Thursday, February 7, 2019

Martha Emma Hill - World War I Nurse




When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the Army Nurse Corp was only 17 years old. There were only 403 nurses on active duty and 170 on reserve duty at that time.[1] One of those nurses was Martha Emma Hill.

Miss Hill graduated from Henderson, Kentucky Hospital shortly after the turn of the 19th century and served there as a nurse before going on active duty during the war.[2] Miss Hill enlisted 15 July 1918 and was discharged 30 May 1919.  She was stationed at Base Hospital #59 in France. [3]

After the war, Miss Hill was a nurse for the Babies Milk Fund, which later became the Public Health Nursing Association. She was also a private duty nurse before retiring in 1948.[4]

The daughter of Virgel James Hill and Martha Jane Austin, Miss Hill was born 25 September 1874 in Kentucky and died 17 November 1959 Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.[5] Survivors included two sisters, Mrs. Rose Galloway and Mrs. Luzetta Freeman, both of Evansville. A bronze government marker is over her grave in Lot 520, Space 2 in Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson.


[1] "Army Nurse Corps: Introduction, Purpose and Introduction to Contribute Content," The United States World War I Centennial Commission, https:www.worldwar1centennial.org, accessed 9 Dec 2018.
[2] Obituary, Miss Emma Hill, Evansville Press, 18 Nov 1959, p. 6.
[3] U.S. Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963, Martha Emma Hill, Ancestry.com, accessed 9 Dec 2018.
[4] Obituary, Miss Emma Hill.
[5] Indiana Certificate of Death #59  038818, Martha Emma Hill, Ancestry.com, accessed 9 Dec 2018.


Published 7 Feb 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

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