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Stangeland, Addie (audio interview #5 of 5)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the fifth and final interview with Addie Stangeland. This interview repeated some of the material covered in the fourth interview, which was mistakenly taped over. As before, the interview was conducted in the bedroom of her daughter's home, where she living. The interview was frequently disturbed by movements of the family in the background. Despite having to repeat herself, Stangeland remained comfortable and unperturbed by the problem. Because of her hearing problem, as before, questions often had to be repeated. Nevertheless, she spoke freely and enjoyed the time with the interviewer. 9/15/1980
- Date
- 2021-03-31
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- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Addie Stangeland went to work at Douglas as a spot welder in 1942. Born and raised in southern California, Stangeland completed the eleventh grad in San Bernardino. She began working for clothiers doing alterations until she moved to Oklahoma with her husband in 1928. After ten years there, as a farm wife, she divorced her "ne'er to well" husband and moved to California with her two children. Stangeland was forced to put her two children in an orphanage until she was able to get back on her feet and get more stable, lucrative work. Douglas employment offered her this opportunity. After the war, she worked as a sail maker for four years until she was laid off and sought re-employment at Douglas. She continued to work at Douglas after her second marriage in 1958 until her retirement in 1967, after which she worked for two years as a companion. By then, her husband who was a beach concessionaire, had died. TOPICS - experiences as short-term lead; racial division of labor; dating air force man during the war; postwar layoffs; upholstery shop work; social life and activities; meeting second husband; marital relationship; husbantraveling; living arrangements and housing; moving in with daughter; retirement; volunteer work; senior citizen activities; lesbianism at Douglas; and religion; The audio quality of this interview is poor;children's families and careers; sewing projects; and daughter's views on the woman's movement;
- *** File: rrrastangeland13.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:03-5:16)... When the lead woman in her department did not show up for work one evening, the foreman asked Stangeland to take the lead during the shift. At the time, Black women were predominantly on the machines which allowed them to sit down, while the White women were working on the floor and standing on their feet all day. In an attempt to be fair to all the women, Stangeland decided to alternate the women throughout the day. Even though this pleased the White women, the Black women were unhappy and did not come to work the following day. When questioned by the foreman, Stangeland explained the reasons for implementing a system of alternation and he agreed that it was an equitable thing to do. (5:16-11:13)... During the war, Air Force men toured the plant on each shift, though Stangeland was unaware of the purpose of these tours. She became friendly with one of the men and they began dating. He eventually asked her to marry him. Although she did not reject his proposal, she wanted to wait because he was ten years younger and also was scheduled to go overseas. When he left, she told him that she would wait for him. Although they corresponded a few times, she never heard from him again and assumed that he was killed in action. Looking back, she was relieved that they did not marry because it probably would not have worked out on account of their age difference. (11:13-14:43)... She anticipated that she would be laid off at the end of the war because the veterans would want their jobs back. She thought it was only fair that she step aside for the men who had "given up four years of the best years of their lives to go to war." However, she was disappointed that she was going to lose her job and wondered if she would be able to find another position that paid as well as Douglas. The company provided her with a written notice stating that she would be laid off in ten days. She answered an advertisement for an upholstery position and was hired over the telephone. She was laid off from Douglas on a Friday in 1946 and began working at the upholstery shop the following Monday. She was laid off from that position in 1950. (14:43-16:18)... When she was laid off in 1946, during her exit interview she was asked if she would accept a position on the swing shift. She rejected this offer because it meant that she would not be home when her children returned from school. (16:18-22:47)... After she left Douglas, she had more time to develop a social life. While working with the upholstery company, she frequently socialized with her co-workers and the yachtsmen she met at the club. A special incentive for working in this area was the opportunity to take boating trips on the weekends. (22:47-26:49)... Note: the recorder is turned off briefly while the narrator answers the phone. Stangeland describes how she met her second husband. When he told her that he wanted to get married and travel, she thought, "that was right up my alley." However, she had a difficult time trusting him because of her experience in her first marriage. He understood her reservations and the fact that their marriage was more for companionship. Although she had a lot of fun during their marriage, the good times were marred by his drinking problems. (26:49-29:38)... Stangeland was married for five years when her husband died. Her sister also was a widow and they began spending more time together. Before Stangeland retired from Douglas, she and her sister went to Alaska. After she retired, she went on a tour of eastern Canada with her sister-in-law. End of tape. *** File: rrrastangeland14.mp3 (0:00-4:37)... Stangeland continues to discusses her travels to Alaska and Canada. Her sister had never traveled before because her life was consumed with marriage, children, and her business. (4:37-11:12)... After she sold her first home in Seal Beach, Stangeland purchased a lot in downtown Seal Beach and built a home. She lived there for several years until her husband's problems with the city council and the mayor caused her to sell. At that time, she purchased a home in Garden Grove on her son's Cal Vet loan. A short time after her husband's death, she moved into an apartment in Long Beach. She had a hard time managing her living expenses because of increasing rental prices and decided to move in with her daughter. At the time of the interview, she was in the process of moving into an apartment located in a senior citizen complex. (11:12-15:16)... Shortly after she retired from Douglas, Stangeland went to work as a caretaker for a disabled woman. Her responsibilities included bathing and dressing this woman and preparing her meals. (15:16-19:00)... After she left her position as a caretaker, Stangeland began doing volunteer work. One of her projects involved sewing clothing for people in Vietnam. When women in this program got possessive about the sewing machines, she asked for a different volunteer position and began volunteering at the Huntington Beach Library. In addition to these volunteer activities, she is active in her senior citizen club. (19:00-21:17)... Stangeland lost contact with most of her co-workers after she retired from Douglas. (21:17-25:36)... Stangeland does not recall knowing any lesbians at Douglas. There were rumors about two women who were very close friends. One of the women was masculine looking with short hair while the other was more feminine and a divorcee with two children. Stangeland socialized with these women on a frequent basis and did not believe they were involved in a lesbian relationship. She believes that the rumors about these women were started by men whose advances were rejected. (25:36-28:06)... When Stangeland moved to Seal Beach, she began attending the Methodist Church. She encouraged her children to go to church because she felt it was important that they grew up with a religious education. Her religious activities decreased over the years and now she goes to church three to five times a year. End of tape. *** File: rrrastangeland15.mp3 (0:00-4:42)... Stangeland discusses her daughter's family and career. She also talks about her grandchildren and their interests. She explains that her social interests are quite different from her daughter's. As a result, Stangeland does not participate in social events that her daughter holds in her home. (4:42-6:17)... Stangeland assumes that her daughter supports the woman's movement because she works outside the home. She is an independent woman and tries to teach her children the same values. They are responsible for doing their own laundry and keeping their rooms clean, which is a lot less than Stangeland expected of her own children when they were growing up. Although her daughter has a cleaning woman that comes in every week, Stangeland helps out around the house by cleaning out the dishwasher. (6:17-12:38)... Stangeland discusses her son's family and career. He and his family moved to Idaho several years ago. Although she occasionally visits them, she talks to them over the telephone on a more frequent basis. After she began making doll clothing for her granddaughter, she expanded this venture and sells her work to the public. End of tape.
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