Louis Yoxen interview, 2003: transcript

An Interview with Louise Yoxen An Oral History Conducted by Claytee D. White The Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas ©The Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2007 Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV - University Libraries Director and Editor: Claytee D. White Assistant Editors: Gloria Homol and Delores Brownlee Transcribers: Kristin Hicks and Laurie Boetcher Interviewers and Project Assistants: Suzanne Becker, Nancy Hardy, Joyce Moore, Andres Moses, Laura Plowman, Emily Powers, Dr. Dave Schwartz ii Recorded interviews and transcripts composing the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project have been made possible through the generosity of Dr. Harold Boyer and the Libraries Advisory Board. Lied Library provided a wide variety of administrative services and the Special Collections Department, home of the Oral History Research Center, provided advice, archival expertise, and interviewers. The Research Center enabled students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first-person narratives. Participants in this project thank the University of Nevada Las Vegas for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish. The transcripts received minimal editing. These measures include the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measurers have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Additional transcripts may be found under that series title. Claytee D. White, Project Director Director, Oral History Research Center University Nevada Las Vegas iii Table of Contents Coming to Las Vegas, 1954; work background; bom and reared in Florence, Alabama; schooling; winning Miss Miami; participation in Miss America contest, 1941; comparing contest to today's pageant; working with Red Cross, '43 and '44; history of parents, siblings, father's successes; recalling the Great Depression; living in Atlantic City with sister's family; working for Pan American Airlines; back to Alabama to work at chemical plant; father working for Tennessee Valley Authority 1-10 Illustrations Miss Miami and Instructions to Contestants competing for the title of Miss America 1941 After page 3 Applying at Post Office for work in Panama or Hawaii; sent to Berlin during the Occupation; mention of Marshall Plan, General Clay, Charles Lindberg; recreation and entertainment in Berlin; recollection of friends made during Occupation; back to the States after two years; signing up for work in Africa; living conditions in Casablanca; memories of dust storms; secretarial training for overseas work; 2 years in Africa; shipping home to New York by way of Switzerland 11-19 Illustrations Map of Occupied Area of Germany After page 12 Life in Germany after WWII After page 13 Employment Documents After page 18 Longshoremen strike in New York; memories of going through customs; brief family visits in New York and Alabama; moving to Las Vegas, October, 1953; working for Morrison-Knudsen Twait, building naval ordinance storage area; living on Wengert Street; mention of Bugsy Siegel, Virginia Hill, Bennie Binion; recalling early lounge shows; mention of Mary Kay Trio, Elvis Presley, Desert Inn sky room, El Rancho Vegas, and the Flamingo 19-24 Grand Jury duty; description of Las Vegas in 1953; mention of Buck Blaine, Mike Hines; meeting future husband; fishing on Lake Mead; introduction to golf; married 49 years; family details; husband's masonry work history in Vegas; race relations in Las Vegas and in the construction industry; mention of Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Rat Pack; more on Grand Jury indictment; hearing stories of the Mob; detailed recollection of recreation at Mt. Charleston and Death Valley; retirement home in Oregon; flight school and memories of flying with husband 25-35 Illustrations Family airplane Certificate received at the Desert Inn Golf Club Campaign poster After page 29 Dealing with fluctuations in business; memories of A-bomb testing at the Test Site; remembering Howard Hughes' impact on Las Vegas; remodeling the Krupp Ranch in Red Rock; opinions on how Las Vegas is perceived today; opinions on local government and politicians; mention of former Mayor Oren Gragson; uniqueness of Las Vegas; opinions on casinos paying more taxes to Nevada; closing opinions on teachers and nurses 36-41 iv Preface Louise Yoxen worked in Germany at the end of World War II participating in our occupation efforts with France, Great Britain, and Russia. She explains the implementation of the Marshall Plan from a very personal perspective. Continuing with U.S. State Department work, she accepted the next assignment in North Africa. Originally from Florence, Alabama, Yoxen's work in Germany and Africa finally brought her to Las Vegas in 1951. This interview offers a look at our town forty five years into its development, through the eyes of a person who had lived and worked on two other continents. Yoxen