The war was in Europe, Russia, Africa, Italy, China, SE Asia the Pacific and even to northern Australia. The war required a lot of steel and Youngstown, Ohio was noted for it.
Families were broken up. Men went to war and married women, formerly unable to work outside the home and risk taking away jobs from men, were asked by Uncle Sam to work in the steel mills and factories as “Rosie the Riveter”.
There was a lot of hostilities toward Germans, Italians, and Asians. The working moms needed child care support among other things. Wives felt the loneliness and anxieties of their loved ones fighting the war. Such issues would too often cumulate in the missing or killed in action letters and visits with little other supporting information. These families felt the pain that ensued and thus the children and relatives.
Gertrude found herself having to adapt as the war schedule, the needs of the workers, those of the care centers as well as the schools. In addition, she did a lot of grief counseling as she knew, felt, endured and grieved over Oscar and could relate to those families and their relatives.
Gertrude got them into groups to work and talk together and to support one another. There were drunkards, gamblers and abusers challenges to deal with as well and she learned how to help those facing.
The moffia controlled the liquor, ran the numbers games and controlled the population’s income by fleecing them. Often some would simply vanish. Politics were controlled by the moffia (Democrats candidates only) much like today’s multi-media on internet and “so called” news reporters and drug dealers of the modern world. Families needed to group together for protection and to understand what was truly happening in their communities.
World War II started and Gertrude resigned to accept position so I could spend more time with my children.
GI’s brought home brides that did not speak English and were taken away from the homes, families, and culture. Gertrude started working with the women who felt so lost. She was instrumental in helping women move from a time when they did not work and had not child care, to being able to sustain their household, prepare and organization and networking and ability to build each other up and support those
Family life program evolved into a national program and she ran the program out of Youngstown.
Rayand High school – Teaching Home Economics and it turned into the
Dr. Essig, superintendent of Rayand HS., was a very supportive person of family growth and family values.
Moved to Youngstown and found a church, Trinity Methodist in Youngstown. Bob wanted to watch / play football on Sundays instead of Sunday school.
10-11th grade, Bob was pushed into Sunday school and the pretty teacher caught his attention. He was happy to come to church and even sang in the choir.
Bill and Bob attended south high school, Bob played tennis instead of football. Coach told him he was too small. Bill played basketball for the South High Warriors, but broke his leg.
| 1942 Sept. | Youngstown Public Schools – Home Economics Teacher – Rayen High School |
| 1943 May | Director Child Care Centers for Working Mothers [war plants] – Youngstown Public Schools |
| 1946 Apr. | World War II ended, then returned to Rayen as a Home Economics Teacher |
| 1957-1959 | WKBN (CBS) Ch. 27 “Home Cooking” with Peg Hendricks 30 min. (live show) |
| 1959-1961
(part-time) |
Executive – Hospital Care Fund Agency – Community Chest |
| 1963
Summer 16 weeks) |
U.S. Office of Education, Washington, D.C. – Manpower & Home Economics
Prepared and executed Pilot Program for Training Child Care Aides (16 weeks – 480 hours) |
| 1967
Summer (3 weeks) |
U.S. Office of Education, Home Economics Division, Penn State, Home Economics Dept. Co-Sponsor. Task-Force “Poverty, the Role of the Home Economists” One of 40 selected representative from the States. |
| 1968 Summer
(2 weeks) |
U.S. Office of Education, Home Economics Division Rutgers University – Co-Sponsor. Task Force “Home Makers, Home-Health Aide”
One of 32 selected representatives from the States including Hawaii |
| 1969 Summer
(2 weeks) |
State Dept. Vocational Education – Home Ec. Section – Columbus, Ohio
Ohio University Home Ec. Dept., Athens, Ohio Co-Sponsor, Task Force – “Consumer Homemaking” Part III Vocational Education Amendment 1968, Title I on Vocational Education, Part F. One of 12 selected persons. Suggested Pilot Program Areas |
| 1970 Summer
(2 weeks) |
As a Task Force Representative and Director of a Pilot Program returned to Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Representatives from all Pilot Programs compiled Curriculum Manual for “Consumer Education for Ktgn thru 12” |
| 1970 June | Consultant depicting low-income areas (telling it how it really is) for National Research Conference on “Consumer and Homemaking Education Center for Vocational and Technical Education,” Columbus, Ohio |
| 1950 – 1968 | Consultant for several Health Education Workshops directed by Miss Florence Hellman – Head of Health Education Department, Kent State University. |