Mecklenburg County's First African-American Nurse Has Died

CHARLOTTE, NC — Mecklenburg County's first African-American nurse, Thereasea Clark Elder, has died, county officials announced Thursday. Elder, 93, was the first Black nurse to integrate the county's public health nursing system.

She died Jan. 5, the county said.

"Elder was a pioneer who faced many obstacles as she worked to provide care for the community," the county said in a statement. "Initially, she was assigned to work only with black patients, but eventually worked with white patients, which meant venturing into communities where she was not welcomed. On many occasions she was insulted and denigrated by the white patients to whom she provided care, but she was courageous and persisted because of a strong determination to do her job. She set a high level for excellent service used as benchmark for those who came after her."

Elder was born in Lancaster, South Carolina in 1927, and later moved with her family to Charlotte, where she attended West Charlotte High School. After graduation, she attended Johnson C. Smith University and North Carolina Central University. She was a member of the U.S. Cadet Nursing Program and also studied pediatrics at Freeman Hospital at Howard University, the county said.

She worked as a public health nurse in Mecklenburg County until her retirement in 1989. She was also an active community volunteer for numerous organizations, including Hospice, the American Red Cross and the League of Women Voters.

"She will be remembered as a trailblazer, advocate and dedicated servant-leader who made a lasting impact on the local health care system and the people she served," Mecklenburg County said.