The collection consists mostly of Harriett’s papers, notes, photographs, postcards, a diary, nurse hat and pins, diplomas, and biographical materials. Harriett’s materials document her career in nursing, including her training and work at Peterson Hospital and Private Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, service in France, 1918-1919, as a Reserve nurse for the U.S Army Nurse Corps, and her later work as a member of Detroit’s Visiting Nurses Association.
Photographs of Harriett; Photographs taken in France, and Photographs of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) nurses on board the SS. Missouri, and perhaps another ship, sailing to or from France also document Harriett’s career. Photographs document family, friends, hospitals, nurses, doctors, patients, pets, views of France, etc.
Most of the correspondence is to or from Harriett and her nursing peers or sisters. Some of her nursing peers and regular correspondents were Elba Lila Morse and Maybelle Johnson.
Harriett also had two gentlemen admirers who wrote to her, Provost Ray W. Cooper and Harold E. Provost.
Oversized materials include degree certificates for Harriett, 1915, and Harry E. Hubel, 1931 and 1944. All materials are Harriett’s unless otherwise noted.
Harriett’s sisters, Anna, Ida, and Frances are documented in the correspondence and photographs. Frances is also documented in a diary, scrapbook, and cooking class notes.
Biography:
Harriett Miriam Huebel was born on August 20, 1890, the daughter of William (died by 1936) and Caroline Theresa Herbe Huebel (1856-1936) of Traverse City, Michigan. Her parents emigrated from Austria to Traverse City in 1855.
Harriett graduated from Traverse City High School in 1910 and earned a diploma in nursing from Peterson Hospital and the University of Michigan (UM) Training School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1915. After July 1917, Peterson Hospital was called Ann Arbor Private Hospital. From 1912 to 1915 she worked in Ann Arbor Private Hospital and was a Supervisor at the UM Hospital in 1916. In 1918 Harriett served as Assistant Superintendent of Ann Arbor Private Hospital.
From 1918 to 1919 Harriett worked as a Reserve Nurse for the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. She was assigned to active duty on September 28, 1918. In November 1918, Harriett sailed for France. She returned to the U.S. in July 1919. Harriett then worked as a private duty nurse at Harper, Grace, and Ford hospitals, 1919-1922.
In 1922, Harriett joined Detroit’s visiting Nurses Association. She worked for the Association for 34 years, until she retired on January 1, 1957.
Harriett was one of the first nurses in the Association to earn a certificate in Public Health Nursing by attending night classes at Wayne University, now Wayne State University, Department of Nursing Education in 1936. She was highly respected and loved by her peers. After suffering for six months with acute lymphatic leukemia, Harriett died on June 26, 1959 in Traverse City.
Harriett had four siblings: Anne, Frances, Mrs. Ida (Robert) Slaby, and William C. (died 1906?). (This information is from the collection.)
A Harry E. Hubel [surname spelled with one e] graduated from Central State Teachers College, now Central Michigan University (CMU) in 1931 with a B.S. and from Wayne University with a M.A. in education. The 1931 CMU yearbook listed him as being from Clare, Michigan. He may have been a cousin or nephew of Harriett’s.
