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Student Example--Living History Interview Example #3

Please Note: This is an actual student example used by permission.  I have changed the names to respect privacy.

Betsy “Donna” Mires

It was a chilly November afternoon when I decided to venture three cottages down

from my home to see if Betsy Mires, the cutest little elderly lady, was willing to chat with me about her life. Although we are neighbors and see each other fairly often, we have never quite made it past the occasional “good morning” or “have a good day.” I was excited to make my way over to her house and enrich myself in some underutilized living history. Her five hundred square foot cottage was warm and cozy and jam-packed with valuable antiques, family photos, and many unfinished projects she claims she just has not had time to complete. It was the perfect afternoon to sit in her fifty-year-old rocking chair, sip a glass of tea, and hear about her incredible life.

Betsy Mires, or more commonly known as Donna, fell nothing short of my expectations. Donna, a very spry and mobile 85-year-old woman, was born on November 3rd, 1928 in Napa, Idaho. She lived a very simple, modest and rewarding life filled with much adversity, adventures, and success. Donna was one of twelve children and is the oldest one living today. Like my parents, her parents were divorced when she was about four years old. When her father gained primary custody of the children, he decided to move out of town, hand build a simple shack out of two by twelve boards, and live off the land with his children. Their house had no running water and no electricity. It was a simple and humble place, but nevertheless it was home sweet home for the Mires family for many years thereafter.

Donna worked her way through the Napa school system. She graduated from Napa High School in 1946 and decided to continue on with her education at The College of Idaho. She attended The College of Idaho for three years and after graduating in 1949 and passing many board exams, Donna became a licensed registered nurse and made quite the career for herself. Over her forty-five year nursing career, she worked in all sorts of different fields and locations. Her first and longest lasting job was at Mercy Hospital, not far from where she grew up. Much to my surprise, she explained that she worked eight hours a day, spending five hours on the floor and three hours training in the classroom, six days a week. Most nurses today work three twelve-hour days and get four days off. Although she enjoyed her employment at Mercy Hospital, she said her favorite times were the years she joined the Air Force and was sent to Europe to work in an overseas nurse dispensary. As she loves to travel and see new places, this was a dream come true and one of her most memorable experiences as a registered nurse.

Aside from her overseas adventures with the Air Force, Donna has visited Europe many times and says it is her favorite place to vacation. Some of her most unforgettable moments originate in foreign countries, simply adventuring and touring aimlessly for weeks at a time. Places such as Rome, Spain, Paris, and Germany hold special meaning in her heart for their diverse cultures, huge beers and excellent food. Donna told me she was fortunate enough to attend Octoberfest in Germany one year and said that it was a sight to see. “The biggest and best tasting beer you have ever had,” she told me. She accredits her well-rounded personality and cultured outlook to her experiences seeing new places and traveling the world.

Recently, Donna took one final adventure and moved to Spokane to live closer to her children. She has resided in the Spokane area for nearly two years now and says being closer to her kids is such a blessing. Donna is living the relaxing, retired life she has more than earned. Her stories, knowledge, and success have done nothing but inspire me and show me all that life has to offer. I only hope that one day I can be as happy, healthy and accomplished as she is at 85 years old. What an honor it has been to hear this amazing woman’s story.