A letter sent on March 7, 1919, from a Milan hospital to an Oak Park residence permanently altered the personal trajectory of Ernest Hemingway. The author of the dispatch was Agnes von Kurowsky, an American nurse serving in World War I, whose professional path eventually crossed with the young writer, providing the basis for Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms.
Early Career and Training
Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on January 5, 1892, Kurowsky was the daughter of Paul von Kurowsky and Agnes Holabird. Her family maintained ties to Washington, D.C., which she considered her home. After completing studies at the Fairmont Seminary and training at the Washington Public Library, she secured work as a cataloger in 1910. Seeking a more demanding environment, she transitioned to the medical field, graduating from the Bellevue Nurses Training Program in 1917.
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Kurowsky joined the American Red Cross and departed for Europe on June 15, 1918. Stationed in Milan, she treated casualties of the conflict, including a 19-year-old Hemingway. Though they established a romantic connection and initial plans for marriage, the engagement ended via correspondence when she informed him of her intention to wed an Italian officer. Following this period, she worked for the Red Cross in the Kingdom of Romania and later served as the director of nurses for the Public Health Service in Haiti.
Literary Connections and Personal History
Beyond her medical career, Kurowsky became known as a source for Hemingway’s fiction. Characters inspired by her appear in his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms and short stories such as A Very Short Story and The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Her identity as the primary inspiration was solidified following 1961 research by Leicester Hemingway. In her private life, she married Howard Preston Garner in 1928, followed by a marriage to William Stanfield in 1934.
Later Life and Legacy
During World War II, Kurowsky performed duties at the Red Cross Blood Bank located on Fifth Avenue in New York City. She resided with her husband, William Stanfield, until her death in Gulfport, Florida, on November 25, 1984. At 92 years old, she was interred at the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Her professional tenure was formally recognized through honors for her commendable service with the American Red Cross.
Fast facts
- Born: 5 January 1892, Germantown, Pennsylvania
- Died: 25 November 1984, Gulfport, Florida
- Primary Occupation: Nurse
- Education: Bellevue Nurses Training Program, 1917
- First Marriage: Howard Preston Garner, 1928
- Second Marriage: William Stanfield, 1934
- Burial Site: Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Did Agnes von Kurowsky marry Ernest Hemingway?
No. Although they were engaged while she was a nurse in Milan, she broke the engagement in a letter written in March 1919.
Which fictional character is based on her?
She is the primary inspiration for Catherine Barkley, the protagonist in Ernest Hemingway's 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms.
