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Jacqueline Jeanne Wouwenberg “Jackie”
Jackie” was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey -
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Education
Answering a placard in NYC to “Be A Nurse”, and anxious to rise out of poverty, she graduated from New York City Bellevue School of Nursing. She was a member of the US Public Health Service Cadet Nurse Corps. Jackie always said that her training at Bellevue taught her that all deserved equal treatment. -
Graduation
I'm a nurse!!! -
Summer fun and heartache
After Jackie had completed her nursing education she needed a break. She worked with a girlfriend at a resort as a waitress. A handsome man would come in to flirt with Jackie during her waitressing shifts. Jackie was smitten. Alas the scoundrel was a married man. Jackie was broken hearted. Jackie fled the scene via a bus, crying as she headed for home. -
The Red Cross is Calling!
After arriving home from her bus ride, she received a call from the Red Cross. She did not even unpack her bag and flew to Los Angeles. As a Red Cross nurse she cared for many hundreds of victims in iron lungs, many of whom, young and old, succumbed to this now conquered disease, at least in the U.S. As a national expert in polio she returned to New Jersey to countless offers to help those in similar circumstances. She chose instead to provide private duty nursing to polio victims one on one. -
Private Polio Nurse
One such young and beautiful polio victim, Elaine, became the sole poster person for disabled travel, and Jackie became her travel nurse. This travel “marketing campaign” was concocted by the father (Editor of the Bergen Record) of Elaine and a Senior leadership executive in the airline industry, to prove that the disabled could travel. Born out of love for a daughter looking to travel and a man looking to expand airline industry business, Elaine and Jackie traveled the country. -
No Business Like Show Business
After more polio work, Jackie needed a break and sought something quite the opposite of disease and death for a time. She auditioned, and was selected to be a showgirl at the Copacabana Night Club in NYC. She danced every night with fruit on her head, which she attributes to her good posture. After a short stint, she went with two other showgirls to join a similar club in Cuba. -
USAF
Back into nursing, and a wanderlust at heart, she joined the Air Force in the early 50’s to “see the world.” She told the recruiter that her choice for deployment was Hawaii, and with that was sent to Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota. Adjusted as she was, she eventually ran the whole maternal child wing, including the newborn nursery, stating she had the magic to sooth any crying baby in record time. There she eventually met her future husband. -
A Family instead of a military career
Eventually, a little girl was conceived and within 6 months, the time it took for Jackie to start showing, she had to regrettably leave the Air Force. No pregnant women allowed.
The next several decades brought her a son, a move to Florida and a blissful two decades as the wife of a small business owner, mother, nurse and every weekend beach goer. The loss of her son through death and husband through divorce eventually moved her into the Hassmiller home permanently where she was again thrived. -
Life is to be lived at the fullest!
Dancing, acting, traveling, and watercolor painting became her hobbies. She has since won many ribbons for her artwork and has always chosen who she paints for instead of them choosing her.
She led an active life of travel and adventure, always knew what she wanted and never took no for an answer to get it. She had boundless energy, little respect for rules, loved all people and ate ice cream every single day of her life, as a way of celebrating that day. -
Let's go for a cruz!
She loved her car and driving aimlessly, without necessarily a plan or a map and loved wherever the journey brought her. She lived in the moment. She got to Hawaii.
