Wartime Memories – life as a teen during World War II
In 1945, students at Maine High School successfully undertook an amazing initiative: selling $500,000 in war bonds to finance a World War II C-54 Skymaster Transport airplane. The aircraft, which still exists today, was made by Douglas Aircraft Company, located on Manheim Road, just west of our city limits.
This effort was the catalyst for our oral history project “Wartime Memories – life as a teen during World War II”. Today’s Maine Township students from Maine East and South interviewed over a dozen Wartime graduates of Maine High School to document their unique experiences.
Check out the documentary today’s students produced, and peruse any of these wonderful individual’s stories. This exhibit was produced by John Murphy, Wartime Memories Coordinator, Vice President Park Ridge Historical Society Laurie Pegler, Past Trustee Park Ridge Historical Society
RALPH BISHOP
Ralph’s dad worked at Post office, Perkins Express Moving, working long hours until the 40 hour week was enacted. During the war he worked at the Douglas plant – he managed the tool section. His father also had a contract for Postal Express. Shipments would come in by rail to the Park Ridge Train station and his dad would deliver individual items to residents and businesses.
Prior to the war his family had hard times. They couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage so the mortgage holder, Hardware store owner Mr. Rollof, allowed them to just pay the interest. Once the war started they…
ANITA STEWART
Anita Stewart’s recollection of growing up in the 1940s provides a detailed description of the large victory garden she and her father cultivated. It was located on farmland at Harlem and Higgins, across from her house at 5246 Harlem Avenue in Chicago. In addition to the usual items one would expect in a garden, Anita’s father was well known for the cantaloupe he grew.
By 1944, her family moved to Des Plaines at which time she transferred from Taft to Maine High School. During the mid 1940s, her dad, a WWI veteran, worked at the Douglas Aircraft Company and her mother…
BILL AMUNDSEN
Bill Amundsen Grew up 322 Talcott Place and moved at age 15 to 8110 N Merrill and went to Maine High School. Bought a 1930 Ford Coupe to get to school.
Had one brother and parents as well as Grandfather living with them. His brother was 4 ½ years younger. Went to Roosevelt, then Lincoln before going to Maine. Father was export manager of meat packer Swift and Company. His father had a “C” stamps allowing extra gas because they had a war important job. His father…
BOB PEACOCK
Bob Peacock. Born in 1930. Class of 1948 420 s Greenwood & Stewart. Father built house in 1922 He went to Lincoln School K-8.
Father was a WWI veteran born in 1896 in Winchester . Goshen MO 1895 Met in DC and married in 1922. He was born in 1930 at the height of the depression. Father graduated in 1925 from Northwestern and bought a car the month before he was born. Father worked for Illinois Bell they were average middle class. His Mom was a homemaker. Always went on vacations. They didn’t have alot of money but they lived a normal life…
CLARENCE HERBST
Growing up on the north side of Park Ridge, Clarence Herbst was an extremely busy teenager when the war began. Despite questioning his own athletic abilities, he fondly recalled engaging in track, swimming, football and baseball while a student at Maine.
While his father was fortunate to maintain steady employment during the depression and later, he was a workaholic and forfeited opportunities to attend Clarence’s football games and do other family activities. As recalled by Clancy regarding his social life, he and…
CLINTON & DOROTHY WEST
Dorothy West’s Dad worked for a LaSalle and then Citizens Bank, Mom was a homemaker. Here older sister joined the WAC’s. Her parents consented because they thought she was frail. She came bounding back after the interview and exclaimed that she had three weeks to get her affairs in order. She went to Officers Training and was stationed in Camp Tyson in Tennessee. Here sister married a soldier there. They trained and use Military Blimps.
She was writing in Christmas Cards on December 7th upstairs in her room…
RICHARD STRANAHAN
I was an only child. So I got the whole back seat to myself in the car. My father was a salesman. My mother was a homemaker. We grew up with my grandparents because, although it was never discussed, I am quite sure we went broke during the war- I am sorry, during the Depression. We moved an awful lot. I was born in North Dakota. We moved in with the grandparents in Des Plaines when I was four, I think. From there I went into kindergarten in Des Plaines. From there we moved to Yonkers, New York and I did first grade.
MARCIA GUNDERSON & JOANN SEABURY
Marcia lived and worked in Park Ridge up until 2011 when she moved to Arbor Village in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Attending Maine reunions and keeping in touch with her classmates has always been important to Marcia. In March of 2013, John Murphy, Vice President of the Park Ridge Historical Society and Laurie Pegler, also of the Historical Society, interviewed Marcia about what it was like growing up in Park Ridge during the years of WWII. Also present at the interview was former classmate and fellow resident at…
ROBERT MUELLER
Robert lived at 317 North Merrill Avenue. My dad was a banker. My mother was a housewife. We were members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. A member of the boy scouts, he recalls frequent campouts with just the boys – the adults were all working. The boys had to do the shopping for their meals and pool their ration stamps. Robert remembers riding the bus with his rifle team and all of their rifles. Something not very likely today.
ROBERT LINS
Robert Henry James Lin has lived in Park Ridge since the age of 6. He lived at 242 Gillick with his two twin brothers, Charles and Thomas, his mother and his father, who worked at DuPont Chemical Company. His family was able to manage during the depression, since his father had a good job as a sales manager with DuPont, despite never finishing high school. Robert was on the football and basketball teams at Maine High School, and had a steady girlfriend all throughout high school. His time was spent mainly playing sports, attending school events like dances, and going to the movies at the Pickwick and sometimes…