00:00:07.760 - 00:00:26.740

And Miss Gilman said, I came right by that boy. He's our janitor of the nurses resident. I didn't ask him if he's sick or what have you. And Mr Sibley, the administrator of the hospital comes along. He recognized he was sick and he brought him in

00:00:26.750 - 00:00:51.530

and had something done for him. Some boys that had worked in the hospital for years that I always had cleaned up for me once a year and one day they were cleaning for me after assembly left and they were growling and about different things. And I

00:00:51.530 - 00:01:08.670

said, but you're making more money than you ever have. I said, you have it easier than you ever had it before. Yeah. But they said it's not the side and we may not want to play this stock to everybody. And I said, but I started telling

00:01:08.670 - 00:01:27.190

them off, we didn't need a lot of money from Mississippi is there said, if we got sick, he took care of us, we didn't have enough money to buy groceries. His door was always open. He'd make some arrangements for we couldn't bear a hospital bill for

00:01:27.190 - 00:01:45.800

us or our family. Why? He just didn't do anything about it. We didn't have to worry about, You know, I thought there's a lot of truth in that. You know, when you say that money is not everything, it really isn't. But he, uh, he knew everybody,

00:01:45.810 - 00:02:11.940

uh, if there was a person that came in a visitor that came to his office. If they had on overalls or if they were the best dressed person that got probably a little nicer to the one in overalls because he was very, very sympathetic person. Uh,

00:02:11.950 - 00:02:40.230

he, uh, loved the school. Uh, he loved the students. Uh, we had a basketball team and uh, the students, uh, were, our students were very good. Of course I'm, I'm not prejudiced at all, but they were really the best and they want just about all the

00:02:42.420 - 00:03:01.070

part of my trophies, trophies, What I'm trying to say just about all the trophies. But Mr Sibley and I just about had a heart attack, screaming and yelling when they were playing and he'd go wherever they played. Nothing was too important meetings or what have you.

00:03:01.080 - 00:03:21.690

You know, I think he knew the sense of values better than any person I have ever known what is and what is important and you know, we lose sight of what is important, so much in life. But I think of how busy some hospital he was.

00:03:21.700 - 00:03:40.060

He was never too busy to go through one of those. He would have missed one of those ball games no matter what. And the students knew he was. And I think this gave them an incentive as much as anything else. I remember one afternoon we, you

00:03:40.060 - 00:03:59.050

know, I thought I had a pretty good discipline, but one afternoon one of the students somehow got to his office and he came out and said, Dean, the students that don't have a needle over there, Some sort of record player he bought him and he said

00:03:59.050 - 00:04:18.910

we got to get one. I had so many things on my mind besides the needle for a record player. But everybody had to stop and get that needle right then. So that you know, that's the sort of thing he did. You know, we had the beautiful

00:04:18.910 - 00:04:44.940

barbecues, I say beautiful. They were, you know, uh they'd be playing those men with barbecue all night long and we just have such a good time. It was, it was just like one thing and you know, I still have a christmas card and an easter card

00:04:44.950 - 00:05:07.240

from a little old girl that was in the school and she developed, we thought we was gonna lose her there. Just we just didn't think this. Anyway, Little Willie Wilson and she uh Mr Sibley, you would have thought it was his child. And he said nothing

00:05:07.240 - 00:05:30.190

is too much, no matter what it cost then you be sure she gets everything. He was that way by every student and he's sorry every day while she's in the hospital. So it was that sort of thing then I shall never forget. I was telling somebody

00:05:30.190 - 00:05:52.360

the other day about this. My sister's house berg and you know, that's almost like a death. She had three Children. She was their full support. They didn't have a dime's worth of insurance. I could go on this just said there's a lot of furniture up in

00:05:52.360 - 00:06:16.790

the attic. He loaded up a load of furniture, sheets and pillowcases. Black. And she was back in hospital. I think I gave him, you know, I want to pay for it. He said give me $2 so I can say you didn't give it away, you know?

00:06:18.030 - 00:06:46.130

But that's that's the sort of person. So we didn't make much money. But he sure did. I don't believe there was a person at the baptist hospital rob. The lowest person to the highest person that Mr Sibley didn't do something personally for. And another person said

00:06:46.130 - 00:07:10.160

that to me just the other day, so that's just not my idea. Another person that we need to hear you talk about it. Uncle bob, I do think that the history of the school would not be complete without uncle bob. And you know I go to

00:07:10.160 - 00:07:30.510

the cemetery real often and I stopped at Uncle bob's grave just like I knew Howard's uh Uncle bob was a bus driver and he was a man with many keys. He uh and I didn't think he knew where half a block, but one day I just

00:07:30.510 - 00:07:49.910

decided I'd try, but he knew exactly where every one of them went, what they unlocked and where they unlocked it and he had to keep everything in the hospital I think including the vault. Hey uh He I don't guess if anybody busted me anymore than uncle

