True to the spirit of the nursing profession, Adelaide Mae Gerrish spent her life caring for others in need.
Mrs. Gerrish died Thursday at age 97. She had been living for the past 15 years at 75 State St., an assisted living facility in Portland.
"I remember seeing her in that starched white clothing and polished shoes. She was an inspiration to me." said her niece, Grace Wetzel of Jamesburg, N.J., who said she decided to pursue a career in nursing because of her aunt.
Mrs. Gerrish, who was the oldest of seven children, was a native of Bryant Pond.
She earned her nursing degree from the former Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary of Portland, which closed in 1956.
During World War II, she served in the Army as a nurse. She was assigned to Iceland.
"The nurses did not know where they were going. They thought it would be someplace warm," recalled her nephew, Raymond Emery of Durham. "They were shocked when they got off the plane."
After the war ended, Mrs. Gerrish returned to Portland, where she worked as an assistant dietician and a private-duty nurse. At the time, private-duty nurses were assigned to care for a single patient, either in a hospital setting or at their home. "She always seemed to enjoy helping others," her niece said.
Emery, her nephew, remembered that his aunt invited family members of patients at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary to stay at her home on Bramhall Street if they needed overnight lodging. "She was very kind-hearted," he said.
During her years in Portland, she was active in the Chestnut Street United Methodist Church where she volunteered to help with bookkeeping duties. She did that until her 80s, her nephew said.
Her nephew said Mrs. Gerrish was loved by her family. Relatives came from all over the country to celebrate her 90th birthday party at the Village Cafe in Portland.
Mrs. Gerrish celebrated her 97th birthday on Feb. 7.
Her niece said her aunt remained alert right up until the time of her death. "There was no dementia. She could talk knowledgeably about Portland politics and she loved to watch golf on TV. She was also a great family historian," she said.
"She often said to me, 'Things have truly changed,' " her niece said.
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