Hattie Pickner and her late husband literally built a home together in Portage 62 years ago. Like so many of us who lay our roots in Portage, she thinks it “is a nice town, a growing town.” As a community, we have achieved things in the past six decades that we could not have without amazing people like Hattie pulling us together.
For nineteen years, Hattie has been a volunteer at Porter Regional Hospital. Her ability to nurture and help others began long before then; it has been growing inside her, evident in everything she does. From her children to her neighbors, Hattie has room in her heart to spare.
In 1947, Hattie graduated from Horace Mann High School in Gary Indiana and got a job as a bookkeeper. At the time she did not need any schooling for the job, only a willingness to learn and a passion for numbers. A work friend introduced her to the man who would become Hattie’s husband. They went on a double date together, with two brothers that they both ended up marrying. It was a lovely introduction to a beautiful life.
They married in 1953. Mr Pickner and his brother owned land in Portage that they bought after their return from World War II. It was the perfect place to build the home they would raise their children in.
Hattie quit her job to dedicate all her time to their three children.
“That’s the best,” she says. “It’s something you will never regret.”
As her children got older their jobs took them away from home. Her two sons live in Ohio, one working as a chemical engineer and the other in business management. Hattie’s daughter owns her own financial business in Toronto, Canada. All three graduated from Purdue University and have children of their own now. The family stays close in spirit if not in miles, and visits as often as they can.
Hattie and Mr. Pickner would make multiple trips a year to visit their children. It was a great opportunity to travel and is something she continues to do on her own now that he is gone.
Her husband was a large part of what got Hattie involved with Porter Regional Hospital. In 1995, he suffered a heart attack that demanded an extended stay in the hospital’s care. The way the staff treated him, and the doctors’ expertise, strengthened her inner urge to give back to those around her. It was time for a new place in the community.
Hattie spent the next year nursing her husband back to health. As soon as he was ready, she returned to the hospital. This time, it was for a good reason.
The first department Hattie volunteered in was Hospitality. Throughout the years, she has had many jobs. She served as Treasurer for years, on the Hospital’s board. They would make decisions about budgeting, fundraising, and dues. After the hospital was sold to its current owners, she began volunteering in the offices and the Ortho desk. She does everything from label envelopes to registering patients. Hattie also works in Preadmission, where one of her tasks is to put information verification stickers onto surgical charts.
On Fridays, Hattie helps out with Meals on Wheels. She packages the dry goods portions of the meals.
“It’s a good organization. Those meals mean an awful lot to people. A lot of people can stay in their homes because of a service like that.”
Hattie has always taken an interest in the medical field. Her friends and family would call her for advice from her collection of Mayo Clinic books. That, combined with the relief she felt when the Porter Regional Cardiology team saved her husband, made volunteering with the hospital a clear choice.
“Porter is very community minded. It’s a wonderful place to volunteer, I’m very happy there.”