Retired Snohomish nurse still has it in her to give to the community

Published 2:42 pm Thursday, October 14, 2010

SNOHOMISH — Laura Archer doesn’t let life’s obstacles get in her way.

The Snohomish resident was in her 30s and raising three sons in Orofino, Idaho, before she decided to work toward her dream of being a nurse. She earned her nursing degree in 1963, then made up her mind to become a nurse practitioner.

Archer went back to school at the University of Utah, graduated as a family nurse practitioner and opened a private practice in 1973 in the then-remote logging and farming community of Orofino.

She kept her business running for 10 years.

“I miss my practice,” Archer said from the library of the Snohomish Senior Center. “I always wanted to be a nurse, so that’s why I think I like to volunteer because it’s still a giving thing.”

Archer, 76, lost one of her legs after an infection started in her knee almost four years ago. It took some getting used to, she said, but it hasn’t come remotely close to stopping her.

“It’s funny, but it never really bothered me to have an amputation, to have a part of my body missing,” she said. “I don’t know why.”

She enjoys the company of her sons, a granddaughter, two great-grandchildren and two cats. She still loves to garden, takes the DART bus when she needs to be somewhere and volunteers as a cashier at the center’s bazaars and takes tickets at the center’s events.

Archer also serves doughnuts and coffee at the Smokey Point I-5 rest area to help raise money for the center.

“She told me it took her two hours to get back from (the rest stop) on DART,” Karen Charnell, executive director of the center, said. “She’s really dedicated. She doesn’t let anything get in her way.”

Her most consistent volunteer position at the Snohomish Senior Center is as a front desk receptionist. For four hours every Monday, Archer greets every visitor and makes sure they sign in properly. She’s quick with a smile and an offer of a tour to prospective members or those who are visiting for the first time.

During a recent shift, she helped participants of a yoga class find where they were meeting for their first class. She answered the phone and gently explained to one caller that yoga was already in session.

“It’s a busy day,” she said.

Archer has been volunteering at the Snohomish Senior Center since it opened at its new location at 506 Fourth St. in April. She became a member of the center while groups were meeting at St. Michael’s Church before the opening of the new building. She learned how to play mahjong and met new people.

“I got my start here at the senior center just because I wanted to get some socialization,” she said. “I live by myself, so it’s a nice opportunity to meet new people and just to take part in the programs.”

She’s involved to the point she needs to write down everything on a calendar so she won’t forget a single thing, she said.

Still, she always finds the time to tease.

“We tease each other here. I’ll say things like, ‘Who let you in?’ ” she said. “I usually roll back and chat with the rest of them and give them a bad time.”

Archer’s energy and enthusiasm impresses other members of the center.

“Laura is one of the most unselfish people I know,” Anita Fisher said. “In spite of her handicap, and to Laura it’s not a handicap, I think she has demonstrated her generosity over and over again with her time.”

She’s an inspiration to others at the center, Dorothy Keenan said.

“I don’t know anyone like her,” she said.

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491, adaybert@heraldnet.com.