"I'm still kicking, just not very high!" says Burnardine Fraser Flanagan ’40, who combines modesty and wit with a voracious appetite for learning. At age 84 and counting, she has never stopped. Adding to her associate's degree, nursing license, and decorated military service, Burnardine is now applying to Texas Southern University for the fall term to pursue a degree in social work. This thirst for knowledge was nurtured at Williams.
WMI—Beginning a Lifetime of Learning
Burnardine always enjoyed school, but remembers having so much homework (a sentiment still echoed by students today). As the 1940 Legenda puts it, "Don't let 'Bunnie's' laughing eyes fool you, because she takes her school work quite seriously, and hopes to become a teacher." She explains, "I liked history and literature, but I hated algebra." Burnardine has special memories of Miss Avery (history) and Mrs. Earle (science), her favorite WMI teachers. "They were the best." She credits them with helping to improve her grades dramatically. "In a class of 198 students, there were only four African-Americans and I feel very fortunate to have received such an excellent education."
Join the Army, See the World
Burnardine recalls fondly "the crazy uniform that we used to wear at WMI," complete with blue bloomers and black bow tie. She proudly donned another uniform during World War II, joining the Army at a time when there weren't many women going into the service. Her father encouraged her, saying that she would be able to get additional education from the military that she could never get from books. "I served in the US Army from August 6, 1943 until December 15, 1945." In 1945, she was stationed overseas, traveling to both London and Paris. Her mentor was a female commander who set up a barracks from scratch for 875 enlisted women in Europe. Burnardine distinctly remembers the commander greeting every servicewoman as she got off the boat at the English Channel. She treasures the opportunities her service afforded her and is proud of the seven medals she received from the Army: American Service, European Service, African Service, Eastern Service, Good Conduct, WWII Victory, and WAAC Service Ribbon.
Back to the Books
Once she was stateside again, Burnardine continued her formal education, graduating from Mitchell College in 1948 with an associate's degree in science. "I got married in 1947 and had four children," but that did not stop her from attending William Backus Nursing School and receiving her nursing license in 1963. Going to nursing school while raising children was certainly a challenge, and Burnardine credits her parents for being a great support system that made it possible. After graduating, Burnardine worked as an LPN at the Sub Base Medical Center in all departments. "I most enjoyed the nursery, especially since the patients didn't give any back talk," she explains with a chuckle. She really enjoyed what she did and was appreciated by the new moms, who often took pictures with her.
Continuing Education
Burnardine retired from nursing in 1978, but has kept her mind active with the constant pursuit of knowledge. She took a course some years back at Connecticut College on family dynamics, keeping tabs on the big changes that have occurred since she was growing up. She is currently taking crafting courses and will be picking up piano lessons this winter, despite arthritis in her hand. Though her mother was a pianist and her grandson shares that talent, Burnardine claims that it jumped right over her, but she's looking to learn anyway.
Family Tradition
Musical talent isn't the only family legacy. Burnardine's mother and father believed strongly in education. "Stick to the books," she recalls her father always saying. She still reads, mostly fiction. An all-time favorite of hers is Alex Haley's Roots. She has had poems published by the International Library of Poetry and has a number of her works scattered around the house—so many papers, in fact, that she says she "needs a stick of dynamite to clear them out." She passed on her parents' love of learning to her children. One daughter went to Southern Connecticut State University, another to Quinnipiac University, and her son went to junior college in New Jersey before continuing on to a career in computers.
Retired, But Not Resting
Burnardine moved from New London to Texas in 1996. She says, "It is a big change, but I've adjusted to it, and the climate is much better for my arthritis." In New London, Burnardine could take the bus anywhere. In Houston, which is so much larger, she relies on her two daughters for rides. She stays active in her church, the New Providence Baptist Church, and a local senior center. Looking forward to her studies at Texas State, Burnardine isn't worried much about the changes in school, such as the role of computer skills in education. She says that her grandson, who will graduate in 2007, can teach her all about computers. "I already can get in [to computer programs], but right now I can't get out," she wryly explains. For someone who is not fond of math, she has definitely mastered the equation that a challenge divided by creativity and dedication, plus more than a dash of humor, equals a solution for success.
