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CURRENT ADDRESS:
Betty (Hilpert) Ray
1204 E. Delaware St
McAlester OK 74501-6006
918.426.6458
After graduating in 1956, I went to Highland, Illinois and worked at St. Joseph's Hospital for 3
months. I returned to Helena and worked at Kresses for awhile. I met a guy, Robert Rodgers,
from Bradford, Arkansas who was in the Army. We got married in April 1957 and I've been on
the run ever since. We were stationed in various places in the U.S. and in Germany two different
times. Se we had a chance to visit other countries in Europe. We were married for 15 years and
had 4 children, Evonne, Victor, Tony and Molly.
We were divorced and the children and I moved back to West Helena. Molly was 8 years old at
this time and the other children were older. We went through some very difficult and hard times
the next few years. I worked at a few different jobs. I met and married Jim Ray. We had a
daughter, Kayla. This marriage lasted a year and a half. I went to work at Mohawk.
Times were
getting better for me after a few months at Mohawk. I actually had a few extra dollars to spend.
I bought a mobile home and had it paid for by the time Mohawk closed down in 1979. Then I
had the opportunity to go to LPN School. Whin I finished, I worked at Helena Hospital for 3
years. By then, my four oldest children were living in Woodward, Oklahoma. So Kayla and I
moved out, sold the trailor and headed west.
I found work at a State Hospital in Ft. Supply,
Oklahoma, located 15 miles Northwest of Woodward. It was a very big place, about 10
buildings. I orientated for 3 weeks then I was on my own to work the night shift and being in
charge. There were nights when I thought I was going to be the patient. There was one building
that housed the very disturbed patients who had to be restrained. I had to go and check the
restraints. Anyway it was frightening to walk from building to building. And to top that off,
you could hear wolves howling in the distance. I did pick up some speed on my running. There
were times when patients died on my shift. Trying to do CPR on a dead person is a tiring effort
that doesn't do a bit of good. An RN was hired for the night shift several months later. God
Bless America! Thank God for RNs. I resumed my medicine nurse only job.
I worked there 3
years and moved to McAlestor, Oklahoma clear across the state. Went to work at Carl Albert
Mental Health Center and worked there until November of 1997. I took an early retirement and
moved back to Arkansas and lived with my Mom. My eyesight was beginning to fade away due
to retina problems and glaucoma. My Mom and I moved to McAlester, Oklahoma in April 2003.
We lived with my daughter, Evonne, and her husband, Joe. God Bless them for taking us in. My
mom is in a nursing home now and is 91 years old today. She has dementia and can't remember
most things. And I find myself getting that way.
In April of 2000, I lost my oldest son, Victor. He was 40 years old and had cancer of the lungs.
Victor and Tony did Oil Field Work in OK, TX and AR and worked around a lot of cancer
causing chemicals. I have 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. I thank God for so many
things. Tthe hard times for one thing because it has made me appreciate the good times more.
I am looking forward to going to the 50 year class Reunion.
Betty Ray