Richard Contos
Vivian Luella Spray Contos was born on April 11, 1941 In Salol township, Roseau County Minnesota in her grandmothers’ kitchen. After a crisis in delivery and attempts to obtain proper care, Vivian’s’ Mother Ellen Matson Spray was close to bearing her first born unattended, in the local Ambulance/Hearse, but with only attention from a Senior Medical Student, Jack Delmore from Roseau, MN. Despite Placenta Previa complications, she was delivered, and Vivian spent her first night on this earth in her grandmothers’ bun warming oven on a wood burning stove! Adolescence progressed through several homes and schools entirely within the confines of the State of Minnesota finally enrolled in grade school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. An average course of events followed with some exceptions including a successful completion of all the levels of participation of the Girl Scouts of America and Graduation as Valedictorian of Class of 1958 Lincoln High School, Thief River Falls. Economically there was no expectation of post high school scholarship in the late SO’s for many gifted students, especially in rural Northwestern Minnesota. A very active local American Legion post with an auxiliary 40&8 unit had initiated a scholarship for Nursing as a result of personal experiences during Korean War Service and a shortage of nursing staff in military hospitals and V.A. Facilities. Vivian was advised of this opportunity and was one of several applicants, being the successful recipient. Application was made to St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Duluth, MN and was granted however loss of transportation from home to school was loss with closing of Northern Pacific Lines service to Duluth by rail and alternative was sought. Being of Scandinavian heritage, an application was made to Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, MN with adequate transport plus an Aunt and Uncle residing in the Twin Cities and employed by the railroad as an engineer., entrance was granted at this time, August 1958. 1962 brought completion of training and licensing by Minnesota Nursing Board followed. Vivian returned to Thief River Falls intending to work locally and repay the Scholarship, and to seek a career elsewhere, or acceptance of an offer to return to school at the Minneapolis School of Anesthesia with financial assistance and licensure as a CRNA. Romance, marriage, childbirth all came into play in her life in these early years, so she remained at Northwest Medical, progressing to charge nurse, floor charge nurse, and house supervisor in 1970.
In the course of classwork for career expansion she was in contact with one or more members of a group of 6 RN’s who had spent a year in England to accomplish certification as midwives thru ANA. As a result of higher education in Nursing and the English Medical care system the concept of additional education and expansion could be achievable for RN/BSRN nurses with the assistance of sources as ANA or AMA. An application was made, unsuccessfully, to several sources at University of Minnesota, until the School of Health agreed to sponsor and finance a 2-year program. Three rural nurse applicants were to be added to broaden the scope of application, so Vivian applied, successfully. A Certificate of Award was presented March 2, 1973 to the 9 RNs finishing the training, then the ANA set up testing for Licensure and that is the rest of the story. Vivian subsequently became Director Nursing in a 26 M.D. Clinic in Thief River Falls, until retirement June 1, 1995 and practiced up until the day of her death. This is her story.
Impact
April 1957 to October 1958.
This is a tale of two totally unrelated, yet related incidents; The Eisenhower “Recession” 1957-58 and my Military Discharge from active duty two days early on April 12, 1957!
Upon discharge, the pursuit of my lifelong career choice in the field of medicine was resumed. Intentions of reentry into Pharmacy School at the University of Minnesota was to be item # 1, so the paperwork to achieve resumption in the fall of 1957 was initiated through the office at UMD. While filing needed forms, the cost of UMD for three years was brought forth by friends at the admissions office, as well the fact that there was a Pharmacy School in Fargo, ND at the State University and it was suggested that I should contact admissions office and the Dean of the Pharmacy School there with regards to the possibility of enrolling. Both the large savings in cost and the admission as a full sophomore made that an easy decision. So, I went off to Fargo in the fall, on target and on time. Finances were sufficient for the 1957-58 year, and summer employment with the steel mill where my father was an employee with seniority, was a tradition that would take care of the rest. The rail yards would have to be rebuilt every summer by college students related to employees, as very well paid “Gandhi Dancers.” The “dancers” pulled the huge rail spikes prior to the laying of new rails. I was at home visiting in April and decided to check in at the mill for starting my summer of “dancing" with what today is called human resources. I was advised that my dancing days would not be an event as a married employee with three children would be doing that job, among many others, due to the “Eisenhower” recession. With this bad news I, and two other friends in the same fix, went to the Minnesota Employment Office with no true expectations…but there was always a chance. When I enlisted in 1954 my Dad counseled me, in the process of leaving Duluth. I remember being thoughtful because I would not be in touch with my old gang, including my roller-skating partner at the Curling Club. She and I had formed a “dancing on roller skates” duet over two years. Be sure I left them all smiling. Which I did. As we exited the Minnesota Unemployment Office that day, a small voice said, “Rick Contos where have you been for so long?” And there was my former skating partner siting at her desk. I replied, “I have been in the service since I last saw you.” After discussing my dilemma, she inquired if I had collected my $26 for 26 weeks benefit as a Veteran, to which I replied, “no”. The benefit was good for one year from discharge. I had missed it by less than one week! She whipped out a form, typed in a back date, and had me sign it. She put the signed, back dated form in the “Out’’ file and I start getting $26 weekly beginning the following Monday. This change in finance also influenced my decision to return to Fargo rather than seeking my old job and falling a year behind in classes (which were sequential). Upon return to Fargo, I secured a job busing at the Kappa Psi house which enabled my move from the Donn to the Kappa Psi house and further savings. One of my roommates (a Pharmacy classmate named Lloyd Schnaidt from Buelah, North Dakota) was on a ’’free ride” paid for by his parents. Lloyd had a teaching assistant job in the Biology department. When he found out about my financial dilemma, he advised me he was going to resign his position with Mr. King, and I could replace him. A meeting the next day with Mr. King confirmed the change and my cash flow problem was solved. I not only filled in as a teaching assistant, my contact with Dr. Jesse Parsons, PhD in Biology resulted in my successful winning of a full two-year National Science Foundation Scholarship. And the rest of the story is this scholarship! Why is the Scholarship called “Bronze”? Three healthcare adults were involved in the creation of the “Bronze,” four people overall. Four people spent time in Honolulu, Hawaii. Al Harrington was a native Samoan who spent many years as a character on the original show that “made” Hawaii: “Hawaii Five-0” Don Ho made the Honolulu Hilton and his “Dancing Bubbles” song famous worldwide. In the 1980’s a lot of folks were spending their last day in ‘“Paradise” at the airport. A show that filled in the “airport time” and fed and transported folks off the island with class was started! When the show ended, Al Harrington would ask all us “HaaOulis,” to join him in a "Colored, Hawaii Aloha. Spend all your money on tourist stuff to keep Hawaii GREEN and look at your arm as you board the plane and note it is the color you came to get: BRONZE.” It won’t be long, and we will all be BRONZE! Aloha & Anuii!!