BERNARDINE GRACE FORBES CLARK

CLARK, FORBES

Posted By: Volunteer Paul French
Date: 5/13/2007 at 16:59:10

BERNARDINE GRACE FORBES CLARK

Bernardine Grace Forbes Clark was born in Saguache, Colorado, April 29, 1911. The first six years of her life she lived here and upon the death of her father moved with the family to Iowa. She attended grade school at Winchester and Crum grammar schools. In 1924, when the family moved to California, she attended Charter Oak and Covina Grammar schools. She attended high school in Covina and Huntington Beach, California, where she graduated in 1930. Following this she went to U.C.L.A. for two years.

In 1933 Bernardine entered the L.A. County General Hospital School of Nursing. In 1934 her training was interrupted by illness. She recovered, however, and resumed her training in 1937, graduating in 1939. From then until 1948 she continued her studies at the University of Southern California when she graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. In 1957 she received her Master of Arts Degree in Administration from Long Beach State College.

In the meantime, she worked in the Orthopedic, Tuberculosis and Personnel Departments at the L.A. County General Hospital. In 1943 she married Earl J. Clark, Chief Boatswain’s Mate, U.S.N. In 1946 she transferred to Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California, where she was Assistant Director of Nursing until 1952. She then successively became Director of Nursing at Long Beach General Hospital, Executive Assistant, Nursing, L.A. County General Hospital in 1957, and Director of Nursing at Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, California in 1960. She remained there until 1970 when she retired.

During this time Bernardine was also active in local, state, and national nursing organizations—The American Nurses’ Association, The California Nurses’ Association and its districts 5, 21, and 18. She was also active in the local, state, and national Leagues for Nursing. Too, she served on committees of the Tuberculosis and Health Association and on the Board of Directors of the Long Beach and State Associations.

She also found time for her family, but not as much as she would have liked. She cherished them dearly and was always there to help when it was needed. She and her husband Earl lived in Los Angeles, Torrance, and in 1953 moved to Long Beach where they lived in one of the apartments of their duplex. In later years Bernardine worked on the family history and scrapbook while Earl worked hard at keeping up the property. They have both had active and successful lives.

Source: transcription contained in “Family History” of the Barker, Sherod, and Forbes families and descendants compiled by Bernadine Forbes Clark, December 1980.