Comment
Print
When a mother and daughter graduate from the same medical university 30 years apart, it is highly unlikely the two would attend a Golden Graduate ceremony together, to honor the daughter who graduated a half-century ago.
That's exactly what happened recently when Mary Long, 77, of Forest City and her mother, Eleanor Adeimy, 100, who lives in Scotia Village, Laurinburg, traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate Mary's 50th year college graduation from the Medical University of South Carolina (UMSC) at Charleston.
The mother and daughter, along with other family members, shared in the celebration marking 50 years since Mary Long received her degree from (MUSC) in Charleston in 1973.
Mrs. Long graduated with a CRN-A Certificate in Nursing Anesthesia and when it came time for the class of 1973 to celebrate the Golden Graduates, she invited family and she especially wanted her mother to make the trip to her alma mater.
In 1943, Eleanor Adeimy, graduated from MUSC receiving a nursing degree.
Each year, MUSC Golden Graduates -- the class celebrating its 50th anniversary - are honored at the Medical University of South Carolina Commencement.
Golden Graduates are invited to a special Award Luncheon, followed by a Reunion Dinner at Patriot's Point. Mrs. Long's sisters, her mother Ms. Adeimy, husband and a brother-in-law attended.
Looking back on the graduation celebration and the past year, Mrs. Long said 2023 had been a great year for her family. Her mother turned 100 years old and she and husband Ed Long celebrated 50 years of marriage.
"Mama walks one mile a day...She delivers mail on Mondays for the residents," Mrs. Long said.
Mrs. Adeimy was the organist for the Catholic Church for 50 years and still plays on occasion. She worked 55 years as an office nurse, hospital supervisor, Hospice nurse and also worked in the public health department as a children's nurse.
"She is the best nurse I ever knew," said Mrs. Long.
Mrs. Long graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in 1967 and was accepted to three anesthesia programs.
"I chose Medical University of SC because my mom went there," Mrs. Long said.
She graduated in 1973, 30 years after her mother graduated in 1943, both studying nursing.
Mrs. Long joined the Army Reserves at the age of 41 and worked combat support in hospital work in Huntsville, Alabama.
"My Dad was a flying Sergeant in WWII and earned commission as officer in European skies, flying many fixed wing airplanes," she said.
At age 50, Mr. Adeimy became a Huey helicopter pilot.
"I tried to join for years, but keep coming up pregnant," she said.
However, the couple's two sons would later join the Army and Marines.
Mrs. Long said she was finally able to join and went into service as a First Lieutenant with five years time and grade.
She got out of service 11 years later to help take care of her grandchildren (twins) in order for their parents to finish college.
The Longs moved to North Carolina in 2005 to be near dad who was ill and later succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
The Adeimys were married over 60 years.
Mrs. Long's last 10 years of her nursing career was at Cleveland Hospital in Shelby.
Before Mrs. Long's father passed away, he encouraged her to research ancestry from South Carolina to prove they fought in the Revolutionary War.
"My mom told me that she thought that they were all Tories because their land grants were issued to them by the king of England," Mrs. Long said.
She said her ancestors were from Germany.
"It took five years and a lot of help from the genealogy library, but we are members of the DAR," Mrs. Long said.
She is a member of the Griffith Rutherford Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in Rutherford County.
"When my husband and I moved to the Carolinians, we lived in a 26 foot camper in nearby Gaffney," Mrs. Long said.
About one year later, Ed Long found about 13 acres of land just inside Forest City.
"We love it here. We have lots of trees, deer and turkeys. We found a great church and good neighbors who look out for each other," she added.
