The 42nd First Lady of the county was named Saturday
Tue, 06/15/2021 - 8:21am
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The Clearwater Count Historical Society under the direction of Tamara Edevold started the day with a prayer from 2015 First Lady Ardis Thompson. The event was the 42nd time that a First Lady has been named in the county.
Tamara Edevold was without some her long time supporters of the events, Millie Dickinson retired at the end of 2019. Her "boss" Ken Braaten passed away in 2020, and her partner in crime Edna McKinley passed away in December of 2020.
She said she had some great help from Lynn Schroeder who created the center pieces and ordering and donating the desserts. Her niece Jessica Whaley made the cupcakes. Laurie Brien and Denise Hogenson were the ticket takers and Denise has also been hired at the museum as a collections and photographs manager.
Mary Gerbracht and her staff at Fireside hosted the event this year. Sponsors for the day were First National Bank of Bagley and Northern State Bank in Gonvick.
Marilyn Ames the 2020 First Lady gave an uplifting speech about her life with all the trials and tribulations.
Jill Bakken provided special music for those in attendance. The audience joined her with "Somebody to Lean On."
The message for the day was "Caregivers in Clearwater County's past."
Tamara Edevold ventured out on her own talking abut health care workers being "front line" workers in the fight to keep us alive during COVID-19.
Oliva Anderson lived in Shevlin and with the encouragement of a young doctor in Bagley, (Dr. Larson) she was encouraged to open the Anderson Home Maternity Hospital in Shevlin in 1927. She delivered 500 babies with the last being the Coyle twins Roy and Joy in 1946.
Ada "Mac" McAllister came from Manitoba Canada and studied hospital administration in Vancouver, Washington and was in charge of the Bagley Hospital for 20 years.
2nd Lt. Irene Bjerknes was with a hospital unit in Normandy in 1944. 13 nurses in one tent and 7 night duty nurses in another tent. She ended up back in England and one entertainer had sparkle and charm and that was Dinah Shore. She autographed a piece of Russian money for her. She was born in Gonvick to Henry and Josie Bjerknes. She helped to establish a psychiatric hospital near Herefordshire England. She returned to the US in 1945 and worked as a stewardess for Northwest Airlines. She married Jacob Irvin Heisey and raised 5 children. After they were grown she went back into nursing as a college nurse at Millersville University in Millersville, PA.
Edevold went on to mention that Front Line Workers this past year have been very busy because of COVID 19. During WWII the Red Cross had an umbrella organization for many care giving projects. Mrs. Opal Dahl held classes for men and women with first aid instruction.
Mrs. Opal Dahl held classes in the winter of 1942 instructing 72 men and women in first aid.
Mrs. Olga Paulson of Shevl in was in charge of the "Home Hygiene" program.
Mrs. Olga Golkowski who was an RN, was in charge of "Bagley Surgical Dressing Project". They set a goal of 50,000 sponges. Clearbrook and Minerva women had already started in December of 1942.
Mrs. Ferol Lee and Miss Dagmar Johnson held Red Cross Home Nursing classes with 160 women receiving a certificate upon completion.
In the records of the Clearwater History Center they have over 8000 obituaries and of those there are over 130 that have nursing or nurse's aid listed as their occupation. Edevold mentioned seven of them.
Virginia Ball worked at the Bagley Hospital.
Winnie Boorman started as a nurse's assistant and later became an LPN in Bagley.
Ada Eide was a WWII Army nurse who served in England and France. She was the Bagley School Nurse from 1962 to 1981.
Mary Faye Dahl Ames Field had an LPN license and worked at the Bagley Hospital in the ER and OR and also at the Bagley Clinic.
Mary Hatton was an Army nurse during WWII and served in England until the Normandy landings, when her unit was transferred to France in time to receive the first 1500 battle casualties from the Ardennes. She also served in Germany, China, Burma and was on a troopship in the Panama Canal when the war ended. She was and ER nurse for 20 years at the Bagley hospital.
Carrie Pincrey began her career at the old Bagley hospital, located just west of Galli Furniture and the new hospital in Bagley for 27 years.
Isabelle Gagnon Thompson was a nurse at the White Earth CHR and at the Bagley Hospital and with the nursing service.
The luncheon tables had pictures of several women who were all in the health care profession and were good role models.
Edevold gave the reason for the luncheon to announce the person who had been selected as the Women of the Year for Clearwater County. Every nomination letter that had been received stated that she was the friendliest person, the nicest women, and she has a ready smile and is always willing to be of help to everyone. One said "She never says no!"
She and her husband raised a son and daughter, and lost a daughter at birth. She worked at Team Industries for many years, and after she retired she really started working. She is active with the Pioneer Farmers, the Historical Society, the Bagley Senior Citizen Center, Zion of Eddy Church, the American Legion and currently serves as the Clearwater County food shelf manager, yet she still finds time to visit friends at the local nursing homes. She and her husband were kitchen supervisors at the Pioneer Farmers show grounds for several years. She was always willing to help with the historical society Sunday dinner fund raiser.
Ever since she married Ken Braaten, and they came to Clearwater County she has been making lives better for all in the county. Ken passed away in October 20, 2020.
Congratulations Sharon Braaten on being named Clearwater County's First Lady of the year.
The time you've given
the hearts you've touched
the lives you've blessed God
thank you Sharon for all you do for this county.