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Nordquist, Olive (audio interview #3 of 4)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the final of three rather lengthy interviews with Olive Nordquist, conducted in her home in Redondo Beach. Her home and dress both reflected her range of interests, activities and mechanical skills, with washing machines and other applicances in various rooms, that she was repairing. When I first contacted Nordquist to arrange the interview, her daughter answered the phone. It turned out that she was someone I had known in the early days of the women's liberation movement in Los Angeles. In contrast to the first two interviews, during which Nordquist seemed very subdued, almost depressed, she was more lively in this last interview, especially in talking about her remodeling and renovating work. 8/26/1980
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- SUBJECT BIO - Olive Nordquist began working at Lockheed in 1942 after crossing the US with her husband and small daughter one year earlier, attracted by the jobs opening up in the defense industry. The third of nine children, Nordquist was both and raised in the vicinity of Cushing, Minnesota. After a tumultuous childhood, when she graduated from high school in 1927, she went to Minneapolis to get away from home. After various short jobs, she started to work as a packer at a cheese company, and remained there until she married in 1937. Although she attended beauty college in the hopes of becoming an operator, she developed skin condition and was unable to continue working in this field. Instead, she managed a small farm that she and her husband leased while he commuted to an industrial job in the city. Nordquist worked in electrical assembly for three years until she was laid off. By then, the family had acquired a home in Hollywood which included several rental units. This is how she began her "career" of managing, renovating and maintaining properties. After surviving a non-communicative and unhappy marriage for twenty four years, Nordquist and her husband finally divorced in 1961. At that point, her daughter, who herself had several unhappy marriages and an abusive first husband, moved n with her. Although Nordquist was still an active woman with a wide range of interests at the time of the interview, her persona was rather subdued, almost depressed. After her three year stint TOPICS - husband; marital relationship; home purchase; religion; home improvement projects on vacation in Minnesota; postwar layoffs; relationship with daughter; raising niece; parenting and child-rearing skills; home improhousehold and finances during postwar years; daughter; activities with PTA and Girl Scouts; home improvement projects; family life; business pursuits; second pregnancy and miscarriage; square dancing; home purchasskills in blueprint and isometric drawing; interest in returning to job market; application and examination process at Lockheed in 1955; age discrimination in hiring; relationship with adolescent daughter; injuryactivities between 1961-80; separation and divorce; renting and purchasing home in El Segundo; living arrangements; daughter's educational and career pursuits; temporary cashiering work; attitude towards women's mdaughter; social life; exercise and health; education; impact of work at Lockheed; reflections on life; and attitude towards women in today's society;
- *** File: rrronordquist10.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:03-6:42)... Because Nordquist grew up in a family environment in which her parents did not talk, she accepted the communication problems in her own marriage. Nevertheless, it was quite frustrating for her at times, and she found herself purposefully antagonizing her husband just to get him to talk, even if it was in anger. Even though he began alluding to divorce early on in their marriage, this was not an option in her mind. She found out later that he had an affair with a woman in Minnesota. He began pushing for divorce after their daughter got married. Nordquist kept things bottled up and did not discuss her marital problems with her family or friends. (6:42-8:13)... Although Nordquist and her husband looked at houses together and wanted to purchase a home, he left the details up to her. She had to find funding and come up with the down payment for their first home in Hollywood. They both agreed on the purchase and knew that renting out the apartment and the rear house on their property would cover their own mortgage expenses. She explains that her husband and his family were poor and never learned how to save or manage their money like Nordquist. (8:13-9:07)... Nordquist describes herself as a happy-go-lucky person who did not allow her marital problems to surface when she was around other people. It was not until she was alone that she felt the full weight of her problems. She has fond memories spending time with family and friends during this difficult period, and probably used these occasions as a way of escaping from the stresses in her personal life. (9:07-10:34)... Nordquist recounts going to Sunday school with her daughter and learning that many of the church women felt uncomfortable around her because they thought she was a single mother or a divorcee. Although her husband went to church while they were dating, he stopped going after they married. (10:34-14:36)... When Nordquist went back to Minnesota in June 1945, she worked on their four-unit home. She returned to California in August and went back to work at Lockheed. She was laid off a couple of months later. Approximately 100 women in her department had