met her husband here, raised two children, and worked in the family's construction business. They helped build Sam Boyd Stadium, structures at Nellis Air Force Base, and houses to assist scientists at the Nevada Test Site during the 1950s. Mrs. Yoxen remembers the town when the mafia was in charge. She witnessed the advent of Howard Hughes and admires the modern skyline Steve Wynn created. He was her next door neighbor well before he bought the Golden Nugget that made his name a household word. Currently, she is the neighbor of Oscar Goodman who she believes is the type of mayor we need. 1 This is Claytee White and today is October 8, 2003 and I'm in the home of Mrs. Louise Yoxen. How are you today? I'm very well thank you. First I'm just going to ask you about your early days in Las Vegas, then we will go from there and go back into your past. When did you first come to Las Vegas? I arrived in Las Vegas October the 29th, 1954, on Bonanza Airlines at that time. It was barely an airport because there was gravel all around. They had one landing strip and we flew on a twin engine C3,1 believe. At nighttime, the lights were not nearly as bright as now. Which airport? It was the same one, McCarran, but there was only one strip there as I remember and the owner/operator was George Crockett and his wife Caty. Where were you coming from? From Phoenix by way of Alabama by way of Africa. I had been working for a company that built the five air bases over in North Africa during the cold war. The man that I worked for in Africa located me in Alabama and called me and asked me to come to work out here. My permanent home was Florence, Alabama. What was your expertise that got you involved with that kind ofproject? I had worked with the Department of Army and the Department of State in the occupation of Berlin after the war. I went to Berlin in June of 1948 when they were setting up the 4-power government. I just filled out an application that I got from the post office for a job. I went over there as a CAF3, which is as low as they could start me. 2 So this was clerical work? Clerical work. My job over there was to do typing, some shorthand and to keep a running account of the number of flights, the type of airplane and the tonnage of coal and flour and other supplies that were required during the airlift to keep Berlin going in the U.S.A. section. Was this part of the Marshall Plan? Yes. We facilitated a portion of the Marshall Plan. This is so interesting. Tell me about your early life, where you grew up, high school, through high school. I was born and reared in Lauderdale County, Florence, Alabama. Attended Coffee High School, graduated with no particular honors. I was not a bad student but not the valedictorian as my twin sisters were who went ahead of me. I assisted the librarian, was a cheerleader, sang in the choir, and served as study hall monitor. I felt liking seeing what was on the other side of the little mountains we had in north Alabama, so I saved up to go to Miami, Fl. I got a job with FW Woolworth the next day. I worked as a clerk, a floor walker, an office assistant and did some modeling on the weekends. Modeled for whom? The shows were sponsored by The McFadden Deauville Hotel & Shops. The people who had their shops in the hotel would show their clothing at an afternoon tea. We paraded around the swimming pool in our flowing gowns and light furs and presented a break from what was usually a water show. It was afternoon entertainment in Miami in the 1940s. This was in'38 and 40's [1938 and 1940], In'41 [1941], I was asked to lead the group of girls who were participating in a contest to be Miss Miami. They didn't know 3 the runway and I ended up winning the Miss Miami contest. I was in the Miss America contest for that year, September 1941 in Atlantic City. How did you show in the Miss America contest? I was just one ot the 40 or 50 girls there and did not win any honors. Was that fun? That was really fun. The Chamber of Commerce had supplied the parade float, which was a grand affair, a staircase in a garden setting. We were paraded down the boardwalk. It was very similar to what they do this day and age except we were not nearly as talented as they are today. What was your talent category? Well I had a friend who was a dance teacher and she worked in Alabama. I had to go home to learn how to dance. I did a South American dance routine. My mother made my costume. It showed very well on the stage, but I tell you, that stage and that auditorium was just like a big big big cave. When you look up and see all the lights and balconies; this little country girl (laugh) Wow! Was that still in Atlantic City? Yes, same location until this year, 2006. It's now showing in Las Vegas. Do you watch the pageant now? Oh yes. How do you fell now watching the pageant and seeing the differences? I act like a judge. I'm critique the way the contestants present themselves. The talent is more professional now than it was in 1941. Now, it's a goal that you set early in life. The educational prizes they get from scholarships are very good. There were very few INSrT?UCTIONS TO CCNTE5TANTS COMPETING FOR THE TITLE OF M I S S A M A £ I £ A A S A A TO AMERICA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED YOUNG WOMEN: On behalf of our M.