Workday Wednesday – Evelyn S. Barnes, Registered Nurse

This sweet photograph from November 1941 shows Evelyn Stewart Barnes (1919-2008) of Kingston, New Jersey, in her first nursing uniform.  She was the daughter of Benjamin and Maude Eisenberger Stewart. Evelyn had graduated from Beaver College (now called Arcadia University) in 1941 with a B.S. degree in Home Economics. Loving school, she decided to continue her education by attending Yale University’s School of Nursing in New Haven, Connecticut. She had married Thomas Barnes, from her Kingston neighborhood, in 1943. While her husband, Tom, was in the Army, she lived in New Haven, CT, on her own, and attended graduate school. On 13 April 1944 Evelyn received her Master of Nursing degree from Yale University after many months of hard study, student nursing, and examinations.

Shown above are Evelyn’s first nursing cap, her diploma, and the program from the graduation exercises. The Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing in 1944 required a passing percentage of at least 70% in these subjects: Medical Nursing; Surgical Nursing; Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Nutrition, Foods and Cookery, and Diet Therapy; Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing; Anatomy and Physiology; Nursing of Children; Microbiology; Communicable Disease Nursing; and Psychiatric Nursing. Since Evelyn had passed all of the exams, she was a certified Registered Nurse as of 21 September 1944.

Two beautiful graduation portraits of Evelyn Stewart Barnes from her time at Beavers College and Yale University School of Nursing, above and below.

After receiving her R. N. degree, Evelyn moved back to New Jersey. She had been recruited to become an Army nurse, but she didn’t think her specialty was surgical nursing. Evelyn raised her two young children while juggling shifts at local nursing homes, so she could be with them as much as possible. In 1955, Evelyn heard of a new program that was starting up in Somerset County, NJ, sponsored by the Somerville Elks, to help disabled children in the community. They were looking for a registered nurse to oversee the fledgling facility, to be housed in a basement room at the local High Street School.  The Elks hired Evelyn Barnes to start up the program. She stayed as nurse and then director for what became the Somerset Handicapped Children’s Treatment Center for 42 years, retiring in 1997.

“Evelyn Barnes, R.N., left, director of the Somerset Crippled Children’s Treatment Center, Bridgewater, explains uses for a set of steps in the therapy room to (Left to right) Freeholder Vernon Noble, county human services chairman; Edith Regan, R.N., coordinator of community-based services for the N.J. Department of Health, special child health services; and John A. Koopman, chairman of the center board of directors. The treatment center, a nonprofit organization run by Elks lodges, hosts the Somerset County Special Child Health Services Case management Unit.” August 16, 1985.

During her tenure, Evelyn had a dedicated staff of a secretary, speech therapist, occupational, and physical therapists who supported her in helping the children. The Special Child Health Services of Trenton, NJ worked with Evelyn in making sure services were provided for local children in need. Evelyn also worked with many wonderful volunteers from the  Elks and Women’s Auxiliaries, from not only the Somerville Elks (B.P.O.E. 1068), but also Manville, Bound Brook, Middlesex, Plainfield, Flemington, and Princeton Lodges. The Center’s goal was to help any children from birth to age 21 that needed assistance.

In 1993 a 3,600 square-feet special playground for the children was built by the Elk Lodges, and dedicated to Evelyn, much to her surprise.

With Evelyn Barnes, at the dedication of the playground, longtime Physical Therapist, Nancy Meyers, B.S., RPT.

Evelyn, or “Mrs. B” as she was called, was really a pioneer in getting so many services all under one roof.  Another of her skills was a knack in finding the best people to work with her. Amazingly, during her 42 years at the treatment center, Evelyn only had two secretaries. Along with the Somerville Elks, the Somerville Red Cross, and the Evening Membership of the Somerville Civic League, Evelyn started a swim program for physically handicapped children, which was one of the first in New Jersey. The staff and volunteers at the Treatment Center also ran many other fun events, such as trips for the children to Disney World and Dorney Park, fishing derbies, and holiday parties. Below, Evelyn is shown at one of the parties with her two granddaughters.

Evelyn Barnes with her first secretary, Flo.

Later, the Elks twice built new and more modern facilities, and they are now located at 377 Union Avenue in Bridgewater, NJ. This link tells more about the Treatment Center: http://www.somersetchildrenstreatmentcenter.com/16842.html

Here’s one last picture of Evelyn Stewart Barnes, Registered Nurse, at her desk from June 1978 while working. She was quite a remarkable woman!

“How can we help you?” ~ Evelyn Barnes, R. N.

Workday Wednesday is a blogging prompt suggested by GeneaBloggers to celebrate the careers and occupations of family and ancestors. Any nurses in your families, dear readers?

Wordless Wednesday – Margaret Doran and Friends

Margaret Doran on left.  Coney Island, New York.  Copyright  2013 Genealogy Sisters.

Margaret Doran Sikora (1921-1967) was my beloved beautiful god-mother. Photo taken about 1943, Coney Island, New York.

Wordless Wednesday is a blogging prompt suggested by GeneaBloggers.  “To participate in Wordless Wednesday simply create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image.” Thanks, GeneaBloggers, for your continual inspiration!

Surname Saturday – Mirota Family of Małopolskie, Poland

This photograph is of Jozef Peter Mirota (1882-1961), born in Pławna, Poland, and is from when he was a young man in the military in Poland.  He looks so handsome and distinguished. The surname Mirota is not a common Polish name. Here at Genealogy Sisters we have traced our Mirota surname back to a Jan Mirota born in Pławna about 1725. Jozef Peter Mirota sailed to Ellis Island out of Hamburg, Germany on 10 November 1906, arriving in New York City on 23 November, on the steamship Patricia, from the Hamburg-Amerika Line. He was the son of Jacob and Margaretha Tabis Mirota. This photograph was most likely taken between 1900 and 1906 in Poland.

When Jozef Mirota arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania, he found work in the local coal mines. He married Zofia Szczerba in 1909, and they had four children: Genevieve, Stephen, Mary, and Joseph, Jr. In 1920 the family moved to a farm in Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where he found work at the Jersey Central Railroad. The entire family helped out on their farm, even after the children were grown and married.

The roots of the name “Mirota” mean peasant farmer. The surname Mirota is listed 469 times in this directory, published in 2002.  “Dictionary of Surnames in Current Use in Poland at the Beginning of the 21st Century”, Krakow-Chicago, 2002. Compiled by Kazimierz Rymut, Published by the Polish Academy of Sciences Polish Language Institute, Polish Genealogical Society of America.

According to researcher Andre Szczerba, Jozef Mirota would have been conscripted into the Austrian Army’s 3rd Battalion of the 20th Infantry Regiment, based on his residency in Pławna, and the details on his uniform in the photo. Andre also shared with us the image, seen below, of the 20th Infantry Regiment. The area of Poland that the Mirota family lived in when Jozef Mirota was young was called Galicia, and it was was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1772-1918.

Colorized version of the photograph of Joseph Mirota was done by Andre Sczcerba.

The Mirota family was always very proud of their Polish roots, and the children spoke Polish at home. Here below are two photos of the Mirota daughters shown wearing Polish traditional costumes from the Małopolskie region. The first picture is of Mary Mirota (1913-1969), and the second is of Genevieve Mirota Lubas (1909-1978). Genevieve married Theodore Lubas in 1934. Mary Mirota married James Doran in 1948. The picture of Genevieve was taken at their family farm, and has the date 1937 on the back. The Krakow style women’s vest shows the embroidery and sequins which was usually hand sewn. The skirt is floral, and has the apron and white cotton shirt traditional worn for festive celebrations such as weddings, dances, and other special occasions. My sister, Veronica, and I think it could be the same costume shared by both sisters. We don’t have a clue if this was made by the sisters, their mother, bought locally, or sent to the Mirota family from relatives back in Poland.

This photo of Joseph Mirota, Jr., below was taken at Fort Bliss, Texas while he served during World War Two, and is dated December 1942. He enlisted 22 August 1942 and served for the duration of the war until 8 January 1946, when he received his honorable discharge from the 10th Special Service Company of the U.S. Army. Corporal Joseph Mirota received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He married Stefania Mosch Mitak in 1948.

The photo below shows Stephen Mirota (1911-1990) with his son, and his sister, Mary, taken while visiting the family farm, towards the end of the 1930s.  He married Genevieve Pucilowski in 1933.

The bottom photo shows Jozef and Zofia Szczerba Mirota with their grown children in their home in Readington Township, possibly for their 40th wedding anniversary.

Looking at the other names that I’ve mentioned in this blog posting in the “Dictionary of Surnames in Current Use in Poland at the Beginning of the 21st Century” published in 2002, are the relatively current Polish residents sharing the same surnames:  Szcerba – 7,785; Lubas – 1851; Pucilowski – 498; Mitak – 239; Tabis – 41; Tabiś – 914; and even the Irish surname Doran – 1.

Surname Saturday is a blog prompt suggested by GeneaBloogers. Many thanks to all that have shared research with us here at Genealogy Sisters. Special thanks to Cousin Andre Sczerba for his continual sharing of genealogy information. He has a website that can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/z/c/Andre-P-Szczerba/