I worked at “central” as we used to call it for only two months – July and Aug. 1964. It was my first job out of high school and a summer job to make money to enter nursing school. Someone had just left and John J. McCormick, having had my two oldest sisters there, must have figured that I was probably capable of doing the job. I also know he more than hoped that once I started working there, I would forget my nursing career. He certainly tried many times to change my mind.

My memories of this time are quite limited. I was paid $40 a week, worked mostly days and afternoons for the month of July. Then in August I was told I had to do the night shift with the infamous bell, which one night at approximately 5:00 a.m., after answering a call, forgot to put back on. I was rudely awakened by loud knocks on the door and window at 6:20 a.m. by Mr. McCormick who had tried to reach the operator but to no avail. I thought the rest of my summer job was finished but as custom had it, the flame receded and all went back to normal; but I can guarantee that I never forgot the bell again.

My co-workers to the best of my knowledge were my sister Claudette St. DenisQuesnel, Mary Kennedy?MacCormick, Jeannine Beauchamp, (Margaret Lacroix, who left, I believe, shortly after I was hired) and Sarah Brodie.

BACK TO AN INSIDE JOB