--*yor and the Board of Governors of the Miss America Pageant, we welcome you, and sincerely hope-'that your weeiCs visit to Atlantic City, will be thoroughly enjoyable and filled with happy nenorieg. You are the elect of the great stato or city in which you livo, and hence, millions of people will be watching you during this week of competi­tion for the coveted title of MISS AMERICA 1941. The folks back home are proud of you and they are expecting you to properly and adequately represent them whether you win or lose. The competition into which you are going is very difficult and the rulings we are making for its conduct are to insure your being in the f)ink of physical condition, so that you may be able to do your best. Bear in mind that in every audience during the week, there will be talent scouts for radio, stage, modeling and motion pictures. They are more than eager to discover a new "find", a girl who will be a "star," None of you will want to neglect this opportunity because of lack of sleep or anything else, Your own mental reaction will help you to win or lose this contest. Capitalize this opportunity which so few girls receive, and make i t count. The hostesses who will chaperone you are Atlantic City's most charming matrons, headed by Mrs. Guarles D. White, one of Atlantic City's most beloved civic and social leaders; and Mrs. Malcolm Sherraer, one of our most active and admired young matrons. They are contributing their time this week, Page #2 Instructions to contestants Without any remuneration whatsoever, to he helpful to you. To the. is assigned the responsibility of sseing that you are on tine for every engagement; of ad­vising you and assisting yOUJ W. urge you to accept their advice in the spirit in which it is given. You are responsible to than, and they to the directors of the pageant. NEVER LEAVE ANy EVENT WITHOUT YOUR HOSTESS. If you desire information on any subject not contained in these in-structicns, consult your hostess. Hare the first rule of conduct established b, the Board of Directors Of the Miss America Pageant for the protection, health and guidance of you young ladies this week: 1. Any contestant attending a night club, cocktail lounge, bar, inn, tavern, or any like place UNACCOMPANIED by her Atlantic city Hostess will be immediately and automatically eliminated from further judging, although she will advised thereof. Hostesses have been instructed to deliver contestants to their respective hotels no later than 1•CC A v i + J--ot contestants must adhere to this ruling. Your hotel accomodations include room and regular meals beginning with dinner en Monday. September 1st and running through until Sunday afternoon. September 7th. 1941. You will be the complimentary guest of the hotel at which' yon are registered. If m order anything else, it must be paid for personally and will not be paid by the Miss nmurica Page.it. or your hostess. Yeu must not expect your hostess to pay for anything. It is essential that you wear evening gown and your indeutifying rose badge when having dinner in the dining room of your hotel. page #3 Instructions to contestants 3. Your transportation to and from the various Pageant events will be provided for in taxicabs, arid your hostess or an executive of the Miss America Pageant will present tickets for any authorized trips, Are will not, of course, pay for any other trips you make,..and please remember, yco are net permitted to sign any taxi slips. 4. Wear your ribbon at all events diagonally, from right shoulder tc left hip so that it may be read easily by public and judges alike. The Rose Bacg is to be worn on your left shoulder with evening dress in place of wider ribbon. Please do not wear any ribbon while shopping or walking on the Boardwalk. 5. We are giving a complete "working schedule" to you for all events Please keep it handy and follow it closely. It lists the tine of each event as well as the costume you are to wear. Never be latej Your hostess will arrange to call for you in due time for each event, but please be ready when she calls. Please do not ask to bo excused on any occasion unless you are ill, 6. Thero will be four nights of actual competition for the title of Miss AMERICA 1941...three nights cf preliminaries, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, September 3, 4, and 5th. And then, the FINALS will take place on Saturday evening, September 6th. On the preliminary nights you will be judged for each of the following classifications...in BATHING SUIT, in EVENING GOWN, or for TALENT. Please see the WORKING SCHEDULE as to which night you will be judged in these respective classifications. The