Mentzer_Betty_01252006_edited
Betty Rose Shellenberger Mentzer was born on June 5, 1923 in Altoona, PA. Her parents were David and Helen Shellenberger. She had a one brother and two sisters. Her father worked for the railroad as a mechanic building locomotives and her mother was a housewife. Betty Rose was enrolled and graduated from the Altoona school system. Betty Rose grew up during the Depression Era and her parents instilled in her the importance of getting an education. At the age of 18, Betty Rose enrolled as a nursing student at Mercy Hospital in Altoona, PA. In 1943, during Betty's second year of nurse training, the United States Cadet Act formed the Cadet Nurse Corps and Betty Rose became part of the Corp. This program enabled Betty Rose to participate since all nursing schools were eligible. The program at Mercy Hospital allowed Betty Rose to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse. Betty Rose married Chalmers Otto Mentzer and had two children. Her son was born in 1947 and her daughter was born in 1951. Betty Rose reflected that her strict training gave her the confidence she maintained through life. She said the nurses were really the bra burners...but didn't know it at the time. Betty Rose stated, that since World War II, women have broken through the barriers into fields such as lawyers, doctors, even board directors.
DetailsContact
View as table
Share via email
Share via Facebook
Share via Twitter