Rebel In White: A Memoir - Paperback

by Maggie Martin (Author), Bertha McComish (Author)

With honesty, heart, and humor, Rebel in White tells the story of Bertha McComish and her career in nursing that spanned more than half a century. Born in 1927 in rural New Hampshire, Bertha grew up feisty and with a sense of purpose. She knew early on she wanted to be a nurse and took the lessons she learned growing up on her family's farm on Craney Hill in Henniker, New Hampshire with her throughout her career. Receiving her training through the Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II, Bertha is part of America's "Greatest Generation." Rebel In White conveys a unique time and place in history-and chronicles the evolving and critical field of nursing through personal stories and reflections.

Author Biography

BERTHA McCOMISH was born on a rainy summer night in 1927, in Henniker, NH-the first baby born in the Henniker Maternity Home, alongside the Contoocook River. She grew up on a farm on Craney Hill. After high school, where she was voted "hardest working," she entered nurses' training through the United States Nurse Cadet Corps. After graduation from the Memorial Hospital Unit of Concord Hospital, Concord, NH, in 1948, she went on to become a head nurse, a nursing instructor, and a nursing supervisor. Bertha was married to the late Malcolm McComish for 44 years and raised two sons and a daughter. She retired from her supervisory position in 1993, and has been busy ever since enjoying her seven grandchildren, quilting, sewing, baking bread and spending time with friends. She is pleased to have had the opportunity to tell her story.