Meet  Connie Brown

CNA, St. Joseph's Nursing Home

Connie Brown is no stranger to coping with illness and bad luck. Her daughter, Jenny, contracted leukemia as a young child. Although it was a trying time for the Brown family, the miracles of modern medicine saved Jenny and she recently graduated from Hillsboro High School, a healthy young lady.

Connie works as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the nursing home, a job she has been at for about 20 years, with a couple of breaks. In addition she also drives a school bus and hauls mail.

While most people think the third shift would be a quiet time. Connie says it can be very hectic. During the long night hours Connie makes her rounds, seeing that her residents are comfortable and tucked in bed. If they are having a bad night she may sit with them and if they are hungry she finds them a snack.

She says she enjoys working with the elderly. A native of Hillsboro she has known many of the nursing home residents since she was a child. She admits that she gets attached to some of them and "it is hard to let go when they pass away."

There isn't any aspect of her job she doesn't enjoy.

Connie and her husband, Earl, farm near Yuba. They have five children ranging in age from 18-27.