About Us
Our Mission
To recognize men and women who have dedicated their professional lives to nursing and to pay respect to fellow nurses (retired and/or active R.N.s, L.P. N.s, and Nurse Practitioners) for the devotion and commitment they demonstrated in caring for the vulnerable.
To Support future nurses in their educational endeavors.
Goals
- Provide comfort to family/loved ones of fallen nurses by recognizing and honoring the life work of the nurse
- Raise awareness of our services among funeral homes, hospices, nursing homes, nursing groups, and other.communities as indicated
- Maintain a continuous presence in the areas we serve
Membership
Membership in this organization shall be open to all RNs, LPNs, NPs, who profess a desire to further our mission and goals.
Membership
Membership in this organization shall be open to all RNs, LPNs, NPs, who profess a desire to further our mission and goals.
Founding Executive Board Members
Our Team
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities Executive Board
Front Row: Dorothy Spillman, Maria Oakes, Lily Porter, Jo Cathey
Back Row: Becky Wadkins, Audrey Dotson, Bobbie Farris, Ann Riffe, Steve Clevenger, Barbara Porter, and Lea Accord. Rita Weis (not present)
Our History
The group started with Maria Oaks and Dorothy Spillman. The President and the Vice President of the Nurse Honor Guard had both researched the organization and had an interest in creating something like that in Ashland, Kentucky. The group was formed in October of 2019 and have honored 278 nurses and their families as March 2025 including two of our very own founding members,
Maria Oaks and Lily Porter.
Area we serve
We serve a 50 mile radius from Ashland Kentucky to include areas in Ohio and West Virginia
Annual Certificate of Appreciation
Funeral Directors recognized by Nurse Honor Guard
Miller Funeral Home was recognized by Nurse Honor Guard in 2020
Sparks FH in 2021
Philips FH 2022
Brant FH 2023
Steen FH 2024
Pictures and articles coming soon.
Phillips recognized by Nurse Honor Guard
Phillips recognized by Nurse Honor Guard
Published 12:00 am Sunday, March 13, 2022
“You caught me off guard,” David Phillips, owner of Phillips Funeral home said.
On Thursday, he was surprised by members of the Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities with a certificate of recognition for his work.
The group, founded in 2019, is a nonprofit that attends funerals of registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia and provides an honor service.
Maria Oakes, who co-founded the group with Dorothy Spillman, said they select one funeral director annually for the certificate and that Phillips was a quick choice for his support and that of his staff.
She said the award was timed to coincide with National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day, which was Friday. The group opted to do the event on Thursday, as the funeral home had services on Friday.
Oakes spoke of the importance of the work Phillips does.
“It’s a constant job, like nursing, it’s 24/7,” she said. “They go above and beyond and meet families’ needs and take the weight off. Planning a funeral is stressful.”
Phillips said families are appreciative of the services of the Nurses Guard and thanked them for his recognition.
“And I will keep trying to do the same things here and will recommend your services,” he said.
About Us
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities
Morgan Hall
The Ashland Beacon
Somewhere in the tri-state area, a nurse is being laid to rest. The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities serves the tri-state area and beyond. These wonderful folks attend the funerals and stand guard with the deceased. They have a brief ceremony where they take turns speaking different parts and offering b
Morgan Hall
The Ashland Beacon
Somewhere in the tri-state area, a nurse is being laid to rest. The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities serves the tri-state area and beyond. These wonderful folks attend the funerals and stand guard with the deceased. They have a brief ceremony where they take turns speaking different parts and offering blessings to their loved ones. We spoke with Dorothy Spillman, President and Funeral Service Director of the Nurse Honor Guard, “We try to rotate parts every time we have a service, so that everyone has a chance to learn different parts. For instance, if someone has the opening part but can’t be there. All members know the opening and can easily step in and do their part. It makes everything run smoothly. We started September 26, 2019 and a friend of mine sent me a video of a Nurse Honor Guard and once I watched that video, it became my passion. This is God’s work; He is the one that initiated every bit of this.”
You might have seen this organization at the Ironton Memorial Day Parade dressed in their lily white uniforms with capes that are red on one side and blue on the other. Spillman elaborated on the significance of the capes and why they are important, “The capes were worn during the war and that’s how people knew they were nurses. When they saw the color red, they knew the nurses were there to help the wounded soldiers.” This lovely group of folks have won the Ironton Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshall award two years in a row.
Spillman explained how the development of the group evolved, “I was invited to a nurse retirees luncheon at KDMC and I reached out to an acquaintance Maria Oaks and asked her to help me get the ball rolling on this organization. One week later, we scheduled a meeting at the library and we had six people there. Now we have about 32 members and we have done about 104 funeral services. This service is free of charge and per the families request.” These ladies are so happy to volunteer their time to serve.
When speaking with member Ann Riffe, she shared the joy it brings her to be a part of this organization, “We get the blessing! We only do a seven minute program and it’s really heartfelt, we each say our parts and it’s very rewarding to take part.”
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities
Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities
About Us
December 15, 2020 · The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities visited our Ashland campus Sunday, Dec. 13, to present our team with a wreath and a plaque, which reads:In recognition of their dedication, service and sacrifices, and to honor them, The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities would like to present
December 15, 2020 · The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities visited our Ashland campus Sunday, Dec. 13, to present our team with a wreath and a plaque, which reads:In recognition of their dedication, service and sacrifices, and to honor them, The Nurse Honor Guard of the River Cities would like to present this plaque to the entire team of King’s Daughters Medical Center.Nurse Honor Guard members at the event included: Lea Acord, Jo Cathey, Audrey Dotson, Bobbie Farris, Rhonda Towler Lyons, Maria Oakes, Barbara Porter Ann Riffe, Dorothy Spillman, and Becky Wadkins.From King’s Daughters: Brandi Dailey, R.N., Intensive Care Unit; Hannah Hicks, R.N., BSN, Float Pool; Scott Hill, director of Community Engagement; Branden Hutchison, R.N., BSN, Intensive Care Unit; and Carly Thomas, LPN, Float Pool. Gerry, CMT; Levi Runyon, RN; Eva Joseph, APRN; and Chris Webb, RN.On behalf of everyone at KDTSHO, we wish you many days, weeks, months and years of good health and happiness!
Presenting a Wreath and Plague
Praying for the Hospital staff
Join Us
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and fund our mission. Until we get PayPal or Venmo set up the only way to pay is in person or with a check mailed to NHGRC PO Box 921, Ashland KY 41105