I Had an Anchor

Connie first arrived at Mayo Clinic in 1954. Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the second year of his presidency. TV's first power couple — Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — starred in the top-rated show I Love Lucy. Large-scale tests of the polio vaccine began in schools. In Rochester, the Mayo Building, planned for 10 stories, was under construction.

At Mayo, Connie met James Priestley, M.D., Ph.D., who worked with his team to rule out cancer. "At long last, I had an anchor. You don't forget people like that," recalls Connie, whose eyes sparkle as she describes the relief and sense of purpose that Dr. Priestley and his colleagues inspired in her. "They removed the lump and told me I'd be fine.

"You could say time proved them right."