“Be a U.S. Cadet Nurse, the girl with a future”
Researching this tiny snapshot has taken me a couple of years with breaks in between. I can finally share it with you and tell you how the lives of the following women intertwined with eachother’s in the middle of WWII:
Norma Jean Casper, Marjorie Pruett, Rosann Vestring, Lucille Jean Wertz, Dorothy Lee Hughes, Georgia Lee Carter, Mary Marcine Bowman, Wanda Alta Sturdevant, Gloria Jane Vesper, Nina Louise Brown, Willadean Morrison, Iva Lee Maxey, Jeanne Marie Freedlun, Vivian Truseal Hathaway, Jo Ann Ruth Rutherford, Mary Josephine Patterson, Dorothy Mae Henson, and Virginia Arlene Stroup.
But let’s start from the beginning. So this tiny snapshot shows 18 women, all dressed in a uniform I would date to the 1940s. But since the snapshot is very small, I could not make out the details of the uniform. Luckily I have my Instagram community! They identified the uniform as that of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps!
When the United States entered WWII, it was feared that the military would need the most nurses, leaving the local hospitals without carers. So on June 15, 1943, the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps was established as an emergency programme by the U.S. Congress with the so-called Bolton Act. As a result of the successful publicity campaign of the Corps, from July 1943 to October 1945 some 132,000 girls were admitted to 1,125 nursing schools (Source). And between the years 1943 and 1948 that the Corps existed, 124,065 nurses graduated (Source). The schools provided a 24- to 30-month accelerated program, with an additional 6-12 months practice under supervision as a Senior Cadet.
And of course, in order to make the campaign even more attractive for young women, a well-fitted fashionable uniform was designed:
How wonderful that each of the Cadet Nurses in this photo was identified at least with a surname! Now I just needed to find out how the puzzle pieces fit together. Where did they all serve or study? One by one I inserted their names into the search engine of Ancestry and could soon make the connection – they all began the Cadet Nurse Corps programme at the St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1944!
So somewhere on this campus, our Cadet Nurses stood for the group photo in 1945.
I’ve found the WWII Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files for each one of them, so I was able to add full first names to the initials. I won’t be able to go into great detail about each and every one of them, but I’ll share a bits and pieces on each. I was able to find a couple of close-up photos of some of them, too. I will mostly focus on those who continued in the profession and went on to have long careers as nurses.
Back row left to right: J. Casper, M. Pruett, R. Vestring, L. Wertz, D. Hughes, G. Carter, M. Bowman
Middle row left to right: W. Sturdevant, G. Vesper, N. Brown, W. Morrison, Maxey, J. Freedlun
Front row left to right: T. Hathaway, J. Rutherford, M.J. Patterson, D. Henson, V. Stroup
But now let's look into the lives of the ladies in our photo from 1945:
1st row (back row left to right)
J. Casper
Norma Jean Casper (Nurse Cadet File) was born on Sept 3, 1926, in Cushing Payn, Oklahoma. She joined Nurse Cadets in July 1944. She married Albert Coy Booth and they had a son Richard A. Booth (born in 1950). Norma Jean passed away in May 2001 in Broken Arrow, Tulsa county.
M. Pruett
Perhaps Marjorie Pruett (Nurse Cadet File) had a different dream for her career before WWII broke out. During her high school years, she was a keen journalist, writing for the local Henryetta Daily Free Lance. Her town was definitely proud of her patriotic efforts, as this was shared in the local newspaper:
Marjorie studied at the Phillips university in Enid before she enrolled in the nursing school in 1944. In 1946, the same newspaper informs us that Marjorie, then a senior cadet, was going to graduate in the spring of 1947.
“He met the love of his life, Marjorie Pruitt, while she was a nursing student at St. John Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The couple was married on December 24, 1947, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and were married for 49 years.”
Marjorie passed away in 1996.