00:07:49.910 - 00:08:07.640

bob did. I don't guess as any person did any more for me than uncle bob guesses. Any person loved me much more than uncle bob did. Uh He uh his wife had been killed here in Birmingham at an earlier day and I don't think they ever

00:08:07.640 - 00:08:29.420

solved the murder. It was in the detective magazine. Um and I guess he was losing his whole step in his in his work, he loved the students and they loved him and he fussed at him constantly. Um he was gonna leave him all, he was not

00:08:29.430 - 00:08:45.340

going to do this, he was not going to do that and and and he would leave me sometimes he left me sometimes too dark because you know, I was using that bus for transportation a lot because I didn't drive and I learned to drive very late

00:08:45.350 - 00:09:10.690

and I could just kick myself because I needed to so bad. But uncle bob was, he was I guess he uh I wouldn't want this to go in anything, but I guess his mind was he was leading him to Horn was and yet his smartest had

00:09:10.690 - 00:09:33.530

a mind like a steel trap too, but he was from a very good family here in the city and he wouldn't stay clean. Uh We gave him, I always gave him cover off christmas and socks and that sort of thing and he had just about all

00:09:33.530 - 00:09:48.330

the money he'd ever made and for a long time he had it in shoe boxes and finally I kept on begging enough about to take to the bank and what he did. I think two or three people were all day counting and and it was stuck

00:09:48.330 - 00:10:13.330

together and everything else. But he was a very eccentric I guess it's the only word you could use from bob. He transported the students between Highland and West End. He took them to the train for the affiliations, He took their luggage there, he fussed about it.

00:10:13.340 - 00:10:29.990

He told me this the last time I'm ever going to do it. So one day I had asked him to take the girls somewhere. He took them everywhere at night. Girls thought they couldn't get a From hardly from the hospital and the nurses home with that

00:10:29.990 - 00:10:44.680

uncle Bob taking him. So they had wanted to go Someplace one night and he told me that day he was not going to take them. I didn't need to talk about anyone he wasn't going to take. And I said all right I don't blame him but

00:10:44.680 - 00:11:02.680

I wouldn't either. So I got mr ruddy or somebody that night. He was so he was so mad. He didn't refuse for a long time. I didn't hear another word out of you know he just you know he was gonna take him he just left the

00:11:02.690 - 00:11:25.720

fuss about it. But he just he get the doctors he'd get anybody. He didn't make any difference to him. But he really I don't know when uncle bob he got he had somebody knocked him in the head once over there by Elmwood Cemetery. It may have

00:11:25.720 - 00:11:40.090

been before your day died. I don't know he was on his motorcycle and he got I don't know what happened. Uncle bob of course, you know he didn't nip some and it may have been that but he was in the hospital for a few days. I

00:11:40.090 - 00:11:58.180

had four people and they could no more keep up with his schedule and anything in the world. Mr Ruddy mr Hughes now I guess I had three and and one of the other maintenance men and they had the students where they weren't supposed to be at

00:11:58.180 - 00:12:15.200

the wrong time and they just couldn't keep up with it. But uncle bob knew exactly what he was doing but he was a very heat of the students when they were on affiliation they write up about he'd bring it let me you know, he'd be so

00:12:15.200 - 00:12:30.470

proud of it and he'd bring me this, you know, and say he'd heard from the students and one time he took a group of students, we let him take him to New Orleans when I can't remember, I think it was, I can't remember why but he

00:12:30.480 - 00:12:48.950

really got a kick out of that but I decided that's too much of a risk. I didn't I was worried to death great something to happen. So I didn't try that. But he was a very colorful figure, decided can you think of anybody else Dot uh

00:12:48.960 - 00:13:12.800

there are so many people that have made such a contribution to school. I think our house mothers or some other people that we should not pass up because we had some of the greatest house mothers in the world, both for me and the students I think

00:13:12.800 - 00:13:40.750

of uh well I think MS Williams uh I think of ST mary O'Sullivan uh Aunt mary was from south Alabama from aristocratic family. There ain't mary would go home and cook a turkey and all this stuff and bring it back off the bus for the students

00:13:41.870 - 00:14:07.310

many, many, many times. Her her sister was Miss Willey, uh that was a missionary in china for all those years. Miss Willey Golly, I think it's Willie's name, of course she never married, but that was Aunt mary's sister. Uh remember about what time she was, she

00:14:07.310 - 00:14:38.840

was house mother of uh when I was an old pilot Uh in charge about 1930 seven and 38 and 39. And then Miss brooks Florence brooks was at West End. She was just a dream. Miss Williams, I mentioned Miss Pearl Williams and of course they weren't

