Julia MacFarlan Irby was born April 27, 1877 in Cheraw, Chesterfield County of South Carolina where her father, John Laurens Manning Irby, had begun the practice of law after marrying Miss Nancy Greenup MacFarlan. Shortly thereafter, before 1880, Mr. Irby moved his small family to his home town of Laurens.
Julia grew up in Laurens and attended school there until an altercation with her father. At that point, she moved to Columbia to attend high school at the Ursaline Convent. She graduated in 1895. After finishing college in 1900; she is listed in the 1900 Census as a "Trained Nurse" living in Laurens. At some point before 1910, she worked as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Julia is listed in the 1910 Census as living with her mother and three siblings back in Laurens. On August 5th of that year, Julia was one of the first few nurses to receive her Registered Nurse License in South Carolina after the Registration Law was enacted.
In 1911, Julia and her aunt, Janet MacFarlan, both experienced trained nurses, announced their plan to establish a hospital in Laurens. They subsequently opened the hospital in a large home at 520 Chestnut Street. In 1914, the hospital was moved to the Irby Home (built by Julia's grandfather James Henderson Irby and completed in 1860) located between South Harper Street and Irby Avenue Extension. In 1920 the hospital became a satellite of the Mary Black Sanitarium operated by Dr. Hugh Black of Spartanburg. A Governing Board of 10 volunteers was formed and took control of the hospital in 1924 and operated until 1932. In 1933 Laurens County approved a bond issue to build a new publicly supported hospital. The Laurens County Hospital opened on January 1, 1937.
While administering and working at the hospital, Julia was heavily involved with professional and public nursing organizations. In 1914 she was elected the fifth President of the South Carolina State Nurses Association and was reelected in 1915 for a second term. She also served as Treasurer and one of the first six nurses on the Advisory Board to the Medical Board of Examiners. The South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs selected Julia in 1916 as the Chairman of Public Health. In that position, she was able to secure funds for a scholarship which was used to support the first nurse in South Carolina to be trained in Public Health Nursing. In 1918 she was appointed State Chairman of the Department of Child Welfare and organized County Chairmen to institute the intensive campaign with the goal of saving the lives of 100,000 babies in South Carolina in 1918.
As if she didn't have enough to do, Julia adopted her infant cousin, Azile Wilson Clary, whose mother had died a month after her birth.
After Julia ended her duties at the hospital she worked as a private nurse, which would necessitate moving around the state while taking care of her family. In 1920 she is listed in the Census living in her Laurens home at 1002 South Harper Street with her mother, one sister, two brothers and their wives, one nephew, her daughter and 4 boarders. At about this time, she was hired to attend to the invalid cousin of the man in Florence County that would marry her daughter. During the Great Depression in 1930, she is living in Whitmire, SC with her daughter and mother and operating a Boarding House, there are 24 boarders. All but three of the boarders are female school teachers. In 1935, Julia, her daughter and mother are living in Columbia. In the 1940 Census, Julia and her mother are recorded while visiting he brother, William Cannon Irby, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
In October 1944, her daughter is married and in November, her mother, Nancy "Nannie" MacFarlan Irby, died at the age of 89. Julia continued to live with her daughter's family in Columbia, with moves to Aiken, back to Columbia and to Mt. Pleasant.
Julia was presented on October 5, 1950 with an Honorary Life Membership in the South Carolina State Nurses Association for her dedicated service to nurses and to the Association.
Julia died on February 6, 1957 in Laurens while visiting her cousin Mrs. Albert Dial Gray (Lyllian Irby Caine). She was buried on February 8th in her father's plot in the Laurens City Cemetery.
Julia grew up in Laurens and attended school there until an altercation with her father. At that point, she moved to Columbia to attend high school at the Ursaline Convent. She graduated in 1895. After finishing college in 1900; she is listed in the 1900 Census as a "Trained Nurse" living in Laurens. At some point before 1910, she worked as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Julia is listed in the 1910 Census as living with her mother and three siblings back in Laurens. On August 5th of that year, Julia was one of the first few nurses to receive her Registered Nurse License in South Carolina after the Registration Law was enacted.
In 1911, Julia and her aunt, Janet MacFarlan, both experienced trained nurses, announced their plan to establish a hospital in Laurens. They subsequently opened the hospital in a large home at 520 Chestnut Street. In 1914, the hospital was moved to the Irby Home (built by Julia's grandfather James Henderson Irby and completed in 1860) located between South Harper Street and Irby Avenue Extension. In 1920 the hospital became a satellite of the Mary Black Sanitarium operated by Dr. Hugh Black of Spartanburg. A Governing Board of 10 volunteers was formed and took control of the hospital in 1924 and operated until 1932. In 1933 Laurens County approved a bond issue to build a new publicly supported hospital. The Laurens County Hospital opened on January 1, 1937.
