Boeyink Sisters Join Waves
Joyce and Leona Boeyink, who have been teaching rural schools in Sioux County, have joined the WAVES and at the completion of their present school terms will leave for Hunter College, New York, to take their training. They have passed their physical examination and will be issued their uniforms upon their arrival at their station. Their younger sister, Roberta, is a cadet nurse now training in Sioux City. The News expects to publish their pictures as soon as they can have them taken in their uniforms.
Source: Sioux Center News April 20, 1944, p 10
IN WAVE TRAINING SCHOOL
The Boeyink sisters, Leona and Joyce, are now busy learning what it means to be members of the WAVES. Both girls write most enthusiastically from Hunter College, New York, where they are now stationed. Their present address is A.J. Boeyink, A.E. Reg. 33 Bldg. J., Apt. 43 U.S.N.T.S. (W.R.) Bronx 63, New York, N.Y.
Source: Sioux Center News June 8, 1944, p 2
WAVES TO BETHESDA, MD.
The Boeyink sisters, Joyce and Leona, who have been training in the WAVES school at Hunter College, New York, have now been transferred to Bethesda, Maryland where they will take a four-week course in hospital training.
Here is their new address: Joyce Boeyink, H.A., 2/c U.S.N. Hospital Corps Sch. (W.R.), National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Roberta Boeyink, youngest of the four sisters is at present spending a two-week vacation here. She is in the Cadet Nurse training program, and upon her return will work in Surgery at the Methodist Hospital, Sioux City.
Source: Sioux Center News July 6, 1944, p 2
A Boeyink family reunion was held at the Henry Eggink home on Sunday evening which was held in honor of H. A. 2/c Leona and Joyce Boeyink, and Lt. Paul Boeyink, and Roberta Boeyink, who were all at home for a short time.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 3, 1944, p 6
H.A. 2/c Leona and Joyce Boeyink left on Tuesday evening for Oceanside, Calif. after spending a week’s furlough with friends and relatives in Sioux Center. They are being transferred from Bethesda, Maryland to the marine base at Oceanside, Calif. Leona and Joyce are both in the hospital corps.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 3, 1944, p 2
Here is the new address of the Boeyink sisters: Joyce Boeyink H.A. 1/c U.S. Naval Hospital Wave Quarters 54 Santa Margarita Ranch Oceanside, Calif.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 17, 1944, p 2
FIGHT FOREST FIRES
Lawrence Van Andel has been fighting fires on the West Coast according to his recent letter to his parents here. He received some slight burns while driving the bulldozer through burning areas and was treated at the military hospital. While he was there he met Leona and Joyce Boeyink who are with the Waves in the Hospital Corps.
Source: Sioux Center News Sept. 21, 1944, p 1
Joyce Boeyink, who is a member of the WAVES, is now a patient in the hospital in which she has been working at the Marine Base at Oceanside, Calif. She is suffering from overwork and a stomach disorder.
Nurses are very scarce and the apprentice nurses there have been working sixteen hour shifts for some time.
Source: Sioux Center News Nov. 23, 1944, p 4
Leona and Joyce Boeyink, who are in the WAVES arrived home from Oceanside, California, on Saturday morning to spend a 10-day furlough at the home of their mother, Mrs. Ralph Boeyink and family.
They were accompanied by Lt. H. V. Russell, also of Oceanside, who will spend his furlough with the Boeyink family here.
Source: Sioux County Index Jan. 18, 1945, p 7 & 8
Sioux County School Notes …
Two charming office callers the past week were WAVE Pharmacist Mate First Class Leona Boeyink and WAVE H. A. First Class Joyce Boeyink, sisters and former Sioux County rural teachers. They were home in Sioux Center visiting their mother.
The WAVES visited their rural schools, No. 7 West Branch and No. 7 Plato, while in the County. Needless to say, the children were delighted and proud to see these young women who are doing their share in keeping America free.
The sisters are stationed at Santa Margarita Ranch, Oceanside, Calif. and are attached to a hospital unit. They have been together since they enlisted and entered Hunters College, New York in May last year. We are indeed proud of our young men and women who are making such fine contributions in the armed forces.
Source: Sioux County Capital Jan. 25, 1945, p 6
(Note: the following letter, although from her sister, is included because the sisters worked together at Oceanside and had similar experiences)
Joyce Boeyink of the Waves Writes from Oceanside, Calif.
Dear Marie: I haven't written for quite some time and since today was the day for the News it was a reminder to sit down and write again. I still enjoy the paper as much as ever and especially the service column. You get to know where everyone is located. I read about Gary Verrips and Gary Vander Berg being discharged. I'm glad for them - they certainly deserve it.
Our working hours seem to be getting longer each month, our complement of corpsmen is about one hundred short so the rest of us must work longer. I'm working nights on the officers’ ward at present. I'm on my fifth week – have six weeks in all. We work from 9 at night until seven in the morning for seven days a week, which deprives us of night liberty for that length of time.
Our hospital originally was a 1500 bed hospital and at present totals about 2000. Every two weeks or ten days we get in new overseas casualty drafts including sailors and marines. Since March all of our casualties have been from Iwo Jima or Okinawa, and many of them will never be well.
Our hospital is the center for cord bladder cases, from all areas of the war. The cord bladder cases are the paralyzed cases, most of them are lifeless from the waist down. We have about 300 of them and the doctors, nurses and corpsman work day and night to get them on the way to recovery. Some of them have such deep bed sores the bones can be seen, but most of them are in very good spirits.
I had an opportunity to watch my first operation. One of the patients was shot up very badly in the stomach. He was flown from Okinawa, and finally arrived here not expected to live.
Our commander in charge of the ward operated in his room, he was too weak to move. I got to help him, doing little odd jobs but it was worth it to me. The patient is getting along splendidly. Those are some of the few things that we get to see and do but we all enjoy doing them and feel as if we're helping a little.
Trying to get in touch with Stan Straatsma so I can spend a weekend with him. Thanks again for sending the paper, I enjoy it a lot. Joyce
Source: Sioux Center News July 19, 1945, p 2
Sisters In Service (photos)
JOYCE BOEYINK
Joyce Boeyink Ph M 3/c is stationed at the U. S. Naval Hospital, Oceanside, Calif.
Most of the patients are veterans of the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns and in great need of medical care. At the present time she is working in the Bond and Insurance office and enjoys her work very much.
MRS. LEONA RUSSELL
Leona, now Mrs. Hallie V. Russell, received her honorable discharge in May and is now with her husband in Great Falls, Montana. Previous to his honorable discharge, Mr. Russell was a Lieut. in the U. S. Marine Corps for two years. This fall he will be Supt. Of Schools in Townsend, Montana and also coach basketball and football. Roberta, a Cadet Nurse at the Methodist Hospital in Sioux City is now enjoying a three-week vacation with her mother and family here. Roberta will begin her last year of nurses training when she returns to her work Sept. 1.
Source: Sioux Center News Aug. 30, 1945, p 1
Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954, Claim Number 164909 Leona Russell (nee Boeyink) was born October 15, 1917, at Sioux Center, Iowa, which was where she was residing when she enlisted in the Navy WAVES on March 11, 1944, at Des Moines, Iowa.
She served with the USNTSCH (WR) Bronx, NY; the USNHCS (WR) NNMC, Bethesda, Md.; and the USNH, Santa Margarita Ranch, Oceanside, California and was honorably discharged on May 15, 1945. Her application for bonus pay was filed on June 24, 1949, for which she received $140.00.
Source: ancestry.com
