Bite-Sized Family History from World War II

It seems my relatives like to learn about family history in small doses. Not for them a big data dump about dozens of ancestors or multiple generations. Keep it focused, keep it simple, they'll pay attention for at least a little while.

This week, I created a bite-sized photo book with snippets of what some ancestors did during World War II--in the military and on the home front. (Photo of photobook will be posted soon!)

Many served in the armed forces. I selected four to profile in some detail: my Dad (US Army), his brother (US Army Air Corps), my aunt (WAC), and my uncle (US Army). Lots of photos and bits of documents brought their stories alive.

I also briefly touched on the military service of Dad's and Mom's first cousins, including one in the US Navy and one in the US Marines Corps. Another of Dad's cousins served in the New York Guard. Nearly every branch of the armed forces was represented in the family tree, and mentioned in the bite-sized book!

Supporting the war on the home front

Beyond the military, our Farkas family had its very own Rosie the Riveter. My great aunt Freda, younger sister of my Grandma Minnie, worked long hours in the Grumman aircraft factory on Long Island. 

Other women in the family tree were supporting the war effort on the home front, as well. My Mom and her twin, plus two cousins, joined the American Woman's Voluntary Services, volunteering for a range of activities including selling war bonds. 

My maternal grandma's Farkas Family Tree association often held war-bond sales during monthly meetings, raising a couple thousand dollars at a clip. Mom was also involved with New York City's civilian Air Warden Service during 1943, checking that curtains were closed for blackouts in case of overnight enemy bombing raids. 

Does your family tree include any Rosie the Riveters? Women's History Month is a great time to show pride in these ancestors by telling their stories in a bite-sized family history project.

The First Female Ph.D. in My Family Tree

My immigrant maternal grandparents (Hermina "Minnie" Farkas Schwartz, 1886-1964 and Theodore "Teddy" Schwartz, 1887-1965) had high expectations for their American-born children. 

They were big believers in education and encouraged their children to reach for the stars. 

Of their three children, one son and one daughter earned a Ph.D. From immigrants to doctorates in one generation!

Uncle Fred, the family's first Ph.D. 

The oldest child, Fred Shaw (1912-1991), earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree after graduating from James Monroe High School in the Bronx. Just before he married Daisy Katz (1913-1985) on Thanksgiving Day, 1940, he was appointed as an economics teacher at New York City's prestigious Stuyvesant High School.

After a stint as a Captain in the U.S. Army during World War II, he again taught high school economics as he earned a Ph.D. Uncle Fred went on to write the well-regarded book, History of the New York City Legislature, as well as teaching political science at the City University of New York.

Auntie Dorothy, the family's first female Ph.D.

Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001), my mom's twin sister, interrupted her studies at Hunter College in New York City to enlist as a WAC during World War II. When she returned from overseas in 1945, Sgt. Schwartz initially went to work and then resumed her college career. After graduation, she worked for Macy's, becoming assistant to the wonderful woman who ran the Thanksgiving Day Parade for many years. 

In the 1950s, Dorothy took some education courses and in 1955, she was appointed as a typing and steno teacher at Evander Childs High School in the Bronx, NY. Shortly afterward, she got a job teaching at Christopher Columbus High School, where she spent the rest of her long career. A teacher by day, she was a student by night, earning a master's degree and then a doctorate in education. Auntie Dorothy was my family's first female Ph.D.

My Mom Daisy, behind the scenes support

My Mom, Daisy Schwartz Burk (1919-1981), graduated from high school into the depths of the Great Depression. There wasn't enough money for her and her two siblings to continue to college. Although they would be attending free city universities, money was needed to pay for books, carfare, lunches, and so on. Instead of going to college, Daisy took secretarial jobs to help support her older brother and her twin sister as they studied for their degrees. 

Once she settled down with Dad (Harold Burk, 1909-1978), the focus was on educating the next generation. In later years, Daisy took college courses at night, for credit, while working during the day. She especially enjoyed her literature and history courses, even though she never earned a degree. Her strong belief in education was passed along to her daughters, who all earned masters' degrees. 

You can see how proud I am of my Mom's behind-the-scenes support. I'm proud of my uncle, the family's first Ph.D., and  my aunt, the first female Ph.D. in the entire family tree. This is my week 9 post about "females" for Amy Johnson Crow's series of prompts, #52Ancestors. (Just in time for Women's History Month).

My Honorary Aunt, Planner of America's Best-Known Parade

Leona "Lee" Wallace and feathery friend

Leona "Lee" Wallace (1903-1989) lived quite a life! She was my honorary aunt, the life partner of my favorite aunt, Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001). As I write a dual family history of my aunt and her twin sister, my beloved Mom, I'm continuing to research their personal and professional lives--and making wonderful finds.

I had no idea of Lee's family background and early career until my newspaper research unexpectedly revealed a surprisingly informative interview published exactly 68 years ago today, on December 1, 1952. 

Lee Wallace, Head of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Lee became famous during the 1950s for planning the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, known throughout the nation for its giant balloons and A-list bands. A respected master of publicity for Macy's special events, she was at the height of her fame when she sat down with journalist Alice Hughes, who wrote a column titled "A Woman's New York." (The copy I saw ran in the Poughkeepsie Journal in New York, column copyrighted by King Features Syndicate, Inc.--now saved to my Ancestry tree!)

In the 1952 interview, Lee spoke with enthusiasm about the five "mammoth inflated balloon figures" that were the stars of that year's parade, including a 50-foot rocket ship and a 60-foot space man. She said "jets and mystery missiles hurtling through space rivet [children's] eyes and minds to the sky." Although this was five years before Sputnik was launched, my honorary aunt was already focusing young people on the wonders of space!

Lee Wallace, Caring for Brothers and Taking Night Classes

The interviewer devoted two lengthy paragraphs to a synopsis of Lee's life before becoming America's most prominent parade planner.

• Lee raised her two younger brothers on her own, working during the day and attending high school classes at night. In her spare time, she took art lessons.
• During World War II, she worked in labor relations for the Quartermaster Corps, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
• After the war, she applied to Macy's in New York and worked her way up to head of the department store's high-profile special events group--including planning for the biggest event of the year, the Thanksgiving Parade.

Lee and my aunt Dorothy met at Macy's and settled into a happy life together soon afterward. The photo at top shows Lee with the mischievous little parakeet that kept my mother company during the 1970s. 

I'm thinking of honorary aunt Lee with great affection today, and feeling quite grateful for the 1952 publication of an interview that told me so much about my honorary aunt's early life.

"Gratitude" is the theme of week 48 in the #52Ancestors challenge.

This is also my #GenealogyBlogParty entry for #WomensHistoryMonth at the Genealogy Blog Party for March, 2021!