[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATING VIRGINIA SCHUYLER

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to congratulate 
Virginia Schuyler, a woman from my hometown of Aberdeen, SD, who has 
dedicated her life to helping those in need. Virginia is the recipient 
of South Dakota's 2003 Outstanding Older Worker Award, an honor 
bestowed by Experience Works, an organization committed to improving 
the lives of seniors in South Dakota through quality job training and 
employment programs.
  Virginia decided early on that she wanted to be a nurse. From a very 
young age, Virginia knew she wanted to travel. When her mother told her 
that nurses travel on boats and planes, her mind was made up. For 60 
years she has been a registered nurse, and she has traveled all over 
the world. For the past 5 years, Virginia, 81, has cared for residents 
at the Bethesda Towne Square, an assisted living facility. The 
residents there deeply appreciate her dedication--she insists on 
working every weekend--as well as everything she does for them, 
activities that range from bringing them hot tea at night to painting 
stained-glass windows for the residents in her spare time.
  Virginia earned an RN degree in 1943. She joined the U.S. Army, 
serving in England, France, and Germany, and recalls treating as many 
as 500 patients daily from the Normandy invasion in France. After her 
discharge from the Army, she stayed in Germany, where her volunteer 
work at an orphanage led her to adopt two children who were on the 
brink of starvation. In 1954, she earned an RN in Pathology degree, the 
equivalent of a master's degree, from St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, 
CA.
  After she earned her pathology degree, Virginia worked in pathology 
for 7 years at St. Joseph's Hospital, and at St. Luke's Hospital in 
Aberdeen for 25 years. She also spent 5 years working with Alzheimer's 
patients at Arcadia in Aberdeen. Today, in addition to her work at 
Bethesda Towne Square, Virginia works between 30 and 50 hours a week on 
her stained-glass window business, and acts as her church secretary.
  I join Virginia's many admirers in congratulating her on receiving 
this prestigious and well-deserved award.

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