While administering and working at the hospital, Julia was heavily involved with professional and public nursing organizations. In 1914 she was elected the fifth President of the South Carolina State Nurses Association and was reelected in 1915 for a second term. She also served as Treasurer and one of the first six nurses on the Advisory Board to the Medical Board of Examiners. The South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs selected Julia in 1916 as the Chairman of Public Health. In that position, she was able to secure funds for a scholarship which was used to support the first nurse in South Carolina to be trained in Public Health Nursing. In 1918 she was appointed State Chairman of the Department of Child Welfare and organized County Chairmen to institute the intensive campaign with the goal of saving the lives of 100,000 babies in South Carolina in 1918.
As if she didn't have enough to do, Julia adopted her infant cousin, Azile Wilson Clary, whose mother had died a month after her birth.
After Julia ended her duties at the hospital she worked as a private nurse, which would necessitate moving around the state while taking care of her family. In 1920 she is listed in the Census living in her Laurens home at 1002 South Harper Street with her mother, one sister, two brothers and their wives, one nephew, her daughter and 4 boarders. At about this time, she was hired to attend to the invalid cousin of the man in Florence County that would marry her daughter. During the Great Depression in 1930, she is living in Whitmire, SC with her daughter and mother and operating a Boarding House, there are 24 boarders. All but three of the boarders are female school teachers. In 1935, Julia, her daughter and mother are living in Columbia. In the 1940 Census, Julia and her mother are recorded while visiting he brother, William Cannon Irby, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
In October 1944, her daughter is married and in November, her mother, Nancy "Nannie" MacFarlan Irby, died at the age of 89. Julia continued to live with her daughter's family in Columbia, with moves to Aiken, back to Columbia and to Mt. Pleasant.
Julia was presented on October 5, 1950 with an Honorary Life Membership in the South Carolina State Nurses Association for her dedicated service to nurses and to the Association.
Julia died on February 6, 1957 in Laurens while visiting her cousin Mrs. Albert Dial Gray (Lyllian Irby Caine). She was buried on February 8th in her father's plot in the Laurens City Cemetery.
Julia MacFarlan Irby was born April 27, 1877 in Cheraw, Chesterfield County of South Carolina where her father, John Laurens Manning Irby, had begun the practice of law after marrying Miss Nancy Greenup MacFarlan. Shortly thereafter, before 1880, Mr. Irby moved his small family to his home town of Laurens.
Julia grew up in Laurens and attended school there until an altercation with her father. At that point, she moved to Columbia to attend high school at the Ursaline Convent. She graduated in 1895. After finishing college in 1900; she is listed in the 1900 Census as a "Trained Nurse" living in Laurens. At some point before 1910, she worked as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Julia is listed in the 1910 Census as living with her mother and three siblings back in Laurens. On August 5th of that year, Julia was one of the first few nurses to receive her Registered Nurse License in South Carolina after the Registration Law was enacted.
In 1911, Julia and her aunt, Janet MacFarlan, both experienced trained nurses, announced their plan to establish a hospital in Laurens. They subsequently opened the hospital in a large home at 520 Chestnut Street. In 1914, the hospital was moved to the Irby Home (built by Julia's grandfather James Henderson Irby and completed in 1860) located between South Harper Street and Irby Avenue Extension. In 1920 the hospital became a satellite of the Mary Black Sanitarium operated by Dr. Hugh Black of Spartanburg. A Governing Board of 10 volunteers was formed and took control of the hospital in 1924 and operated until 1932. In 1933 Laurens County approved a bond issue to build a new publicly supported hospital. The Laurens County Hospital opened on January 1, 1937.
While administering and working at the hospital, Julia was heavily involved with professional and public nursing organizations. In 1914 she was elected the fifth President of the South Carolina State Nurses Association and was reelected in 1915 for a second term. She also served as Treasurer and one of the first six nurses on the Advisory Board to the Medical Board of Examiners. The South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs selected Julia in 1916 as the Chairman of Public Health. In that position, she was able to secure funds for a scholarship which was used to support the first nurse in South Carolina to be trained in Public Health Nursing. In 1918 she was appointed State Chairman of the Department of Child Welfare and organized County Chairmen to institute the intensive campaign with the goal of saving the lives of 100,000 babies in South Carolina in 1918.
As if she didn't have enough to do, Julia adopted her infant cousin, Azile Wilson Clary, whose mother had died a month after her birth.
