Shirley Reusser's collections grow through travel
Staff writer
Even with her busy schedule, Shirley Reusser still finds the time to collect things. And what does she collect?
Perhaps the question should be, What doesn't she collect?
Reusser, through her travels and gifts from family and friends, has collected items ranging from treasures like Hummel and Jan Hagara figurines and German brand teddy bears to joining in the craze of collecting the Ty Beanie Babies and fast food toy items. You name it — Reusser may have collected it at one time or another.
She was born and raised in Hillsboro and is a Hillsboro High School graduate.
"We will have our 50th class reunion this year," Reusser said.
She attended Bethel College for one year and then went into nurse's training for three years. She received her registered nurse's degree from Bethel Deaconess School of Nursing.
"My first job was with Dr. D.S. Klassen in Newton," she said.
In 1958, she married Dwayne Reusser, whom she met at Bethel College. The couple moved to Germany where he was stationed.
Through the transfer and job changes of her husband, Reusser has worked in many places.
"When you are a nurse, there is always work to be found," she said. "I never had any problem finding a job."
Throughout the years, she worked at the Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, Bethesda Hospital, and for Drs. Ratzlaff and Krause in Goessel. She worked as the Marion County Health nurse from 1968-70 and worked part-time at St. Luke Hospital in Marion.
Reusser was also director of nursing at Parkside Homes for three years. Then in 1981, she joined the newly formed Hillsboro Family Practice Clinic under the reign of Drs. Richard and Darla Klassen.
In 1989, Reusser went back to Parkside Homes and became co-director with Elva Penner until 1996.
After resigning from Parkside, Reusser began helping her friend who had a home health office in McPherson. Reusser worked two days a week as auditor for records. She worked with offices in El Dorado, Hutchinson, Wichita, Salina, and McPherson.
"This was a fun job," Reusser said. "I went to different places and checked their records to make sure they were Medicare compliant."
Reusser also managed to find time to work with flowers — something she loved to do. She helped at Prairie Flower and Garden shop working with former owners Ken and Ruby Schroeder.
"I did that for three years, and I really enjoyed working with flowers," she said.
After the home health business closed, she took care of her mother, who had broken both her hips, for a year in her home.
"Dr. Reeh was her doctor and asked me if I would be willing to work part-time at his office," Reusser said. "Here again, I was a nurse, and he asked me to join him."
Reusser said she took her mother to the HCMC daycare which allowed Reusser to work part-time.
"This was wonderful for me," she said. "I got my mother ready in the morning, and she got used to the home which was a much easier transition for her to make when she had to go there permanently."
Reusser, in between her busy schedule as a nurse and a stay-at-home mom, has been a collector of many things.
"I have always been a collector. As a kid I collected napkins," she said.
As an adult she continued to collect various items.
"In the 1950s, I first started collecting Christmas cards with the Madonna (Baby Jesus and his mother)," Reusser said.
In the 1960s, she began collecting Avon bottles and miniature spoons. While her husband was stationed in Germany, she collected spoons from most of the European countries.
"I'm also a collector of stuffed teddy bears," she said. "My smallest one is about one-fourth of inch in size, and the largest is 36 inches tall."
She has different brands of bears from Steiff and Herman, German brands, to American, Raikes, Boyd's, and Ty.
Reusser's list of collections continues to include sets of Jan Hagara, Danbury, and Franklin Mint dolls.
"My favorite is one I got from my mother, the Armand Marseille," Reusser said.
Reusser also said she has collected all the holiday Barbies from as far back as she can remember.
"Now that my grandkids are getting older, I will be giving some of my collections away," Reusser said.
