Mr. Howard Benson

Mr. Howard Benson

Shirley Anderson Benson was born in Chicago, IL. Her mother wanted to be a nurse and encouraged Shirley to pursue this career path. Shirley worked as an aide at Shriners Hospital in Chicago which gave her a taste of the day-to-day responsibilities of a nursing career. Shirley graduated from Northwestern University- Evanston Hospital School of Nursing in June of 1950, Phi Beta Kappa. She worked at Evanston Hospital in the Department of Education until she married Howard C. Benson in 1953. Together they had three children- Paul, John, and Laura- and have been blessed with three grandchildren. Shirley returned to nursing when her children were in school full time and worked primarily in geriatric nursing. She was one of the first Hospice nurses in the Chicago area and worked as a parish nurse at a local church.