00:14:38.840 - 00:15:01.380

just housemother, that wasn't enough, they did the linen and housekeeping. And was the house mother, I'm talking about linen and housekeeping in the hospital. And then the house mother, uh Miss uh Williams was at old Highland and did all three of those short and uh and

00:15:01.390 - 00:15:22.280

then and so did they married. And then uh Miss brooks. Now Miss brooks only did the house mother after which she came, they graduated a little bit and they only did the house mothers work. Uh MS brooks was Miss Florence Brooke. Uh MS brooks did so

00:15:22.280 - 00:15:46.070

much for students. It was such a good example for students. She and she did so much for me. I had to go to many meetings and I was doing many things at that time. MS brooks did most of my packing. I would not leave duty until

00:15:46.070 - 00:16:05.400

about 45 minutes before time for me to get to try and Miss brooks would have my bags packed and she couldn't back then you didn't have the state pressed stuff, you know it all, you have to press it. MS brooks could pack with tissue paper and

00:16:05.400 - 00:16:22.000

I wouldn't have to iron anything when I got there. And she did that for me for years that she did and I didn't ask her do it. She started out saying market should never have time to pack, you just put your things in here and she

00:16:22.010 - 00:16:39.630

would learn, you know, just about what I would take. I hardly had to tell her and sometimes she put in extra things, but she was so good to the students and taught them so much because she taught them to be ladies and she talked of gracious

00:16:39.630 - 00:17:01.430

living, she was a very uh educated, refined individual. Then we had MS Donovan and Miss Dickinson at Highland at the new nurses home. And that's why I said they took so much interest in that home. If that home had belonged to them, and if the students

00:17:01.430 - 00:17:22.340

had been their daughters, they could not have been more interested. They and they taught the students so much, I couldn't remember, they were both southern ladies and had graduated from the girls schools and that sort of thing. And it just just made just made such a

00:17:22.350 - 00:17:47.300

difference. MS Strothers, another one that was a dear lady at and uh and then Miss Down. Miss Downes was another uh you know, they all just made such a great contribution to the student and to the home. Can we think of anybody else? Because I didn't

00:17:47.300 - 00:18:12.810

want to get the house mothers? I thought of them awhile ago, because they were so important. I'm not sure. I know, and that is that is most important. Uh You know, like I said that Mr Sibley said that I really just talked more about the directors

00:18:12.810 - 00:18:35.680

are our superintendent of nurses. But uh Miss Gilmore made such a contribution to the school. And I owe a great deal to Lauren Gilmore and I told her this uh while she's still living. Uh Miss Gilmore came to us in 1951 I didn't mention Miss Congo,

00:18:35.690 - 00:18:55.690

and I I didn't intentionally not do this. I just forgot it because she is there such a short while Miss, the only time that I was not responsible for the school was the about a year that Miss Congo was there in 1950. Uh She I kept

00:18:55.690 - 00:19:14.400

on pushing Mississippi to get someone else and she came and was there about a year, but then after she left we decided that it's for the best interests of all, was to have still have the person responsible for both nursing service in the school and then

00:19:14.410 - 00:19:35.810

have an assistant in nursing in both areas. And so Miss Gilmore came as educational as Assistant Educational Director. Uh Miss Gilmore. Uh I don't know whether any of you know this or not, but she is a very diligent worker, a very hard worker and there's just

00:19:35.810 - 00:20:04.510

no end to the amount of work that she will do. She uh is almost a past master at accreditation. She knows how to get uh an institutional credit, whatever be uh whatever it may be or whatever the obstacles maybe she knows how to work around them.

00:20:04.520 - 00:20:25.660

Uh she gets, she gathers a great deal of momentum from the group, I guess you would call it and can stimulate people to do things or I used to tell her to drive us to do things because sometimes I felt she was driving me because before

00:20:25.660 - 00:20:42.180

we were credited the first time we had no idea what we were doing actually because it was very little criteria available for you to study and you just sort of had, and there was no one in Alabama accredited. And we didn't know any school, we didn't

00:20:42.180 - 00:21:03.050

know the people in any school that was accredited. So we were started in the dark and I said Pearl Albert JR knew the philosophy and objectives to the school they were to order. So she, she had everybody learning. And so uh, we really uh just, she

00:21:03.060 - 00:21:20.640

just went all out. So you people know lori no, I'm not exaggerating money. Uh, so I told her one time I said Lauren, if you read that philosophy, philosophy and objectives, one more time I'm gonna collapse. So when she read it again and I didn't collapse.

