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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1973-05-31, Page 13JUST ARRIVED Exeter Centennial Souvenirs * GLASS STEINS * SALT 8 PEPPER SHAKERS * PLAQUES With Town Crest * KEY CASES Don't Be Disappointed ORDER YOURS NOW H&K SPORT CENTRE • Trophies • Engraving • Sporting Goods EXETER MAIN ST, Phone 235-2261 JOURNEYED TO YUKON — Shown above are the four VON nurses who went to the Klondike in 1898 as part of the first group of nurses in that organization. From left the ladies are Margaret Payson, Rachel Han- na, Georgea Powell and Amy Scott, Seated at the right is Faith Fenton, a reporter for the Toronto Globe and the only other woman on the trip, Farmer Bill's BOX PLANTS • Vegetable and Flower Varieties from our new greenhouses. • Over 20,000 boxes to choose from SPECIAL PRICE ON' TOMATO PLANTS Eggs Watch for our signs east of Shikpa on Crediton Road and on Highway 83 BILL and MELVA RAMMELOO 237-3228 Nine quality facial beauty products makeup.. 1HE $8.71 FACE. BY' RII4MAEL. Rimmel has a boutique of beautiful little economies. Beautiful things for your eyes, your lips, your face. And for just $8.71, you can buy liquid make-up (.89), pressed powder (,89), trans- lucent blush (.99), cake eye • Bull-on Mascara .99 . . . liner (.89), an eye liner brush (.89), roll-on Inas- cara (.99), pressed shadow (.89), an eye shadow brush 0139), and lipstick (.89). The world of the Rimmel Beauty Boutique is waiting for you at your store. Filled with things to make you the beautiful woman you are. And no one knows more about the price of beauty than Rimmel of England. England. Lipstick .89 PreSSed.P. Cake Bye Liner .89 Eye Liner Brush .89 • cil Shadow .89 MIDDLETON DRUGS PHONE 235-1570 EXETER MAIN ST. Translucent Blush .99 Wilson's Jewellery Opposite Exeter Post Office HOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDAL-KNOT DIAMONDS Insured and Repaired Free for a Lifetime Pleasi ng you pleases US "f°JV ITIEMoRiks :-"'4 4° 1,. ::adR41 tl ,0 , • — I A • T. PRYDE & SON LTD. Phone 235-0620 Main St., Exeter • MONUMENTS • MARKERS • INSCRIPTIONS Contact Jack Prydel Office 235.0620 Or Home 235-1384 Order Now For Delivery Al Soon As Possible In The Spring DISPLAYS ALSO IN GODERICH, CLINTON and SEAFORTH "OUR BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1919" LEADERSHIP AWARD - Mrs. Donald Oke, left, received a five-year leadership award from Huron County home economist Catherine Hunt at the Zurich and area 4-H achievement day Saturday. T-A photo •oefa••••••••••••••• • OntilVet HAS • THE FINEST SELECTION • OF FASHION FABRICS • We believe our prices on Fashion Fabrics to be the very LOWEST • EXTRA SPECIAL 60" POLYESTER • DOUBLE-KNIT 1 " White only - Excellent for all Tennis & Summer Wear - Washable. Reg. $2.98 yard YARD • 36" CLYDELLA • From Scotland 81 % Cotton • 19% Wool. For childrens wear Shirts - Housecoats • — $ 2" Dresses - Blouses Reg. $4.98 yard • 1/2 price yard • Complete Selection of 45" & 36" 411/ PRINTED SEERSUCKERS $ 149 In polyester & Cotton and 100% Cotton Yard otha• Store Hours; 9.6 Daily Fri. Till 9 p.m. ID Remember Open All Day Wednesday CITARGFX USE YOUR CHARGEX W • ••••••••••.•O••••• • • • • • • • • • • • 100% COTTON es• • • • 311 MAIN ST., EXETER 29' Yard• • 45" Summerset 44 CREPE PRINTS • • • • Metalic overlay Ideal For Dress up - Reg, $1.98 1/2 PRICE Yard 60" PRINTED GERMAN DOUBLEKNITS 100% Polyester Washable - Reg. $3.98 yard The nurses of the Perth-Huron branch of the VON still go wherever they are needed but they no longer slog their way on foot through the bush with a mule train. VON nurses did just that, however, when four of them were dispatched by the newly-formed Victorian Order of Nurses for Canada to help cope with widespread disease and injuries among the miners who swarmed to the Yukon gold fields in 1898. Because they were attached to a Canadian military expedition • Health Supports Bauer & Black — Athletic Supporters — Knee Caps — Anklets, Etc. • Elastic Stockings Supp-hose ....... $5.00 pr. Dr. Scholl's Support Hose & Support Panty Hose $5.95 — Fling Support Hosiery $5.95 - Flexelon Elastic Stockings From $13.95 pr. HUNTLEY'S DRUG STORE Exeter 235-1070 the nurses took an all-Canadian route through northern British Columbia (most of the miners reached the Klondike through American territory in Alaska). They were 14 days on the trail, averaging 11 miles a day. One other woman accompanied the party - Miss Faith Fenton, a reporter for the Toronto Globe. Miss Georgea Powell, who headed the team of nurses, described her trip in graphic terms: "From mountain to swamp to bog we went, bogs into whose cold, damp, mossy depths we would sink to our knees, and under which the ice still remains; swamps where we trampled down bushes and shrubs to make footing for ourselves, and where the mules stuck many times, often as many as 20 down all at once, sometimes having to be unpacked to be taken out, our baggage dumped in the mud, and where the mosquitoes held high revelry". Word of the Nurses' journey spread quickly and many sick and injured miners were brought considerable distances to places where it was known the party would camp. As if the land journey were not bad enough, the nursing team became separated in a boat wreck on one of the rivers, Miss Powell was taken ahead to Dawson where she at once took charge of the Good Samaritan Hospital, as "matron, teacher, nurse and maid of all work", Typhoid was at its height. The patients had in many cases walked as far as 12 miles from their diggings in the broiling sun "with their temperatures ranging from 101 to 104 