Hildegarde E Lorz Laurie

Born in 1895 in Pennsylvania, Hildegarde received her nurses training in Meadville, PA around 1916.  She travelled by train out west to live with her older sister where she met her husband, Melvin.  In 1930, Dr. Bevis was converting the Schweikert House into a hospital and asked her to take charge of it.  She helped with the surgery as an anesthetist and surgeon’s assistant.  Later, she was the first nurse for the Dominican Sisters in the new St. Martin’s Hospital which opened in 1938.  She continued with her nursing career in Tonasket until she retired and did specialty nursing in her later years.  Other early nurses who assisted Dr. Bevis were Ruth Stalder and Leta Barker.