By Christina Swanson, BA, CHN
As a life-long nurse, working in both hospitals and with the Missouri Army National Guard, her focus on caring for others was instilled in her as a child by several family members who taught by example.
Growing up as an only child in Fargo, ND, with her mom working, she spent a lot of time with her grandma, Anna, who was very loving to her and readily helped her neighbors in need, imparting a good example to a young Jacquelyn. She was very active in high school, playing the drums in her school’s marching and concert bands, as well as performing with the thespian club and debate team. Being a part of the Luther League, within the Olivet Lutheran Church, also played a role in shaping her values.
During her years at Fargo Central High, while at her church, she was the Sunday School secretary where she became close to the director and his wife, Phil and Ila Weigand, who were another positive influence.
Behnke spent her summers after school with her god mother, who was also her aunt, and taught her how to sew and cook. Her uncle conducted devotions twice a day and as a medical doctor, introduced her into reading medical texts out of his vast library. “I actually starting reading about how the body works from his medical books at about age 10,” said Behnke.
“It was my grandma and aunt who taught me we are responsible for caring for other people. That is our responsibility as children of God. The Lord puts people in our path for a reason.” She would spend a lifetime doing just that as a nurse in various settings.
After high school, she earned a nursing degree in 1963 at McAllister College in St. Paul, MN, that included training at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, the largest private hospital in the Twin Cities. Back then, only three years was needed to earn a nursing degree. She also got married right after graduating.
Starting her career at a rural hospital in Tabor, MN, she was the only nurse on night shift for this 40-bed hospital, covering the emergency room, labor room and general floor. “It was a shock after going to school in Minneapolis and having all the jobs divided, so it was like another year of training,” said Behnke.
In 1965, she had her first daughter, Mary Katherine, and they moved to Jefferson, WI. She took care of her daughter and, soon, had another daughter, Susan, in 1967. When Susan was two, she started working with a general practice doctor. A few years later, they moved to Independence, MI, and the marriage dissolved. Her former boss wanted her to move back to Jefferson, and offered to pay all the college expenses for her to earn a doctorate so he could eventually give her his practice. As tempting as this was, she couldn’t do this with two kids to raise.
Next, working at Independence Regional Hospital for obstetrics in labor and delivery, Behnke moved to the general medicine floor. Here she was a part of something brand new—teaching cardiac patients what to do during their recovery, from proper exercises to diet. She took extra classes on this subject at the University of Kansas. At the time, this was experimental, but within a few years it officially became cardiac rehab.
“I got interested in cardiac care in 1964 when my father-in-law had open heart surgery at the University of Wisconsin,” said Behnke.
In 1979, a friend encouraged her to become a part of the Missouri Army National Guard and being a nurse, she was part of the US Army Nurse Corps, operating under the "Total Army Concept". Behnke was a First Lieutenant, working in the Flight Surgeon’s Section, and was the first female officer in that unit. They operated out of Whiteman Air Force Base at Knob Noster, MO, the sole operational base for the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet.
During monthly unit training assemblies, a nurse's duties not only included routine daily patient care but also focused on operational readiness. Her primary responsibility was assisting with the pilot physicals, conducting routine medical screenings, and administering vaccines to ensure the state’s units were medically ready for deployment. During field training, Behnke educated soldiers on preventive medicine, field hygiene, and preventing non-battle injuries.
“The majority of the pilots were Vietnam veterans and a couple of them showed me how they flew the helicopters with them,” said Behnke. “One time I even got to assist during a thunderstorm at night.”
During summer annual training, Missouri Guard nurses typically simulated a full deployment environment, often working out of mobile field hospitals or supporting active-duty military medical facilities. As commissioned officers, they were soldiers first and required to maintain standard military proficiencies such as weapons qualification and physical fitness.
Behnke’s first summer camp was at Fort Campbell, KY, and her second summer camp was at Fort Rucker, AL, both in the Flight Surgeon’s Section, keeping the pilots healthy. “I worked with doctors and nurse technicians and we were a very close-knit group.”
“Throughout nursing, they teach you the importance of listening to your patients,” said Behnke. “I remember one night sitting with one of the pilots and just listening as he talked about his experiences in Vietnam until the wee hours. We were at the officer’s club for dinner. He told me that he’d never spoke of these things to anyone. I felt it was just as much my responsibility to support those serving by listening, as well as treating their bodies.”
After two years, and because her kids were now teenagers, she felt like she needed to be at home with them and left the Guard.
In the 90s and early 2000s, for her last 23 years, she worked at the North Kansas City Hospital, an emergency and acute-care center, in labor and delivery, and then in the heart unit. Known for its outpatient cancer center, Level II Trauma Center Designation, and establishing Meritas Health, which expanded local physician practices into a comprehensive network. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Francis in Missouri. She’ll never forget the date, because she graduated the same time her youngest daughter graduated from high school.
While still working, she also joined the Order of St. Luke the Physician, which is an international organization focused on Christian healing ministry, with courses centered on the Healing Miracles of Jesus study. This was taught at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Episcopal cathedral in Kansas City. These courses included a thematic exploration of the 26 healing accounts of Jesus in the Gospels. Here, she developed active healing prayer skills and an understanding of the intersection of spiritual and physical medicine.
Behnke never completed all the courses, as her younger daughter and her husband, a nurse and doctor themselves, asked her to move to Jacksonville, FL, to be close to them and their two children. (Her older daughter lives in Missouri and has worked in finance, having earned a master’s degree in this area.)
Having settled in Jacksonville, some of her neighbors were members of Southside Methodist and because they encouraged her to come, this church has been a big part of her life ever since.
“Both grandkids were confirmed here, so it has a special meaning to me,” said Behnke. “My faith has been with me since a child. I was seven when I asked the Lord to come into my heart while sitting with the pastor’s wife.”
“No matter what you do in life, active listening with others is important because it’s the only way to learn about and help others. Along with my faith, it’s been a key component of my life.”