Dorothy Jumper Rodgers and Dale Ann Chimel

Recorded December 4, 2004 Archived January 11, 2005 38:52 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: SPP000978

Description

Participants

  • Dorothy Jumper Rodgers
  • Dale Ann Chimel

Transcript

StoryCorps uses Google Cloud Speech-to-Text and Natural Language API to provide machine-generated transcripts. Transcripts have not been checked for accuracy and may contain errors. Learn more about our FAQs through our Help Center or do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.

00:01 My name is Dale Ann. Chimel. I'm 39. Today is December 4th 2004 where in Grand Central Station and I'm the daughter of Dorothy Rogers?

00:20 I am a Dorothy jumper Rodgers and my birthday is July 2nd 1920. I'm being interviewed in Grand Central Station.

00:40 We are here for the Christmas holiday.

00:45 So, where did you grow up in Philadelphia?

00:52 Raise their went to high school in what section I went to Olney High. I just met with 12 of my friends. We get together every May and November and have lunch together and catch up on what's going on in our phone.

01:17 Have you been meeting with them for a long time? Well, I graduated from high school at 6. So I don't know. How many are there there was started at 12 and to have since passed away but a few other ones have feta joined us so

01:45 We have a good time talkin good. What is your earliest memory?

01:57 Just I don't know one particular thing. Will you always say spend her vacation up at my grandparents house and every soon as school let out we would get on that Greyhound bus and go up to when burned Johnstown Pennsylvania and we would spend the whole summer living between the two my grandparents and my Aunt Rose's house and then when school started we would come back to Philadelphia who is the Wii and my brother and I and my father

02:41 What about your dad? Well, my father had to work and so he would come up during the summer on his vacation and the and then he'd go home and then pick us up at the train station and we get in a taxi and go home. So who lived in Glenburn who lived in Johnstown that will my grandparents Elmer claycomb and Dolly berghammer where my grandparents and they lived in Weber. My grandfather work for the Berwyn White Coal Company and the town was named after Berwyn and they lived in town the owner of the coal mine and Aunt Rose lived in the Johnstown and she spent her whole life there, but her

03:41 I don't like their butts in the family was involved in the Johnstown Flood. And so that was quite an experience. In fact and Rose live to attend the 75th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood and we got a kick out of her getting all dressed up and going off to this banquet that you had my

04:14 Grandparent great-grandparents escape the flood because Josiah was in the worked in the Cambria Iron Works, and he wouldn't went they went to work that day and the Air Force gathers them all together and said the dam was going to break and they were all to go home and take care of their families. They managed to survive because of water stopped to streets below their house and they ended up taking a family in so it's something that that you always and I remembered it and it was a terrible tragedy, but that yeah

05:05 Live through it.

05:09 Survived. Can you tell me anything about the family they took in? Well, it's a little girl and they stayed about two weeks and it went a little girl left.

05:31 She gave me a rose.

05:37 Which was Joyce's begins at roses, but she never allowed anybody to play with it and still has its clothes and everything and she wouldn't let anybody wash it the what's in the doll's head. It still has its hear from them flood and you still have that.

06:05 The little girl didn't have anything.

06:09 Avatar Sheehan

06:17 Oh, you're so some of your best memories about in the summer time. She spent with your grandparents will fortunate that. They were very self-sufficient and they had a car that they started out with a horse and buggy, but then my grandfather bought a car and as soon as church was over on Sunday, we'd all Pile in the car and go over the mountain and visit a different route to every Sunday. So my mother's family was very important to her and they made a big fuss over my mother. And of course, we always had a good time visiting different relatives, and it was a nice experience by father.

07:18 Was raised in an orphanage and really didn't have any family and so he always has a lot of my father to have this enjoyment a hers.

07:35 How many young children wearing Grandma's family and children and only for live to be 21 and they were for girls. My mother was the second oldest and then her sister Dorothy and jewelry and those were her three sisters than they were at the claycomb. That was their surname. There were a lot of Clay comes around Bedford County. And so they had were Union stuck with another they are always have chicken and waffle dinners as they were always.

