According to Georgia Bestul, you can always learn something new.
“It’s important to keep an open mind for learning,” said Bestul, who at the age of 80 recently completed the Leadership Management course at Fox Valley Technical College in Clintonville.
Bestul has seen many changes during her nursing career that started in the old Iola Hospital, which evolved into Iola Living Assistance. She admits it takes her a little longer to input in the computer, but even the advancement into the computer age has not been a roadblock for the work she loves.
A licensed practical nurse (LPN) at Iola Living Assistance, Bestul truly enjoys her work.
“I get a lot back from the residents here – they truly enrich my life,” she said. “They keep me working.”
You might say Bestul has always had a desire in learning more about the caring career she chose. While working as a nurse’s aide, she decided to enroll in LPN schooling after she turned 60.
Georgia Walrath was born in Madison, and moved to the Iola area with her family in her childhood. Her father had been attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison but moved back to his hometown of Iola as the Great Depression made it impossible to continue his schooling. Georgia attended Twin Grove country school east of Iola and graduated as a “Hilltopper” from Iola High School.
In 1952, she married Phillip Bestul and they had four children. Family time has always been important to Bestul, who enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
She now resides near Manawa and works a 50 percent schedule always on the night shift. But she is always willing to work more when she is needed.
While Bestul doesn’t brag much about hobbies and such, she made mention she enjoys short trips and symphony and classical music.
With a loving family and a career she truly enjoys, what more would a first-class care-giving person need?