On the Job

We are going to start a new series on Family History Friday - ON THE JOB.  We are going to look at the professions of our ancestors.  We will start with one of my favorite people - Beverly Rene Smith Hodgkinson.   Beverly graduated from High School in June of 1945.  Melvin was serving in the Italian arena of World War II and there was much need for Nurses.  Bev decided to join the Nurse Corp.  This was a wonderful educational opportunity.  The government subsidized tuition, they received fifteen dollars a month and room and board and a program was offered at the local school -  University of Utah.   Beverly headed  North to start school in the fall of 1945 along with Mel's sister - Rayola.  Even though she could see the Murray smoke stacks from Carlson Hall up on the "U" campus, she felt homesick.  I asked her for her oral history why she became a nurse.  She said "I didn’t want to be a teacher.  I wasn’t very good at typing.  This program was just offered because they needed nurses."

Her schooling sounded pretty grueling.  Here is another excerpt from the history.

"It was very hard.  They needed nurses to give baths so we would catch the bus early in the morning.  We would need to be up there at seven o’clock, have breakfast and then we would have an assigned part of the hospital.  We would bathe the patients and give the medication.  Then we would have lunch and then we would go to class between one and four or five.  Then we would put in a shift at the hospital from seven to ten p.m.  Then take the bus back down and come back the next morning. "

The war ended the fall of 1945, but she completed her schooling over the next three years.  It was at this time that Melvin left for his mission in the Central States.  She graduated in June of 1948.  Her nursing career subsidized the family income so Melvin could complete college and they could provide for their two little babies Terri and Clark.

Bev took on a second career in Denver where she began to teach piano lessons.  From what I remember it was to help when Clark went on his mission.  She taught piano for the next 26 years having as many as 30-35 students at a time.  As Rachel now knows, it can be a really tough occupation.  She has blessed the lives of many many students.

I still love playing duets with my mom - playing the piano has brought me such joy to me my whole life.  Thanks mom for paying for my lessons and encouraging me to practice.