Salina Presbyterian Manor
NOVEMBER 2020
Retired nurse had a passion for caring for sick people, their families and the aging Kim Daly Fair knew she wanted to become a nurse from a very young age. Her inspiration was Ruby, the nurse at her doctor’s office.
John Smutz attended boot camp in Parris Island, S.C. His Marine Corps dress uniform still fits.
A Salina veteran shares his story
“Ruby was probably not 6 feet tall, but she looked like it,” said Kim, an independent living resident at Salina Presbyterian Manor. “There was something about her smile, white cap, white uniform, white shoes. I thought she was wonderful.”
By John Smutz, resident
Kim never wavered from her goal. After she completed her training at Grace Hospital in Hutchinson in the late 1960s, Kim Daly Fair Kim transferred to St. John’s Hospital in Salina. She began in maternity because it was the only job available. “I said, ‘Just get me out of here and onto a medical floor,’” Kim said, laughing. “And they did after a few months. I never thought about surgery. I just wanted to care for sick people.” In medical wards, many of Kim’s patients had chronic illnesses or were terminally ill. She learned to care for family members as much as patients. Sometimes, that included guiding them through the death of their loved one. Some 10 years into her career, Kim read an article about the new hospice movement. She reached out to a nurse who worked at what was then Salina’s other major hospital, and the two women convinced their directors of nursing that this was an idea worth pursuing. The hospitals collaborated to open Hospice of Salina in the mid-1980s. “Before hospice, nobody talked about death,” Kim said. “But it helped NURSE - continued on page 2
Editor’s note: Shortly after his military service, the Smutz family relocated to the Salina area, where John worked as an architect for more than six decades. He has lived at Salina Presbyterian Manor for five years. I was born on a farm in Pawnee County, Neb. My first experience with education was a one-room country school for children in first through eighth grades. I was only four years old, and with no kindergarten, I was “age hindered” compared to the city kids. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Nebraska. The war was in full swing, so, like most others, I joined the military. I chose the Marines, which allowed me to finish out the year before being called up and sent to boot camp at Parris VETERAN - continued on page 5
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