It started with a voicemail. Lori Troyer, a Mennonite College of Nursing graduate from the class of 1983—”You know, the dark ages,” Lori joked in her message—had some exciting news. “There’s a group of seven of us,” she told me. “All MCN grads from the class of 1983. We all still work in the nursing profession, and we’ve stayed friends all these years. We’re getting together in town next week.” Would I like to attend their gathering and hear their story? Heck yeah, I would.
I called Lori back and said “yes,” setting a meeting time for 6:30 p.m. on the coming Thursday. She tells me that, after we hang up, she will call Patty, one of the seven, to tell her, “Patty, it’s happening!”
Arrival
When I arrive, Lori is waiting for me outside. After an exchange of greetings, I’m welcomed into her friend Ellen’s home, a charming historic house tucked on a quiet street. Stepping inside, I’m led toward the sitting room where the friends have arranged themselves on couches and chairs to form a circle. A chair has been thoughtfully set out for me, and I take my spot.
“So, which one is Patty?” I say with a grin.
All eyes look in one direction, and Patty exclaims, “This wasn’t my idea!” Laughter and teasing follow, and I’m met with the realization of just how long they’ve been friends, how close they still are, how special that is.
After some gleeful exchanges, it’s revealed that it was really more Lori’s idea, but all are excited for today. Formal introductions follow, and I meet: Ellen Wylie, Velma Shetler, Linda Ziemer, Cindy Malinowski, Lori Troyer, Jayme Lottinville, and Patty Haberkorn.
MCN in the 1980s
The seven met at Mennonite College of Nursing and remember much from those days.
A favorite MCN instructor was Lynn Kennell. “She just made you love OB,” said Ellen, whose career and life have focused on caring for mothers and children.
Other favorites were Dr. Denise Wilson, who had a knack for making content relatable and engaging, and Gay Chelsey, remembered for her sense of humor and how she made learning fun.
Back then, the school was one building, with dormitory housing and classrooms. Classes met in the basement, sometimes attended in sweatpants and slippers. If a man was present in the dorms, students would signal to the other girls by setting out a waste basket and yelling, “Man on the floor!”
A tunnel connected the school to the hospital, too, which meant MCN students could be on-call in times of need, such as during snowstorms, Velma recalled.
Changes in nursing
The group has seen health care advance dramatically in 38 years. The pace of things is what they notice most. Patients spend less time in the hospital; things happen more quickly.
People used to come in a week in advance to have tests done for a surgery. Now tests can be performed same-day. Heart attack patients used to be at the hospital for 10 days minimum. Now, they can be discharged in as little as 24 hours.
Discovering the spark
Why did they become nurses? For Patty and Jayme, the reason was family.
Patty answered, “My mom was a nurse, and dad always said I should become a nurse like her. At first, I didn’t want to be, but my opinion on it flipped one day. I’ve never regretted it.”
Jayme said, “My grandmother wanted me to become a nurse, so I did. I ended up taking care of her at the end of her life, and it felt like everything came full circle then. I just kept thinking, I’m supposed to be here. If I wasn’t a nurse, I wouldn’t know how to do this.”
“I thought nursing would be a great way to take care of others and make a difference in their lives.”
—Linda Ziemer
Linda was guided by purpose. “I thought nursing would be a great way to take care of others and make a difference in their lives,” she said.
For Velma, it was by accident. “I was going to school for social work,” she said. “I disliked all my classes, so I took a year off and worked in a nursing home. I never left nursing after that.”
Gathering and fellowship
The friends have gathered to celebrate many times over the years, including each of their seven weddings.
They vacation together, too. Since 2012, they’ve taken a trip every year, traveling to seven cities in four states. Tonight’s gathering adds to that list; the group is staying tonight at Ellen’s, but tomorrow they’ll be off to the Ozarks in Missouri for a weekend getaway. Their ultimate destination? For this group, it’s not the place but the company that matters. “We just want to continue our get-togethers for many more years,” said Lori.
Lives of impact
For the seven, careers in nursing and their connection as friends, have created unexpected impacts in each other’s lives and in their communities.
When Linda and Cindy were at the hospital giving birth to their second-born children, Lori was one of their nurses.
Cindy and Linda became faculty members at MCN, teaching the next generation of nurses. Among Cindy’s students was Patty’s nephew. He graduated with his BSN in 2020.
Together, the friends have 266 years of nursing practice, service, and leadership in 11 areas of expertise, making impacts in countless lives.
Ellen’s passion for motherhood and childcare would guide her to start a grief support group for infant loss. The group helps families cope after having a miscarriage, a still birth, or a premature baby who wasn’t able to come home. (For those who would like to attend, it runs through Carle BroMenn Medical Center and meets the first Thursday evening of every month on Zoom.)
Jayme’s career has focused on end-of-life care. She served as clinical coordinator at Iroquois Memorial Hospice for many years before working as an ER nurse at Iroquois Memorial Hospital.
Patty has dedicated her career to meeting the health needs of people with disabilities. She is the executive director at Futures Unlimited, an organization specializing in providing services for adults with disabilities in Livingston County.
Together, the friends have 266 years of nursing practice, service, and leadership in 11 areas of expertise, making impacts in countless lives.
Insider knowledge
As the evening ended, I asked, “If you ever needed to prove your identity to one another, what is a code that only this group would know? Answers flew out instantly. “Sylvia!” said one. “The Yellow Brick Road from The Wizard of Oz!” said Lori.
“What’s the story for the Wizard of Oz?” I asked. They found me a picture to explain. They collaborated on a group Halloween costume one year, including Dorothy, Scarecrow, and even the Yellow Brick Road. Observing the smiling faces in the image, I agreed it was the perfect passcode.
Evening’s end
Afterward, as I left the circle of friends, interview over, I knew that faithfully representing the collective warmth, humor, and wisdom I felt in that room would be impossible. Like the memories they’d shared with me that night, some things can only be experienced and felt rather than described.
But I also knew, as Lori walked me out and said goodbye, told me to be careful going down the front steps, that these are the things that make MCN great—evenings full of storytelling, unexpected laughs, old pictures, and finished sentences; friendships that transcend time; and lives spent making a difference.
