Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1980

Date Range To

1981

Materials

BRASS, ENAMEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.5

Diameter

1.9

Description

ROUND BRASS PIN. IN CENTER IS A DARK BLUE ENAMELLED CIRCLE WITH "15" IN THE CENTER. PIN HAS A DARK BLUE BORDER (EXCEPT FOR A SPACE AT THE BOTTOM) WITHIN WHICH READS "S.N.H. L.M.H. L.R.H.". IMPRESSED INTO BACK OF PIN IS "STERLING". BACK HAS A STRAIGHT PIN AND ROTATING CLASP.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

ARTIFACTS BELONGED TO DONOR'S MOTHER JOAN TONKIN (NEE LINN). JOAN LINN WAS BORN IN EDDINBURG, SCOTLAND IN 1918. WHEN SHE WAS THREE SHE CAME WITH HER FAMILY TO FRANK, ALBERTA. WHEN JOAN WAS TO BEGIN HIGH SCHOOL THE FAMILY RELOCATED TO BLAIRMORE, WHERE JOAN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1937. BY THIS TIME, JOAN HAD ALREADY MADE THE DECISION THAT SHE WANTED TO BE A NURSE BECAUSE OF TWO REMARKABLE WOMEN SHE HAD MET, WHO WERE TRAINED AT THE GALT HOSPITAL; JOAN WAS DETERMINED TO TRAIN THERE AS WELL. JOAN BEGAN HER TRAINING AT THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING IN JANUARY 1938. THE STUDENTS FROM HER CLASS WROTE THEIR NURSING EXAMINATION IN OCTOBER 1940. AFTER GRADUATING, JOAN BEGAN HER CAREER AT THE GALT HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE WORKED FOR ONLY 3 MONTHS. AT THIS TIME SHE RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FRIEND IN KASLO, B.C. WHO INFORMED HER OF AN OPENING AT THE HOSPITAL THERE. BY MOVING JOAN WOULD RECEIVE A PAY RAISE, SO SHE MOVED TO KASLO. JOAN MARRIED BILL TONKIN ON FEBRUARY 29, 1944; BILL WAS A HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR IN KASLO. THERE THEY HAD 2 CHILDREN: SON MURRAY, AND DAUGHTER TOLA. THE TONKIN FAMILY REMAINED IN KASLO UNTIL 1954 WHEN BILL WAS OFFERED THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR POSITION AT THE LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL. IN LETHBRIDGE JOAN WAS OFFERED A NURSING POSITION, BUT CHOSE TO STAY HOME FOR THE YEARS HER CHILDREN WERE IN SCHOOL. JOAN RETURNED TO WORK IN 1965-66 ON SURGERY TWO, AN 18 BED ALL WOMEN'S FLOOR, AT THE LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL. JOAN WAS WORKING THE 3-11PM SHIFT AT THE HOSPITAL, WHICH INTERFERED WITH HER LOVE OF BASEBALL, AS SHE WAS NEVER ABLE TO CATCH A GAME. SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1981 WORLD SERIES, JOAN ENDED HER CAREER AS A NURSE AND BECAME A FULL TIME BASEBALL FAN. IN ALL, JOAN GAVE JUST OVER 15 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P20010045007

Acquisition Date

2001-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail