From the 1920s until 1950 there were two hospitals in Stanly County, the Yadkin Hospital and Tally-Brunson, that became Stanly General. In 1950, the hospitals merged into a new building that was known as Stanly County Hospital. The year after the merger, a young high school student, Betty Lowder (Bowers), was hired part-time to work at the new hospital. She was then hired as a full-time employee in 1952. During the following decades, her responsibilities covered many different roles including working as a nurse’s aide, switchboard operator, insurance claims coordinator and patient accounts director. In 2002, Bowers was recognized for her many years of service with the hospital when she became the first employee to receive an award for 50 years of service. She retired the following year on Oct. 31, 2003. According to a SNAP article at the time, Bowers planned to continue part-time at the hospital but was looking forward to spending most of her time with her family. Betty Bowers passed away on Jan. 20, 2022. {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}