08:25 Bed at my grandfather because he ate so much very nice childhood. I was just my brother and I and we always got along good. My brother was always doing things and kept himself busy and what kind of things did he tell you how he delivered groceries and he picked the celery the southern part of Jersey and they would take the kids in the bus and take him down and come home smelling is celery supplement that he just was making money and enjoying himself and my mother just let him do whatever he wants.

09:25 It was that type of child. How did you spend your days in the Summers?

09:34 We went a lot too when I was told that we went to the center of Philadelphia and visited different places. And that was a very enjoyable. I like it setting life in reference to the small-town sitting person. And today I work in the city and I enjoyed going down from that tree as I'm sure it's the cities are exciting. I like what the cities have to offer people especially live version historic places and things like that. I enjoyed that the most

10:26 So you grew up in the depression. What do you remember about that my parents did not talk too much about money. But why is father to learn to be a printer in the orphanage? And when they were married they moved to Philadelphia and we're married there and my father got a job with the Philadelphia Inquirer and like father said to even in the depression people have to buy a newspaper at look for work and Farsi said that was always another good job. But we were very fortunate that my father worked a couple days a week. He was one of the few people on this street that had a job and so you always enjoyed working for the

11:26 Choir and we were very conscious of the news of what was going on in the newspaper and he kept track of things that we're going on when the war started he had enjoyed that when they were in the orphanage they do put them out with her 16, and so my father lied about his age and went in the Army and and you are from h e had to learn to be a play musical instrument when he went in the Army he was put in with the bath. So he played for 8 years in the Army pant. If you try he played the French war and they toured all over Europe after World War II over.

12:23 And so he was quite worldly knew about two things ever was curious and visit a different cities. They had to go to play in concerts and everything and when you know people we had parades in our neighborhood Fourth of July, and I said to my father, why don't you join one of these veterans and then you could be in the parade and he said I did all my marching and the service and so he wasn't going to

13:05 Do arched just as a veteran and he would come to Willow Grove Park in my parents always renewed their relationship that they had and music my mother played the violin school. And so she herself enjoyed music and it was something that you shared together the two and my father had a large record collection and just we had to Magnavox and he would put these large records on play walk through the house directing an orchestra. It was fun to watch, you know.

14:01 I myself am not musical at all. But I tried to encourage my children to enjoy their music. Plus I always listen to my grandchildren play the piano. It's nice to see how that you've been proved Their Blessings and all.

14:30 How did you know that World War II had begun well?

14:36 My father always inquire was a morning paper and so it was printed at night. And for some reason I was I was going to school and my mother had given me yet Petty which is unusual, but I went into the candy store to spend this Penny and it was making this big decision when it became that

15:04 Newspaperman and threw down the newspapers and I looked at it and it was a picture of the Hindenburg burning and I said that's why daddy didn't come home late. And so that was very vividly remembered that went off to school, but our lives were caught up to in the newspaper. And what was going on all the time. It is very important that I do have to say, my mother was a school teacher and she always was encouraging house to read a lot pay attention to what I do. Remember when I was over my girlfriend's house and left at the next corner and the two of us were in her little study and we were playing

16:04 When they had naps that to Pearl Harbor was so we're to sit there looking at each other and I said to my girlfriend, I think I better go home. If I went around the corner. I thought we were in big trouble. I could see you that, you know, so that's the way also remember that big fat, but it sucks.

16:32 Nice to know what's going on in the world and paying attention and I've always liked history since my favorite subject and books is another thing. I love to have Forks. Oh, no, it's important and you're wise to pay attention to what's going on in history and decide for yourself. How sleeping so are you have to listen to the different people on television and see you know it decide for yourself. What's really important in history making a note?

17:21 How did the War affect them everyday life?

17:29 We had an air raid warden in our neighborhood who was to keep tabs that everybody paid attention. My mother refused to get blackout curtains. She just felt it's awkward in not necessary in off. And so what anti my brother went off and had left the Cellar Door light. I thought I was going to go to jail for sure the warden's banging at the door and I didn't know where the key was.

18:09 And he was very upset that we had a light on in the garage, but it's really annoyed with him. What's another memory of air rates?

18:26 Something. Coming home traveling putting the suitcases on the bed. We had just came home from her and we are all the beds to empty when the air raid went off. And of course we had the house was dark we couldn't light a light and I we couldn't lay down because the suitcases were all on the bed.

