Code,913021
Subject,Ellen P. Gerber
Date,9/27/2013
Interviewer,Terre Maher
Abstract,"Ellen Gerber, a judson resident, discusses her life. She recalls how she went from a shy reserved child to a boisterious socialite at the hands of Uncle Walter. She also relates her travels as a single woman from Cleveland to Washington, D.C. to San Francisco and back. She spends a great deal of time talking about the love of her life, her husband, Jack Gerber. She mentions being a member of the Skating Club and having friends that were members of other prominent, private clubs in Cleveland. She remembers where she was during several significant events in American History, like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassination of John F. Kennedy."
Tags,"Travel, San Francisco, Marion, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, St. Ann's, Ursline Nuns, Higbee's, Halle's, proper attire, dinner parties, Laurel School, Beaumont School, Trinity College, Washington DC, Edward VIII, George VI, Dean Acheson, Alice Longworth, Russian Hill, communications, ad agencies, secretaries, job equality, Griswold-Eshleman, Hathaway Brown, Shaker Heights, Skating club, Canterbury Club, Public Square, Pearl Harbor, John F Kennedy Assassination, 9/11, Amasa Stone Board,"
Special Notes,
0,Sound Check
1,"Spells name; DOB 4/23/27, Came to Cleveland 7 years old from Marion OH"
2,"Father was a wholesale lumber and was advised to move to Cleveland, lived in Cleveland Heights across Beaumont School"
3,"Her neighborhood was lovely, friendly not nosey, went to St Ann's"
4,"Taught by Ursline Nuns; Mom would take her to Higbee's and Halle's-no blue jeans ""proper clothes"" - her mom drove"
5,"Describes her parents - thinks her father was jealous of her mother, but they would entertain-dinner parties"
6,Entertained friends; Sold lumber to Dorety and he did well; she describes what Dorety was
7,Her brother and her had good opportunities; went to Laurel School still at Lyman Circle graduate 1945
8,"Trinity College in Washington, D.C. - catered to Catholic girls - majored in political science with a minor in history"
9,"Describes her well traveled Uncle Walter, who transformed her during college"
10,"Uncle was friends with Edward VIII of England and Wallis Simpson was invited to their wedding, but advised against it"
11,Describes who Edward VIII was and who took his place (George VI)
12,Talks about the stutter of George VI; Uncle Walter was the third secretary of the united states embassy in London before he was transfered to DC to work for Dean Acheson
13,Who Dean Acheson was (Secretary of state)
14,Describes the friends of her uncle like Alice Longworth
15,Credits her uncle with giving her confidence; came back to Cleveland to find a job
16,Father convinced her to go to Dyke Spencerian School to learn shorthand-worked for a law firm in Cleveland; Got tired of it and went to San Francisco in California
17,It was in 1949 when she went to San Francisco lived in Russian Hill
18,Kept in touch with her family through letters and the occasional call - mom would come visit by plane
19,Mom was not a socialite because her father was shy; story of her father after her mom died and her brother said her father had no friends
20,"She had romantic flings in San Francisco mom convinced her to come back home, otherwise she had no intention of staying- she wanted to go out east maybe to NYC"
21,Ended up meeting Jack Gerber - got married - describes him
22,Says her mother-in-law was rude to her - upset she took her soon; her father gave her sage advice about the marriage
23,"Describes her mother-in-law; ""She was no a nice person;"" Husband did a lot of work for BF Goodrich as an advertising account exec for Griswold-Eshleman"
24,Described work conditions for women in the workforce-difficult-men got better positions
25,No male secretaries; got health insurance and other benefits
26,Work started at 8 and ended at 4:30; at lunch she met with friends
27,After she got married she did part time secretary work at Laurel School and Hathaway Brown went to company eventes with her husband
28,Tries to remember the apartment that they lived in as newlyweds; They then moved into a house on Lansmere Road in Shaker Heights
29,Great Neighbors and beautiful trees; eventually had two daughters that went to Laurel School
30,"Went out a lot - restaurants, Skating Club - invited by friends to other clubs"
31,Parents were members to Caterbury Club;  describes these private golf clubs
32,When her kids were growing up she had help from Deana Potts-came every other week
33,"Nice restaurants, good friends, both were outgoing people, being married kept her love"
34,"His work was based in Public Square; never talked about his work, but he felt he was under appreciated"
35,Didn't know of any charity sponsorships through these clubs
36,"Cleveland has changed: more intermingling and intermixing, more tolerance"
37,Talks of Judson's excellence; Cleveland mediocre compared to San Francisco and DC
38,"Life here is mundane compared, but when she was newly married life was super; she enjoys reading very much; mentions Margeret Burke White"
39,Interuption until 39:28; husband was not a vet because of his eyesight; brings up Pearl Harbor and where she was-she was about to eat dinner
40,Meant nothing to her as a kind- didn't really stick that night; she talks about food rationing-father was the air raid warden for the neighborhood
41,She recalls where she was when John F. Kennedy was killed she was working
42,Shocked that JFK was killed
43,She was in the World Trade Center during 9/11/2001
44,She remembers running away from the building at 74 years old
45,Unbeliveable looking back; must accept aging and count blessings
46,She is content-could be a lot worse; she was on Amasa Stone Board for many years - she served elderly people
47,
48,She tries to remember her wages as a single woman on San Francisco as a secretary
49,"Travel with husband - went to Ireland twice, Paris, London, Hawaii; Member of St. Dominic's in Shaker Heights but only went for church no social aspect"
50,
51,Recalls her mother being a character and Father had no friends
52,Don't know how they got together - completely opposite; Thanks and End of Interview
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