AUREL WOHNKE AND THE WOHNKE HOSPITAL

Hospitals today are large businesses with many departments, levels of care, and a multitude of employees—a big change from 70 to 100 years ago.  There was a time when most procedures were performed either in doctor’s offices or in the homes of patients.  Hospitals, when needed, could be a building dedicated for that purpose, but in many rural communities, the hospital could just as easily be a located in a residence with all care provided by one or two people.  Such was the case with the Wohnke Hospital in Bancroft.  During a time in the 1930’s, the home of George and Aurel Wohnke served the community well in that regard.

NURSE GARDNER

Aurel Gardner Wohnke dedicated her life to nursing.  The daughter of Ed and Sarah (Dotson) Gardner, she was born November 23, 1890 on the Gardners’ farm in Seneca Township, the oldest of seven children.  Although we know little about her early life, a major blow came to the family in 1912 when her father committed suicide, leaving her mother with several young children yet in the home.  At that time Aurel was 21.  She would go on to graduate from the University of Iowa in 1916 as a registered nurse. 

Aurel came back to the Bancroft area and put her degree to good use.  She took on private cases, staying in the patient’s home and caring for them throughout their illness and recovery.  This was more than a full time job—it was round the clock on-call service.  She attended at surgeries and deliveries, often remaining to nurse the patient back to full health or care for newborns.  During the influenza outbreak in 1918 the demand for her services was so great that she got very little rest herself.  Dr. Devine, a local physician with whom she often worked, stated that she was the best pneumonia nurse there was.

I picture Aurel as an independent woman.  I believe that she assisted her mother financially and must have set a good example as a nurse because her sister, Vera, followed in her footsteps.  Unmarried until her late 30’s, she was able to make decisions about how to lead her life that other women of the time could not.  Her travels in the county from medical case to medical case were featured regularly in the newspapers as was the purchase of a new Chevrolet automobile in 1925.  Quite an accomplishment for a single woman at the time.

MARRIED LIFE AND OPENING A HOSPITAL

It is unknown how she met her husband.  George Wohnke was a Chicago native born June 28, 1886.  Several of Aurel’s siblings settled in that city and she may have worked there for a brief time in the mid 1920’s.  George was a WWI veteran having served as a chief yeoman in the Navy.  After marrying in June of 1928, the couple remained in the Chicago area until around 1930.  They had purchased the house located at 329 W. Ramsey Street in 1929 and then moved there a year later. 

329 West Ramsey in 2005

George had served as a private secretary with the Department of Agriculture of the USDA and after his move he began to work at the CCC Camp in Bancroft.  Aurel settled back into the community quickly and soon opened their home as a hospital.  It is unknown how many patients the house could accommodate, but was often reported by the local newspaper to be full to capacity. 

Bancroft Register
January 5, 1933

Many surgeries were performed there.  According to an article written for the Bancroft Register by A. C. Tony Accurso and published February 4, 2009, local resident, Amanda Kollasch, recalled her emergency appendectomy at Wohnke Hospital.  She was just 16 years old and living in Lakota.  Her local doctor was not available so she was rushed to Bancroft in severe pain.  Dr. T. J. Egan performed the surgery which took place on the dining room table of the Wohnke home.  After a few days of post-surgical care, Amanda left the hospital fully recovered.

WORLD WAR II AND CHICAGO

By 1935 the CCC Camp had closed and George found work in the grocery department of Kennedy’s Store.  Aurel continued to operate the hospital until 1942.  With the outbreak of World War II, the Wohnkes moved back to Chicago where George got a job in the Elwood Defense Plant which made bombs and 105 mm shells.  He worked checking in materials at the plant.  Aurel worked 12 hour shifts at Elmhurst Hospital in Oak Park.  George roomed in Joliet during the week and traveled to spend time with Aurel on the weekends.

In 1948 the Wohnkes returned to Bancroft and settled back into their home which they had rented out during the war.  George went into partnership with Glen Cowing and the two opened the Cowing-Wohnke Food Mart where he would help feed the community until his retirement in 1955.

Bancroft Register
May 13, 1948

The couple were deeply invested in the area.  George served on the board of the Bancroft Community School District and was elected secretary.  He also played a prominent role in the local American Legion organization.  At times he would put on his old Navy uniform and speak at the schools about his service during WWI.  Both of the Wohnkes were on the board of the Greenwood Cemetery Association/ Bancroft Cemetery Association, hosting annual meetings in their home.

The First Baptist Church of Bancroft served as their home away from home.  Aurel was involved in the Ladies Aid Society of the church and the couple often hosted various mission groups and other activities related to the congregation in their home. George was given the right hand of fellowship on June 18, 1937, and was a faithful member of the congregation until his death.

The Wohnkes had always been avid gardeners and after his retirement in 1955, they began to focus their efforts on raising gladioli and orchids.  George became somewhat of an expert when it came to raising orchids and the couple won many awards for their magnificent glads.  Aurel used many to decorate for special services or funerals at their church.  Strangers would often stop by to admire the stunning beauty of their flower gardens. They had 35 to 40 varieties of gladioli and would sell from 6,000 to 7,000 blooms per year until around 1972 when it became too difficult for the two of them to manage.

50 YEARS TOGETHER

From the Bancroft Register

In 1978 the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a large reception at the First Baptist Church.  Friends, neighbors and former patients and customers from near and far attended the celebration.  That year the Wohnkes also made the decision to sell their cherished home and move to Heritage Apartments.  She was almost 88 at the time of the move and he was 92.  They moved in the fall and then in April of 1979, Aurel died unexpectedly.  George remained active in the community for several more years until he suffered a stroke at the age of 95 which took his life a few weeks later.

The house in 2018

WOHNKE HOSPITAL

The Wohnkes opened their hospital during the 1930s which was a difficult decade for the whole country.  With the Great Depression grinding on, it leads one to wonder how well Aurel was paid for the services rendered at her hospital.  Many physicians of the day recounted stories of taking chickens, eggs or other produce in lieu of cash payment and many just wrote off overdue accounts for those who could not pay.  It is likely that Aurel could have shared similar tales.  Despite the uncertain times, Aurel and George chose to make a difference by opening Wohnke Hospital which made an important contribution to the health care needs of Bancroft and the surrounding area.

Until next time,

Jean

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