We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Well-wishers gathered recently in Sweet Park to celebrate Laurie Huestis' forty years of service with the Blaine I Ambulance and Rescue crew. Jim Doyle, who served as Co-Chief of the crew with Laurie for many years, is shown presenting a plaque commemorating her service. The event concluded with cake and ice cream and many expressions of heartfelt thanks to Laurie for her service.
There was a sizable gathering on hand last Sunday afternoon, June 2, at Sweet Park to celebrate Laurie Huestis' service with the Blaine I Ambulance and Rescue service and wish her well after 40 years with the crew. The well-wishers were not just former ambulance and rescue colleagues. Dr. Carley Robertson, the Medical Director for the ambulance crew, as well as other local and regional medical professionals stopped by to wish Laurie well. And there were a number of us locals who wanted to tell Laurie how much she was and still is appreciated for her service on the ambulance and her winning smile when we see her around town.
I asked Laurie what was most rewarding about being on the emergency crew all those years. She hesitated for only a moment and answered, "Knowing that there was somebody there when needed." Asked about sharing some notable rescues she laughed and said, "There are laws that prohibit me talking about those."
We talked about what she will miss since retiring from the crew of the Blaine I Ambulance and Rescue. She said, "I will really miss the regular interaction with that group of friends and the camaraderie I enjoyed while being a part of the emergency unit."
I recall Laurie was almost always in the ambulance near the bucking chutes for the annual Bear Paw Roundup Rodeo during the fair. She acknowledged she attended a lot of rodeos as well as lots of high school football games. She added, "Most of the cases we treated at the football games were the little kids running around on the sidelines." She assured me I would likely not see her as a spectator at many future rodeos.
Toward the end of Sunday's ceremony Laurie's former Co-Crew Chief, Jim Doyle, called her forward and presented her with a plaque expressing thanks for her years of service. Laurie said she and Jim served as co-crew chiefs for a number of years. With the formal part of the program completed guests were invited in to the Girl Scout Hut to enjoy cake, ice cream and socializing. It was a great afternoon to pay tribute to a great lady. Thanks again, Laurie.
