Highly esteemed in the community in which she maintains and develops one of her chief interests, Mrs. A. R. Atwood, proprietor and manager of the Mission Hospital, has become an influential leader in Santa Cruz in movements for the welfare of humanity and the extension of the fame of both town and county as among the most desirable of residential districts in California. Mrs. Atwood was born at Sheridan, California, the daughter of George M. and Mary Ann (Fogerty) Adams, both worthy pioneers in the good old Golden state, her father having crossed the Great Plains as a boy, when he came direct to Watsonville. Her mother first saw the light in Placer county. Her maternal grandparents were ’49ers, and so belong to that noble army of early settlers whose inestimable value has been extolled repeatedly by orator and poet and been the theme of painters in their highest art.
Mary Irene Adams attended the high school of Oakland and spent some time at Healdsburg College. She received her training as a nurse at the St. Helena Sanitarium, graduating in 1908. The next eight years were spent in hospital visiting nurse and private duty in both California and Washington. In 1916, she took over the Mission Hospital at 66 High street, Santa Cruz, from Verna Rose. This hospital was built. in 1906 by Dr. Melvin, who sold it to B. A. Schaffer, who in turn sold it to Mrs. Atwood. She has spent much money in making improvements in the building and has added much that represents the very latest in modern equipment. She employs only graduate nurses, and hence she has a first-class staff to assist her. There is a physiotherapy department, equipped for the scientific application of rational methods in combating disease, using the Battle Creek method of hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, massage, electric light treatments and ultra-violet treatments are also given. When she took over the hospital it had only ten beds but now it has more than double that number. She has also bought the adjacent property for the purpose of building a modern fireproof structure.
At Santa Cruz, April 7, 1917, Miss Adams was married to Albert R. Atwood, of Benicia, California, a marine engineer and a member of a pioneer family, who served in both the Philippine campaign and the World war. He was a member of the naval reserve and was called the day after war was declared.
Since his discharge from the army he has been employed as engineer at the Santa Cruz Portland cement plant. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Atwood have three children: Muriel Irene; and twin daughters, Rosemary and William.
Source: History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California : cradle of California’s history and romance : dating from the planting of the cross of Christendom upon the shores of Monterey Bay by Fr. Junipero Serra, and those intrepid adventurers who accompanied him, down to the present day. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1925.