already been laid off and any available work was being done by a skeleton crew. More women were let go after she was laid off. By this point, she understood that her marriage was in trouble, but she and her husband never discussed divorce during the postwar years. He probably talked things over with his parents and they encouraged him to stay with his wife and child. They did not divorce until 1961. (14:36-21:03)... Nordquist describes her relationship with her daughter Joyce. Nordquist placed her daughter in activities that would get her out of the house; otherwise, she stayed indoors coloring or reading. When Nordquist was outside working on her home, she encouraged Joyce to play outside with her friends. Nordquist describes how she dressed Joyce and shows the interviewer photographs of her daughter and of her five-year-old niece who moved in with them when Joyce was six years old. Nordquist read Dr. Spock and took a psychology class to educate herself about parenting and child-reading methods. (21:03-24:56)... Even though she read Dr. Spock, Nordquist did not rely on the advice in parenting books. Rather, she mainly used common sense. She did not have any serious discipline problems with either her daughter or niece. Nordquist thinks that her husband's quiet nature made the girls a little more afraid of him than her. She comments about a speech problem her daughter had, which she attributes to Joyce's asthmatic condition. (24:56-28:46)... After Nordquist was laid off, she collected on unemployment. She looked for assembly work, but found it difficult to get a job on account of her age. She did not feel it was necessary to work because the money she received from unemployment and their rental properties was enough to cover their living expenses. Nordquist spent most of her time remodeling their home and taking care of the interior and exterior chores, which included gardening and yard work because her husband refused to cut the grass. Her role in the family did not change after she was laid off because she was the only one who paid for their living expenses before and after the war, while her husband spent his earnings on superfluous luxury items. End of tape. *** File: rrronordquist11.mp3 (0:02-4:41)... Detailing family finances in the postwar period, Nordquist notes that she considered the money they received from their rental properties hers since she was the only one who managed, maintained, and improved those properties. Although her husband continued to work at Lockheed after the war, instead of contributing to the family income he spent most of his earnings on cars. When he started to tap into their $7,000 savings account, she put her foot down. To keep her husband from spending their savings on cars, she decided to spend it on home improvements, appliances, and household items. (4:41-8:06)... During her daughter's school years, Nordquist was active with PTA and Girl Scouts. She did not guide her daughter in any specific direction in terms of her future, but her daughter decided to become a writer when she was a young girl. Nordquist recalls the time she was sick in bed and her four-year-old daughter, who was good in the kitchen, made breakfast and served it to her in bed. She also was interested in tools and working on her own projects while Nordquist was remodeling the house. (8:06-9:52)... Nordquist describes the redecorating projects she undertook. Her husband was responsible for fixing their electrical and plumbing problems, but he was a procrastinator and let things go for awhile before doing repairs. (9:52-10:25)... Their only family activity outside the home was taking long drives on Sundays. (10:25-12:44)... Nordquist always dreamed about opening a store where she could sell her handwork and sewing projects, and realized it some extent when she got involved with Girl Scouts and organized sewing activities. One of their projects was to make old-fashioned dolls, which sold for $3 each. Another dream was to buy, remodel, and sell property, which she believed would be a lucrative venture. She attempted to convince her husband to help her with this venture, but he did not cooperate because he wanted all of his money to go towards cars. (12:44-17:23)... In 1950, Nordquist learned that she was pregnant. They planned the pregnancy and she was excited about being able to provide Joyce with a sibling. After she had a miscarriage, she tried unsuccessfully to conceive again. When they sought medical attention, she learned that her husband was almost sterile. She was disappointed, but accepted the fact that she would never have another child. She digresses and discusses some family conflicts her niece, who was living with them. (17:23-21:27)... Nordquist and her husband took up square dancing at Hollywood High School in 1950. They moved to Reseda in April 1951, but kept their home in Hollywood and used the rental profits to pay the mortgage on their new home. They continued to square dance at a park facility in Reseda until it became apparent that her husband was no longer interested in pursuing this activity. (21:27-26:16)... After moving to Reseda, Nordquist learned how to drive a car so that she could maintain her rental property in Hollywood. In 1952, she got a job at Sears in the women's sportswear department, but was laid off in 1953 and began to collect unemployment. During this period in her life, she felt it was important to work and keep up with her rental properties because "I could not depend on a permanent arrangement with my husband in the future." End of tape. *** File: rrronordquist12.mp3 (0:03-1:38)... In Northridge, Nordquist's main network of