11. Violet age 90 years
Oh, I wrote pages and pages of stories with Violet. I couldn’t keep up! She had such great expressions. She would throw her hands up, and her head back, when she laughed.. and you could see the laughter in her eyes!
She was born in Green Bay.. she grew up in a brick house, on the hill, on Deckner Avenue. It’s still sitting there. And her grandparents lived on Baird Creek Road. When she was little, you could walk, through the fields.. that are all now covered with houses, of course. There was a little school on the corner of Main and Deckner, that she attended. And her dad worked at the post office! Her mom was a strict German woman. Violet said many times, that there was never a hug or a kiss from her parents at home. They weren’t raised that way. She said, “you went to school, and you came home, and you didn’t chum with anyone.”
But Violet is such a loving and open woman. She said, “I’m a hugger!”
Violet was barely 16 when she married. Her husband, Orb, was 7 years older. She met him because he was a hired hand for her mother. And then he was a bridge tender when they were first married.. And they lived in a garage that was 7 dollars a month to rent, until they moved to a home on the bay, for 17 dollars a month rent. She told me right off, that her husband was an alcoholic. But he always gave her his paycheck.
During the summer, Violet would work at Bay Beach, cleaning the pavilion for 80 cents an hour! She also worked at the Prange’s toy department.. and was remembering for me, all the dime stores downtown!
Violet and Orb were busy working and raising children, four at that time, when they learned that Orb got his draft papers and would be sent to war. They also learned, they had to move.. Violet’s father gave them the 3000 dollars for a house, right on the bay.. It had no water when they first moved in.. but it’s the very same house she’s living in today.
Orb went off to Fort Louis for basic training. But they sent him home, because he fell apart. His body was so bad, from the alcoholism.
Violet said that her husband didn’t talk that much. But one time, he told her, he remembered that he had started drinking when he was four years old.
The house they lived in, and that she’s still living in now, is right on the water. Violet said it was a nice place to raise kids. They would ice skate and swim. She said, “I love this darn area!”
Even though, she told of that flood.. where they could rowboat up and down the street. And the water was up to your knees in the house, but she said, “you don’t want to leave your house!”
Violet’s parents divorced in later years. She seemed sad when she talked of her father. He ended up living in an apartment above the YMCA. She said her mother was never satisfied. And Violet said, “I never had no love for her.. I didn’t.” Her mother ended up living with Violet’s sister in Florida. And she went there, when her mother was dying. She was in the room. But she said, “I didn’t feel nothing.”
And again she said, “The way we were raised was sad, kinda screwed up our lives.”
I’m not sure, all I know is from one visit, but Violet had every excuse to become hardened.. But instead, it seems to have made her more open and loving and kind.
Much love to her! And many thanks for these stories!
10. Katherine age 90..
Katherine told so many great stories. She grew up right there in the Town of Allouez on Webster Avenue! She said during prohibition, there was a tavern that would sell moonshine, on the side, at 4AM!
She also spoke a lot of the reformatory right there.. (well, that’s still there actually.. only different now) they had a farm where the prisoners would work. And they had cattle that the prisoners were assigned to.. Her dad would fill the kettle with water, for the prisoners, so they would have water while working in the fields. And she said she remembers the men jumping off the wagon, because they weren’t allowed cigarettes. So, if there was a partly smoked cigarette on the ground, someone would jump off and grab it!
I loved the stories of her father. He peddled bottled milk in De Pere.. at first, with a horse and wagon. And then he had a regular milk truck for the crates. There were two stories that stood out. The first was when there was a milk strike. Katherine’s dad got her out of bed to go with him on the route. He told her to hit anyone over the head with a milk bottle if they come close to the truck! Luckily, she didn’t have to.. :)
And the other stories she told were of the train depot in De Pere. She said that’s where the hobos begged for milk off her dad. And he would always give them a pint of milk. And then they would go back and see the bottles all sitting in a row, to be collected. She told that story with such fondness.
After Katherine was married, she lived on a farm in Bellevue. They raised five children here. And where the farmhouse was, there’s a McDonalds and a gas station with a Taco Bell there now. The barn is still standing across the road!
Katherine recollected a story about when a prisoner from the reformatory hid out in their barn overnight. She said they had two German Shepherd dogs that wouldn’t stop barking! They couldn’t figure it out! When her husband got home from working, a man came crawling down from the rafters asking if they had a telephone, and could he call the reformatory to come pick him up. He was cold, and he was turning himself in! ;)
That last photo is a photo of the land that Katherine lives on now.. There was an old train car! They gave it to the Railroad Museum.
