Lauretta Elizabeth Guillet (Monroe) 1913 - 1963

1938

Lauretta Monroe was born April 10, 1913, the fourth and last child of Frank Forest and Dorothy Phillips Monroe, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.  1913 was a year long remembered because of flooding caused by heavy rains in the Ohio River Valley.

Lauretta (Laurie or Rett) enjoyed a normal childhood, probably pampered because she was the youngest child and only girl.  She participated in sports and loved to go fishing.  Following high school she entered Western Reserve University School of Nursing and graduated in 1935.

She worked hospital, private duty, and clinical nursing, and several summers as a camp nurse at Ho Mita Koda (a camp for diabetic children).  It was at camp that she met Ross Guillet.  They were married August 13, 1938.

She was the proud mother of four daughters (Dorothy, Linda, Jane and Sally) who reflected her loving care and interest.  Camping with her family was a great joy.  She was involved with the Red Cross and Church activities.

Lauretta was diagnosed with brain cancer.  She is not in the video of Linda's wedding September 1962 she was mostly hospitalized in her final year of life.  My father describes her battle with cancer very difficult.  She succumed to cancer in Ohio Februaury 27, 1963 after a long hard fight. 

It has never been pursued as far as I know but her husband worked with Polonium for years and I wonder if there was a connection to her cancer.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium#Toxicity