R. Vestring
Rosann Vestring (Nurse Cadet File) was born on 4 Jan 1925. She was 19 years old when she enrolled in the nursing school in Tulsa. By 1950, she had married Hurshal Boyd and become a mother to their a 1-year-old son Michael. Rosann passed away in 2011. Her obituary includes a photo of her from her golden years. Rosann made her education her calling: she worked as a nurse for many years.
"Rosann graduated from Burns High School in 1943. She entered the Cadet Nurse Corp in 1944. In 1947 she received her degree in Registered Nursing from St. John's School of Nursing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rosann served as a nurse in Kansas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. She was employed by Holy Spirit Hospital 1964 – 1967. She served as the Director of Nursing for Blue Ridge Haven West. She retired in 1977 from the office of Dr. William Dietrich, New Cumberland. Rosann was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church."
L. Wertz
Lucille Jean Wertz (Nurse Cadet File) was born 15 Jul 1925. She graduated from Lawton High School and Cameron College in Oklahoma. Here's her yearbook photo from 1942:
In 1947, she graduated from the Cadet Nurse Corps as a registered nurse. She married Michael M. Selzer in 1947.
Unfortunately, she passed away at just 28 years of age in 1953, leaving behind her husband and son Michael:
D. Hughes
Dorothy Lee Hughes (Nurse Cadet File) attended Central High School in Tulsa before she enrolled in the nursing programme in 1944. She married Herman Hale Jr. And in 1950, they were raising two small children, Kathryn and Rebecca, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. I wonder if Dorothy finished her nursing programme if she already had her first baby in 1947.
G. Carter
There is a public family tree for Georgia Lee Carter (Nurse Cadet File) on Ancestry, so there’s quite a bit of information available on her. She was born on January 22, 1926. On the left you can see her Will Rogers High School Yearbook photo from 1944. Georgia lived a long life 90+ years of life. She passed away in 2018 in Texas.
She married William George Smith in 1954 and they had 3 sons and 1 daughter. According to his obituary, Georgia’s husband was a doctor and a pioneer in colon cancer research:
M. Bowman
Mary Marcine Bowman (Nurse Cadet File) was born on 30 Jul 1926 in Tulsa. She married Milton T. Emmons in 1948. There's an announcement of their engagement in the Blackwell Journal-Tribune, including her photo:
I think she might have died in 2018 at the age of 91. And although I cannot access her full obituary, I think she might have worked as a school nurse.
2nd row (middle row left to right)
W. Sturdevant
Wanda Alta Sturdevant (Nurse Cadet File) was born on 14 Jul 1926. She graduated from Henryetta Highschhol and the Cadet Nurse Corps and was working in a private practice in Denver in 1951, when she married James Allen Bradshaw. I found this photo of the lovely Wanda in the Henryetta Daily Free-Lance of Feb 11, 1951:
Her obituary from 2014 shows us a photo of her in her later years:
It also gives us valuable insight into the life and career of Wanda Bradshaw Risdon née Sturdevant:
"Wanda Bradshaw-Risdon, 87 of Cottonwood, AZ died Tuesday July 8, 2014. Wanda was born in Parnasus, PA on July 14, 1926. Her family later moved to Oklahoma and Wanda graduated in 1944 from Henryetta High School. Wanda joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps due to WWII and attended St. Johns School of Nursing in Tulsa, OK. Wanda's first job was at the VA Hospital in Pass Christian, MS. 1949 Wanda moved to Denver Colorado and later met James Bradshaw at Denver University while attending a nurses meeting, and they later married in 1951. Wanda and Jim had two children: Clarissa and Doyle; Wanda skillfully balanced being a wife, a loving mother, and a registered-nurse in Colorado, New Zealand, Idaho, Arkansas and California. James Bradshaw preceded her in death December 1980. Wanda remarried an old family friend Keith Risdon in 1984, they lived in Palm Desert and Wanda continued to work as a nurse eventually retiring from Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, CA. Wanda and Keith Risdon moved to Cottonwood, AZ in 1991 they were both active in the community; Keith Risdon preceded her in death April 1998. Wanda\u0027s brother, William Sturdevant (Buddy) preceded her in death December 2006. Wanda had a sweet tooth, she enjoyed cooking, cherry pies (a family favorite) and cookies; she kept a candy drawer for herself. Wanda enjoyed antiquing, reading; she had a good sense of humor and made friends easily. Wanda is survived by her daughter Clarissa Thomas and husband Lee of Columbia, MD; her son Doyle Bradshaw and his wife Beverly of Hoopa, CA; her step-son Scott Risdon and his wife Debbie of Omaha, NE; her half-sisters Sarah Hodgens of Tulsa, OK and Judy Mains of Guymon, OK; 5 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 3 nieces, and 3 nephews. Wanda did not want a public service; her children are honoring her wish and will have a family ceremony later."