Awhile back, Katherine used to volunteer at Heritage Hill in the Tank House. She would bake cookies on the old wood stove for school children coming through!
She also taught leather craft, for 4H and at a school for differently abled children.
Katherine was a graduate from De Pere HS! And she has three grandchildren that graduated from there, as well. She said if they’re really getting into it, they sing the school song!! :)
9. Delores.. age 91 years!
Oh my goodness, she is very seriously the youngest looking and feeling 91 year old ever. You would not believe she’s in her 90s if you met her. On the phone, before I met her, i could even tell, there was this amazing youthfulness about her.. and she said people think she’s in her 60s! :)
Dell served in the Marine Corps during WWII. She was 23 in that second photo up there. She said there were 23,000 women in the Marines in 1943 and 1944. Also, they didn’t even have full uniforms for women in the beginning! She was stationed in San Diego.
But when I asked her, “why the Marines?” She said, “because of the uniforms!” ;)
And also, Dell has been an active member of the American Legion for 61 years!! 61 years! Seriously!
And the beautiful baskets in the photos, Dell made them! (I think she should sell them, mostly because I would want to buy one)! ;) And the gorgeous tatting was done by her, as well. Tatting is something I’ve been introduced to because of this project.. and it’s really an art that I’ve grown to appreciate, due to the intricate beauty and amount of time it consumes! You can just see! Goodness.
Dolores actually graduated from Green Bay East HS! She raised 4 children in Green Bay, in the house she lives in now.. and she even showed me a 5th generation photo with her newest family member.. a great great grandson!!
This was such a nice visit! I could have stayed forever! :)
Number 8.. Helen age 92!
I drove up to Sturgeon Bay to meet with Helen and her daughter, Mavis. I loved this little visit immensely! Here’s some of what I learned:
Helen grew up on a farm in Black Earth, Wisconsin. She got on a train to Chicago, when she was 17, to join her two older sisters. She lived with them and worked taking care of two young children. They were all employed by different families, but they could take the children to the same parks. Helen even recalled the stories and natures of the children she watched! She said the little boy was a handful, and the little girl was “her pet.”
And at one point, she worked for a photographer. She would call up and down the street.. looking for houses with children, whose parents wanted photographs. The photographer would follow some houses behind. And she would mark the houses with an “x” on the sidewalk. And that’s how they would get clients! Isn’t that so interesting?
Helen’s daughter, Mavis said, of her mom, “She is a passionate gardener and recycler, before the word found its way into the vernacular.” And I love this part.. She told me that Helen ate oatmeal and corn meal alternately every day for the first 21 years of her life, and she said, “Oatmeal may be the key to her longevity.” ;)
I think I must have been talking about my son, Augustus.. and how he’s in kindergarten. Helen then started talking about being in first grade. She recited all of The Little Red Hen for me.. it was a first grade book at her school.. the whole darn thing, she recited.
There’s one photo in the post where Helen is holding her wedding photo! Helen was married for 49 years.. raising three children. Her husband was in World War II.. and he did not even see his son until he was four years old. Helen remembered making a record of her son talking and sending it overseas for her husband.
Helen spoke a lot of her sister, Neva. Neva was an artist (they said an amateur artist.. but i don’t think you have to be trained). She actually worked for photographers coloring photographs. But the most amazing thing was the sketchbooks they found of hers, after she died. They’re in frames all over the house now.. and they’ve even been in an art gallery. They’re really amazing. And they’re done all from memory.. childhood scenes.. perfectly captured. What a great talent!
And as I was leaving, Mavis gave me notecards.. with one of the sketches printed on them. They make me so happy. I can’t even tell you..
And the last photo is a photo of Helen in her early 20s.. Isn’t she just beautiful??!
Even though I met them in Sturgeon Bay, where Helen is living with her daughter, Mavis said, “her home is still in Chicago, awaiting her return one day.” :)
7. Gerda.. age 92 (don’t quote me on the 92.. I can’t quite remember if it was 91 or 92 or 93.. but don’t worry, I’ll verify it)!
I met with her awhile back, to see if she’d agree to be part of the project. And she talked about this trio she’s a part of.. and I am so grateful they allowed me to come listen and photograph.. it was beautiful. They’ve been playing together for about 15 years! Both of the other women are named “Barb.” And they’ve both taken lessons with Gerda. The lovely one in the darker blue took lessons from Gerda when she was in high school! Gerda is always in charge of bringing the music. (and she’ll even let them borrow it, if they promise to practice.. and not lose it) ;)
Gerda has a degree in flute performance. She’s played in the Madison Symphony, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, and in the Green Bay Symphony.. She’s an incredibly accomplished musician.. She even played in the Green Bay City Band for 40 years!
