During her career as a nurse Mary Ellen LaBine spent all of her time in the North and she assisted at the birth of 20,000 babies.7447

    ____________________

Mary Ellen LaBine did not marry during her life.7447

    ____________________

A wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in Timmins, Ontario, CANADA is named after Mary Ellen LaBine.7402

    ____________________

“ Min” LaBine 90 Years Young

Yesterday was a very happy day for Mary E. (Min) LaBine, as the long time Haileybury resident celebrated her 90th birthday with many neighbors, friends and relatives in attendance at her home.

Early Days

She was born in Pembroke, Ontario in 1893 of the well known LaBine family. Following graduation from the Mary Immaculate Convent, she came to Haileybury, way back in 1914 to train at Providence Hospital. Following this, she went to Timmins where she spent the next two and a half years on general duty at St. Mary’s Hospital.

When the maternity wing was built at St. Mary’s, Miss LaBine was a supervisor - a post she ably filled after taking refresher courses in Obstetrics. As supervisor and instructor of the maternity wing, she was respected and loved by the student nurses and doctors.

Miss LaBine assisted in the delivery of over 20,000 babies throughout the north, and after spending some 20 years at St. Mary’s, she retired to her present home in Haileybury.

She is well known in the north, as she was a private duty nurse across very wide from Kapuskasing to Toronto!

Active in Community

Miss LaBine has been very active in the community, as a member of Holy Cross Parish in particular. She has been a CWL member for over 50 years.

She also has a wide range of interests. These include golfing and traveling, and playing bridge.

Some Good Advice

This marvelous lady has some good advice for those entering the nursing profession: “do it and do it well. And treat each person as well as you can - be they rich or poor”. Most important of all she says, be kind.

“If I had it to do over again, I would do it, as I loved my work.” Miss LaBine says. “I was happy with accomplishments and I tried to follow the rules as well as I could.”

As a point of interest, there is a wing at the Timmins hospital named after Miss LaBine. It’s a suitable tribute indeed.

A lady she is, this Miss LaBine. A lady Of the Lamp she will always be.

Article in Haleybury Paper celebrating Mary E. “Min” Labine’s 90th birthday “7480

    ____________________

Obituary of Mary E. LaBine

The last surviving member of a well-known Ottawa Valley Family, died in the Temiskaming Hospital July 13, 1984 in her 91st year.

Mary E. LaBine, also known as Min, was one of 10 children, the daughter of John and Mar Jane LaBine of Bromley Line, Westmeath.

After graduation from the Convent of Mary Immaculate, Pembroke, she came to Haileybury in 1914 to train as a nurse at the Providence Hospital. After graduation in 1917, Mary E. did private duty and staff work which took her to Cobalt, New Liskeard and Haileybury.

Probably no one in the nursing profession can surpass her contribution to this field in northern Ontario. During her long career she assisted at the birth of 20,000 babies.

After moving to St. Mary’s Timmins, she spent some two years on night duty, surgical and maternity. After the new maternity wing was built, she was asked to be supervisor.

Miss LaBine went to Toronto and took a special course in Obstetrics. She then came back to Timmins where she worked and supervised and trained nurses in that field. She had a great respect for the medical staff and her friends were many. After 20 years of service the wing was dedicated to her upon retirement.

After coming back to Haileybury to live with her sister Rose, she was involved in Parish work and CWL - a member of over 50 years. Mary enjoyed golf, bridge, reading and music, also a member of several local organizations.

She always felt there was no greater profession for a girl than nursing. Her family included the mining men Charles and Gilbert, Theresa Venn, Mrs. Lauretta Belec, Rose, John-Paul, Mary Jane.

The Mass of Celebration and Thanksgiving was offered by Father LeFond, Parish Priest, and the CWL guard of honor holding candles and joining the choir in hymns of praise. A solo The Lord is My Shepherd was sung by Mrs. William Oslund (Paula), a great niece. The pallbearers were Eric LaBine, Cecil Venne, Charles Belec, William Oslund, Edward Venne and Cy Copps. A great niece Bernadine did a reading. Also serving were Andre Forest and Denis Venne.

A beautiful lunch was served to the family and friends afterwards by the CWL.

Miss LaBine will be greatly missed by many nephews and nieces, neighbors and friends. As Mary would say, Many thanks for all your kindness and prayers.

Article from Newspaper “7402

    ____________________

Obituary of Rose Labine

Miss Rose Elizabeth LaPasse died at Timiskaming Hospital on Oct. 2, 1982 following a short illness.

She was born in Pembroke, Ont. - the daughter of the late John and Mary LaBine. After finishing school at the Convent of Mary Immaculate Pembroke, she persued a career in the nursing profession and graduated in 1916 after which she took Special Nursing at the University of Toronto and graduated in 1922. On her return to Haileybury she was the Public Health Nurse for Cobalt district.

Her life was dedicated to helping others and thought nothing of getting up through the night and hitching up a horse and buggy or cutter in those days to assist Dr. Joyal or Dr. Arnold to deliver a baby who knows where and be of help where needed.

Miss LaBine was also VON and drove a Model T of later years over many back roads in northern Ontario and Quebec.

After the Haileybury fire of 1922 MIss LaBine was one of the main organizers to help reconstruct the Haileybury Hospital. Many a trip she made to the hospital with food, clothing or goodies of some kind, and she was there to lend a helping hand and kind word or a smile to someone who needed comfort. An honored member of C.W.L. and an avid church worker, and to be a part of the redecoration of Holy Cross Church, made her very happy.

She will be greatly missed in the community by those who knew her - especially her sister Mary E., who survives, and Rose Ann Foster (nee Venne) to whom she as a mother and also by the many nephews and nieces who loved her dearly.

Miss LaBine was a sister to the late Gilbert A., Charles L. LaBine, also John, Lauretta (Mrs. D. Belec), Theresa (Mrs. William Venne and Paul Bertrand).

Her funeral mass celebrated by Father LaFond at Holy Cross Parish Oct. 5 and interment followed in the Parish Cemetery. Pallbearers were Cecil Venne, Eric LaBine, Charles Belec, Bill Keenan, John Molnar and George Morrissette. Andre Forster and Denis Venne assisted Father LaFond.

Friends and relations came from Toronto; Mississauga; Ottawa; Pembroke; Chichester, Que.; North Bay; New Liskeard; Sudbury, Thunder Bay; Lethbridge, Alberta; Grand Forks, B.C.; London, Ont.; Cobalt; and surrounding Haileybury.

Article from Newspaper.7391

[Note: VON is the Victoria Order of Nurses.]

None

Mary Ellen LaBine
Mary E. (Min) LaBine
Mary E. LaBine
Min LaBine
Mary Helena Labine