Lorraine Albert Johnley (1924-1970)

Lorraine Albert, the oldest child of Gus and Bernadette, married Gerald (Joe) Johnley at St. Hyacinthe Church in Westbrook, Maine on April 28, 1948. Her maid of honor was her sister, Jeanne and best man was her brother, Roland.  

Wedding Day - April 28, 1948

Another family member played a key role in the wedding; Lorraine’s uncle, Reverend Wilfred Albert, officiated. The bride’s attire was a Navy suit with matching accessories and a panama straw hat trimmed with a Navy ribbon, and she wore a corsage of white roses. The maid of honor wore a corsage of pink roses. Her husband to be had just served two and a half years in the Navy in the Pacific. He was employed as a chef at the time of his marriage.

In addition to raising three children and being a devoted wife, Lorraine strived to pursue a career in the medical field. Her passion to be a nurse began before her marriage and family. As the record below shows, she entered the United States Cadet Nurses Corp in 1944 while WWII was still raging on. I believe her membership in the Corp at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine was where Lorraine received her medical training. As seen on the card, her date of graduation was September 14, 1947. The 1951 Portland City Directory showed Lorraine working as an Registered Nurse at Mercy Hospital. She later worked at the Osteopathic Hospital in Portland.

Lorraine was a special aunt to me.  I remember she gave me special attention as one of her many nephews.  Something that stands out to me even today is that she did not treat me like I was a child therefore I feel I bonded with her in a different way than with my other aunts and uncles. She really was like a second mother to me. This is a bold statement to make because I truly loved all my aunts and uncles. 

Baby Diane in Dec 1950

Struck with breast cancer at such an early age, Lorraine passed away from the illness on May 10, 1970 at the age of 44. The event was a tragic loss for the Albert family. Her giving spirit and devotion to family and others will live on forever.

Credits: Thanks to Diane Bell for providing the photos for this post.
Source of the Cadet Nurse Corp record: ancestry.com