Kay, my mother, is the original Rosie in my life. Her Modern Rosie story is lengthy, like many 80+ year old women around us.
Kay was three when the government created the Rosie the Riveter figure. When the war ended and the men came home, the government and society worked to culturally take that “We Can Do It” spirit away from the women. Pushing the narrative that women were no longer needed outside the home, their “more productive” male workers were back; women should go back to being homemakers. The economy needed women to simply acquiesce to the power they’d realized -- men will be honorable and work, women should stay home and raise children.
Kay’s teenage years in the 1950’s were complicated by her parents’ divorce, followed by responsibilities of being the oldest daughter living with her father. Cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her other siblings became her life.
By 18 she met and married her first husband, a serviceman. Within 7 years this man left Kay and her 3 young daughters due to the fact that Kay "couldn’t provide him a son.” Obviously this man had little understanding of science, or decency. After his abandonment, not once in his daughters’ lives did he do anything to reach out to see or care for them.
Shortly thereafter, Kay met and married my father, who arrived with a daughter and stepson. I was born four years later into this large, blended family. We moved into her current East Side Chicago home where she embraced raising her children, step-children, and quickly rose in the community to become the PTA President of Jane Addams Elementary School.
She got one of her first jobs out of the house in the mid to late 70’s, finally contributing to her social security and generating some funds for the family. Late in 1978, in order to protect her children, this second marriage needed to end. While this man believed his steady role of a provider as a firefighter would forgive him, Kay knew his violence and abuse couldn’t stay.
There were many years of struggle, so many tears. But through the strength of love, both for and from her close-knit sisters, her children, family and friends, Kay persevered.
Kay moved forward getting a ward clerk position in a hospital pediatric unit. Her last position before retirement was as an administrative assistant role for a small oil company in downtown Chicago. She was always a highly productive, valuable employee. She made very little dollar-wise for her career, but is one of the wealthiest women I know with the commodity of love.
Kay’s Modern Rosie portrait positions her proudly in front of her home, where she loves to entertain her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many friends who all feel like part of her family. This matriarch's expression is signature “Kay” - a warm smile that hugs everyone in her presence.
Photographed August 2023