MONETT, Mo. — Two women who work in the same business, in the same profession, and are the best of friends, couldn’t be more excited about an upcoming event involving them and many of their childhood friends.
Mindy Beeson and Jessica Walker have a lot in common. For one thing, both work at the same hospital in Monett.
Both went to Crowder College for nursing school. — And both share a love for the game of softball.
“We know all the same people, like you said, the same coaches, teachers, friends, people in the community, we have shared acquaintances,” said Mindy Beeson RN, Future Hall of Fame Inductee.
“Just to be able to share that experience with the people I grew up with and I look up to it’s exciting,” said Jessica Walker RN, Missouri Hall of Fame Inductee.
Both played at different times for the same softball team, Wheaton, where both of them went to school. It was a great program for a five-year span.
From 1993 through 97, the Wheaton girls’ teams finished no lower than fourth in the state tournament, including one championship.
Another bit of irony, several members of championship teams also went into nursing.
To this day, both think of themselves as team players and say a team approach is needed to take care of their patients.
“I want to say surprised, blessed, it was a great time, it was a great group of girls to play ball with, we had a great coach, it was well deserved, we worked hard to get to state all those many years,” said Walker.
“I’m honored that we have been recognized for this, but I want to say to all the girls that are being inducted that were part of the teams, the parents, the coaches, the fans, the whole community of Wheaton, what a great honor it is for all of us to be recognized,” said Beeson.
Walker, Beeson, and thirty other teammates will go into the Missouri Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, as part of the Class of 2023 later this month.