19:00 Kind of bummed out about the whole thing, but we wouldn't I remember to do that.

19:15 What happened?

19:21 So what were the restrictions like during the war? You could only have rations food and clothing and shoes shoes with were very important how many shoes could you pair of shoes a year? And so this was supposed to be with my brother who is growing like a weed and the one time I mother had him take to choose to the Shoemaker to have them sold again. And every time you had that a happened issue gets smaller and it's so he had taken his old pair of shoes that didn't said that before and got the ring sold a big brother was so annoyed with it.

20:13 It was that was not because you are restricted with having him and everybody shoes were important to them. But the food was another thing and they wouldn't have meatless Tuesdays and my mother was quite creative with the cooking to bake the things last as long as possible in there and the meeting that she wouldn't

20:48 You didn't have to go. She wouldn't do anything wrong as far as

20:54 Buying it. Illegally. She would not do something like that. We would do it now before she would do something like that difficult, but we had a lot of potato soup, but what kind of cook was your mother?

21:19 She was a good cook. She never called us for breakfast.

21:27 She would just start making biscuits in the buy real ones over the kitchen in bed smelling those biscuits so I couldn't wait to get the eat. So we always enjoy your biscuits and then they were nice.

21:47 I have as of February. Do you have a memory about eating oatmeal with your brother?

21:53 Oh, well, that was the one time he was.

21:59 Eating his son didn't want to eat. It sold me out here now and he's fooled around. It's a little kids put his bowl on his head.

22:10 Furious with the oatmeal out of its ear

22:18 We got along very well together because at especially since as I got older he was interested in my friend. So that's all you guys got along. So well had just been in the World War II he was in the Navy and by the time he

22:53 Got out to the West Coast by the way, the war was winding down. So he never he was assigned to a ship. But he never sets Al when does he have for the motorcycle?

23:10 Before after the war after after he was

23:18 Kind of inventing things and exploring things and doing things but he always enjoy yourself to this day. Well, he's now a woodcarver witch.

23:37 And my father had some wood carving tools in the basement and he naturally the only son in the family inherited them. And so he looked at the man and he decided that he saw an advertisement about learning to.

23:57 Would car so he went took a class and he's been carving of her since so very happy having a lot of fun with the car and it's nice that you went.

24:17 Don't realize what locked up inside you until you let it out and then you never know what talent you have.

24:28 Is your father Carver he made some?

24:38 I can't think of it across the across the curtains in the Windows key card from plus he he did to my brother broke. He tells about that in a very small room wasn't it? Yeah, it was just big enough my father made his bed and he had mahogany paneling around the room and then he made fake Raptors at the top. And so that's what he had originally started doing with the tools and the white brother felt very special with his room with all the The Carving around the room was basically just big enough for the bed and him.

25:33 You don't like the room.

25:36 Enjoyed it was a nice thing to get us some why did you have toilet paper in your Keyhole? Oh because they didn't want anybody looking at me and uncle has to lay in his bed and say on that teasing you. That was a good story you have any memories about Halloween as a child for Halloween?

26:13 Halloween it's always been special for me and

26:18 Thinking about what to be on time. I we had a church Halloween party and I went as this sack of potatoes and my father had to

26:32 Carry me up to the church and down the steps and then the

26:39 I was just a whole sack of potatoes and they just made a big fuss. I know who I was and I was inside it was a little personally with the sack of potatoes when it's not came up with that idea and I wanted something where people wouldn't recognize my butt's thinking of something to be for Halloween boys. Always great excitement that I made all my children's Halloween outfits. What were what were your favorite ones? Well, I made one for my son and he was the Headless Horseman and I thought that was pretty nice kind of runs in the family as far as trying something different now Halloween

27:39 Today is quite an adult Affair parents. Of course, the streets are decorated the neighborhood and everything. So it's a special time of the year. I think for children. We had this family moving her street and they were from the Mexico and it was a little boy's first Halloween and he had an astronaut to Don and he was so excited. It just was something he had never done before and it it just was so cute watering can go there were other people weren't given kept the kid that he thought that was really neat.

28:33 So it's not a spy for children.

