Rachael Tolson Law

Rachael Tolson Law died during a spectacular sunset on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. She was born in Darlington County, South Carolina on September 27, 1917 from the strong union of Samuel Blackwell and Angie Edwards Tolson. She had six siblings - three older brothers, two younger brothers, and one older sister - and lived a happy and productive life on the family farm. Their home was a foundation of hard work, integrity, and great appreciation for adventure and play. Rachael began her ""nursing career"" as a little child who stitched, bandaged, medicated and comforted her dolls back to health - often with the help of her beloved father. Rachael pursued her lifelong dream upon graduation from Lamar High School in 1934 by enrolling in the McLeod Infirmary School of Nursing where she earned her RN degree in 1937. Her career spanned seven decades of patient care in hospital and industrial settings including the old City Memorial Hospital, Hanes Hosiery/Sara Lee Corporation, Forsyth Memorial Hospital, and after retirement, Winston-Salem Health Care, the American Red Cross, and the Community Care Center. Her professionalism and her compassion have been hallmarks of her interactions with patients and their families. Roy Thompson wrote this story about her for the W-S Journal when she retired in 1982 (actually the first of three retirements, the last day of work being at about age 85). ""When Doctors Get Into a Jam Now, They Can't Call Law"" Doctors and nurses are accustomed to life-or-death crises, but this crisis was more serious than that. It was well after midnight when…many years ago … an ambulance rolled into old City Hospital, and the attendants hurriedly carried a young girl into the emergency room. She'd been in a wreck, and you didn't have to be a doctor or a nurse to know that she needed help. The girl was obviously in pain. The nurse called a doctor and was about to start a preliminary examination when the girl ordered her away. She didn't want any treatment, she said. She just wanted to be left alone. The nurse told her she was badly injured and would have to be treated. The girl said it again, ‘Leave me alone.' The doctor came, and the nurse explained, then he tried his most persuasive arguments on the girl. The girl refused. She wouldn't let anyone touch her. ‘Call Law,' the doctor told the nurse, and the nurse called Rachael Law, who was the night supervisor early that morning. The switchboard operator found Mrs. Law, and she hurried into the emergency room, listened outside as the doctor and nurse explained the problem. Mrs. Law went in alone and talked to the girl. Minutes later, she came out, told the doctor that the girl was ready to be treated, then went on to the next problem. The girl was treated and admitted to the hospital. Later in the night the doctor and nurse asked Mrs. Law what the problem had been. She kept her secret until later, when the girl had left the hospital. The girl, she said, was a country girl and had been brought up to believe that females who wore black panties were bad girls. She'd always had a secret desire to wear them, but she'd never dared to do it. This was her night. She put on her black panties and left home feeling pretty daring. Then came the wreck and the ambulance. And there she was in the hospital with a doctor wanting to examine her. He'd take one look at those black panties and decide she was a bad girl, which she wasn't. Rachael Law got the story in minutes. She's like that. She's a warm, caring person, and even frightened strangers know this when she walks through the door. Everybody who has worked around her in a hospital doubtless has a favorite Rachael Law story that comes to mind when talk turns to outstanding nurses. This one… about her slipping out of the hospital emergency room, hiding a wadded-up pair of black panties and a pretty little girl's shame … came to mind Wednesday night when Rachael Law … all prettied up and wearing a corsage … went to a going-away party given by her friends, to say goodbye. She has retired. She was assistant director of nursing at Forsyth Memorial Hospital. They'll not be able to call Law now. If they have somebody else only half as warm and caring, Forsyth Memorial will get along just fine."" Travel around the world and in the US was another of her great passions. Although she didn't begin traveling regularly until after the age of 60, she managed to visit 48 of the 50 United States and dozens of countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. Her adventurous spirit and her genuine love of people made her an excellent ambassador wherever she went. Those of us who were nurtured, educated, counseled, and inspired by her touch on our lives are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to know her and selfishly saddened by the realization of our loss. Mrs. Law was preceded in death by four brothers, CB, John, Ed and Dight Tolson; a sister, Mrs. Mary Lind; two daughters, Patsy Jean and Cora Angie Law; and a grandson, Alex Snyder. Survivors include a brother Bill A. Tolson (Donna) of Melbourne, Fla; one daughter, Dottye Law Currin (Walt) of Westfield; seven grandchildren, Tom Westmoreland (Diane) of Lewisville, Jenny Barker (Ron) of High Point, Karin Solomonson (Chad) of Huntersville, Glenn Snyder of Charleston, SC, Lisa Currin of Raleigh, and Debbie Peck and Vicky Kirgan of Concord, NC. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren, Tommy Westmoreland (Anna) of Charlotte, Angie Westmoreland of Clemmons, Michelle Gillenwater (Cole) of Greensboro, Sean Kirwan of Charlotte, Chris Kirwan and Truman Barker of High Point, Emily and Boden Solomonson of Huntersville; and four great-great grandchildren, Hailey, Gabriel, and Aidan Gillenwater; and Ashford Westmoreland. Other survivors include many loving nieces and nephews; dozens of ""adopted"" daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons; and friends too numerous to count! Visitation with family will be at the Salemtowne Retirement Community from 2p-5p on Sunday, November 2nd in the Saal (community center). For directions please call the Main Welcome Center at 336-714-2189 or online at www.salemtowne.org A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held on the following Sunday, November 9th at 2:00 p.m. in Old Salem at the Home Moravian Church. The Reverends Scott Venable, Linda Browne, Craig Walker will officiate with special participation by the Reverends Susan Dobyns and Lahoma Goode. As she wished, her final resting place will be at her homeplace on Tolson Road in Timmonsville, SC. That homecoming will be scheduled for Spring 2009. Hayworth- Miller Funeral Home on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem, NC is assisting the family. In recognition of her extraordinary dedication to the nursing profession, the Rachael Tolson Law Memorial Scholarship Fund for nursing education has been established. Contributions may be directed to Winston-Salem Foundation at 860 West Fifth Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 or online at www.wsfoundation.org (Two permanent endowment funds will eventually be established at both the McLeod Health Foundation in Florence, SC and at the Forsyth Medical Center Nursing Education Fund in Winston-Salem.)

Memorials:
Rachael Tolson Law Memorial Scholarship Fund

Cemetery:
Cremation