Shirley Holmes Retires as MBH Auxiliary President
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Shirley Holmes grew up as the daughter of an Old Ben Coal Co. miner in Sesser--one of seven children, four of whom are still living.
"We moved to Coello when I was in seventh grade because dad got a job in the Coello mines," she remembers. After marrying her husband of 60 years--Wendell Holmes--she worked for 27 years as office manager of Atkins Custom Flooring in Du Quoin.
"I grew up with faith," and it has guided her work as president of the Marshall Browning Hospital Auxiliary for the past 17 years. She is a member of the Assembly of God Church in Du Quoin. Shirley and auxiliary member Sam Macaluso and wife Liz co-founded the hospital's Tree of Life capital program in late 1995 which has raised well over a quarter of a million dollars for everything from heart monitors to the new hospital chapel, to be opened by year's end. This year's focus is on the purchase of new radiology equipment.
Shirley's Army has donated thousands of hours of voluntarism to the hospital, shifts that in some years the hospital would not have been able to pay for.
While Shirley will remain involved in the auxiliary she steps down from its presidency with two important memories. 1.) Completion of the new chapel which she and the Macalusos wanted to see built, and 2.) a random act of kindness. "I was working in the gift shop and a woman pulled up in front with her husband who she thought was having a heart attack. I took a wheelchair out to the car and helped her get him into it. I shouldn't have, but I felt I had to. At age 79 and reacting to every need, she worried more about the husband and less about the liability. The woman got him into the ER, then came back to the gift shop and looked around. She picked out some things and came up to pay for them. She had a jewel in her hand she had bought and handed it to me. She said, 'This is for you because you ARE a jewel'."
"It was a pink jewel, my favorite color!"
The admiration for her is everywhere. Pam Logan, the hospital's marketing director who works closely with the auxiliary: "She has been a gift to us for 17 years and will remain a big part of the Marshall Browning Hospital history. Her contributions to the hospital will have lasting effects. These thoughts are from my heart."
Shirley retires to spend more time with husband Wendell, a retired Consolidation Coal Co. Burning Star No. 2 miner.
"In 1992, hospital auxiliary president Audrey Davis invited me to join the group of volunteers. A year later I accepted the position of Hospital Auxiliary president. I am sincerely appreciative to all of our volunteers for their many hours of work and encouragement."
She has witnessed many milestones at Marshall Browning Hospital. She named a few:
About 40 years ago I worked on the midnight shift as a CNA.
The auxiliary membership has strengthened from 56 members to 110 members
Norma Martin (I believe) has the title of longest serving auxiliary member.
I have served under three hospital administrators, Mr. Hosler, Mr. Turk, and currently Mr. Huff
In 1994 I served as co-chairman of the Illinois Hospital Auxiliary Association for Regions 4 & 5 and I served as Chairman in 1995 for the same region.
We saw major renovations and additions to the building including the new ER, gift shop, therapy & specialty clinics
The addition of the Keene Medical Center & Assisted Living Center Complex
We've provided for the purchase of TVs for patient rooms and needed equipment for our hospital.
In 2000 our auxiliary pledged to raise and donate $100,000 in five years for our hospital. We surpassed that goal and fulfilled our pledge in 2005.
The surgical pillow program is one I am extremely proud to help with.
Making & providing Bears for children in ER and one day surgery have to be one of the most important things we do.
Our Gift Shop has relocated twice from the original location since 1992. Sales and interested have increased tremendously in recent years.
Strong ties between hospital management and our auxiliary were made possible by the help of Pam Logan, Betty Siefert, and Heather White.
" I will continue to serve as auxiliary member and as an advisor to our new Auxiliary President, Sarah Doerner," she said.
"I feel confident that what we, the Marshall Browning Hospital Auxiliary, have made lasting contributions striving to make our hospital one of the areas best!"