By Ralphine Major

ralphine3@yahoo.com

Hers was the first face we saw. I do not even recall a formal name for the medical clinic in our rural community. We simply called it: Dr. Simmons’ Office.

Located on Foster Road in Corryton, Tennessee, the clinic was state-of-the-art for its day. The pristine white building was framed at the front with a beautiful row of trees along the sidewalk. Patients often arrived early, even as early as 6 o’clock in the morning, to be among the first on the day’s schedule. I can remember many times sitting in the car and watching as the darkness turned to daybreak. Some mornings, we would even see the good doctor’s Dodge car making its way along the circle driveway toward the back entrance as he arrived.

A step from the foyer into the waiting room brought into view the check-in window. Sitting at the desk was the “face” of the clinic: Mrs. Satterfield. Always neat and professional in her appearance, she was efficient in her varied duties. She was a multitasker. In the sixties, there were no computers, laser printers, or voice mail to help with office duties. While efficient in her performance, Mrs. Satterfield never seemed hurried as she wrote receipts for cash payments in the receipt book, typed documents on the manual typewriter, or answered the many incoming calls on the rotary-dial telephone. Even when the waiting room was full, she was always kind and soft spoken. Mrs. Satterfield, the first person patients saw in Dr. Simmons’ office when they arrived—and the last face patients saw as they left.

Words of Faith: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 (KJV). This inspiring verse from the New Testament was Mrs. Satterfield’s favorite.