Document text
Approximately 2200 Words.
SOUTH CAROLINA WORKERS' PROJECT
CHARLESTON, S. C.
LIFE HISTORY:,
TITTE: MRS. MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
Date of First Writing February 10, 1939
Name of Person Interviewed Mrs. Walter W, Herbert (White)
Fictitious Name Urs, H. N. Martin
Street Address 14 ColleL-,e Street
Place Charleston, S. C.
Occupation public Health Nurse
Name of '!,riter tiriel A. ,iann
Name of Reviser :-,tate Office
Pro,'ectfia165'
Murl.e3 A. Mann
Charler7tr:no
LIFE HISTORY.
MR!'1. MAhTI} P TLiC EUTF NURSE.
It is a large, rs_ilibling old brick house, aot far from the
college buildings, in which Mrs. Martin and her family live.
It is sim 4 furnished, and has an air of continual activity
about it.
Llrs. artin reeted ;le cordially at the door, a friendly
smile on hez. face. "Came in," she said. "You are just on time."
I followed her into the living -room, where, amid a'collection
of drawins and paintin_s on the floor, sat a tall young girl who
jumped qickly to her feet as we entered.
This is Edith, my eldest daughter," said Mrs. Aartin. "She
has been painting, as yo can see. I gave her a box of oil paints
for a Christmas present and she has spent every spare minute work-
in E with then since."
There were water colors, per and ink sketches, figures done in
charcoal, and oil paintings of landsoapes. ).t was an interesting
cor.ection that showed versatilJtp and originality of thought.
Edith is tall like her mother, with dancinL warm brown eyes
and bobbed hair. $1-(5 has sorle of her mother's vivaciousness and
charm, tod. Edith prepared to „atrner up ne: thins to leave the
room, but, fter beinL assured that she could remain, reseated
herself on the floor, and went on with er Atinting, while, her
mother, Lead nurse of the Public Health Centre, prepared to tell
somethinL about herself and her work.
Project #..1.6&:-:
Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
Pate- 2
MRS. MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE,
Mrs. Martin, R. N., is tall and good-looking. She has
snapping brown eyes, dark brown hair* worn parted on the aide
of her head and twisted into a loGse knot at the nape of he),
neck, and an exhilarating air of vitality,
Before she could begin her story, I heard the sound of
footsteps lightly treading down the stairs* and in a moment a
little old lady* very spry in spite of her obviously advanced
ages smilingly tripped, almost fairy-like, into the room and
put her arms affectionately around Mrs. Martin.
"This is my great-aunt Lily who lives with us*" she in-
formed me. "She is eighty-seven years old and stone deaf.
Her eyesight is failing too, and she cannot see you distinctly,"
Turning to her aunt she saidt "Yes, dear, I have brought you a
package. Here it is."
Mrs. Martin placed a small bundle of varicolored embroidery
threads in her aunt's hands* who, satisfied, left the roam.
Aunt Lily has a small income of her own* and when she was
left alione in the world, elected to come and live with us, al-
though others in the family were better able to look after her.
But a. e is happy with us as you can see* and we like to have her*"
Mrs. Martin ex)lained. Then she returned to her story.
"We moved to Charleston about twelve years ago from Newberry,
after we had lost our ouse and almost everything we owned
Project
Muriel A, an
Charleston, n.
MkS I4AI7 PUBLIC HEALTH NUR%
throueb a bank failure, We managed to save about two hundred
&liars out f the wreck, enough to start over again, My
husband, who is a university craduate, went tato business here
and for a few years did very well. He had a flourishing bioyole
shop and we were able to 4;et alone and look after our five ohil.
dren comfortably."
"3ut this was not to last. FollowinL a nervous breakdown he
was sent to the veterans hospital in Columbia, and I tried to run
the b siness. I hud to J.ve it up in the end, and a time came,
when, for about three weeks, I was real.7 desperate, realizing
that I was faced with the task of support:al, a sick husband and
five children."
"Uut let me Lo back to my Lirlhood. When I finithood high
school, I wanted to become a nurse, so I wont to the Magdalene
Lospital in Chester, where I was horn and lived, to study."
Mrs. artin paused reflectively for a moment. "Do you
know, my maiden name was :;anoy Stephenson, and my family comes
in a direct line from Robert Louis 8tephensont she asked, pride
oreepinc into Ler voiod. I cannot tell you more about it, but
I know it is true because my family has the records, It may be
of interest to yo to know this, althouji I seldom speak of it to
anybody."
"3ut to eo on with ny story. After my graduation I kept
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Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
MRS, MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
Page 4
right on thd took a post -graduate course in Columbia, South
Carolina. From there I went to New TrOrk City and took another
course at the Maternity Institute. That was during the World
War.
"It was while in Columbia that I fell deeply in love with
a young officer and we became engaged, shortly before he went
overseas. He was kiLed at Bellieu Wood." There was a wistful
expression in Mrs. Martin's eyes as she told me this.
Edith collected her paraphernalia and left for the college
glee club practice. There was no fear of interruptions now.
Mrs. Martin reamed her story&
"Later, after a swift cortship„ I married Mr. Martin. I
respect him and he has been a wonderful father to our children,
and we have had a happy narried life, but" she paused, "I be.
lieve you can only love onoe."
"We have five children, four daughters and a son. Edith in
a second-tlerm freshman at the college. She will be twenty on her
next birthday. Then my boy, Tom, eighteen, and a freshman at the
Citadel. Frances, Mary and Jane, who are seventeen, fifteen and
eleven years old, are the younger girls. Jane, the baby, is up
stairs in bed with a cold, which I believe may be a touch ofiflu,
so I am keeping her isblated, much to her resentment."
