July 11, 2024
From the House to the Hospital, Growing up as a Doctor’s Daughter
By: Sara Ergott
Growing up, an individual’s life is shaped and nurtured by the families and communities that surround them. One can learn much from those that raise them. This statement is certainly true for Judy Kraft Mead, who grew up under the care and guidance of her parents Dr. Charles and Helen Kraft.
Raised in the rural countryside of Meshoppen, PA, Judy saw firsthand what it was like for a doctor to provide services to patients with no hospital. Her father, Dr. Charles John Henry Kraft spent his days (and nights) traveling from patient to patient, making house calls and delivering babies. She witnessed the hours and dedication her father spent providing healthcare to those in the surrounding area. She states that as a child she would often have friends over, but they had to follow the rules of the house. These rules included, “You can take anything from the fridge as long as it doesn’t look like apple juice, and don’t lift the lid off of a cooking pot on the stove because there were instruments being boiled.”
Judy with her mother, Helen Kraft, and her father, Dr. Charles John Henry Kraft
As the healthcare needs of the population grew, she had a front row view of the transformation from her house providing patient care to the newly established Tyler Memorial Hospital which was located four doors away in the old Kennard Hotel in Meshoppen. The creation of the hospital was no easy task, so Dr. Kraft and State Senator Tyler called on the community to help support the mission. Judy can remember her father telling a story about the need for hospital supplies and equipment.
“My dad was reading a medical journal and there was an ad for a hospital in Virginia that was selling all of its equipment because it was being turned into a hotel,” recalls Judy.
This was the exact opposite of what was being done in Meshoppen.
Judy continues, “My mom and dad hopped in the car and drove to Virginia to check out the equipment and bought it on the spot with some financing from others in the community. They came back to town and rounded up a group of men to go back down to Virginia. Lott Trucking donated tractor trailers to get the equipment. They all went to Virginia and spent the night in the old hospital and got up in the morning and loaded all of the equipment and brought it back to Meshoppen.”
This ushered in the new era of healthcare for the area. The community rallied behind these efforts and hosted many fundraisers and events such as oyster dinners, a “Christmas Tea” in Meshoppen, auctions, and the Tyler Antique Show. Judy was active and involved with each of these fundraising aspects and reflects on a time when she was 12 years old and would walk around Lake Carey selling raffle tickets for a bicycle to support the efforts of the hospital.
As an only child, Judy would often refer to the hospital as her “sibling rivalry” due to the proximity of how close her house was to the hospital in Meshoppen. Often times her dad would be back and forth because if a doctor was needed, he was the closest one to reach the call. On the occasions when her parents would be out visiting relatives, she would stay home to answer calls from the hospital or from patients. “I would keep a list of messages to answer and call the relatives if he needed to take care of an emergency,” remembers Judy.
As the hospital grew and the need for a larger space was evident, Judy was now at Ursinus College studying English. Her first memory of the new hospital location on Route 6 in Tunkhannock was when she was on a break from her studies at home. The new building was up and open and the first task she was given was to lead tours for people throughout the wings.
Judy’s dedication to the hospital didn’t end there. After she graduated from college and moved back to the area with her husband David Mead, they raised two children, Marny and Chas. Judy became an active board member for Tyler and served from 1980 up until the closing in 2021. During this time, she helped chair or co-chair many of the hospital fundraisers and supported the hospital’s efforts in any way that she could.
Over the years, Judy has seen firsthand the evolution of Tyler Memorial Hospital. In speaking with her about the creation of the Wyoming County Healthcare Center, she was thrilled to see these, once bustling hallways, start to fill with people again.
When asked what she is most looking forward to with the building’s new chapter, she states, “I am excited to see that our community will have services again and be able to come here to get qualified medical help.” This commitment to quality healthcare is what the Wyoming County Healthcare Center strives to provide.
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