Fearless Females - Working Girl

March 12 — Working girl: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.

This is an updated version of my post from 2011.

My mother in DC in 1951

My mother worked at the Dupont Chemical Company during the summers while she was attending Goldey College in Wilmington, DE. After graduation from Business College, she moved to Washington DC and worked as a secretary for the NPA and Veterans Administration in the early 50's. She returned home and worked for General Chemical in Claymont, DE and then moved to Florida where she worked at the Patrick Air Force Base as an Executive Secretary. After marrying my Dad, she worked for NCR in Dayton, OH while my Dad finished college. She stayed at home when my sister and I were younger and then returned to work as a secretary when I was in high school.

I discovered a newspaper article in the Chester Times from 1949 that said my mother was one of 53 students on the honor roll at Goldey College. The article stated that she was cited for outstanding performances in the aeronautical secretarial course. When I asked her about the course she pulled out a picture I'd never seen before.

The Goldey graduates of the aeronautical secretarial course were treated to a trip to New York City sponsored by Eastern Airlines! My mother is the 4th from the left. I'm sure a good time was had by all! They certainly were dressed up for the occasion.

My maternal grandmother Edna Willis worked in a factory as a seamstress, along with a couple of her sisters. They had moved from Maryland to Lansdale, PA to find jobs and she met my grandfather while working at the factory. According to the 1930 census, my paternal grandmother Anna Lee Pulskamp was working as a secretary for the Farm Bureau in Ohio at the age of 19.

Once again, in honor of National Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog presents Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month.