As a kid my jobs around the farm were whatever Mom wanted me to do. Go to the garden get vegetables for dinner. gather the eggs. Help to drive chickens into coops for winter. When Dad would let me, I’d drive the horses to pick up tomato baskets in the field.
My first paying job was as switchboard receptionist at 18 years old. I was taught by AT&T to answer the switchboard at Kingston products in Kokomo which made roller skates. I got fired fired from that job on Valentines Day. I had hepatitis and when I got out of the hospital, my doctor didn’t want me to go back to work right away. While I was out on leave, my friend’s Grandmas asked me if I’d be in a fashion show at Turners Department store. They put my picture in the paper and my boss saw it. He fired me when I returned to work on Valentines Day. After I was fired I went to my doctors to get a B12 shot and told him the story and he hired me to be his receptionist . This is how I got to Chicago, a nurse I worked with Annie was moving to Chicago and they needed a roommate. I got a job with Taylor instruments as a receptionist and would walk to work. I made more money in Chicago.
I then met Herman and my career became being a Mom. During our marriage I would do the store’s bank at night and fix his wallet with change for the next day. I would make sure he had clothes and everything he needed to get to work. On the 50th Anniversary he wrote in a card, “thanks for everything you’ve done”.