friends were neighbors and the mothers of her daughter's friends. Her friends liked to throw parties in their home where they sold products. Although she attended these events, she avoided hosting a party because she did not want to take advantage of her friends. (1:38-7:29)... In 1955, Nordquist took courses in blueprint reading and isometric drawing because she was interested in returning to work and believed that this would improve her chances of getting a good job at Lockheed. However. the instructor of the isometric drawing course was a supervisor at Lockheed and discouraged her from applying on account of her age. Although she passed the examination required for a job in the layout and planning department, her instructor switched her exam with a younger woman's so that she would be hired instead of Nordquist. Although she did not get a job at Lockheed, she used her new skills to make plans for future home improvement and remodeling projects. (7:29-12:45)... Nordquist's daughter, Joyce, married a twenty-two-year-old man in 1956 when she was sixteen years old. Her fiance was working as a supervisor at Thrifty's Drug Store. Nordquist was opposed to the marriage because she thought Joyce was too young and should finish school first. Her husband was no help in convincing Joyce to hold off on marriage. When she was sixteen, he gave her a car, which Nordquist believes this gave Joyce too much independence and caused her to grow up too fast. Joyce went to catechism for six months and converted to Catholicism before she married. After she got married, she promised her parents that she would finish high school before starting a family, but she was not able to keep this promise. (12:45-15:47)... When Joyce was thirteen years old, Nordquist injured her hand while working with a lawn mower motor and had use of only one arm at this time. Her husband made degrading and insensitive remarks about her inability to manage their household properly, which drove a wedge between her and Joyce, further alienating her from Nordquist when he gave her a car. Nordquist had several friends going through similar conflicts with their teenage children. Even though she did not talk about her problems, she tried to resolve these issues by going to a parenting class in the evenings. (15:47-17:45)... After Joyce married, she and her husband moved in with Nordquist. Joyce got pregnant right away, which seems to have triggered physical abuse. He threw her across the room and broke several dishes in the kitchen. Joyce hid the physical abuse from her mother for several months because she knew that Nordquist would not allow him to stay in the house. (17:45-24:21)... Nordquist's grandson, Jeffrey, was born two months premature. By the time he was born, Joyce and her husband had moved out on their own. When Jeffrey was five months old, Nordquist learned that he was being physically abused by his father. Jeffrey later developed brain damage. Nordquist doesn't know if this was a result of the baby's premature birth or the physical abuse. She also notes that Joyce's cat was injured, which she believes were caused by her son-in-law. (24:21-28:49)... Nordquist talks about her grandson's health and when she first noticed his developmental problems. When her daughter divorced, the divorce decree granted him supervised visits with his son. During a routine visit, he attempted to take his son from Nordquist's home and when she stood in his way, he slapped her. She made such a scene in the neighborhood that he finally gave Jeffrey back to her. After her daughter got divorced, Nordquist's life revolved around her grandson and her rental properties. In 1961, Nordquist divorced her husband moved to El Segundo with her daughter and her grandson. End of tape. *** File: rrronordquist13.mp3 (0:00-4:02)... Nordquist and her husband separated in 1960 and their divorce was final in 1961. She was granted their property in Hollywood and he received their home in Reseda. She purchased the Reseda home from him shortly after they divorced and after renovating it, rented it. She moved into a home in El Segundo with her daughter and grandson. Joyce was employed in a clerical capacity at a construction company and also worked part-time as a dance instructor in the evenings, going to school the evenings she wasn't working. Nordquist's plans at this point in her life were to take care of her grandson and to continue maintaining her rental properties with hopes of purchasing more properties in the future. (4:02-10:20)... Nordquist describes her activities between 1961-80. She became close friends with her landlord in El Segundo and he frequently helped her with remodeling projects on her rental properties. They also socialized on a regular basis, going to dances or taking trips to the mountains. Nordquist discusses the various home improvement projects she completed during these years, most of which she did while taking care of her grandson. In 1968, Nordquist went to work as a cashier at her sister's grocery store in Calabasas. When it went out of business one year later, she collected unemployment. She lived quite comfortably on her combined income of unemployment, social security, retirement, and rental funds. Nordquist briefly talks about her daughter's educational and career pursuits during this period. (10:20-12:25)... After Nordquist's daughter's second marriage failed, she moved into Nordquist's Hollywood home and worked her way through law school. Nordquist supported her daughter's interest in the women's movement. As a result of her own work experiences early in her life, Nordquist supported the women's movement activist