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Retired nurse recounts her life of service
Joan Praet served in the Army, volunteered for hospitals and church
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Joan Praet, 90, holds up a photo of herself in her military uniform at her Gainesville home. The Army nurse veteran has worked at Lanier Park Hospital and many other medical centers throughout the state. She now volunteers at Hopewell Baptist Church. - photo by Erin O. Smith
Born as one of 13 children, Joan Praet was no stranger to discipline growing up. Her experiences as a child fueled her dream of being a nurse, her desire to join the military and her ability to adapt to changing situations and raising four children of her own. Even now at 90 years old, nothing keeps Praet down.