help them, then you would be a great nurse," she added.

For some, a decision to enter nursing evolved from a hospital stay

"I was 5 years old and I had my tonsils out," said Ginny Lavender, who attended Copley in the '50s. "The little boy in the bed next to me was chewing on a fly swatter. In those days there would be a lot of flies on a window screen and the thought of him chewing on the fly swatter made me sick to my stomach, and I threw up. When the nurse came she just covered up my mess on the floor with a towel. I remember thinking that someday I would become a nurse and that I would always make sure the room was clean and that I would never let a little kid chew on a fly swatter."

Lavender spent many years working in pediatrics.

For Kally Klose, the desire to become a nurse also occurred at an early age.

"I had a nurse doll that had white stockings," she said. "I thought it would be fun to wear the uniform, especially the white stockings. White stockings, what was I thinking?"

The uniform did come into play years later when Klose did her affiliation at Michael Reese.

"We always stood for inspection each day, similar to the military," she added. "Our uniforms would be checked and we would present our scissors and our pens because we were there to document and assist."

The Copley nurses were dressed in white but the nurses from Michael Reese were dressed in baggy gray uniforms with thick black stockings.

"I still remember the 10 tiny buttons on their sleeves," she said.

Alverna Munson of the class of 1932 recalls wearing a similar uniform in her early days.

"We had really baggy gray uniforms in the beginning," said Munson. "When we got new uniforms that were more fitting, it was a big day."

Munson felt that the reason that there is such a strong alumnae group is the camaraderie that they all enjoyed living together.

"We would leave the hospital and go to the house where we all lived," Munson said. "We all had hours and only got to stay out late once a month. The supervisor would wait on the first floor for girls to come in. Usually a roommate would hang a towel in a window to let you know that the supervisor was still up."

"More than one or two nursing students had to sneak into the house through a window."

Alverna Munson went onto practice nursing for more than 70 years. She continues to serve by driving her friends to the Copley alum events.

"I'm the chauffeur and I'm glad to do it," she added.

Life wasn't always easy for these nurses but they all felt that they got the best training possible. There were a number of learning opportunities to work in Chicago hospitals through affiliations with Michael Reese, Children's Memorial, Chicago Maternity and Illinois School for Psychiatric Nursing.

"We would go into homes in Chicago slums and deliver babies with medical students," said Ione Martin. "We were instructed to put newspapers on the chairs before we sat down because there were so many bugs," she said. "We also would spread newspapers over the kitchen table and deliver the baby there. They felt that the ink used for the newspapers had an antiseptic quality."

The nurses weren't sent out for first babies or difficult births and they always had a third year medical student with them.

"We often worked together and went out on calls together," Martin said. "We would even practice procedures on one another, doing IV's, or applying a bandage. We depended on each other. We learned how to work as a team. We didn't get mad at each other because we knew we needed one another."

Before the ladies could say their goodbyes for another year, Helen Mitchler read the correspondence from members who could not make it to the annual event. The familiar letter from Lillian Darr wasn't there.

"Lillian passed away," said Mitchler. "She designated that part of her estate be given to Copley Hospital. "

Around the table were nurses of all ages, with younger ones helping the older ones. They all echoed the sentiments of Pauline Carlstedt who still feels the closeness that she felt during her years working at Copley Hospital.

"I never had a desire to do anything else," she said. "Those were the best days of my life."

Copley School of Nursing in Aurora Courtesy Aurora Historical Society
This Oct. 15, 1963 photo shows nursing students with a "mock" patient for learning purposes. Courtesy of Rush-Copley
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