South-Central Missouri Nurses Honor Guard offers tributes

Photo submitted
The South-Central Missouri Nurse Honor Guard includes, from left, Carol Lacy, Lisa Searcy, Bev Martin, Barb Lane, Lisa Cummings, Lexi Westrup, and Nancy Barton.

The Nurses Honor Guard was first established in 2003 by the Kansas State Nurses Association. There are now more than 250 professional local chapters nationwide. The South-Central Missouri Nurse Honor Guard LLC, pictured above, is a volunteer organization of active and retired nurses who come together to honor their nursing colleagues that have passed away. They currently have 12 members and cover services held in five counties, including Phelps, Dent, Crawford, Texas and Pulaski County.

The 5 to 10-minute tribute during a funeral or memorial service recognizes the lifelong commitment of the nurse who has dedicated their life to caring for others. The volunteers wear traditional white uniforms, white caps, and nursing capes, representing a former era of nursing which reflects the history of the profession.

The honor guard provides this service free of charge to families and includes a special reading of the Nightingale Pledge, a personal tribute to the deceased, and a final call to duty. A white rose is then placed on the casket or with the urn, and a Nightingale lamp is given to the family. The honor guard is not only a tribute to the deceased but also a way to offer support to grieving families, honor the commitment of nurses who have served their communities, and to promote the dignity of the nursing profession.

Families or funeral directors can request a ceremony by contacting Bev Martin at 573-626-4699 or Carol Lacy at 573-453-4977. Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at the Community Center at the Salem Armory at 4 p.m. Nurses interested in joining the South-Central Missouri Nurses Honor Guard can also contact Bev or Carol.

Any individual, family, or business interested in helping cover the cost of the lamps, brochures, and other items needed for the ceremony can donate by mailing a check payable to the South-Central Missouri Nurse Honor Guard C/O Carol Lacy, 1108 South Louise Street, Salem, Missouri 65560.