Carla Stadel may not live in Monroe, but her connections with the town she's spent her career in have certainly made it feel like home.
Now retired from Monroe Clinic after more than two decades, she still feels pride in the materialization of longtime dreams that she had a large part in. She plans to keep her involvement and friendships here that she's held dear for so long and will also look to reconnect with her own community.
Stadel has called the Scales Mound, Illinois, area home all of her life. She grew up on a farm by Council Hill, in what many know as the Ably House, a home notorious for being haunted.
"We knew the stories but never felt like it was haunted," Stadel laughed. "It was a fun place to grow up."
The family had a beef farm with some dairy cattle and hogs. Stadel was expected to help along with her three siblings and said it was where she learned a strong work ethic.
She attended first and second grade at the Council Hill Country School, but soon after, the rural schools closed and Stadel's education moved to Scales Mound.
She was an involved student at the small Scales Mound High School, participating in cheerleading and school plays. She said it was a simpler, fun time before her graduation in 1970.
It was no surprise when she decided to attend the Freeport Memorial School of Nursing diploma school.
"I knew I was going to be a nurse early on," Stadel said, noting that despite being encouraged to think about other things, her decision never wavered. "I think I just liked what the profession was about. It was about caring."
The students worked on the nursing floor with their instructors and took on 3 to 11 p.m. shifts and worked weekends. Stadel still sees the benefits from that involved experience.
"We had a well-rounded education," Stadel said. "Orientation was slim, there was so much hands-on. It was a great way to learn and understand what it was like to be a nurse. It validated what I wanted."
Stadel still recalls the day her first patient died.
"I felt being present was a gift," she said. "Difficult. But, a gift."
She graduated from the three-year program in 1973 and landed a job at Southwest Hospital in Cuba City. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Gary, and the couple lived on his family's farm in Scales Mound.
Her time at the hospital was enjoyable, and Stadel said she liked the variety and the people. Six months into the schedule that rotated shifts so nurses worked every weekend, however, proved difficult. She took a new scheduling idea to the director so nurses could have every other weekend off.
It wasn't an unusual action for Stadel.
"Just because they'd always done it like that didn't mean it had to stay that way," she said.
After working there almost five years, Stadel had her first son and looked for a job with better hours. She landed a position at the Jo Daviess County Health Department as a public health nurse.
She enjoyed the position and said it opened her eyes. She was in charge of epidemics, vaccinations, school nursing, records, home visits and more. She would often provide chronic disease visits for people in their home and said it was an experience that changed her thinking process.
"I saw how their environment had such an impact," Stadel said. "I think that made me more rounded. It gave me a different perspective. I asked questions differently. It made me a better educator and listener."
She went back to the University of Dubuque part time to finish her bachelor's degree. Her family was growing, and after more than eight years, she decided to take some time off. When she returned, she was named the director of nursing for the Jo Daviess County Public Health Department.
She still took on home health visits and said it was great to be a part of that. She saw it as an opportunity to expand her knowledge. She was in the position for almost five years.
In 1986, Stadel experienced a house fire. No one was hurt, but she said the event made her realize the importance of community support.
"Life has its challenges and you just have to face them and persevere sometimes," Stadel said.
When a discharge planner position came open at Freeport Memorial Hospital, it was something that interested Stadel. She worked with a home health care group and spent almost five years in the position.
In 1991, a recruiter from St. Clare Hospital reached out to her, and she took a position as the hospice and home care director. She said she initially made the move to understand more about hospice and see if it really made a difference.
"I never looked for anything else after that," Stadel said. "I found my home."
She said it was the constant challenge and experience of being able to grow and explore that kept her interested in Monroe. She loved the connection to the community and the people who were so receptive to new ideas.
Around that time, she helped start the parish nurse program, which is run by volunteers and is still strong almost 20 years later. She said the success is likely because it was tailored to fit the community's needs.
Stadel took big strides with hospice as well. She helped expand services into Illinois and came up with the longtime dream of having a hospice home in Monroe. Today, that dream is coming true; the home is currently under construction.
Seeing the dream come to fruition has been a wonderful part of her career. "That has been an amazing journey for me," she said.
Stadel also helped with licensing for the Wind Prairie Project in Freeport, an assisted living and memory care clinic.
Over the years, Stadel said it's been the volunteers who have inspired her. She calls them a committed, amazing group who are selfless, dedicated, open and honest. They also had an important role and contribution in decision-making in the hospice home.
"They have helped us grow," Stadel said. "We wouldn't be where we are today without them."
When thoughts of retirement began circling, Stadel said it was something she planned, so the person taking over could gradually step in for a smooth transition. After almost 25 years with Monroe Clinic, she was ready to step back. Her three sons are married, and she has five young grandchildren. It was time to spend more time with family, and she retired Jan. 3.
Now knowing the hospice home will happen, she said it's easier to step back, knowing it's in good hands. She still serves on the campaign committee and is happy that she's had a hand in planning the location, layout, colors and other things patients will experience there.
"I don't need to be part of the rest of the details now that I know it's going to happen," she said. "It was more important to me to know what the patients were getting."
She said it hasn't actually set in that she's done, and she isn't sure what the future might hold for her.
"There are no major decisions for my future yet," Stadel said. "Monroe's just not that far."
Green County has been her focus for so long, she said it might be time to reorient herself with her hometown. But she still sees herself being a part of the fundraisers and events she loves dearly. Stadel has been a part of Relay for Life for several years and was also involved with the Memory Walk.
Stadel enjoys her large perennial garden and wants to get back into vegetable gardening. She and Gary plan to do some traveling as well.
She enjoys yoga, reading and plans to catch up on scrapbooking and other projects that have been on hold.