efforts to gain equal pay for women. (12:25-16:45)... During the ten-years, 1970-80, Nordquist focused on remodeling and improving her rental properties. She notes: "it gives me a very independent feeling and I like it." When her husband died of cancer in 1976, Nordquist felt bad and forgave some of his shortcomings. Nordquist talks about her friendship with her landlord, who she later realized was a homosexual. They did not openly discuss his sexual preference and his lifestyle never stood in the way of them having a good time together. She enjoyed having a relationship with a man without the pressures of sex and marriage. (16:45-23:56)... Nordquist eats well and takes care of her body, indicating that she gets stronger with each year that passes. She enjoys working on home improvement projects and talks about her remodeling skills. In order to learn new skills, she took courses in plumbing, electrical, and building codes. For the most part, the men in her classes were positive and the instructors encouraged women to enroll in construction-related courses. When she signed up for a small engines course, however, she was the only woman in the class and was not received well by the men. On occasion, she also experienced gender discrimination when shopping at building supply companies. (23:56-28:01)... Nordquist discusses her remodeling skills and the projects she completed on her own home and her rental properties. Although she has a business license that enabled her to purchase products at wholesale prices, she never considered opening a construction business on her own. She would never want to compete with other businesses and believes that running a business would be more physically demanding than the work itself. She also would be hesitant to hire men because she does not think that they do a good job and certainly cannot take orders from a woman. End of tape. *** File: rrronordquist14.mp3 (0:02-2:00)... After finishing law school, Nordquist's daughter became a corporate tax lawyer, which she enjoys very much. Nordquist and Joyce are still very close and have even gone into business together managing her Hollywood property. Occasionally, Joyce talks about quitting her job and going into the same kind of work as her mother, but she does not have nearly as much knowledge or skills as her mother. (2:00-5:10)... Nordquist dated a man for five years, going dancing with him two or three times a week. She broke off the relationship when he proposed, noting he wasn't someone with whom she wanted to live. She continued to socialize with her girlfriends as she got older, some of whom worked at Lockheed with her during the war years. She also kept busy by taking embroidery, knitting, and weaving classes, and she planned to enroll in an exercise for for middle-aged/elderly at El Camino College. She believes that exercise is one way to keep herself fit and healthy. (5:10-7:17)... Nordquist notes that she is this is the happiest time of her life. She reflects back on the years before she married and recalls that she had a lot of fun with her friends and enjoyed her life then as well. She believes that the most fulfilling time in her life was seeing her daughter get an education and start a successful career. If Nordquist had a chance to go back in time and do things differently, she would have pursued more of an education. (7:17-9:00)... When she was young, Nordquist thought about pursuing a career in entertainment. The vice-president at Blumberg Cheese would have supported her in this pursuit, but she did not trust his intentions. During those early years in her life, she would not have pursued an industrial career similar to the work she did at Lockheed rather she would have chosen something more glamorous. By the time she was in her thirties she was no longer concerned about a career and Lockheed suited her needs at that time. (9:00-12:30)... Nordquist discusses how her job at Lockheed impacted her life, commenting: "I do not regret working there and thought it was very enjoyable and fulfilling." However, the skills she learned at Lockheed were not useful to her later. She agrees that a new pattern was set in her life after she started working at the plant because she was forced to arrange her day around her work schedule. Ever since Lockheed, she always put in a full day's work. She talks about her daily routine before she went to work at Lockheed. (12:30-14:16)... Nordquist talks about what she would do differently if she was raising a daughter today. She would definitely change the program offered to young girls in Girl Scouts from teaching them "how to fix their nails and powder their nose" to teaching them survival skills. She believes that women should be considered equals and she would make sure that her daughter knew that as well as understood that she could do anything she set her mind to. (14:16-15:13)... Nordquist notes that If she was a young woman today she would "let em think I was superior to them, which I would be, probably. I would live my life the same, but be a little more aggressive." (15:13-17:08)... Nordquist injured her hand while doing the dishes and was unable to use it for quite some time. She continued to have difficulty with tasks requiring repetitive movement of her fingers, such as playing the piano or typing. This is one reason, she was not interested in clerical jobs. When she applied for work at Lockheed, she wanted to work in the plant because she felt that factory workers were paid more than office workers, and the clerical staff was usually laid off before people in the plant. End of tape.
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