By Jean Clark / Chronicle contributor
The Pleasant Hill community will soon say farewell to Louise Crawford who has written this column for over 17 years. Louise is moving to a Methodist retirement home in Asheville, NC. She was a missionary educator teaching English for 24 years at the University of Tunghai in Taiwan and also taught for four years in India. Louise moved to Pleasant Hill in 1989 and now, at the age of 95+, will move on for another adventure.
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Halloween was a bustling beehive in Pleasant Hill on Halloween night this year. Mayor Jim Olds dished out the traditional Town Hall chili as Office Manager Heather Gunter and Jackie Dwenger dished out other goodies, both hot and cold. Councilman Al Dwenger played a number games for prizes with the visitors. Loyd and Catherine Ross helped as well. Scott Iles drove a hayride filled with costumed folks from place to place and cars full of protecting parents lined the streets as witches and goblins trick-or-treated from door to door.
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A tradition for many years this time of year is the Adshead Bazaar sponsored by the May Cravath Wharton Association. Alice Adshead was born in England, emigrated to Canada and trained as a nurse at Provincial Hospital in Toronto. In the textile mill towns of North Carolina, she gained experience in public health. Soon after, Dr. May Wharton and Miss Elizabeth Fletcher opened the first small hospital in Pleasant Hill (Sanex, 1921). Alice Adshead became the third member of the triumvirate, which brought understanding of nutrition and sanitation as well as scientific and loving care of the sick to this part of Tennessee.
While Miss Adshead supervised patient care at the hospital, she also taught home nursing, nutrition and personal hygiene to girls at Pleasant Hill Academy, conducted Red Cross First Aid Courses at numerous locations throughout the area and helped Dr. Wharton establish and staff clinics. She trained many local women to become nurses' aides.
When the May Cravath Wharton Nursing Home opened in Pleasant Hill in 1957, Miss Adshead was listed as "superintendent.” She was actively engaged with the Monday Morning Occupational Therapy Group — now called the Adshead Craft Group (still meeting on Monday mornings) — which made useful household items, toys and other items. This past year, two members of the Adshead extended family visited Pleasant Hill, one by e-mail and the other in person from Manchester, England. They were astounded at the contributions made by this distant relative.
Handmade articles for the Adshead Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 14, have been worked on all year by the Craft Group. The sale is held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Blue Barn next to the Wharton Nursing Home on Lake St. in Pleasant Hill. Proceeds from the sale of things made by this group continue to be added to the Alice Adshead Endowment Fund of Uplands Retirement Village or are used to obtain personal items for the residents of the Wharton Nursing Home.
As we reflect on the medical care provided by these women in the past, we lift up the medical care provided today in the Pleasant Hill area by the Rural Health Clinic. They are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call 277-5992 for an appointment. They are in urgent need for volunteer nurses – please call if you can help.
