HODGES, Beatrice May

Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona February 1960 Last Rites Held For County Nurse Over 300 persons paid last respects to Mrs. Beatrice Dunlop Hodges at funeral services for the 67 year old County Nurse at Cottonwood Civic Club Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Officiant was Miss Bertha May White. Organist was Mrs. J.B. Reuter, and services were also conducted by Diamond Chapter, No. 7, Order of Eastern Star of Jerome. Military rites were held at the graveside at Valley View Cemetery by Verde Valley Post No. 25, American Legion. Burial was in the Masonic plot beside her husband, Garland, who died in 1954. Mrs. Hodges was found dead in her home in Jerome Sunday morning. Death was believed to have occurred Friday night following a heart attack. Mrs. Hodges served two years in the Army Nurses Corps including 15 months in France during World War I and was the first woman commander of a male American Legion Post, the Alexander Moisa Post 25 of Jerome. She was past worthy matron of Diamond Chapter No 7, O.E.S., past president of PEO and past president of the American Legion Auxiliary in Jerome. At the time of her death, Mrs. Hodges was nurse in charge at the Cottonwood Clinic of the County Welfare Department, a post she had held since the clinic was opened in 1947. Dedicated and selfless in her work with elderly patients, who revered her Mrs. Hodges also gave pre-natal care to young mothers and aided many indigents with limited funds traveling through the area. It was estimated she handled nearly 5,000 cases and made about 1,500 calls a year besides dispensing medicine and seeing that proper medical assistance was obtained for her patients. A native of Canada and a naturalized citizen, Mrs. Hodges came to Jerome in 1921. She took the job of city nurse, a job created at the time because of a smallpox epidemic there. In addition to nursing duties, she was responsible for sanitation in the town and had to inspect restaurants, milk trucks and other public facilities. She held the job until 1944 when she took over as county school nurse for three years. Mrs. Hodges received her nursing training in Detroit when only two years of high school were required. Deciding to complete her education, she entered Jerome High School when in her mid-40's and received her diploma after two years of regular classes under Dr. Lewis McDonald, principal of the high school at that time. The diploma was one of her most treasured possessions. Mrs. Hodges is survived by a son Walter of Flagstaff; two sisters Mrs. Cal Houston and Mrs. Howard Jones, both from Canada; a brother Ernest Dunlop, Ontario, Canada; and two nephews, Ronald E. Dunlop and Boyd Houston who make their homes in Phoenix. Serving as pallbearers were Ernest McLellan, Ersel Garrison, Bert Black, Charles Van Gorder, James Moss, and Tom Ruff.