After Julia ended her duties at the hospital she worked as a private nurse, which would necessitate moving around the state while taking care of her family. In 1920 she is listed in the Census living in her Laurens home at 1002 South Harper Street with her mother, one sister, two brothers and their wives, one nephew, her daughter and 4 boarders. At about this time, she was hired to attend to the invalid cousin of the man in Florence County that would marry her daughter. During the Great Depression in 1930, she is living in Whitmire, SC with her daughter and mother and operating a Boarding House, there are 24 boarders. All but three of the boarders are female school teachers. In 1935, Julia, her daughter and mother are living in Columbia. In the 1940 Census, Julia and her mother are recorded while visiting he brother, William Cannon Irby, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
In October 1944, her daughter is married and in November, her mother, Nancy "Nannie" MacFarlan Irby, died at the age of 89. Julia continued to live with her daughter's family in Columbia, with moves to Aiken, back to Columbia and to Mt. Pleasant.
Julia was presented on October 5, 1950 with an Honorary Life Membership in the South Carolina State Nurses Association for her dedicated service to nurses and to the Association.
Julia died on February 6, 1957 in Laurens while visiting her cousin Mrs. Albert Dial Gray (Lyllian Irby Caine). She was buried on February 8th in her father's plot in the Laurens City Cemetery.
Julia grew up in Laurens and attended school there until an altercation with her father. At that point, she moved to Columbia to attend high school at the Ursaline Convent. She graduated in 1895. After finishing college in 1900; she is listed in the 1900 Census as a "Trained Nurse" living in Laurens. At some point before 1910, she worked as a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Julia is listed in the 1910 Census as living with her mother and three siblings back in Laurens. On August 5th of that year, Julia was one of the first few nurses to receive her Registered Nurse License in South Carolina after the Registration Law was enacted.
In 1911, Julia and her aunt, Janet MacFarlan, both experienced trained nurses, announced their plan to establish a hospital in Laurens. They subsequently opened the hospital in a large home at 520 Chestnut Street. In 1914, the hospital was moved to the Irby Home (built by Julia's grandfather James Henderson Irby and completed in 1860) located between South Harper Street and Irby Avenue Extension. In 1920 the hospital became a satellite of the Mary Black Sanitarium operated by Dr. Hugh Black of Spartanburg. A Governing Board of 10 volunteers was formed and took control of the hospital in 1924 and operated until 1932. In 1933 Laurens County approved a bond issue to build a new publicly supported hospital. The Laurens County Hospital opened on January 1, 1937.
While administering and working at the hospital, Julia was heavily involved with professional and public nursing organizations. In 1914 she was elected the fifth President of the South Carolina State Nurses Association and was reelected in 1915 for a second term. She also served as Treasurer and one of the first six nurses on the Advisory Board to the Medical Board of Examiners. The South Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs selected Julia in 1916 as the Chairman of Public Health. In that position, she was able to secure funds for a scholarship which was used to support the first nurse in South Carolina to be trained in Public Health Nursing. In 1918 she was appointed State Chairman of the Department of Child Welfare and organized County Chairmen to institute the intensive campaign with the goal of saving the lives of 100,000 babies in South Carolina in 1918.
As if she didn't have enough to do, Julia adopted her infant cousin, Azile Wilson Clary, whose mother had died a month after her birth.
After Julia ended her duties at the hospital she worked as a private nurse, which would necessitate moving around the state while taking care of her family. In 1920 she is listed in the Census living in her Laurens home at 1002 South Harper Street with her mother, one sister, two brothers and their wives, one nephew, her daughter and 4 boarders. At about this time, she was hired to attend to the invalid cousin of the man in Florence County that would marry her daughter. During the Great Depression in 1930, she is living in Whitmire, SC with her daughter and mother and operating a Boarding House, there are 24 boarders. All but three of the boarders are female school teachers. In 1935, Julia, her daughter and mother are living in Columbia. In the 1940 Census, Julia and her mother are recorded while visiting he brother, William Cannon Irby, in Jacksonville, Alabama.
In October 1944, her daughter is married and in November, her mother, Nancy "Nannie" MacFarlan Irby, died at the age of 89. Julia continued to live with her daughter's family in Columbia, with moves to Aiken, back to Columbia and to Mt. Pleasant.
Julia was presented on October 5, 1950 with an Honorary Life Membership in the South Carolina State Nurses Association for her dedicated service to nurses and to the Association.
Julia died on February 6, 1957 in Laurens while visiting her cousin Mrs. Albert Dial Gray (Lyllian Irby Caine). She was buried on February 8th in her father's plot in the Laurens City Cemetery.
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