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Stumph, Marye (audio interview #1 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This first interview with Marye Stumph was held in her home in Long Beach, while she sat in a rocking chair, surrounded by books and papers. She was initially nervous about recording, but nevertheless responded in detail. 11/13/1980
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- 2021-07-27
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- *** File: rrrmstumph1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-2:57)... Stumph was born and raised in Geneva, Ohio. Her parents divorced when she was about three years old. Her father never played an important role in her life, and although she lived near her father's relatives, she was not close with them. Stumph's mother owned and operated a millinery. Because her mother was always at work, Stumph was basically raised by her grandmother, Eleanor Wood. Stumph can trace her family lineage on her mother's side to American revolutionaries. (2:57-8:03)... Stumph's maternal grandfather worked as a cabinetmaker. When he died, her mother became the breadwinner of the family, supporting Stumph and her grandmother through her successful millinery business. Stumph's mother, born in 1887, left high school at the age of sixteen to apprentice in a millinery shop. In 1906, she married Stumph's father, who was employed as a firefighter for the railroads. Stumph was born in 1909. Her parents' personalities were far too different for them to build a successful marriage. Her uncle, who went to a business college in Ohio, was her father figure for most of her young life. (8:03-9:53)... Stumph was born in her grandmother's home. Her mother was in labor for close to forty-eight hours and had a very difficult delivery. She was assisted by Stumph's grandmother and a doctor. Stumph's grandmother worked as a nurse for the doctor, even though she had no formal training. (9:53-12:44)... She lived with her mother, grandmother, and uncle in her grandmother's home. Her grandmother was crippled with rheumatism and used a wheelchair to get around. Stumph was very close to her grandmother. She was a lovable woman who was revered in the community and lovingly referred to as "Gram." (12:44-18:18)... Stumph was not responsible for any household chores while growing up. Her grandmother cooked their meals and Stumph's mother hired a woman to do the housework. Stumph describes herself as a lazy girl with very little enthusiasm for physical activity. She spent most of her time reading and drawing. Her main aspiration as a child was to become an artist. Her close companion was an older cousin. Both girls took violin lessons and occasionally played in recitals at their Baptist Church. Their music teacher often took a group of children to Lake Erie where they socialized in a chaperoned setting. Stumph was never very popular with the opposite sex when she was a young girl. Most of her social activities revolved around the church in a group setting of both boys and girls. (18:18-20:25)... Stumph and her family moved from the home in which she was born when she was about eight years old into a smaller home. Her grandmother was able to get around and do everything from her wicker wheelchair. Stumph's grandmother was young at heart. She occasionally gave Stumph money to purchase candy and a love story magazine, which they would take turns reading. (20:25-23:00)... When Stumph was growing up, her mother did not own a car , but her uncle owned a Model A and he occasionally took her on short trips to visit relatives. The town in which she lived was small and everything was within walking distance. In order to get to neighboring towns people rode the street car. They had to ride the train to get to Cleveland. Stumph has fond memories of the trips she took to Cleveland with her mother. (23:00-27:56)... In 1918, Stumph's mother fell ill with influenza and developed a blood clot in her leg. After seeing several doctors and receiving unsuccessful treatments, she was told that she would not walk again. She set up a cot in the back of her hat store from which she ran her business. Although confined to a wheelchair for a few years, she was a determined woman and eventually walked again. End of tape. *** File: rrrmstumph2.mp3 (0:00-3:57)... Discussing her mother's illnesses, she notes that both her grandmother and mother were confined to wheelchairs. She doesn't recall having any special responsibilities around the house because her mother hired someone to do the housework . Stumph ran errands for her mother and grandmother when it was necessary. Her mother spent at least eight hours working at the millinery shop and usually came home in the evenings. Stumph visited her mother in the shop after school and occasionally brought her lunch. Her mother went to a doctor in Cleveland when she suffered from ulcers; the doctor gave her a wood box filled with glass vials that contained "live germs." She took this medication at least once a day and it eventually cured her ulcers. (3:57-6:28)... Stumph describes herself as a lazy girl and as "incredibly stupid" in her younger years. However, she found schoolwork easy and excelled in social studies like English, history, and foreign languages. The school she attended had a student body of thirty-three boys and girls. She graduated in the top third of her class, ranking eleventh among her fellow students. Many of the boys who graduated from her high school went on to ivy league colleges on the East Coast. (6:28-12:54)... Stumph planned to attend Cleveland Art School after graduating from high school. There were no art courses offered in high school because the other children in the community were not interested in art. Things may have turned out differently if she had received some lessons in art when she was a young woman. In 1926, her mother was forced to close her millinery shop because she could not compete with the local department stores selling ready-made hats. She moved to Cleveland and got a job in the millinery department at a department store, which was a "come down" for her. When Stumph graduated from high school in 1927, she moved to Cleveland and lived