The richest sources of information in the collection are Garvey's correspondence to her
sister, Anna [Nan] Layde (1918-1919) and her writings about public health nursing (1931-[193?]).
In her letters, Garvey describes her work and social life as a Red Cross nurse stationed in
post-World War I France. She discusses her environs and clothing, interactions with American
soldiers and local townspeople, and job duties and leisure activities. The collection also
includes correspondence (1931-1939) and essays (undated) about her work as a public health
field nurse. Most of her essays are intended to introduce the work of public health nurses
to a lay audience, detailing the daily challenges she encountered in rural Wisconsin towns
and schools. Encouraged by the executive secretary of the Wisconsin Anti-Tuberculosis
Association (W.A.T.A.) to write about her experiences as a field nurse, Garvey submitted a
number of her manuscripts for publication in R.N.Magazine.
