Julie Harless had a dream…
Family doesn’t always mean you are connected by blood. You meet people along your life that have an impact on you. When you work at a place like J. J. Jordan Geriatric Center in Louisa, you just become a part
of another family. You spend time with people on your job, and in reality you spend more time with them than you do your blood
relatives. Through two generations of my family, I know first hand ust how close that family is. They stick together through many tough situations. One of the most bittersweet moments just brought them all together to honor and celebrate the hard work and dedication of a very special lady.
Julie Harless, 50 received an unexpected diagnoses that gave her 2 weeks to live while attending Nursing School at Ashland Community College & Technical School. She was trying to fulfill her dream after working as a Certified Nursing Assistant for around 20 years. ” I personally remember when Julie and her sister in law started working at J.J. Jordan’s. She was a natural. She and her sister in law Barb began school in 2017. The work is hard and yet the love for their
residents makes it all worthwhile. Julie was a nurturer by nature. Before working as a CNA, she worked at a daycare. Being a care taker
was her life, as a mother, a grandmother, co-worker and friend, she was selfless.
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Her dream was put on hold when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung and
ovarian cancer less than 2 weeks ago. The disease was progressive and
Julie went from student one day to hospice the next. After her fellow
classmates and staff learned that she might not make it to graduation,
they decided to bring graduation to her hospital bed. On Wednesday,
anywhere from 100 to 200 people went to Our Lady of Bellefonte
Hospital where Julie’s dream of becoming a nurse came true. She was
treated to a well deserved pinning ceremony that was nothing short of
bittersweet. She knew she might never work on the floor as a nurse,
but by all accounts, she was already a nurse. As one of her
co-workers, Brandi Emory states, Julie was such a hard worker,
dependable and her love for everyone was beautiful!” She called them
all her flowers. On her death bed she told the girls that they made
her life beautiful. She was never angry at the diagnosis, she simply
smiled with grace and said that God had bigger plans. Sadly, Julie
passed away on Tuesday, March 12th. She was a nurse for a week, and
now she has gained the wings that she showed to everyone here on
earth.
She was truly an angel here on Earth, now she will get her wings!
Such an amazing lady . She will forever be in my heart ❤
So sad such a beautiful person inside out.
So very sweet of them to do for her. It shows we do have some special people in Louisa. I don’t know this lady but I’m sure this was truly a blessing. My condolences to the family.
So sorry to hear this. My brother was there for a good while and she was always kind and smiling. She will be missed by many.
She was The Best I had ever worked with. She taught me so much and I feel it was a HONOR to no her and her sister Barb and get to work with them both. She was a truely born nurse and care giver and loved her job and residents. She will me sadly missed by all of us and everyone who knew her.
I loved julie since day one that I met her, she was one of the greatest people you could ever meet. She was a great coworker and friend always there to help,listen and be a shoulder no matter if you were crying or laughing. She made an impact on everyone that knew her! This world and the people in its lives will never be the same!! We love and miss you Julie!!
I love knowing her for over 30 years I loved so much, see smile that beautiful as she got her wings ,