00:21:20.650 - 00:21:54.840

But Laurie was an educator. Uh, she uh was uh very, very interested in the student and what they were doing and what they were not doing. Uh, she uh, certainly encouraged faculty members to continue their education. Uh, would you call it encouraged doctor, you had a

00:21:54.840 - 00:22:27.250

good word. Uh, she uh, have said wherever I am or whatever the circumstances that I give, Lauren a great deal of credit for our school being the first school in Alabama to be uh, nationally accredited. Uh, because she was entirely, her efforts to accomplish this, Laurie

00:22:27.390 - 00:22:59.320

is, Lorene would not do anybody any harm. She's just, she's very, very kind person from the heart. Oh, And she was with us from 51 until she went to uh, Jeff State in about 67, I guess her 66, year. Because Mr Jordan's been here year 66

00:23:01.210 - 00:23:23.230

and she made a great contribution to the school. And you know, I thought more and more about what Mr Sibley says, each person does make their own contribution and we did your effect today. Some people get more recognition than others, but everybody does make their contribution.

00:23:27.570 - 00:23:48.070

I'd be interested in your comment, in your conversation. You refer to Mr Stephen and Colleen and no one else has done this. But would you come in? Yeah, Mr early nicknamed me that I'm whether you know that or not. Well, you see, when we had and

00:23:48.070 - 00:24:08.590

I forget because it's so natural because Mississippi didn't call me anything else. If he had, I known he was real mad with me and I don't know, you know. But uh Mr early when we had the affiliation at Auburn, someone had written just some say or

00:24:08.590 - 00:24:26.440

something, you know, but you know, it being a university, they address me as dead. So bob early got, I don't know whether I think the letter came to Holland and he brought it to west into him. So he came in, he thought that was so funny

00:24:26.950 - 00:24:51.030

and Mr City heard it, you know, so Mr early said then out of my office, you know, and so I forgot about it. But Mississippi then Barbara lee called me Dean and Mississippi did. And then a lot of people picked it up. I think they're all

00:24:51.030 - 00:25:10.900

gone now. Katie never called me anything but Dean Pinky weaver never called me anything. The people in the office never called me anything but Dean, other people in New Mississippi real well, it just caught on and Mississippi never called me. But then after that and it

00:25:10.900 - 00:25:34.530

was just like any other, you know, he didn't ever say his market after that. Uh you know, I have a tape and I'm gonna play it sometimes. Were you at my retirement? You remember dr Simmons speech? You probably don't. But it was it was it was

00:25:34.540 - 00:25:54.820

very good. Well, it was a lot of funny things about me simply now. And Dr Simon said that uh you know, dr Simon loved Mr Sibley but knew he, I guess he loved him as much as anybody. Dr Simon except MS Simon that he could ever

00:25:54.820 - 00:26:22.400

love. And he said that uh one he's talking about Dr Justice that time he brought the beer, you know, to the nurses home. It's simply not just about so dr Simon said for to set for a month after that every doctor that went by uh Sibs

00:26:22.470 - 00:26:43.860

and the Dean's office pulled off their shoes for a month after that. You know the way he told him. It was just real funny and they're just about, it's just about that thing. We were really ready to throw everybody. And even had the doctor before the

00:26:43.860 - 00:27:20.980

name out. You know, of course Dr justice did it just to aggravate and he did, he accomplished his purpose. Oh brought up to the housewife. The It's very have Children and it has one. Uh Well I think that's a good question. I had not ever thought

00:27:20.990 - 00:27:41.650

of being a nurse until about a year before I finished high school I was going to be a school teacher because uh there wasn't as much where there wasn't any or scarcely any information available about careers, you know school teaching was for women. Uh And this

00:27:41.650 - 00:27:59.740

was it ah in the high school I attended a consolidated rural high school, it was pretty large high school and a good high school and I'm not saying that because I graduated product but we had a good principle and you know that's the key to the

00:27:59.740 - 00:28:18.240

high school to me is kind of and he wouldn't have anybody good teachers because he was so strict, it was real strict and I was telling them about the day, I didn't know that you had a that students back then had any choice until I see

00:28:18.250 - 00:28:37.220

people my age and they didn't take four years of math and four years of english and four years of history and four years of science including chemistry and Physics spoke in high school, you know and mr Fowler never let us know we had any choice so

00:28:37.220 - 00:28:55.360

we took the whole thing and I was so pleased after I finished. But if I had a choice, I'd done just like some other high school students, I certainly wouldn't have struggled through, uh, this and, and so, and I'm glad I did, it helped me a

00:28:55.370 - 00:29:22.220

great deal. But uh, if the school teacher was sick, if there was out for any reason, oh, they did not employed, There were no supply teachers. This one of the senior students top of that class and they slaughter selected the one that they thought confessed class

00:29:22.230 - 00:29:44.300

as I look back. You know, that's about what they did. Well, the, they called her the primary teacher, one that had the first grave got sick And I had 40 students, 40 little skin, Uh, for two weeks I had no variety for us to do with

00:29:45.370 - 00:30:01.150

and anything and they knew it. I'd like to know because they did the first day I was there and they all want to be excused at the same time and if I didn't let them, it was too bad. I had another problem on my hands. I

