Phyllis Shean Ervin: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Phyllis%20Shean%20Ervin%20and%20Larry%20Doyle%20at%20Trudeau.JPG|right|thumb||Larry Doyle and Phyllis Ervin at Trudeau Sanatorium in the late 1940s. Courtesy of Trudy Reichert.]][[File:Ervin%2C%20Phyllis%20Shean.jpg|right|thumb||A brick in memory of Phyllis Shean Ervin has been dedicated at the Saranac Laboratory Museum by her daughter, Trudy Reichert.]]'''Born:''' March 20, 1907 | |||
'''Died:''' January 4, 1990 | '''Died:''' January 4, 1990 | ||
Latest revision as of 04:39, 17 November 2024
Born: March 20, 1907
Died: January 4, 1990
Married: Roy Ervin (divorced); Philip Weinberg
Children: Trudy Reichert
Phyllis Shean Ervin Weinberg was a nurse who came from Maine to seek treatment for tuberculosis. After earning her nursing degree at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Phyllis moved to Houlton, Maine with her first husband Roy and their daughter Trudy. She contracted the TB while caring for a close friend who was ill with the disease . She was diagnosed with TB around 1936 and attended several sanatoriums across Maine. When her condition didn't improve, Phyllis was brought to Trudeau Sanatorium, where she stayed seven to eight years. During that time, she and Roy were divorced. Phyllis was released around 1949, when her daughter Trudy was sixteen years old.
Trudy stayed with various family members while her mother was curing. She visited her mother only once while she was in Saranac Lake. They kept in touch with weekly letters. Trudy recalls the letters as being encouraging, although she knew her mother was reluctant to say anything to upset her. Trudy's family member's didn't often speak of Phyllis's condition in front of her. She knew her mother had a pneumothorax treatment, and was ill enough to cough up blood at one point.
Phyllis made a number of close friends while curing, including [Doyle] and Helen Dufton. She spent her time knitting, and always wanted extra mittens and foot-warmers to keep her warm on the porches. As she recovered her strength, Phyllis was able to work part-time as a nurse. When she was finally released from Trudeau Sanatorium, she moved to Boston where she worked at a women's TB hospital.
After curing, Phyllis married Philip Weinberg, a veteran of World War II. Her TB never resurfaced. She and Philip delighted in beach trips with their grandchildren. Phyllis passed away in 1990.
Trudy was interviewed by Historic Saranac Lake's oral history project on October 3, 2020.