Oct. 4 lunch to celebrate 100 years of hospital history

NO HOSPITAL IN HOLYOKE
... How Much Do You Care?
    
    ... Join me if you will, in a brief look at the future of Holyoke and its farming territory residents if the heading I have used becomes not an imaginary one but an actual news item: ‘No Hospital in Holyoke’ ... shrieking brakes and the sickening sound of two cars colliding in a thunderous roar: the immediate thought arises — how badly are the occupants hurt? How soon can they be medically treated? How long can they live without hospitalization? (Why didn’t I offer more aid during the Holyoke hospital drive?) ...
    
    In 1948, 30 years after Holyoke’s first hospital opened, the community was at a crossroads. Irene Hill, the owner at the time, was ready to close down the hospital. If the people managed to raise enough money, the facility could be purchased and given to Phillips County to continue its operation.
    The above plea, printed in the Oct. 21, 1948, edition of The Holyoke Enterprise, concluded emphatically: “May it never be said that Holyoke people fell short and failed in the most vital of community undertakings.”
    Thankfully, community members did step up, donating over $55,000 in the last quarter of 1948 in order to make the purchase. In the 70 years since then, Holyoke hasn’t had to find out what life would be like without a local hospital.
    With the 100-year anniversary of Holyoke’s first hospital approaching, Melissa Memorial Hospital has planned a community celebration of the occasion. On Thursday, Oct. 4, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., everyone is invited to the hospital at 1001 E. Johnson St. for lunch.
    Served on the front lawn of the clinic, lunch will include pulled pork sandwiches from the 4-H pig purchased by MMH, hamburgers, hotdogs, beans and dessert.
 

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