SRG Senior Living Communities Celebrate Women’s History Month
03-10-2021

March is Women’s History Month, dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. At SRG senior living communities, the creative Zest Departments – charged with appealing to residents’ mind, body and soul – have planned a variety of educational programs and lectures to celebrate women. 

In addition to trailblazers such as Kamala Harris, our nation’s first female Vice President and pioneers like Susan B. Anthony, who played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement, our communities will also pause to acknowledge the many achievements of our very own residents. 

At The Chateau on Capitol Avenue in Sacramento, for example, Margie Helms Hughes’ journey from sharecropper’s daughter to registered nurse is one of determination and courage. 

She was born in 1928 in Lincolnton, N.C., into a family of eight children. When she graduated from high school at age 17, she had her sights set on attending nursing school in nearby Asheville; however, the minimum age to enter the program was 18. At the time, nursing was one of the few higher-skilled professions available to women. 

Hughes went to work at a local glove mill but remained committed to her career goals. In fact, she said, there was “no way I was ever going to work in a mill for the rest of my life!”

In 1946, she traveled to Asheville via bus to the nursing school located at the Memorial Mission Hospital. Thankfully, there was no cost to attend the two-year program, and students even received free room and board and a $15 stipend for necessities. 

She successfully completed nursing school and became the first in her family to earn a higher-education degree. She accepted a position at the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she completed her pediatrics training. After becoming a licensed registered nurse, she relocated to Mountain Home, Tenn., working at the Veterans Administration Hospital. 

She met her husband, Clay, through a mutual friend and the pair married in 1951. Not long after, they moved to Sacramento. Hughes worked at Sutter General Hospital then at Mercy General Hospital, serving for 32 years as a registered nurse. She retired in 1992. 

The Hughes spent their retirement years traveling, fishing and spending quality time with their grandchildren. They are looking forward to celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary on March 18th. 

Steps away from historic Sutter's Fort sits The Chateau on Capitol Avenue, a senior living community offering independent living and assisted living services in the heart of California’s capital city of Sacramento. To learn more, please call 916-229-6630. 

About SRG

Senior Resource Group (SRG) has been a leader in providing distinctive retirement living since 1988. SRG develops, owns and operates independent living, assisted living and Alzheimer’s/dementia care communities throughout the United States.

For more than 30 years, the company has championed the development and management of niche communities that provide older adults with service-enriched and supportive living environments. Senior Resource Group is the only nationwide provider to achieve company-wide CARF accreditation for its assisted living communities. SRG’s corporate headquarters is located at 500 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100, Solana Beach, CA 92075. For more information, call 858-792-9300 or visit www.srgseniorliving.com. 

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