Sara Corning (March 16, 1872 – May 5, 1969) was a Canadian nurse from Nova Scotia and humanitarian in the Mediterranean during the Greco-Turkish War who established orphanages for Greek and Armenian children.[1][2][3]
After training at Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, she likely worked as a nurse in New Hampshire for almost 20 years.[1] In 1917, she returned to Nova Scotia to help the victims of the Halifax Explosion.[1]
In 1918, She joined the American Red Cross during the First World War and subsequently signed on with Near East Relief. Despite the Armistice, the Greco-Turkish War continued to rage on. In 1919, Corning was stationed at an orphanage near Yerevan in the recently-declared Republic of Armenia.[1] She next worked as an aid worker at Anatolia College in Merzifon, Turkey. In 1922, Corning travelled to Constantinople, where Near East Relief was headquartered.
At the end of 1922, Corning was sent to Smyrna. While the Turkish army was capturing the city, Corning gathered orphaned children and led them through the city to safety aboard an American ship, where they were then taken to Constantinople. She is credited with saving over 5,000 Armenian children.[2] She later established an orphanage for the children on the Greek island of Syros.[3][1] She personally adopted five girl orphans from Greece and funded their education.[1]
In June 1923, King George II of Greece presented her with the Order of the Knights of St. Xavier for her courage and bravery.[3][2]
She continued working at Anatolia College until it closed in 1930.[1]
Deathedit
Corning later retired and moved back to her childhood home and died in Yarmouth on May 5, 1969.[3]
Posthumous recognitionedit
Statue of Corning and refugee children by Garen Bedrossian.
She is the namesake to the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education in Toronto, Ontario.[1] She is also honored in the Yarmouth County Museum & Archives, and the Sara Corning Society (both in Nova Scotia).
In a ceremony on September 14, 2019 attended by the Hon. Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and by Anahit Harutyunyan, ambassador to Canada of Armenia, the Sara Corning Society unveiled a statue of Corning behind the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives complex on the former site of the Zion United Baptist Church, which Corning attended in her lifetime. The statue will be a permanent fixture outside the Museum.[5]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefgh"Sara Corning's Life". Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education.
^ abcArchives, Nova Scotia (2016-08-23). "Sara Corning - Yarmouth County Museum and Archives". Council of Nova Scotia Archives. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
^ abcdefPhinney, Sandra (November 29, 2015). . The Chronicle-Herald. Halifax, Nova Scotia. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
^. Wartime Heritage Association. 2014. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021.
^Janbazian, Rupen (2019-09-11). "Statue of Nurse who Rescued Thousands of Armenian Orphans to be Erected this Weekend". The Armenian Weekly. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
External linksedit
Media related to Sara Corning at Wikimedia Commons
May 04, 2024
sara, corning, march, 1872, 1969, canadian, nurse, from, nova, scotia, humanitarian, mediterranean, during, greco, turkish, established, orphanages, greek, armenian, children, bornmarch, 1872chegoggin, nova, scotiadiedmay, 1969, 1969, aged, yarmouth, nova, sco. Sara Corning March 16 1872 May 5 1969 was a Canadian nurse from Nova Scotia and humanitarian in the Mediterranean during the Greco Turkish War who established orphanages for Greek and Armenian children 1 2 3 Sara CorningBornMarch 16 1872Chegoggin Nova ScotiaDiedMay 5 1969 1969 05 05 aged 97 Yarmouth Nova ScotiaOccupationNurse Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death 4 Posthumous recognition 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editCorning was born in Chegoggin Nova Scotia the daughter Captain Samuel and Delilah Churchill Corning 4 She trained as a nurse in New Hampshire 3 Sara is listed as a graduate of the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Hanover New Hampshire in 1899 Career editAfter training at Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover New Hampshire she likely worked as a nurse in New Hampshire for almost 20 years 1 In 1917 she returned to Nova Scotia to help the victims of the Halifax Explosion 1 In 1918 She joined the American Red Cross during the First World War and subsequently signed on with Near East Relief Despite the Armistice the Greco Turkish War continued to rage on In 1919 Corning was stationed at an orphanage near Yerevan in the recently declared Republic of Armenia 1 She next worked as an aid worker at Anatolia College in Merzifon Turkey In 1922 Corning travelled to Constantinople where Near East Relief was headquartered At the end of 1922 Corning was sent to Smyrna While the Turkish army was capturing the city Corning gathered orphaned children and led them through the city to safety aboard an American ship where they were then taken to Constantinople She is credited with saving over 5 000 Armenian children 2 She later established an orphanage for the children on the Greek island of Syros 3 1 She personally adopted five girl orphans from Greece and funded their education 1 In June 1923 King George II of Greece presented her with the Order of the Knights of St Xavier for her courage and bravery 3 2 She continued working at Anatolia College until it closed in 1930 1 Death editCorning later retired and moved back to her childhood home and died in Yarmouth on May 5 1969 3 Posthumous recognition edit nbsp Statue of Corning and refugee children by Garen Bedrossian In 2004 Karekin II the current Catholicos of All Armenians the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church gave a Message of Blessing which contained a tribute to Corning 3 She is the namesake to the Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education in Toronto Ontario 1 She is also honored in the Yarmouth County Museum amp Archives and the Sara Corning Society both in Nova Scotia In a ceremony on September 14 2019 attended by the Hon Arthur J LeBlanc Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and by Anahit Harutyunyan ambassador to Canada of Armenia the Sara Corning Society unveiled a statue of Corning behind the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives complex on the former site of the Zion United Baptist Church which Corning attended in her lifetime The statue will be a permanent fixture outside the Museum 5 References edit a b c d e f g h Sara Corning s Life Sara Corning Centre for Genocide Education a b c Archives Nova Scotia 2016 08 23 Sara Corning Yarmouth County Museum and Archives Council of Nova Scotia Archives Retrieved 2023 05 03 a b c d e f Phinney Sandra November 29 2015 Sara Corning a 20th century heroine The Chronicle Herald Halifax Nova Scotia Archived from the original on June 30 2017 Retrieved 2023 05 03 Remembering World War I Yarmouth Connections Sara Corning Wartime Heritage Association 2014 Archived from the original on April 23 2021 Janbazian Rupen 2019 09 11 Statue of Nurse who Rescued Thousands of Armenian Orphans to be Erected this Weekend The Armenian Weekly Yarmouth Nova Scotia Retrieved 2023 05 03 External links edit nbsp Media related to Sara Corning at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sara Corning amp oldid 1213771428, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