"Our greatest opportunities are when we learn from those things that don't always work out," Stadel said.
Now retired from Monroe Clinic after more than two decades, she still feels pride in the materialization of longtime dreams that she had a large part in. She plans to keep her involvement and friendships here that she's held dear for so long and will also look to reconnect with her own community.
Stadel has called the Scales Mound, Illinois, area home all of her life. She grew up on a farm by Council Hill, in what many know as the Ably House, a home notorious for being haunted.
"We knew the stories but never felt like it was haunted," Stadel laughed. "It was a fun place to grow up."
The family had a beef farm with some dairy cattle and hogs. Stadel was expected to help along with her three siblings and said it was where she learned a strong work ethic.
She attended first and second grade at the Council Hill Country School, but soon after, the rural schools closed and Stadel's education moved to Scales Mound.
She was an involved student at the small Scales Mound High School, participating in cheerleading and school plays. She said it was a simpler, fun time before her graduation in 1970.
It was no surprise when she decided to attend the Freeport Memorial School of Nursing diploma school.
"I knew I was going to be a nurse early on," Stadel said, noting that despite being encouraged to think about other things, her decision never wavered. "I think I just liked what the profession was about. It was about caring."
The students worked on the nursing floor with their instructors and took on 3 to 11 p.m. shifts and worked weekends. Stadel still sees the benefits from that involved experience.
"We had a well-rounded education," Stadel said. "Orientation was slim, there was so much hands-on. It was a great way to learn and understand what it was like to be a nurse. It validated what I wanted."
Stadel still recalls the day her first patient died.
"I felt being present was a gift," she said. "Difficult. But, a gift."
She graduated from the three-year program in 1973 and landed a job at Southwest Hospital in Cuba City. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Gary, and the couple lived on his family's farm in Scales Mound.
Her time at the hospital was enjoyable, and Stadel said she liked the variety and the people. Six months into the schedule that rotated shifts so nurses worked every weekend, however, proved difficult. She took a new scheduling idea to the director so nurses could have every other weekend off.
It wasn't an unusual action for Stadel.
"Just because they'd always done it like that didn't mean it had to stay that way," she said.
After working there almost five years, Stadel had her first son and looked for a job with better hours. She landed a position at the Jo Daviess County Health Department as a public health nurse.
She enjoyed the position and said it opened her eyes. She was in charge of epidemics, vaccinations, school nursing, records, home visits and more. She would often provide chronic disease visits for people in their home and said it was an experience that changed her thinking process.
"I saw how their environment had such an impact," Stadel said. "I think that made me more rounded. It gave me a different perspective. I asked questions differently. It made me a better educator and listener."
She went back to the University of Dubuque part time to finish her bachelor's degree. Her family was growing, and after more than eight years, she decided to take some time off. When she returned, she was named the director of nursing for the Jo Daviess County Public Health Department.
She still took on home health visits and said it was great to be a part of that. She saw it as an opportunity to expand her knowledge. She was in the position for almost five years.
In 1986, Stadel experienced a house fire. No one was hurt, but she said the event made her realize the importance of community support.
"Life has its challenges and you just have to face them and persevere sometimes," Stadel said.
When a discharge planner position came open at Freeport Memorial Hospital, it was something that interested Stadel. She worked with a home health care group and spent almost five years in the position.
In 1991, a recruiter from St. Clare Hospital reached out to her, and she took a position as the hospice and home care director. She said she initially made the move to understand more about hospice and see if it really made a difference.
"I never looked for anything else after that," Stadel said. "I found my home."
She said it was the constant challenge and experience of being able to grow and explore that kept her interested in Monroe. She loved the connection to the community and the people who were so receptive to new ideas.
Around that time, she helped start the parish nurse program, which is run by volunteers and is still strong almost 20 years later. She said the success is likely because it was tailored to fit the community's needs.
Stadel took big strides with hospice as well. She helped expand services into Illinois and came up with the longtime dream of having a hospice home in Monroe. Today, that dream is coming true; the home is currently under construction.
Seeing the dream come to fruition has been a wonderful part of her career. "That has been an amazing journey for me," she said.
Stadel also helped with licensing for the Wind Prairie Project in Freeport, an assisted living and memory care clinic.
Over the years, Stadel said it's been the volunteers who have inspired her. She calls them a committed, amazing group who are selfless, dedicated, open and honest. They also had an important role and contribution in decision-making in the hospice home.
"They have helped us grow," Stadel said. "We wouldn't be where we are today without them."
When thoughts of retirement began circling, Stadel said it was something she planned, so the person taking over could gradually step in for a smooth transition. After almost 25 years with Monroe Clinic, she was ready to step back. Her three sons are married, and she has five young grandchildren. It was time to spend more time with family, and she retired Jan. 3.
Now knowing the hospice home will happen, she said it's easier to step back, knowing it's in good hands. She still serves on the campaign committee and is happy that she's had a hand in planning the location, layout, colors and other things patients will experience there.
"I don't need to be part of the rest of the details now that I know it's going to happen," she said. "It was more important to me to know what the patients were getting."
She said it hasn't actually set in that she's done, and she isn't sure what the future might hold for her.
"There are no major decisions for my future yet," Stadel said. "Monroe's just not that far."
Green County has been her focus for so long, she said it might be time to reorient herself with her hometown. But she still sees herself being a part of the fundraisers and events she loves dearly. Stadel has been a part of Relay for Life for several years and was also involved with the Memory Walk.
Stadel enjoys her large perennial garden and wants to get back into vegetable gardening. She and Gary plan to do some traveling as well.
She enjoys yoga, reading and plans to catch up on scrapbooking and other projects that have been on hold.
"Our greatest opportunities are when we learn from those things that don't always work out," Stadel said.