"But let me tell you about Tom. When he was graduatcd from
Project #w1,55
Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, C.
MARTIN4L PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
Pace w 5 w
high school last summers he decided that he wanted to eo to
collect), but, in order to do so, he had to earn the money. So
he eot a job deliverine milk for one of the dairies. It was hard
work with lone hours but before the summer was over he had two
hundred and fifty dollars in the bank. He is six feet three
inches tall. I wish you could see him in his uniform." Mn,
Martin added proudly.
"Frances and Aary are in high school and Jane is still in
the craft sehool• They are bright irls, chiefly interested in
sports at this staee."
"When my husband was in the hospital and the situation was
so desperate, I knew that I had to do somethine quickly.
Fortunately I had nursine to turn to. It was in 1033, in the
day of the 17.1cA, before it was ohanosd to the TIPA„ I applied fors
and succeeded in eettine„ a place with the public health depart..
ment, and went to work. I worked very hard, and when a thanes
was made in the administration and all the other nurses were let
out, I was kept on and put in tharee of the newly orLanised dew
partment."
"Then in 1936 I heard that there was a vacancy in the City
and County Health 14partment. I knew that if I could est it
that it would be a permanant position and would take me off the
WPA. so I applied, and to surprise, (lot it. I really hated
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Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
MRS. MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
Page 6
to give up my work on the WPA, and shall feel eternally grate-
ful for the chance given to me through the New Deal. But I
had to think of the future."
"There was a great deal of ill...feeling evident when I first
went to work at the Health Centre, but I am glad to say that it
has .2,adually faded out. The other nurses resented the fact
that I, who am an outsiders should be put over them, and I can
understand how they felt. I even went to the board and offered
to resign in favor of someone else, but the board refused to
listen to me. Anyway, today we are very proud fro be able to
claim the best organized and smoothest running health depart
mint in the state. There are twenty-eight nurses on the staff
and twelve clerical workers, all of whom are under DIA411
"You would like me to tell you about a day in my life?"
"Very well. But first let me show you a letter which I
received a few days ago. It will give you an idea of some of
my experiences.," Here it is, written in pencil:"
Dear Mrs. Martin
today is two wecks lye been confined
to bed very ill now little Helen has had leaver
since Saturday very high leaver all night if the
nurse comes there today tell her to please be sure
3r! come hire to see about her for me
Thanks
Helens Mother
"I went to this house whieh consisted of one large room
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Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
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MRS. MARTIN, PbBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
nothing more. It was almost bare* In a corner some sacking had
been nailed to the rafters in order to give a slight amount of
privacy to the bed and its occupants, for mother and daughter
were in the same bed* I found that the neighbors had become 80
concerned about the condition of the family that they had taken
up a collection to pay for the services of a doctor* So, of
course, I could do little for them. I did, however, bathe and
freshen them up as much as possible under the circumstances, and
left a note for the doctor tel him what I had done* I had
given temperature readings* The little girl's temperature was
103 degrees. If he had not been called I would have telephoned
an ambulance and taken them to the hospital immediately, but
public health nurses never interfere when a regular doctor has
been called. The ch1ld has double pheumonia* It is a pathetic
case, though only one of many."
"At nine o'clock every morning I am at my office* I spend
an hour checking over reports and letters, and taking telephone
calls* Then the doctor and I attend to these calls before visit*.
ing at least one, and often two or three, schools before lunch
time, where we examine and test the children for various symtoms
of disease, including eye. -trouble; teeth, heart and lungs affec.
tions* Every child is weighed, and a card index is carefully kept
of each ease* After lunch I go to the hospital and work in the
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Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
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MRS, MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
wards doing dressings until five o'clock. Often at night I at.
tend classes, either teachers olassee or first aid."
"Yes, my days are very fully occupied and I have little
time to spend at home with my family. I was invited to conduct
some night classes in first aid recently, but I did not feel that
it would be right for me to take on any more work than I am doing
now, My husband, after coming out of the hospital seemed to lose
his Lrip for a time, but this passed. He has found a job working
for the bridge company, and has also taken over Tom's milk routes
so we are able to Kett along nicely once more, and I am getting a
good salary."
"Would you like to hear what I did last September?" Mrs.
Martin asked, "because I would like to tell you about it."
"I decided that I would like to take a poet graduate course
in Public Health Nursing at the Peabody College for Nurses in
Nashville, Tonnes.** so I asked for and was given a three months
leave of absence. I felt very young as started out alone very
early on the morning of September 24th,, and the ride through the
country was thrilling. I felt as though I were on the vere of a
glorious adventure* and, in a sense this was true* for I studied
hard and made a new circle of friends, I took five subjects and
passed them al:. Let me show you my report cad."
The subjects listed were: Fundamentals, Principles and
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Muriel A. Mann
Charleston, S. C.
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MRS, MARTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
Organization, Preventive Medicine, Recreational Rhyth, and Intro
to St. of Soo. se. After each subject the letter "P" was written.
It was truly an impressive report card.
"While at Peabody, ten of us formed a club which we called
the RX Club, and we had a lot of fun in our spare time. There
were midnight suppers and picnics. We were all young together.
Before parting for our v arious homes at Christmas time, we agreed
to write to each other every Birthday and Christman.
"I think it is a good thing to get away from your family oc-
casionally, because it does make them appreciate you more.
find the problem of four crown daughters in this modern world is
a real one, That is why I am attending these night classes and
studying psychology, hoping to find the answers to the 1.any
questions and problems which arise daily so that I wil7. be able
to understand my girls better. I am attending a class this evening
which begins at eight o'clock.
It Was growing late. Edith had returned from her glee club
practise, and the other girls were home too, so I tekk my leave.
Mrs. Martin, was preparin for her evening class as I slip .ed
out of the house.