Ruth Hulse

Ruth Hulse, 93, of Independence, MO passed away April 4, 2009 at Truman Medical Center at Lakewood. A memorial visitation will begin at 2:00 PM with memorial services to begin at 3:00 PM, Thursday, April 9 at Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th St., Independence.
Ruth Hulse, longtime nursing leader in the educational arena, retired from the Penn Valley Department of Nursing on Jan. 1, 1982. Her career began before WWII as a 1940 graduate of General Hospital School of Nursing. After two years of private duty, she entered the Army Nurse Corps and served as a First Lieutenant. Her unit at times was a Hospital ship which traveled in European waters as well as the South Pacific.
Ms. Hulse had two sisters, Frances and Mildred, who were also nurses, and a brother, Harry. Mildred also joined the Army and they were stationed together most of the time.
After the war she worked in the V.A. Regional Office in several capacities such as an office nurse (assisting with routine physicals and emergencies) and as an employee nurse (visiting with sick employees in their homes).
She left V.A. to continue her education, receiving her B.A. and M.A. in Biology (with a microbiology major) at UKC, now UMKC.
Her teaching career began as an instructor and educational director at Research Hospital School of Nursing. She taught at St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing and the College of St. Therese (later known as Avila) for 13 years.
“I became interested in Montag’s Nurse Technician theory in the late 60’s. I went to Penn Valley to help Adeleine Marshall start her program.”
She stayed at Penn Valley until her retirement in 1982. Her major area of teaching was Fundamentals and Med/Surg. Nursing. She enjoyed teaching and got along well with her students. She also enjoyed retirement and did not miss all the homework nurse educators had to do.
Her extra pleasures were spent playing tennis, cards, and going to horse races. She will be greatly missed by her loving nieces and nephew and her longtime companion, Albert.
Her love of life also extended to the animal world. In addition to the dogs she owned and the cat that adopted her a couple of years ago, she belonged to an organization called Animal’s Best Friends in Independence. She also belonged to a railroad depot restoration group called the Friends of the Chicago and Alton Depot in Independence. In lieu of flowers, donations to either group in her name would be greatly appreciated.