with her mother in a friend's home. They ate their meals at a boarding house several blocks away from the residence. After a few weeks in the city, Stumph got a job at the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. Her mother rented an apartment and Stumph's grandmother moved in with them. (12:54-14:37)... Stumph socialized with a group of girls when she was young. There were certain cliques in town, one of which was a small group of "upper crest" children from prominent families in the community. It did not bother her that she was not a part of this crowd. She enjoyed her group of girlfriends and they did not need a boyfriend to be "in." (14:37-15:18)... Most of Stumph's clothes were handmade by her mother or grandmother, both of whom were excellent seamstresses. Her mother usually bought formal dresses for Stumph at stores in Cleveland. (15:18-16:51)... Stumph started menstruating her first day in the seventh grade. Her mother told her that she would menstruate but did not explain why it happened. Although menstruation was "aggravating," Stumph knew that it was something women had to put up with. (16:51-18:35)... Her mother did not discuss dating, sex, or childbirth with Stumph. When she was a young girl, she was somewhat ignorant of reproduction and pregnancy. These subjects were vaguely discussed in her family and her mother did not think it was necessary to talk to her about such things. (18:35-24:56)... Note: there is an occasional buzzing sound in the background of this segment. About two weeks after moving to Cleveland, Stumph began working as an operator at the Pennsylvania Exchange of the Ohio Bell Telephone Company. She received training for two weeks, during which time she learned how to operate the board, as well as the proper way of saying, "number please." She describes the organization of telephone exchanges around the city and the tasks involved in telephone operation. All of the operators and supervisors were women. Stumph was paid a minimum wage, which she thought was good money at the time. She and her mother were able to support themselves comfortably on their salaries. End of tape. *** File: rrrmstumph3.mp3 (0:00-2:06)... It was difficult for Stumph's mother to work for someone else after being her own boss for so many years. She was not happy working in a department store and eventually returned to Geneva and opened a small hat shop; however, it did not do very well. In 1929, she remarried and closed the shop shortly thereafter. (2:06-7:04)... Prior to graduating from high school, Stumph dated a man who was three years older than her. Although her mother did not approve of the relationship, she did not restrict Stumph from seeing him. Soon after she moved to Cleveland in 1927, Stump met her future husband, Paul, who also had moved to Cleveland from a small town. She did not have a lot of time to socialize because she worked a split shift at the telephone company. When her shift ended in the evening, Paul met her at the exchange and walked her home. Their courtship activities also included going to the movies and museums. Although she could not recall what his occupation was when they first met, some time during their relationship he went to work for the Mack Truck Company. (7:04-9:54)... Stumph gave up on the idea of attending art school once she realized that neither she nor her mother could afford to pay the tuition. At the time, Stumph knew nothing about borrowing money for college. She enjoyed her work as an operator and decided to build a career with the telephone company. She set aside three dollars of her salary for spending money and gave the rest to her mother who handled the family finances. (9:54-11:45)... She was not in a rush to marry. Prior to meeting her future husband Paul, she dated another man from the boarding house. He took her into the country and tried to persuade her to engage in sexual activity. She really was naive about sex because her mother never talked to her about it. The limited information she did have was obtained through friends. (11:45-16:11)... After dating for several months, she and Paul married in 1928. He moved into the apartment where she was living with her mother and grandmother. She quit her job as an operator as soon as she married; and got pregnant shortly after getting married. The Mack Truck Company transferred her husband to Akron, Ohio a few months before her due date. Stumph's grandmother also moved to Akron. (16:11-19:20)... Stumph talks about her first pregnancy. She did not receive prenatal care or experience any complications during her pregnancy and delivery. She labored for approximately six hours before giving birth to a son in March 1929. She delivered her son at home with the assistance of a male doctor. (19:20-22:23)... For Stumph, the Depression began in 1926 when her mother lost her business. When the Depression hit in 1929, her husband was employed as a mechanic for the Mack Truck Company and they were not worried about their financial status. Stumph gave birth to a daughter in 1930, nineteen months after delivering her son. Her husband eventually left Mack Truck and went to work for the telephone company where he was employed when their marriage ended in 1932. (22:23-28:42)... Stumph was naive about marriage. She knew very little about financial matters; therefore, her husband handled the finances in the family. She partly blames herself for her husband's extramarital affair. She never suspected that he was spending time with another woman when he was gone in the evenings. When her husband told her that he was having an affair, they decided to end their marriage. Because she was raised by her mother and grandmother, Stumph felt confident that she could support her children on her own. However, she ultimately decided that it would be best if she and the children lived with her mother-in-law in Mount Vernon, Ohio. End of tape. *** File: rrrmstumph4.mp3 (0:00-2:16)... Stumph divorced her husband in 1934. He eventually married the woman with whom he had an affair, and they had one child together. Stumph did not have any problems while residing with her mother-in-law. Her husband's family blamed him for the failure of their marriage, not