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Agnes Shurr Papers, 1915-2015
Collection Overview
Title: Agnes Shurr Papers, 1915-2015
ID: OGLMC1635
Primary Creator: Shurr, Agnes (1915-2015)
Extent: 2.0 Linear Feet
Arrangement: Materials are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.
Date Acquired: 10/29/2014
Subjects: Genealogy and Family History, Military History - World War II (WW2), University of North Dakota - Faculty
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Collection Historical Note
Agnes Gertrude Shurr was born October 15, 1915, to Fred and Helen Shurr on a small farm in Elmo Township in Bottineau County, North Dakota. She attended and graduated from Glenburn High School before pursuing a career in nursing starting at St. Joseph's Hospital and School of Nursing. After receiving her degree, she began her nursing career at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. In the late 1930s she joined the United States Navy Nurse Corps and was stationed on the USS Solace, one of two hospital ships at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On December 7, 1941, Shurr was among twelve other nurses on the ship when the Japanese bombed the base. She survived the attack that killed more than 2,300 Americans and damaged the U.S. Pacific Fleet and brought the United States into World War II. Her military nursing career continued into the Korean War when she became a flight nurse along with working in naval hospitals and on hospital ships.
During peace time, Shurr developed her nursing expertise by completing an anesthesia program at Baylor University, then earning her bachelor's degree in nursing from Columbia University. When she retired from the Navy in 1958, she was the Chief of Nursing Service and anesthetist on the hospital ship Haven in Long Beach, California. She had earned the rank of Commander in the Nurse Corps. Agnes then returned to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she started a school for nurse anesthetists at St. Michael's Hospital. In 1963, as a member of the World Health Organization, Shurr was sent to Afghanistan for two years to train nurses. Shurr then attended Columbia University to earned a master's degree. In 1967, she began working at the College of Nursing at the University of North Dakota. She served as curriculum consultant, coordinator of the sophomore nursing course, and represented the College and faculty on numerous committees. When she retired in 1977, Shurr continued to serve her community by volunteering at Altru Hospital. She was also a member of various associations and groups such as Zonta International, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the Minnkota Genealogical Society, and the Prairie Grass Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. On January 10, 2015, Agnes Gertrude Shurr passed away at Valley Memorial Home Eldercare in Grand Forks at the age of ninety-nine.
Subject/Index Terms
Genealogy and Family History
Military History - World War II (WW2)
University of North Dakota - Faculty
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the Rules and Regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Peggy I. Vanyo, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Acquisition Method: Donation; 2014-3268
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Agnes Shurr Papers. OGLMC 1635, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Processing Information: Processed by Dawn Cleveland, Special Collections work study student.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Genealogical Materials],
[Series 2: Agnes Shurr/Shurr Family Materials],
[All]
- Series 1: Genealogical Materials
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Bradford
- Folder 2: Briggs, Gordon
- Folder 3: Chatfield
- Folder 4: Chatfield, Carl
- Folder 5: Chatfield, David
- Folder 6: Chatfield Genealogy Book
- Folder 7: Chatfield, Helen W.
- Folder 8: Chatfield, Lillie
- Folder 9: Chatfield, Lydia
- Folder 10: Chatfield, MMI
- Folder 11: Chatfield, Marcus M. IV
- Folder 12: Chatfield, William Sr., & Jerusha Coy
- Folder 13: Chatfield, William Jr.
- Folder 14: Crane, Barnabas
- Folder 15: Crane, Hannah
- Folder 16: Ford
- Folder 17: Gall, M. Jane
- Folder 18: Hayden
- Folder 19: Kannegieter
- Folder 20: Lawrence
- Folder 21: Leibnitz
- Folder 22: Maps
- Folder 23: Montgomery, Dale, Morgan, RJ, & Matthew
- Folder 24: O'Connell, Hazel
- Folder 25: Shurr, Beulah
- Folder 26: Shurr, Agnes
- Folder 27: Shurr, Donald E.
- Folder 28: Shurr, Fred J.
- Folder 29: Shurr, George II
- Folder 30: Shurr, Harriet
- Folder 31: Shurr, Hattie
- Folder 32: Shurr, Helen C.
- Box 2
- Series 2: Agnes Shurr/Shurr Family Materials
- Box 2
- Folder 4: Education & Training Materials, 1932-1977
- Folder 5: Employment, Professional Development, & the University of North Dakota, 1967-2004
- Folder 6: Obituaries, Agnes Shurr
- Folder 7: Organizations, Correspondence, etc., 1967-2001
- Folder 8: Pearl Harbor Experience, 1966-2014
- Folder 9: Photographs, Agnes Shurr
- Folder 10: Scholarship Materials
- Blue Binder
- Folder 11: U.S. Navy Experiences, 1963-1973
- Folder 12: World Health Organization, 1962-1968
- Folder 13: Court/Estate Documents - Shurr Family, 1945-1950
- Folder 14: Insurance Documents - Shurr Family, 1915-1946
- Folder 15: Land/Farm Records - Shurr Family, 1932-1946
- Folder 16: Miscellaneous - Shurr Family, 1942-1945 and undated
- Folder 17: Tax Documents - Shurr Family, 1943-1947
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Genealogical Materials],
[Series 2: Agnes Shurr/Shurr Family Materials],
[All]