00:30:01.160 - 00:30:20.840

just had an awful realize school teacher was for me. Of course it never occurred to me that I didn't have any preparation or experience. And here I was a 17 year old, I didn't know what to do with them and they were smarter than I was

00:30:20.850 - 00:31:08.860

because they knew I did. So I decided this was. And so a, you know, there was a public health nurse was the one that had come down and into the best cut off and to see her

00:31:08.860 - 00:31:24.300

sister who was a suspected tubercular and you know back then you know what they did with tuberculosis patient put them in the sanatorium and they had to stay there. The dispute was negative. But apparently this lady did this person didn't have it because she never got

00:31:24.300 - 00:31:45.350

the tv stand. But anyway this friend of mine had gone into nursing and I thought you know I think I would like to be a nervous. And my mother said no you know you don't weigh but £95 and this is hard work and you you that's

00:31:45.360 - 00:32:05.480

you just couldn't do it you know and I kept on pursuing the idea and then I talked to dr Byron's cousin of my daddy's. Well he didn't encourage me too much but he didn't you know he got me some information and he's always I said it

00:32:05.480 - 00:32:28.540

was all from the helmet and then I wrote the baptist hospital. My daddy said well you know the baptist hospital just started uh hospital. And because he kept up with whatever was going on in baptist circles and he said I don't think you ought to be

00:32:28.540 - 00:32:47.130

a nurse but if you're going to pursue this while you write them and I wrote them, they sent me these beautiful pictures, postcards and all that didn't have any brochure the school. I wish I have a brochure, I don't know where it is right now but

00:32:47.140 - 00:33:09.400

MS Noel brought me a brochure of the to the homecoming of that is last. Not this not this time must have been this time. But don't don't seem like it was. I don't believe it was. I believe it was before when we had homecoming and it's

00:33:09.400 - 00:33:30.600

the first brochure we put out and it's just priceless really. But anyway I decided that I was going and the more I thought about it, the more excited I was and the more interested I was you know, so I finally decided that's what I was going

00:33:30.600 - 00:33:52.120

to do. So I graduated from high school on the 11th I mean on one June and I entered the school on 11 June the school of birth and I never thought of school teaching anymore but then I got so homesick in nursing because I've never been

00:33:52.120 - 00:34:10.830

away from home before until it almost defeated me. And except for dr vines I think it would have. I wrote my mother and daddy I had to come home and by that time since I had entered they wanted me to stay. You know they were that

00:34:10.830 - 00:34:34.060

wise and so dr vines came by one day and he I can look back now and see all the maneuvering. He talked to me eli first and then she let me talk to him alone and he said if you you stay this was I'd say july

00:34:34.070 - 00:34:56.240

he said you stay until september. And if you've already waited too late to get into the colleges until september, you missed the summer course. Uh If you don't want, if you're not happy in september, I'll see you get into college. Uh either the university of Alabama

00:34:56.240 - 00:35:22.560

or Livingston. A lot of the people were going to the state colleges that so by september you couldn't have run anyway. And he knew that then I oh nursing was I think I was committed to nursing from the beginning. Uh I was put in charge of

00:35:22.560 - 00:35:40.670

a unit when I was a junior when I was in the second year of my program, I had charge of one of the units that we still were running beginning with with senior nurses most of the time. But I was it was a senior on the

00:35:40.670 - 00:35:58.900

unit, but she was not interested in nursing. She still living, I see her once in a while, but she wasn't interested from the beginning. And uh I was put in charge of the beginning. So I think I was really committed to nursing from the very beginning.

00:35:58.930 - 00:36:30.500

Then I I'm married In 1929 and I had the most understanding husband uh when I retired, they gave him a plaque of the husband of the century. And I was more pleased with that than any recognition I got because he deserved it. So he never complained

00:36:30.510 - 00:36:51.230

if I came home at seven o'clock, he was glad to see him If it was 8:00. You glad? I rarely got home before seven And even long toward the last I mean that I worked and he worked 3-11 a great deal. And so then I could

00:36:51.230 - 00:37:15.390

stay as long as I felt it was necessary, you know? And there's one thing I heard him say one time that I didn't didn't bother me at the time. It has since his death. Somebody was complimenting him for being so unselfish. And he said, well when

00:37:15.390 - 00:37:40.670

I decided and he didn't say it ugly and didn't say it with any feeling. He just made the statement when I decided that nursing had to come first. We've been fine ever since. You know. So that's really he allowed me and this has been said of

00:37:40.680 - 00:38:08.030

him many times. It was said at his funeral that he allowed me to uh the cellar uh my are to give of myself to the fullest as far as my career was concerned. And he did and I couldn't have done it. I couldn't have done it

00:38:08.030 - 00:38:26.080

otherwise. I couldn't have done some of the things I did. If he had been somebody at home say me feeling I had to get there, he was going to be mad or he was going to be unhappy. Art, I was going to have to explain. And

