The Story of Kathleen Shepard...
The hubs, Mars, and I took a little afternoon trip down to Detroit.
I had my usual vintage get-up on. ((all thrifted at some point in time!))
Marlie also was rockin' some vintage threads including a little corduroy dress w/ an anteater embroidered on it & an amazing little thermal long-sleeve from my girl Bethany over at
Reware Vintage!
While we visited the Museum, we enjoyed walking through the cobblestone streets aligned with replicas of old downtown Detroit storefronts.
There were so many amazing pieces of history in every nook & cranny.
Marlie enjoyed building with old tinker toys in the 1800's classroom & she loved the old candy shoppe because it looked like the one in Willy Wonka (1970's version) which is currently her favorite movie right now.
I really loved all the pieces that were of the 1940's-1950's era (duh!) hehe
However, the piece that stuck out most to me was this little tribute to an amazing little lady by the name of Kathleen Shepard.
Here is her amazing story which I have borrowed from the Detroit Historical Museum (I tried doing some more research on her via the interwebs however, had no luck...)
Detroit native Kathleen "Bee" Stock met soldier Harold Shepard while roller-skating at
Edgewater Park. They Married soon afterward, but within a year he was killed in action in Italy.
(above- the tragic letter Kathleen received about Harold...and more than likely, the last photo the beautiful couple took together.)
Eager to join the war effort but too young to enlist in the U.S. Women's Army Corps. Shepard joined the Canadian Women's Army Corps, but her mother had the enlistment cancelled. Back in Detroit, Shepard took a top-secret job in quality control at Vickers Hydraulic Company, maker of hydraulic controls for naval guns.
One in three southeastern Michigan factory workers joined the armed forces. In their absence, members of non-traditional groups - women, African Americans, the disabled and the elderly - went to work.
** So cheers to Miss "Bee" & all the amazing, strong women out there! **
xoxo's
Ash