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Simmons, Etta (audio interview #4 of 4)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the final, short interview with Etta Simmons, conducted in her living room of her modest one-story home in Manhattan Beach. The interview took place shortly after the death of her husband and although she seemed to be adjusting relatively well to being alone, she welcomed the company and enjoyed the attention the interview provided. Simmons was very candid and talked freely about her past. She was often self-critical and self-reflective, using the interviews as a way to analyze her life. Although the interviews reveal a person who has been the victim of unhappy circumstances, off tape Simmons was a lively woman with a good sense of humor. 4/15/1981
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- 2021-04-30
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- *** File: rrresimmons14.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:29)... Note: there is some feedback in the audio when Simmons speaks. Simmons strongly supports the women's movement and the ERA. She mentions Phyllis Schlafley's argument that the ERA would result in women being eligible for the military draft, indicating that she agrees with Schlafley in this instance. Simmons discusses the time a less-experienced woman was hired at Lockheed at the same rate of pay as women with more seniority. Simmons believes that her supervisor purposefully intimidated her when he told her that it would be used against her if she filed a grievance with the union regarding this issue. (4:29-7:16)... Simmons acquired mechanical skills as a result of her work in defense during the war and used these after the war when she completed repairs and improvement projects at home. (7:16-11:22)... Working at Lockheed during the war gave her an opportunity to meet people from different parts of the country. She was surprised at how candid her co-workers were when they discussed their personal lives. She is not sure whether Lockheed provided her with a pathway to other opportunities. Even though she was patriotic during the war and wanted to contribute to the war effort, the primary reason she went to work at the plant was the money. (11:22-16:04)... Although Simmons had some minor health problems, she is in overall good health and believes she has just as much energy today as when she was younger. She discusses her menstrual cycles and how she experienced menopause. (16:04-22:26)... Simmons talks about her future, noting that she has put a lot of things on hold since her husband's death. She contemplates getting a part-time job, joining a social club, or volunteering somewhere to keep busy. However, it has been difficult coping with her loss and she occasionally feels like a "lost soul." At the behest of her son, she sought psychiatric care in order to sort through her feelings. As a result, she learned a lot about herself and understands who she is better than she ever did before. (22:26-25:49)... Simmons talks about her stepdaughter and the difficulty she had cultivating a close relationship with her. (25:49-29:29)... Looking back, there are many things she would change if she had a chance to live her life over again. Upon reflection, the things that bothered and worried her the most were never as bad as they seemed. Presently, she finds herself feeling scared about being alone. However, people are available to her whenever she needs them or wants to socialize. She was surprised by the number of people who expressed their love and support for her after her husband's death. End of tape. *** File: rrresimmons15.mp3 (0:02-4:44)... Simmons refers to the Los Angeles Times article about women in defense work during the war. She thinks that the article inaccurately implied that most women were bitter when they lost their jobs after the war. Although she would have liked to have kept her job, she was not bitter when she was laid off. She expected that defense work would be available to women for the duration of the war only. However, she also believes that there were probably some women who thought that losing their jobs was wrong and "it wasn't fair that women were expected to go home." Some women probably complained or tried to change the situation, but she never heard of their efforts and, at that time in her life, would not have joined their ranks. If the same situation happened today, however, she would definitely step up and support their efforts. (4:44-7:43)... Simmons comments on the stigma housewives face. Although she has not heard anyone from the women's movement criticize women who choose to stay home, she has heard housewives complain about the implication that staying home means that "you are not as worldly or aware of things." Simmons does not subscribe to that notion because she has worked with people who are totally self-absorbed and disinterested in anything outside the workplace. She states, "I feel like I've put in mine and... I don't want to ever feel like I'm on the defensive because I might want to stay home." (7:43-13:22)... Simmons is dismayed at people who live their life selfishly, pointing to her former mother-in-law as an example. Even though she did not offer to help Simmons during the difficult times in her life, Simmons has always been there for her. When she went into a convalescent home, her family abandoned her except for Simmons and her son. When she was ill, she decided to leave money to Simmons and her son after she died. (13:22-22:58)... Simmons describes process of divorcing her first husband. It cost $150 to hire an attorney to negotiate the proceedings, for which she paid $5 a week until the balance was paid in full. In the divorce settlement, her ex-husband agreed to pay her $4 a week in child support and $2.50 a week for attorney's fees. However, all he ever gave Simmons was $34. In 1951, he began coming around and taking her son places on the weekends. He promised to give Simmons more money at that time, but never did. He eventually re-married and had two more children. In 1959, he returned to Massachusetts and she never spoke to or heard from him again. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Even though she worked at Lockheed for less than two years, the experience had a profound impact on her. The third of six children, Simmons was born in Boston and raised in various locations in Massachusetts. Immediately after graduating from high school, she began working and from 1936 until her marriage in 1938 worked in a WPA sewing job. She became a full-time homemaker for the next three years, first in Massachusetts and then in Los Angeles, where she moved with her husband infant son, in 1940. In 1941, she went to work as an operator in the garment industry, and a year later began working at Lockheed. Her brief employment at Lockheed seemed to give her the impetus to finally divorce her "ne'er do well" husband. After that, starting in 1944, with a few exceptions, she mainly worked as a sewing machine operator in various factories and at home for the next thirty six years. The interviews with Simmons were conducted shortly after the death of her second, who she had married in 1952. TOPICS - attitude towards women's movement and the ERA; development and use of mechanical skills; impact of war work on her life; physical health and menopause; future expectations; coping with husband's death; mental healtopinion of Los Angeles Times article regarding women in defense work during WWII; expectations about postwar defense; societal attitudes towards housewives; ex-mother-in-law; process of obtaining a divorce from fir
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