00:38:26.080 - 00:38:43.620

he never one time. And this is hard for most people to believe because I I know that I had girls that just felt like they had to get home. You know uh he never asked me why I was late. He never asked me where I had

00:38:43.630 - 00:39:06.820

been. Not one half we will married. And I don't guess I ever got home on time in my life really. But I've regretted some of it. I mean I felt guilty. I won't I don't know whether I regretted it, but I guess I don't think howard

00:39:06.820 - 00:39:35.460

would have had me do otherwise. I really don't because I think he knew that I almost had to do, does that answer? I don't know whether it's what if you're asking me if it's what I would say. I think each person has to decide for themselves

00:39:35.470 - 00:40:05.880

Howard and I had a I think we had an unusual uh oh marriage in many ways he loved to fish. He loved hard, he was a coin collector, he was a leather Tuller. He had many hobbies, some of his hobbies. He started they wouldn't last long,

00:40:05.880 - 00:40:25.050

but he just had more hobbies and I never interfered with his hobbies. One time somebody got a divorce there was, we had mutual friends and I said I just can't believe that you know because they seemed happy and this friend of mine said I don't blame

00:40:25.050 - 00:40:45.190

them and I said what do you mean? And she said, well did you know that he would go fishing and never asked her if he could go, I said was he supposed to and she looked at me, I would have been amazed at how to come

00:40:45.190 - 00:41:01.670

in and said you know I'm going fishing, do you mind now? He told me he was going fishing but and of course I fished with it but then we love fishing together. But if he wanted to go with somebody he never came and said is it

00:41:01.670 - 00:41:25.350

alright if I go fishing? He said he's going fishing and I expected him to. So we had a you know a mutual understanding and agreement. Of course mine was work his was hobbies and he stuck to his work. He uh he's gonna be there when he

00:41:25.350 - 00:41:44.220

was supposed to be and all that but it wasn't his life uh that was the and and he was he was good and he believed in what he was doing but it was not his life. He loved the uh the fishing and hunting and the coin

00:41:44.220 - 00:42:12.250

collecting and the leather tooling and whatever might be his hobby at that particular time. And I think you can do that. Of course sometimes if I dwell on it. And then I get disturbed. Uh we went to florida about twice a year fishing, it was vacation

00:42:12.250 - 00:42:33.060

we planted but we went usually in the spring and in the fall when the trap was running you know and uh we he would save up for days or what have you and I would go to work that morning. And he'd say honey try to get

00:42:33.060 - 00:42:52.060

home not later than two or three o'clock and let's get way down the road tonight. And then we can get there early tomorrow and get in a lot of fishing tomorrow. And I'd say I'll try real hard to be home. Not later than four o'clock. Well

00:42:52.070 - 00:43:10.550

many times it would be 5 30. You know, I could tell he was annoyed. He would never say anything but I could tell and I might have beat me but we get in the car and it was all over. You know, we started he'd never say

00:43:10.560 - 00:43:29.100

if you could come on home earlier to see how far down the road with which I think a lot of men would you know, but he never did. He's just glad I got there. I guess it's 5:30 or whatever time it happened. But that annoys me

00:43:29.100 - 00:44:05.690

that I did do a little better because but you know you have to do what you think you have to do. I think that's what I'll do don't you? Whatever can y'all think of anything else? Thinking like hospitals were then and now as far as heavy

00:44:05.690 - 00:44:32.000

wards, private two beds to a room. I don't have any awards. And I'm glad we had we had six bed ward and a lot of the areas of the hospital and four bed wards was not unusual. Uh And I'd be glad to see the day if

00:44:32.000 - 00:44:53.450

we ever can when there's not any two bedrooms. I'd love to see every bed, every room of private room. I think patients deserve this and I think that they're easier to take care of. I think they get well quicker and I could go on and I

00:44:53.460 - 00:45:12.440

really wish we just had myself now I don't know whether everybody agrees with me but I really and I spend more time appeasing patients about private rooms and perhaps anything else that I do in this in the work that I do because so many patients walk

00:45:12.450 - 00:45:31.820

private rooms. And have you ever thought what it would be to go in and go to bed with somebody you've never seen before. And that snores all night and maybe place television all night. I could go on and on. You know and yet we expect you

00:45:31.820 - 00:45:54.120

to go ahead and be perfectly happy with those circumstances. Mr Perhaps you should tell us for the benefit of the tape what your work is now because you're toast on the tape that you retired in Yes, I retired in 70 Howard and I both did. Then

00:45:54.120 - 00:46:17.140

I lost Howard in 73 and we were just as busy those three years as we could be. It was a wonderful three years. And I am thankful that the Lord gave us those three years. Uh Then he had a heart attack very suddenly and only lasted

