Women of Brown County: Alydia Braskamp

What makes someone a hero? Is it their selflessness and empathy? Their instinct to help others? If these are the requirements, Alydia Braskamp exceeded all of these characteristics. She proved her compassion and courage through her service in World War I, working as a nurse under Dr. Bellin, and the creation of the Baby Health Center.


Alydia was born in Alton, Iowa in 1883 and moved to Green Bay in 1917 when she was 34 years old; but she did not stay long. The First World War had started, and she was called away to serve with the Red Cross. Alydia was stationed near Bordeaux, France. As a woman in the early 1900s, Alydia was given work as a nurse in an operating room and with ambulances. She also did some field work and documented the experience through a photo album, which the Neville cares for as part of the Collection.  The photographs show devastating scenes after attacks, the morgue, ceremonies, and life at the base. In France, Alydia assisted the war effort, served those on the battlefront, and documented a critical point in history. She was left with lasting sinus issues caused by sleeping on the dusty ground in France.


After being honorably discharged in 1919, Alydia returned to Green Bay and began working as the Assistant Supervisor of Nurses and Instructor at the Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing (now Bellin College). She eventually established the Baby Health Center which provided care for infants and advice for new mothers in the area.

The hardship and horrors that Alydia saw during the war made her more determined than ever to provide care and courtesy to the people around her. Her dedication on the field in France carried over to her life in Green Bay.  Alydia spent the rest of her life serving the Green Bay area and improving the quality of life for its residents.  She is just one of the many nurses whose dedication and selflessness have helped shape our community. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From the Education Department: National Jewel Day

Image
Today is National Jewel Day, and among our collection at the Neville Public Museum, we have this lovely amethyst gemstone courtesy of Robert Berndt.  While always having a purple appearance, the color of amethyst stones can greatly differ. It can vary from a pale lavender to a vivid reddish violet. With such contrasting colors and being such a plentiful gemstone, amethyst’s value depends on its hue. The more vibrant the stone appears indicates a higher price that it can sell for.  Even though its worth is based on its appearance now, that was not always the case. Ancient Greeks and Romans associated amethyst with warding off drunkenness since both societies believed that the stone was discovered by their god of wine. Ancient Egyptians centered amethyst even more than the other two cultures, though; they created amethyst amulets to bring them closer to the divine and to protect them against harm. They also carved jewelry out of amethyst. Even though the designs were originally ...
Read more

From the Education Department: National Lace Day

Image
February 3 rd is National Lace Day, and here at the Neville Public Museum, we have a lot to celebrate. Lace was first developed in Europe during the 1500s, and two methods of lace making formed simultaneously: needle lace (using a single needle and thread) and bobbin lace (intertwining many threads). Initially, it was made of linen before transitioning to silk and metallic gold threads. In the 1800s, though, lace makers turned to cotton, which is what is currently used. During the 16 th century, lace would often be named after the region it was made in. Even though lace was made all throughout Europe, Italy, France, and Flanders (modern-day Belgium) established themselves as the leading centers for lace making. The finest lace was created by three specialists: an artist who created the designs, the pattern maker who put the designs onto parchment, and the lace maker who made the lace itself. All the effort that went into creating the lace was the reason it was seen as the most treasu...
Read more

From the Education Department: National Fragrance Day

Image
Perfumes and fragrances have been culturally significant for millennia to get us where we are today: celebrating national fragrance day. The first record of perfume dates back to the second millennium BC in Mesopotamia when it was invented by a chemist named Tapputi. In Ancient Egypt, perfume was a staple used to flash one’s wealth as it could only be accessed by the wealthy. Because of its significance, the Egyptians had a god of perfume, Nefertem. He was often depicted with water lilies, which were commonly used in perfume. Queens held perfume dear, not only using it to create a pleasant aroma, but they would also be entombed with a bottle. While Egypt and many other ancient nations saw perfume as a symbol of wealth, the Ancient Chinese would incorporate it into their daily lives, scenting their ink, stationary, homes, and places of worship.   They also would use it for disinfection and purity, believing that it could rid a room of disease although it was primarily used simply fo...
Read more