28:40 Have good memories out of a few of mine about Christmas Memories most of the time my father worked when you're in the newspaper business, it goes on 7 days a week and but he always managed to help with the platform and putting up the tree and and the trains of course, we had two sets of trains and that was a big thing. And so it was

29:24 Of course, she is not going to church was also very important and we still even now get too excited about Chris something that have a memory that's renewed every year. So

29:47 It's it's a good thing.

29:50 That the church are you went crawling up?

29:54 The name of that Prince of Peace Lutheran Church that you had taken decided. There were no people in my neighborhood was primarily German. They were all in fact all my friends were first-generation Americans and they were all the German Thiessen and so we're here.

30:28 Had our church was established in the course we had tended and

30:37 My father being a

30:42 Working night work which newspapers to always are produced that night and we'd be going up to the church on one side of the street. My father was coming down the hill going the other side to sleep on the bed. We were just waiting for each other kind of, but some memories like that and I'll remember your life.

31:12 When you work at 9 your life is upside down compared to other people's that's the one thing that I remember. Is that our neighborhood and I come from crescentville, which is the small neighbor was the Philadelphia but what really put their neighborhood on the map was the crest movie we had at movie house that was built when I was in third grade and so you could go to the movies for $0.10 and then they raised it to 12.

31:49 But it was a big thing at going there and my mother's that was her only Amusement was going to the movies alone and Tuesdays because Tuesdays was this day and then they would give out a different cup saucer at you know, every week and my father was home like on Tuesdays or Wednesday nights and he would check on my mother as to how good the movie wants. Most of the movies were just be really sad tearjerkers my father so he would check with my mother to find out how many dish she's got broken and if you

32:40 Broke your dish while the movie was on course, everybody got in an uproar and then you put two handed your broken dishes to the manager and he would give you a replacement that she's not at the dishes get broken. Well, they would have them on their laps and then they would start crying at the side parts and the dish would slip off their laughing crash to the floor. So this was quite comical and so that's what my father used as a barometer as to how good the movie part if it was a really sad when is a lot of dishes got broken.

33:27 Is Richard got to be you know, Co put the women with Faithfully we had several sets of dishes and then even get your encyclopedias and I. I remember right his daughter honey, when she got home from graduated from college and got a place of her own. She said she said just gave me and said that this is what they look like and she said well they were marooned and she's describing we always had plenty of this around and I think that's in my mother. Look forward to my father kind of kid in her about it. It was comical the time.

34:25 Trintellix. Give me between 5 and maybe up to 10 minutes left.

34:37 What if some what have been some of the happiest moments of your life?

34:44 I guess.

34:47 I always felt happy whatever I was doing and I sewed made my clothes and well, I got him clothes for somebody, you know, but I enjoyed to they never bothered me and then I started sewing my own clothes and this site enjoyed picking out the pattern in the material and I was in high school. I made all my own clothes has said something that they continued.

35:29 They made it all the clothes for my children, especially the special dresses for Easter Christmas things like that. And how many children do you have? I had six

35:43 What were their names?

35:48 April

35:51 That's why the oldest and howdy.

35:55 Polly

35:57 And Jill

35:59 Died at a boy's to make it there and Dale.

36:07 Last name was Rogers and I felt the name is where all the short and

36:16 Easy to remember

36:29 What would you like to be most remembered for?

36:36 Well

36:41 Being a good mother.

36:47 Encourage my children to get an education

36:53 Especially doing what they wanted to do. I never interfere with if they whatever they were interested in encourage them. We talked about it Rose.

37:07 Y8 head

37:10 Life by children Raleigh

37:13 And it was foreign education. I told them.

37:17 So this is

37:21 Something that I'm proud of stuff that they have gotten it for themselves all seem to be in different directions, but they're all doing what they want to do and that's what pleases me.

37:41 And of course now I have grandchildren with you.

37:46 That is so old. So enjoyable one of these enjoyments of having a large family. You have a lot of grandchildren in different directions. So how many grandchildren do I have seven grandchildren?

38:04 The oldest is in, California.

38:11 And I have

38:14 Wanted Colorado and 2 in Florida

38:21 And one in New Jersey and then I do have three that Norton.

38:33 Enjoying life being single so