00:46:17.150 - 00:46:41.130

from Tuesday until friday. And I stayed busy. I had to force myself to stay busy but I did, I stayed very busy. The type of things I did was taking care of shut in buying groceries for them, cooking for them, a lot of food. I prepared

00:46:41.130 - 00:47:05.580

for people who couldn't prepare their own food and they were sick people to a point. So it looks like this would have satisfied me. I did, this was through the extension department of the church. I got many people doctors, these elderly people that didn't have doctors,

00:47:05.590 - 00:47:34.850

carried them to the doctor. And uh then I worked one day a week in the daycare center, the at the church, I worked as volunteer one day a week at the hospital. Uh I was teaching a sunday school class and uh doing a lot of other

00:47:34.850 - 00:47:55.710

things in the church on several committees in the church but I just was very very miserable and just I just seemed lost. I just didn't seem to have any purpose in life because I thought back and Howard and the and the nurse and nursing had been

00:47:55.710 - 00:48:19.320

my life. Those two things had really been my life. I did not have any hobbies except work and I just really didn't, I was not satisfied. I felt that I was just lost. And so I had been, this had been seven years but Howard had been

00:48:19.320 - 00:48:44.240

gone for a little over 4C and I had been praying very, very hard for God to lead me into something that I would feel useful in and productive in and I didn't ask for nursing because I felt that that was not what I should go back

00:48:44.240 - 00:49:11.900

into. And so on the day that Mr Athens called me from Brookwood, I had thought that day um God expects me to do something towards this rather than just pray. And I'm gonna call Jack Brymer at the Alabama baptist and ask, ask Jack if they do

00:49:11.900 - 00:49:34.850

take missionaries on, you know, on an interim basis. Either home missionaries, our foreign missionaries, you know, for a year, two years or what have you? Well before I had time to call Jack that morning I had a church meeting that morning About 9:00, my phone rang

00:49:34.850 - 00:49:51.770

and it was Mr Athens and he told me he had, he told me who he was, but Brooke was the last place I expected to call me and I thought he said Lakeshore. And so I asked him if this was Lakeshore Hospital and of course he

00:49:51.780 - 00:50:10.290

let me know right away was Brooklyn. And so he said, he told me though that Roger smith was his father in law. And of course I knew who Roger smith was just like most Baptists do. And so I thought this is that mission work, you know

00:50:10.290 - 00:50:27.450

that I've been looking for and it's through this man that he's gonna put me in touch with Roger and so he said when he didn't tell me what he wanted he said he had a challenge and I was convinced that my prayer had been answered I

00:50:27.450 - 00:50:46.040

think it had but not in the way I thought so I said uh he said could well he said when could you would you come and talk to me? And I said well yes sir. And he said well when could you come? And I said well

00:50:46.050 - 00:51:01.420

when did you want me to come? He said well today and I said well I can't come today I have so and so you know so he said well when can you come? And he tells a real good story on this He said I got two

00:51:01.420 - 00:51:19.570

calendars check that's how busy I was and I said wait a moment let me get my calendar. I did do that because I did I was scheduled just practically all the time. So I said well I said gave the time. I said but I can't come

00:51:19.570 - 00:51:34.380

till 3 30 because I was four I think it's about three days later. And he said I said wouldn't that be too late. He said oh no indeed that would be fine but can't you come in earlier And I said he meant earlier in the week

00:51:34.380 - 00:51:52.280

and I said no sir I just really can't. And so I went that day and when he started talking to me about what he wanted I said no I couldn't I couldn't do that you know. And he said well why not? And I said I've been

00:51:52.280 - 00:52:09.780

out a nurse in seven years. I said do you know my age. And he said well I'm not interested in age. Um and I said well do you know my age? And he said well from the time we've been retired, I know about if you retired

00:52:09.780 - 00:52:33.580

at 65. And I said well I'm 73. And he said, well that doesn't make any difference to me. So he kept on talking and kept on talking. And so then I started asking him about his philosophy, you know? And before he finished I felt like that

00:52:33.580 - 00:52:49.270

he's one of the most dedicated young men I had ever talked to, you know and I just could hardly believe it. And so then he told me that he where he attended church and what that he was that he taught sunday school some and he went

00:52:49.270 - 00:53:07.860

on to tell me his beliefs and I felt like I was talking to a real good christian person. And he said I said well you know I'll have to talk about I'll have to talk to two people before I could let you know anything. And he

00:53:07.860 - 00:53:25.950

said, well who are they? And I said well my doctor for one I said besides I said I have a little heart problem. He said well you look all right to me. So I said well I feel like I have to talk to my doctor. And

00:53:25.950 - 00:53:43.550

I wouldn't want you to be under any false assumptions. And he said well I'm I'm satisfied you know I'm not concerned about that. But I don't want you to do anything that would be detrimental to your house. So then I said and I would want to

