Nativity Set : A Special Mercy Tradition

The antique German nativity set is also once again on display outside the MMC Library in a display case across from the Sisters panel of the Hallmarks of History.  

In years past, this nativity set was displayed in the MMC cafeteria.  It is now part of the Mercy Archives.  The hand-painted nativity set was rediscovered at the back of a little-used closet of the old hospital in 1980, and is now proudly displayed behind the glass protection of a display case. 

The Nativity set was quite old and in sad condition when it was first found.  However the loving hands of volunteer Dolly Pahlow, set to work attaching broken pieces and even recreating an angel’s wing.  She spent months patching and painting the 20 figures in their original colors with the encouragement of former food service director, Bob Brennan. 

Read the following newspaper articles for more info about this local treasure. 

Mercy VolunteerRestores Figurse for Nativity Scene – 1985  and Restoration Project is aLabor of Love (pdf)

Nativity Set Gets NewLife - 1992 (pdf)

From the Mercy Archives : Letter from BF Clark about his first Surgery in 1892

Dr Burton Clark Sr. as a young man.

Envelope of the BF Clark's Letter

Dr Dick Clark recently shared a letter from his personal family archives, written by his great grandfather, Dr. Burton F. Clark, Sr.  The letter was written to his future wife, Nellie Martin on June 26, 1892.  At the time, Burton was an intern with Dr. C.W. Oviatt at his hospital, Maple Lodge Sanitarium on Jackson Dr. in north Oshkosh, WI.  At the time, Burton was 23 years old and a student at Rush Medical School.   Burton wrote :

“Last Tuesday I operated on a dog, performed a laparotomy and would you believe it the dog is alive and from all appearances is going to get well.  That is my first attempt at cutting or sewing live tissue.  When I began, I thought sure that the dog would die before the operation was finished.  The Dr. [Oviatt] laughs a good deal about it.  The morning after the operation, I got up and looked out of the window and there walking down the road was my dog.  It had gotten out in some way and started for home.”

Dr. C.W. Oviattt, the prominent Oshkosh Physician that BF Clark worked with early in his medical career.     The Oviatt home still exists on Algoma Blvd on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Campus.

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These and other items are on temporary loan at The Clark Family Health Science Library at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  Many thanks to Dr Dick Clark for sharing some of his family treasures with us.