Stumph. (2:16-6:37)... Note: there is an interruption in the interview during this segment. After divorcing her husband, Stumph supported her children by doing housework for families in Mount Vernon. She earned about twenty-five cents an hour, and she never had a steady flow of work. She also took in laundry to earn extra cash. Although her husband provided some financial support for the children, he lost his job shortly after the divorce and the payments ended. It was during this period in her life that Stumph began thinking about moving to California. (6:37-12:24)... In December 1936, Stumph went to Geneva to visit relatives. While there, she decided it was time for a change. In the beginning of 1937, she and her children moved to Geneva, and she got a job at a small factory sewing mops onto a cloth backing, for which she was paid .17 cents an hour. Her uncle then got her a job at the largest factory in Geneva. She worked in the bait department tying fishing flies, and averaged about .50 cents an hour doing piecework. (12:24-15:51)... Stumph elaborates on her work in the bait department at the factory in Geneva, Ohio. She was expected to tie 200 fishing flies by the end of the day . For the first few weeks her hands were so sore and stiff that she had to soak them in hot water each morning before going to work. She worked at this factory until December 1940, at which time she moved to California. (15:51-17:35)... When Stumph and her children moved to Geneva, they moved into an apartment located above a bakery. At the time, her children were in the first and second grade, respectively. Because of her work schedule, Stumph was not there for her children when they got home from school. The people who managed the bakery took care of the children until Stumph came home from work. (17:35-18:19)... There were mainly young women who worked alongside Stumph in the bait department. The working conditions were pleasant when she worked at the factory. (18:19-23:06)... When Stumph found steady work in Geneva, she began saving money in anticipation of moving to California. Her mother and stepfather were already living in California on a ranch located near Hemet. Stumph describes her stepfather as a "character" who had a difficult time holding down a steady job. He did operate a dog pound while living on the ranch. In the summer of 1940, Stumph sent her children, via train, to live with their grandmother in California; Stumph followed in December. Once she arrived at her mother's home, Stumph decided she would not stay there for too long. (23:06-26:30)... After moving to California, Stumph contacted a woman she worked for in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Mrs. Horn was vacationing in Long Beach and offered to bring Stumph to the city. She moved into Horn's apartment on 3rd Street, and began looking for a job with little success. She enrolled in the Grau Business School, taking classes in typing and shorthand in the morning, and working off her tuition fees in the afternoon by addressing envelopes. She received $8 a week in unemployment compensation from the State of Ohio, which paid for her living expenses. She occasionally worked at the YWCA cafeteria collecting trays for twenty-five cents an hour. (26:30-29:04)... Stumph grew concerned about how she would manage to support and house her children after the Horns returned to Ohio in spring, 1941. Mr. Horn agreed to take her son back to Ohio for the summer; and she contacted the Children's Home Society in Hollywood and made arrangements for her daughter to stay there during the summer. She rented a bedroom in a house $2 a week, and continued to go to business school. She supported herself through unemployment compensation until Vultee began hiring women. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Marye Stumph was born in Geneva, Ohio, where she was raised by her mother and her grandmother. After high school graduation, when her mother's millinery business failed, they moved to Cleveland, where Stumph had to get a job, giving up her dream of going to art school. She married a year later in 1928 and moved with her husband to Akron, where she lived with her two children until the marriage failed. She returned to her home town and worked in a factory there until moving to California in 1940. Initially, unable to find a job, she collected unemployment and attended business school. However, she was not able to support the children, she sent her son back to Ohio with a friend, and placed her daughter in the Children's Home in Hollywood for a few months. Once she started working at Vultee Aircraft in early 1941, she was able to re-establish family life. Her children returned and her mother joined her and ran the household while Stumph worked at Vultee. When she was laid off from her job at war's end, she began a career in Civil Service, eventually becoming a clerical worker at the Naval Hospital (later Long Beach V.A. Hospital) in 1947. She remained there until her retirement in 1974, after which she seriously resumed her lifelong interest, filling her house with her art work. Stumph was referred to the RRR project by her granddaughter, who was a friend of one of the project staff, Jan Fischer, who conducted the oral history. The three interviews with Stumph, which totaled more than five hours, were recorded in her simple, wood frame home in Long Beach, where she lived with her blind dog. The rocking chair in which she sat during all the interviews was obviously her "center," surrounded by papers, books and her art work. TOPICS - family background and history; childhood; and social activities;mother; family life; school and education; career aspirations; childhood; friends; clothing; menstruation; sex education; migration; work for Ohio Bell Telephone Company; Note: there is an occasional buzzing noismother; dating; sex education; husband; marriage; career expectations; pregnancy; children; the Depression; and marital relationship;divorce; husband; domestic work; factory work in Ohio; working conditions; wages; children and childcare; move to California; mother; stepfather; move to Long Beach; living arrangements; economic status; and busine
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