00:53:43.550 - 00:54:01.380

talk to mr Emmett Johnson. I said because uh this has been good to me and I don't want to do anything that wouldn't be good for you know my relationship. And he said well now your doctor I may be able to come back but I'm not

00:54:01.380 - 00:54:23.690

sure about Mr. So and he laughed when he said that. So he was teasing you know. But anyway I came back and I said I can't do that. You know I can't do that. But then I talked to dr Benjamin he said no I couldn't do

00:54:23.690 - 00:54:40.000

anything. It was that stressful and he just wouldn't hear to it. And so I talked to Mr johnson and mr Johnson was real nice but didn't say yes or no. You know he said that's something that he didn't feel he was in a position to tell

00:54:40.000 - 00:54:58.820

me I could have could not do. So then I thought about it for a while and I thought well I could then I told Mr Athens I called him monday. Well he called me this was about Wednesday and he called me thursday night and to see

00:54:58.820 - 00:55:20.890

if I made a decision. So then I said well that dr Fincham hadn't said, he said you will, I will see you are not under any stressful situation and you know that's just as bad as impossible keeping the sun from rising. And I knew that and

00:55:20.900 - 00:55:43.840

he said you worked two hours a day, you work three hours a day, you work one hour day, you know you work whatever you feel comfortable doing. And so I thought about it then until then he called me again friday night. And so then I monday

00:55:44.500 - 00:56:04.600

I told I thought about it, I told him that I would come the next monday. And so I was gonna tell dr Finch that I was now dr Finch in the walking quit. You know? Hey dr Finch said he was so afraid it was gone. But

00:56:04.600 - 00:56:24.300

he said I looked better and that it would have been the best thing in the world for me. He said I'm the first one to say that that it was good for you. So are you just working an hour a day plus 10 and you're just

00:56:24.310 - 00:56:44.310

working one day a week. But you know, I think it has. I think it has been good for me. I really do. I do. I do wish I would cut down. I don't say I wish I could because I can't, I wish I would cut down.

00:56:45.910 - 00:57:12.520

Okay then you can still you do. You get so stale get old. You get so stale. You really do. You get so stale in your own and in every way you get stale in your body and you get stale in your mind you really do. And

00:57:12.530 - 00:57:37.020

if you don't have anything to push you to get up then you think why should you get up? Right, that's right. That age women where young people like you, most of them don't think that. And scott is an unusual person in that respect. You see he

00:57:37.030 - 00:57:58.880

he believes that the elderly population has so much to contribute and he listens to them and believes it's not just me. He does and you know, he has so much respect for for age, not just respect to let him go in the door first, but you

00:57:58.880 - 00:58:22.640

really think they have something to contribute. And he's really meant an awful lot to me. He's I wish all wish all of you could know him better because he's just he's just an unusual person. He really is. Oh he's he's like he's as much like Mr

00:58:22.640 - 00:58:43.940

Simmons has a lot of Mr Sibley's characteristics. Just an awful lot of them. This thing of doing anything for people, this few people in Brookwood and he hasn't done something personally for he knows everybody from the yard man on up. You know, he knows everybody over

00:58:43.940 - 00:59:02.800

there and his office is always open whatever they want or or whatever the needs are and his heart's as big as he is. We make the ground's not long ago and this patient I've known her for years and bless her heart she is pitiful but she

00:59:02.810 - 00:59:24.390

sort of you know uses it sometimes and she said to him I introduced her to him and she said I can't afford to pay for this television. Uh and you know I was astounded and she said I sure do need it and she does I mean

00:59:24.400 - 00:59:45.800

for her she but she gets a lot you know like this and she's a very very bad arthritic patient when we came and he said you take care of that you tell carl hold about the church of the television. Um Now you know you just don't

00:59:45.810 - 01:00:08.650

you just don't find people like that. Mhm. And I said do you mean it that another time we were making rounds in his last christmas and we went on the Air B. Floor and I had a cousin that had delivered And this child little girls lady

01:00:09.430 - 01:00:24.420

work for a group of doctors. Her mother worked for a group of doctors and her mother in law worked for a group of doctors. Not just one but a group you know. Well of course she had a lot of stuff you know I don't know that

01:00:24.420 - 01:00:42.140

the doctors would say no but you know with that sort of connection while you get a lot of stuff there's a little colored girl in the room with her and that little colored girl didn't have it, but not a single. I know, but I didn't think

01:00:42.140 - 01:01:02.850

scott did. And we came out of the room and he said, when you get back to the office, you call ANn and tell her to send that little girl whatever you and Ann thinks is advisable and charges to Brookwood. And I said, what do you want

01:01:02.850 - 01:01:12.730

to send her? And he said, I said, whatever you and Ann thinks appropriate was a basket of fruit, whether it's a point set up. I said, where we give all the patients.