Nancy Murrin of Butler, the longest-serving Butler Memorial Hospital volunteer, is also a Marine Corps WW II veteran, as are the women in the photos she's holding.

Nancy Murrin survived the Marine Corps, then she raised two children, and she saw 1960 and 1980 renovations of Butler Memorial Hospital.

Murrin, 92, the longest-serving hospital volunteer, served BMH for 59 years, starting in 1949 shortly after her marriage to Butler attorney John Murrin. The couple lived at 909 E. Brady St., an address that no longer exists because it was demolished for the 1980 hospital expansion.

Murrin, who served in the Marines from 1943 to 1946, graduated from college and worked for U.S. Steel, said when she got married, she was "looking for a project," and that led her to the hospital's gift shop.

"It was more of a convenience store back then, with sundry items such as gum and newspapers and even cigarettes," she said.

"They were looking for fresh blood, and since I lived at the foot of the hospital driveway, they were happy to have me," Murrin said.

Later, she also served in the coffee shop as the volunteer scheduler, and in 1970, she was the BMH Axillary president.

Murrin said she gave up volunteering at the age of 90.

"I gave it up because of old age," she said, adding that while she has not seen the new hospital tower nor has plans to visit it, the hospital board's and administration's efforts are "fine. Just fine.

"I still live in Institute Hill, so it's fine with me."