This Month's Profile...
Jonnie Ulmer
by Carolyn Liu
It is with great pleasure that I have the
opportunity to introduce you to one of the “pillars” of
our Church and nonagenarian, Jonnie Ulmer. I’m sure
those of you who have been members for a long time know
her. She is the petite lady who quietly sits with other
“senior” members of the congregation, and who on
occasion dons -- in addition to her other fashionable
attire -- a lovely feathered red hat.
It is indeed difficult to do justice to
the ninety-some years of this delightful lady’s life,
who in her own words has “been there and done that.”
Been there and done that is an understatement for
Jonnie.
Jonnie was born Ada Isabelle Welsh in
1913 in Centralia, Washington. She has been a member of
the Church since 1951. While living in Suquamish with
her husband, an elder of the church came to her door and
announced that the Church would like to have her. Her
prior church membership was with the First Christian
Church in Seattle.
Jonnie left Centralia to come to Seattle
where she graduated from the renowned Swedish Hospital
School of Nursing program.
She later joined the Navy Nursing Corps.
It was while serving as an officer in the Navy that
Jonnie met her husband-to-be, Jack Ulmer. Jonnie and
Jack fell instantly in love. The fact that Jack was an
enlisted man and Jonnie was an officer did not in any
way deter Jonnie in her choice to marry the man she
loved. Against the “advice” of her commanding officer,
Jonnie forfeited her commission as an officer to marry
the man she loved, and entered into a marriage that
lasted 57 years.
Jonnie experienced one of the most
historic events of our nation being at Pearl Harbor
before, after, and on the fatal day of December 7,
1942. Her description of the events of that time could
fill a separate story. The Hawaiian Islands were quite
different from the commercialized beachfronts one
encounters there today. It was a quiet peaceful
morning, and Jonnie recalls being in her housecoat when
the island’s tranquility was so abruptly interrupted by
roaring planes overhead. Jonnie looked up and --
immediately upon seeing the distinctive red Japanese
emblems of the planes -- recognized them as not being
ours, but those of the Japanese. Next came the sight of
the bursting flames of fire and the acrid smell of smoke
and destruction. Chaos ensued. As Jonnie relates, they
were totally unprepared for what followed. She recalls
trying to work in the hospital wards in a blackout. To
read a thermometer, she had to run to the kitchen to
open the refrigerator, one of the few light sources
supplied by a generator. There was a shortage of not
only medication -- i.e., no morphine, pain killers and
other medical necessities -- but also food and no
indication of when these commodities would be coming
from the mainland. She talks of the hospital’s two
wards, one for critical care and the other for the
recuperating. It was not uncommon for her to have to
man a ward of 100 patients. It was not uncommon to work
endlessly around the clock.
Jonnie and her husband were survivors and
went on to lead wonderful, adventure-filled lives.
Jonnie is someone I would characterize as
a “renaissance” woman. She is possessed of a keen
inquisitive mind and loves to learn, to read, to
explorer the unknown and also to engage her artistic
side. She learned to paint in the tradition of the
masters having one of her paintings entered into the
Bainbridge Arts festival where she was awarded “First
Prize.” At the ripe young age of 92 she has a computer
and is mastering surfing the net. No one to shy away
from our new technological age, she recently has
acquired a cell phone.
Jonnie’s exploration quests are
legendary. In her 60’s she petitioned NASA to go up
into the realms of outer space. She regretfully was
turned down, but still would love to explore that
realm. On planet earth, Jonnie has traveled far and
wide. She has been to many of the South American
islands and jungles, the Panama Canal and to the
Antarctic. Her trip to the Antarctic would in itself,
like her experience at Pearl Harbor, encompass another
entire story. She went there after the death of her
husband. She refers to this expedition of three months
as one of the most memorable of her lifetime
adventures. What is most remarkable about this is that
Jonnie was in her 80’s when she undertook this
expedition
Among a few of Jonnie’s many interests
include rocks, birds, and plants along with art.
Jonnie is truly a remarkable woman, and
one who needs to be applauded for her many years of
service and dedication to our church. She has served
the church tireless and faithfully, doing as she states,
“a little of everything.” In short, Jonnie has truly
paid her dues in her many years of service to UCC.
I am sure we can all join in our thanking
Jonnie for her many contributions to UCC and for her
sharing with us some glimpses of a most memorable
journey of her road in life.