degrees, their strength often failing before reaching hospital", Miss Powell found that sickness wasn't the only problem. Filth and vermin were everywhere and it cost four dollars to have a blanket washed. When the three other nurses arrived they found Miss Powell herself down with typhoid in her little tent beside the hospital. Her bed was a postal sack filled with shavings, laid on boards, Lady Aberdeen, wife of the then Governor General of Canada and the Victorian Order's first President, had held an informal dinner at Government House in Ottawa when the nurses left for the Klondike. Like the gold rush itself, their service in the Klondike was short- lived. The Order's Board of Governors decided to wind up the operation in 1899. In summing it up, Lady Aberdeen wrote of the four nurses: "One of them had to leave owing to a serious operation; one has been ap- pointed superintendent of a hospital at Dawson with the consent of the Victorian Order; one has taken a position at the post office and the district superintendent, Miss Powell, remains at work until the spring allows her to be transferred to another post where her services will be more required in view of the great diminution of the population of Dawson". Miss Powell later retired and was paid $250 in lieu of travelling expenses, as she decided to remain in Dawson City. The VON's "Klondike Expedition" was over, but 75 years of nursing service was just beginning. Although the Perth-Huron Branch of the VON is not one of the original groups in Canada, it does go back quite a way. The VON came to Stratford in 1908. It was a one-nurse branch with one nurse serving the community. Expansion took place as the needs of the various communities arose. Mitchell was one of the first areas involved. Then in 1966 the communities of St. Marys, Sebringville, Shakespeare and Tavistock came under the VON's service. By 1971 due to the introduction of the Home Care Program, the Stratford VON branch was asked to extend its boundaries to in- clude Seaforth, Clinton and the townships of McKillop, Hullet and Tuckersmith in Huron County. July of 1972 brought two new changes for the VON. The once one-nurse branch now became three full-time nurses and at the same time, the all-inclusive name Perth-Huron Branch of VON became official. As well as the two full time nurses in Stratford and one in the sub office in Clinton, there are six part time nurses employed. Listowel, Wingham, Seaforth and Goderich now have a part time VON living in the community and serving the surrounding area. Thus we are now reaching all far corners of the two counties. The full-time nurse in this area is Mrs. Jan 'Moore, from Seaforth, Mrs. Moore has been involved with the VON since it came to this area about one and one-half years ago. Before that she was a nurse in London. Either Mrs. Moore or one of the three part-time nurses are on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week. For this area, the an- swering service is in care of Clinton Hospital. VON services became available in Exeter just over a year ago. Mrs. Moore said she really likes her work. One other new exciting development in 1973 which in- volves the VON right across Canada, is the introduction of a new symbol: - "The VON in the Home". Today the Perth-Huron branch serves 1,954 square miles. In 1972 the branch made 2,945 visits to more than 515 patients. While nursing care in the patient's home is the core of the VON service, they are involved in many other activities. It provides the nursing service for the Home Care Program in both Perth and Huron. Assessments of the needs of patients for the Canadian Cancer Society are done and the most recent activity undertaken by the VON in the area is the paramedical examinations for insurance companies. For the future, Margaret Wood, the nurse in charge states: - would like to see more done for the elderly," In the area of Perth- Huron there are numerous people in the 70's and up trying to maintain themselves at home. Many are lonely, unable to get out. The VQN nurse is often one of the few people they see during a whole week, They need help in simple things, such as, shopping, running little erands, fixing some minor thing in the house, or just someone to.drop in and say "how are you?". We must learn to give of our time to these older folk. Financially, the VON is sup- ported in various ways: fees paid directly by the patient or through a health scheme, such as Blue Cross, which cover nursing service; service fees are also paid through the Home Care Program, the Homemakers & Nurses Services Act and Department of Veterans Affairs; grants come from various municipalities as well as the county; Voluntary funds are provided through the United Community Fund of Stratford. Care is never refused due to the persons inability to pay. Either we strive to obtain assistance for the patient through one of the above programs or the nurse works out with the family, a fee per visit which they can afford to pay, In 1972 only 17 percent of the total revenue of the Perth-Huron branch was received through nursing fees paid by the patient. To celebrate the V.O.N.'s 75 years in Canada, a tea is being held June 1 from 2 - 5 p.m. at the Red Cross Room, Market Squre in Stratford. The Pythian Sisters are sponsoring the Tea. MODERN DAY VERSION - This modern clay version of a member of the Victorian Order of Nurses bears little resemblance to her forebears. But Mrs. Jan Moore, one of the full-time VON in Stratford-Huron is even busier and more efficient, T-A photo Shop at home May OL 1973 Page 13 More work Fewer hardships VON marks 75 years of service