Dorothy M Blume

Dorothy M Blume, 85, of Austin, TX, died on Sunday, February 13, 2011. She was born February 9, 1926 in north central Illinois, the oldest child of Roy and Margaret Pluister Blume. After graduating from the Evanston, IL Hospital School of Nursing she practiced nine years as staff and head nurse in four states. These experiences were in obstetrics, nursery, operating room, polio, baby and older pediatrics, medical, surgical, physician's clinic, and cancer nursing at M D Anderson in Houston, Tx. After earning a BSN and an MSN from The University of Texas she taught nursing on both the Galveston and Austin campuses before establishing a new program as Director, then Vice-President of Continuing Education for UT's Systemwide School of Nursing's six campuses. After the Systemwide School was dissolved in 1976 she became Director of Special Projects which included development of the BSN Program for RN and LVN students whom she supervised two evenings a week in clinical practice. She also served as Assistant Dean for the Undergraduate Program the three years before her retirement in 1986. During her 31 years affiliated with UT she was very active in many professional activities at the state, regional and national level. She was most proud of her six years of concerted effort to recruit more men as well as women into nursing to meet a critical shortage and to promote the establishment of a statewide multiple health careers organization for all high school students in every school or city.

Dorothy was an avid reader and a great lover of nature and the out-of-doors. She enjoyed farming, major carpentry projects, flower gardening, outdoor cooking, tenting then RV camping and traveling, hiking, swimming and many sports as a participant and/ or a spectator. She happily attained her long held desire to see Alaska and New Zealand and also visited Australia, Canada, Mexico and all but three states in the USA.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her brother Dallas of Mt. Morris, IL, her sister Gladys Hartnett of Kerrville, TX and nieces Corrinne Blume and Carri H McKesson. She is sur¬vived by her sister Allene Voss of Rochelle, II, sister-in-law Elaine, three nieces, three nephews and ten grand nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 21, 2011 in Remembrance Gardens, 4214 N Capital of Texas Hwy in Austin, just north of Riverbend Church, and her ashes will be dispersed there. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the University of Texas, School of Nursing, c/o A. Brannon, 1700 Red River, Mail Code D0100, Austin, Texas 78701.