G. Vesper
Gloria Jane Vesper (Nurse Cadet File) was born on December 18, 1923. Looks like Gloria made a career for herself as a nurse. She joined the Navy Nurse Corps after graduation from Tulsa. I also came across this photo of her on FindaGrave:
She married Arthur Holloway Edwards in 1949. Here’s a photo of her as a stunning bride, as published in the Long Beach Press Telegram:
Art and Gloria had one daughter, Marguerite Lynn Edwards Terashita, and a son, Arthur Jon, who tragically lived for less than 24 hours. They were divorced in 1964 and Gloria passed away in 1991.
N. Brown
There is a public family tree for Nina Louise Brown (Nurse Cadet File) accessible on Ancestry, according to which she was born on January 11, 1926. She married William Leonard Taylor.
I cannot access her obituary, but looks like she passed away in 2007, 20 years after her husband had died: "Nina Louise Taylor , 81, of Tulsa, a 4 time cancer survivor passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, February 27, 2007", accompanied by her photo (left).
W. Morrison
Willadean Morrison (Nurse Cadet File) was born on 10 Mar 1928. In 1943, she attended the Central High School of Tulsa.
She married Harry W. Guntheroth on July 19, 1947, in Tulsa. They were both so young, groom Harry was just 22, and already seen war firsthand.
In 1950, they were living in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri. They had two daughters Debrah and Lorraine, and a son Harry Jr. Husband Harry was an announcer, and Willadean worked as a nurse in a hospital. Harry passed away in 1980 and his obituary gives us some more information about Willadean's family:
Maxey ...
There is a public famiy tree for Iva Lee Maxey (Nurse Cadet File) on Ancestry, including this photo of her in nurse’s uniform:
Iva married Marvin E. Broam in 1948. Their son Kevin Lee was born in 1956. Unfortunately Iva Lee lived to bury her husband in 1978 and her son in 1989, before passing away herself almost 2 decades later in 2006 in Tulsa. As you can read from her obituary, she practiced nursing in several Oklahoma hospitals before retiring:
"BROAM -- IvaLee (Maxey), died Thursday, March 9, 2006. lvaLee was born July 13, 1925, at home in Porum, OK. She attended Porum schools through graduation in 1944 and finished her education at St. John School of Nursing, Tulsa, OK, in 1947. She married Marvin Ellis Broam, April 9, 1948. She practiced nursing in several Oklahoma hospitals, retiring from Baptist Memorial Hospital, Oklahoma City. She was a long-time resident of Oklahoma City; moved to Tulsa in 1997. She was preceded in death by: parents, Ira Lee and Iva Elizabeth Maxey; husband, Marvin; son, Kevin Lee; sister, Ann Seay; and 4 baby brothers. She is survived by: sisters, Marie Smith, Muskogee, OK, Louise Maher and husband, David, Tulsa, and Joyce Maxey, Muskogee; brother, Maurice Maxey and wife, Stella, Tulsa; nieces Suzanne Seay, Tucson, AZ, Jane Seay Johnson, Tucson, Kem Maher, Tulsa, and Jamie Maher, Wichita, KS; nephew, William Maxey, Porum, Robert Maxey, Tulsa, Timothy Maxey, Tulsa, and Pat Maher, Sacramento, CA; numerous great-nieces and nephews. Among her many interests were needle arts, quilting, genealogy and bird watching. She will be buried at Resurrection Memorial Gardens, Oklahoma City, with her beloved husband and son."
