Eddie completed her classes and graduated from Sacred Heart Nursing School on the 15th of May, 1928.
Eddie’s Diploma from Sacred Heart Nursing School 1928
She had among her things in her Collection of Junk, a faded letter dated November 1, 1928 from the State of Washington Department of Licensing informing her that they had received her application and fee of $10.00 for the nurses’ examination to be held December 3rd at 9 a.m. in the Stimson Building, Seattle and the Women’s Athletic Club, Spokane. She probably opted to take the test in Spokane since she was living there.
Another faded letter came on December 10, 1928 telling her that she had passed her recent nurses’ examination and gave her grades on the examinations for: Physiology and Anatomy, Gynacology, Hygiene, Bacteriology, Obstetrics, Materia Medica, Surgical Nursing, Dietetics and Pediatrics. Apparently she was not happy with her grades for she wrote “OUCH.” on the letter. Her average was 88.3.
She received another certificate which was dated the 4th of December 1928 giving her Nurse’s status per the law.
Becoming a nurse 1928
When I visited Sacred Heart Hospital in 2002, they were displaying in the hallway pictures of the nursing students progressing from the beginning to the end of the school. I do not know if this display exists anymore. The nursing school has changed greatly at Sacred Heart along with the buildings and more.
Here is my hubby walking that hallway at Sacred Heart Hospital in 2002
Can you find Eddie in the photo below? She is second from the right top row. Unfortunately, I will not be able to list the graduates names. The low lights make it difficult to enlarge the picture and you will find it gets fuzzy.
They had a department that covered the history of the hospital so if you want to know more I am sure they would be helpful at Sacred Heart. I was treated very well when I visited. You will need to make an appointment. When we visited it was 2002 they an archive but I cannot find it on their website. You might have to call the hospital and ask about their archive for the nursing school.
The Nurses graduation class of 1928 Edna McDonald is featured top row on right second in.
Years later Eddie would work in an office down the hall from my mother’s work. My Dad and I would come and pick up my mother up and take her to do the weekly grocery shopping at the Safeway in the University Village which was on the way home. While she was getting ready, I would head down the hall to visit Eddie. It was called Seneca Summit Surgery and it was just north of Swedish Hospital on Capitol Hill in Seattle. It closed in the late 1960’s.
My mother, Marjorie, graduated from the Virginia Mason Nursing School in Seattle in 1938 a full 10 years after Eddie.
Eddie was called “Mac” for a nickname. My dad, Keith, was called “Mac.” My mother, Marjorie was called “Boardie” before she married my father Keith, and then she was called “Mac” as well.
To learn more about my mother’s nursing experience see my post, Marjorie becomes a Nurse, January 21, 2014, the Boardman and Brown blog:
http://boardmanbrown.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/marjorie-becomes-a-nurse/
Eddie’s Collection of Junk – A Conclusion:
The time as come where I have reached the end of the bulk of Eddie’s Collection of Junk. I feel like I am the history of Cheney High School’s early years through my father’s sisters and brother. I do have 3 photographs probably of their graduation pictures for a Velma Ryker, Lucille Chapman and a Mary Snagg that I have not posted who were friends of Eddie. I am willing to share so contact me and we will figure it out.
Eddie stopped putting things in this book when she graduated from her nursing school in 1928. She left Spokane sometime after 1930 and headed to Seattle, Washington. She would take up residence near the waters of Puget Sound in the Alki Beach area of Seattle. This area is part of the West Seattle neighborhood. Eddie liked the mountains and the water and I remember many walks with her on the beach near her homes. She lived in at least three, maybe four apartments in the Alki beach area over the years. Vivian, older sister, migrated from Spokane to Seattle sometime in the early 1960’s and they lived next to each other in a house like duplex on Alki Beach till Vivian was moved to a nursing home. That house is now replaced with a modern looking apartment. After Vivian’s death, Eddie continued to live in the downtown area of West Seattle.
There is one more piece of memorabilia to share with you from Eddie’s book. As you have noticed Eddie’s brother Keith is not mentioned in this series of posts from the Collection. There is one picture that she kept created by Keith and I will share that when I start to write about him in future posts. Eddie’s brother Keith was three years younger than her so he is just about to enter Gonzaga High School when she was graduating from nursing school. Can you guess what the picture is…..?
Yes, it is a drawing of an airplane.
Posted by BJ MacDonald 
