Emma Witt Stapleton is one of the most beloved citizens of Estill County. Emma’s adventurous life style experiences led her to all corners of the world but she always return to her beloved Estill County when her travels were concluded.
Emma was born to James Ransom Witt and Rhoda Tipton Witt. She had an older half brother, an older sister and two younger half sisters. Her mother died of typhoid fever when Emma was 1 year old and her father remarried a year later to Lizzie Tuggle who Emma described as a “good woman”.
Emma attended a one room school at Cow Creek and then attended and graduated from Irvine High School. In 1925, Emma attended Western Kentucky State Teachers College for a summer term and then taught third grade at Ravenna Elementary School for 5 years. Emma then followed what she felt was her calling and entered the nursing profession. She became a Registered Nurse at the St. Thomas School of Nursing in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1938 Emma received her Bachelor of Science Degree form Western Kentucky State Teachers College.
Emma served as the Director of the School of Nursing at Speers Hospital in Dayton, Ohio for 13 years then entered the Army Nurse Corps as a Captain in 1948 and completed basic training at Ort Meade, Maryland. Emma was first assigned duty at Fort Knox, Kentucky for a short time before being reassigned to active duty in Japan where she served for 18 months.
Her most unpleasant military experience was when she was assigned to duty in Korea. Emma served there for 13 months and preferred not to talk about her experiences except to say that it was “pretty rough, sometimes we would work all night after working all day, and it was cold. In the summer it was just as hot as it was cold in the winter, but you didn’t worry about that – just taking care of the boys . It was the most satisfying nursing that I did. Taking care of the boys – you really felt like you had done something”.
Emma’s most enjoyable assignment was Paris, France. She learned to love the country and the people even though she was assigned there only 25 months. She cried when she left but home was calling her. She was stationed at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. where she was in charge of the Radioisotope Clinic. She was cited for the technical ability and initiative and received the Commendation Ribbon while at Walter Reed. When any dignitary became ill, they sent them to Walter reed. She cared for presidents including Dwight D. Eisenhower Richard Nixon, their families and many other important people.
Before being discharged as Major from the Army Nurse Corps in 1966, Emma was assigned once again to Fort Knox, Kentucky. She said she asked for this final assignment so that she could look for a home when she returned to her Estill County.
When Emma returned to Estill County she served for 5 years in the Public Health Service with Dr. Richard Snowden. She relates an experience in a very remote area while she was making a home visit, a man with a gun greeted her on a wooded path. He asked her what her business was (she was in uniform) and escorted her to her destination. Emma said that she could smell the mash and as she was walking back to her car felt eyes watching her much of the way.
Emma served the community in many ways. She was active in the Estill County Garden Club, The Irvine-Ravenna Woman’s Club, The Retired Teacher’s Association, The American Legion, The Hospital Auxiliary, the governing board of the Marcum-Wallace Hospital and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She coordinated the canteen for the Kiwanis Blood Drives and taught Sunday School Class at the First Baptist Church in Irvine.
In 1996, the Irvine-Ravenna Woman’s Club submitted Emma’s name to be included in a Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was the first major memorial to honor and pay tribute to all the women who have served in the armed services.
Major Emma Witt Stapleton was a person who had truly earned inclusion in the Estill County Hall of Honor.