There’s one photograph of the Barb in light blue.. But she’s only in her 80s! Young’un! ;) (I really love the photograph of her, because I love her glasses.. and I think she just has the brightest personality) When I asked how long they’d been playing together, she said, “I think it’s been at least a year!”
Gerda said, despite her breathing problems, “I refuse to quite playing my flute.. as long as I can do it!”
They used to have a 4th.. a piano player. But she passed away. So, Barb brings a bass recorder, in case they need accompaniment. I very much got lost in listening to them.. although, they kept making it known they weren’t playing perfectly.. I did not know the difference. I thought it was just perfect.
6. Carmella.. age 99!
If you’ve followed the 101 Women Project, you’ve already met Carmella! Because she was an inspiration for this new project, I thought it would be perfect to take her portrait again. It was her idea for me to come to her winter picnic. She’s been hosting this picnic since 1959!! The family treks into the woods and eats steaks over a fire.. with hot chocolate! Carmella didn’t make the hike this year, but I still followed along and took photos. It was so friendly, and everyone was really welcoming. AND Carmella will be 100 years young, this spring. And I am hoping to go take photos then too!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And so much love!!!
5. Luella.. age 91!
Luella and her husband, Wencil, were married for 71 years! Can you imagine?
6 children.. 16 grandchildren.. and 30 great-grandchildren.
They were really instrumental leaders in the Town of Bellevue, Wisconsin. She spoke of her husband’s time as Chairman with a whole lot of pride and love. And the more she spoke, the more it made me realize, talking to all these women was kinda like talking to the foundation of all that is right now.
One of my favorite things Luella said, was that she was never a farmer! She grew up on a farm. But she was the oldest girl. So, she took care of the younger ones. When she was married, they lived on a farm. And then she had 6 children. So, she was never a farmer! :) She was even the 4-H Leader (the actual leader for the area) for 20 years! But another thing I learned, is that 4-H is a lot more than animals and farming!
Luella has this amazing history.. and an amazing family. I was so fortunate to get to photograph her! :)
Meet Helen.. age 91 and number 4 in the project!!
Helen grew up in the Plymouth area. She moved closer to her daughter about 11 years ago, but she still drives back to the same church she’s been going to since she was 6 years old (that’s 85 years, folks)!!
Another really amazing thing, is that she went back to school at 33.. to become a teacher! And she ended up teaching 6th grade in the same school she graduated from in 1938. Helen taught Language Arts until 1982! She said it was actually one of her worst subjects! ;)
You’ll see in the photos that she has a 40 year Hummel collection! I’ve not seen these before. There’s even some sort of club! ;) And Helen said you have to get the original ones.. when you hold them in a certain light, there’s a gleam in their eyes!
When I talk about my project, I’ve been mentioning Helen a lot.. because she was staying in a nursing home when I photographed her. Her daughter picked her up and brought her home for the day. She won’t have to be there for that much longer, crossing fingers, because Helen mentioned many times how foggy she gets while in the nursing home.. specifically in her room. And when she’s out, her memory comes back.. I thought that was so interesting. And I can’t imagine what it’s like.. She wanted to be home so badly. (and her home is beautiful).. Here’s hoping she is home right now. <3
Meet Rosemary! She’s 91 years young! And she’s the third woman in the project!
Rosemary went to St. Mary of the Angels in Green Bay, for school. She laughed when she talked about not knowing anyone. And they were all big Polish families, where everyone knew one another, and they were all related. And she only had one brother! :)
She went to school with Elly’s husband. So, there are a lot of connections between these ladies! Then she went to high school at St. Joseph’s.. which is now Aldo Leopold. :)
I love hearing stories! And I just love these ladies!
Meet Elly, number 2 in the project! She’s 91 years young! :)
Her grandkids call her Grandma Muttsy.. after a dog she had! I think she just has this beautiful confidence!
Elly and Rosemary (number 3) we friends since they were teenagers! They walked down to the office to get their social security numbers, when they were 16, for their first jobs together! Their social security numbers are ONE number apart! They worked at the corner store.. it was called Halzer Corner Drug! :)
The women also spoke about handywork.. and I put in a photo of an ornament Elly made using a tatting technique. It took her 6 weeks to finish!! Goodness!
Isn’t she lovely!? :)