J. Fredlun
There is a public family tree for Jeanne Marie Freedlun (Nurse Cadet File) accessible on Ancestry. Jeanne was born on September 29, 1926, in Chanute, Neosho, Kansas. She married Earl Norman Seawright in October 1947. After Earl died in 1991, Jeanne remarried and became Mrs. Galen Clayton Wiggans. Jeanne passed away in December 2002. Her very short obituary just mentions that she was a registered nurse. I wish we knew if and how long she practiced her profession.
3rd row (front row left to right)
Hathaway
There is a public family tree for Vivian Truseal Hathaway (Nurse Cadet File) accessible on Ancestry. Truseal was 10+ years older than the other nurses in the group photo. She had been born on May 24, 1914, so she was 30 when she enrolled in the nurse programme. She married Edward Wayne Kean in June 1947 in Tulsa. Edward was 38, and Truseal 32 at the time. They had a daughter Susan.
I don’t know if Truseal practiced as a nurse after her graduation. She passed away in 2005 in Paducah, McCracken, Kentucky, but her obituary doesn’t mention anything in this regard:
J. Rutherford
There is a public family tree for Jo Ann Ruth Rutherford (Nurse Cadet File) accessible on Ancestry. Jo Ann was born on January 22, 1925. She married James Wesley Strickler in March 1950 in Tulsa. And guess who were witnesses at their ceremony: Wanda Sturdevant and James Bradshaw, Jo Ann’s nursing school friend and her future husband. Nice to see that friendships lasted outside of the hospital classroom.
Jo Ann died in 2016 and was buried at the Ft. Logan National Cemetery as a WWII veteran of US Navy. The record also mentions her military rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade.
The description on her FindaGrave page mentions that “Her nursing career lasted over 35 years. She retired from Exempla Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge after 22 years of service.” The profile also includes a photo of her:
M.J. Patterson
There is a public family tree for Mary Josephine Patterson (Nurse Cadet File) on Ancestry. Josephine was born on November 10, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri. She joined the St. John's Hospital nurses programme in July 1944.
One of the newspaper clippings announcing her upcoming marriage to Joseph A. M. van Hasselt mentions that after graduation from St. John’s School of Nursing, she continued working in the medical field, as a medical assistant with Dr. Johnson and Ward in the Doctors building in Tulsa. She was also a member of the Tulsa County and Oklahoma State Medical Assistants Association.
And here’s Josephine in her wedding dress in September 1960, marrying her Dutchman, 11 years younger than her:
The couple went on to have two children. Josephine passed away in November 1989.
D. Henson
Dorothy Mae Henson (Nurse Cadet File) was born on August 1916 in Maysville, Garvin, Oklahoma. I believe her father William Wesley Henson was of Native American heritage.
When Dorothy enrolled in the nursing programme in Tulsa, she was 28 years old. Here’s a photo of her I found on FindaGrave:
Dorothy married Patrick Kelsey in May 1968, she was 51 and Patrick 58 at the time. She passed away in November 2000 in Austin, Texas. Here's her obituary naming her survivors, daughters Joyce and Jeanette among other family members:
V. Stroup
The last of young nurses in the photo was Virginia Arlene Stroup (Nurse Cadet File), born in September 1926. I share her obituary below and let it tell Virginia’s story:
Let us remember these girls with a future, smiling at us from this tiny snapshot, eager to learn and serve and make life-long friends. I leave you here with a pledge of the Cadet Nurse Corps:
“I will keep my body strong, my mind alert, and my heart steadfast; I will be kind, tolerant, and understanding. Above all, I will dedicate myself now and forever to the triumph of life over death. As a Cadet Nurse, I pledge to my country, my service in essential nursing for the duration of the war.”
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