contestants are seperated into 3 groups.. .thus one third will appear on the first night in EVENING GOWN, an­other third for TALENT, and one third in BATHING SUIT. If you appear the first noght for TALENT, you will appear on one of the other two nights for BATHING SUIT, and on the third night for EVENING GOWN, etc. At least 15 contestants will be chosen from the first three nights of preliminaries to appear in the FINALS on Saturday evening. No contestant will be advised that she will appear in the finals until Saturday evening. The winner: of the TALENT and BATHING SUIT events will be announced each night of preliminary page #4 Instructions for contestants Judging,,.and trophies awarded to each. However, the winners of the preliminary TALENT and BATHING SUIT events nay not even reach the finals, since contestants are judged in three calssif ications,. .TALENT, BATHING SUIT and EVENING GOWN, ano the fifteen girls chosen for the finals nust receive a. high rating by the judges in all three classifications. Among the qualifications which the judges will taks into consideration in thoir final selection of MISS AMERICA are: 1. Beauty of Face and Figure 2. Symmetry of figure 3. Charm, poise, personality, disposition, general culture 4. Talent and Stage presence 5. Quality of voice, nanner of speaking, and proper use of the English language 6. Health and care of body In addition to the three nights of preliminaries and the finals on Saturday evening, you will be guests at the "Ice-Capades" on Monday evening September 1st, and you will attend the Variety Club Bannuet and Mardi Gras on Tuesday evening, as well as the Civic Club Luncheon. We are planning other events for your pleasure and entertainment, 7. You will be given a musical rehearsal with an orchestra bofore you render your TALENT performance. Please be sure to bring to this rehearsal the ORCHESTRATION of the music you desire to use for your talent routine and if you are singing be prepared to tell the orchestra leader the proper key for your voice. It is altogether possible that we may suggest shortening your routine, as we are limiting all talent performances to between 22 to 3 minutes. If your routine is too long, you may tire the judges and the audience and there­fore dc yourself an injustice. At all of these rehearsals (SEE 'WORKING SCHEDULE) Page #5 Instructions to Contestants you will be placed in charge" of Ruth Miller, our producer, a young lady with a number of years experience in producing shows, and who has staged the pageant productions for the past five years. For the benefit of these whe have not had any experience on the sbage or as a model, Miss Miller will ende ivor to show you how to walk with more grace and ease, as well as assist ycu with your talent rehearsal. She also will stage two special parades, in which contestants will have the pleasure of participating, although they will not be judged in these two events. 8. Follow the working schedule closely for instructions regarding the costume you are to wear at various scheduled events, 9. Please do not take more than $>1,00 in change with you to the various Pageant events. Check ycur ncney and valuable. Jewelry at the desk in ycur hotel The Miss .America Pageant cannot be responsible for money or valuable jewelry lest.- Every contestant also is required to deposit either her return ticket hone or the noney to buy same in safe keeping with the hotel to which she is assigned. This should bo deposited in an envelope with the hotel cashier at tine of registration. We require this so that you will be sure not to lose your ticket or the money. Ycur Atlantic City hostess will cooperate with you in naking this arrangement. If you are traveling by Auto advise your hostess upon arrival. 10. If you desire to go on the beach during your leisure tine, please consult your hostess in advance so she will bo advised as to your whereabouts. Ycu are permitted to gc on the boach in front cf your hotel, or at the end of the street on which your hotel is located, provided your Atlantic City hostess is advised thereof. A bad sunburn would impair your appearance. page #6 Instructions to Contestants 11. VERY IMPORTANT! We caution you not to arrange for interviews or photographs with anyone without approval of your hostess cr a recognized official of the Pageant, You nay be approached at your leisure time by irrespon­sible agents or promoters who come to Atlantic City for the Pageant, and who wi]l promise you everything and cannot really deliver anything worthwhile. You al­ready have signed a contract»The OFFICIAL ENTRY BLANK,»*with the Miss America Pageant, All legitimate motion picture talent scouts and reliable theatrical agents will contact us in event they have a proposition to offer you. Therefore, we CAUTION YOU not to sign any other agreement or contract, and to inform your hostess in svent you are offered a proposition or asked for an interview cr photographs. Interviews with talent scouts are to be held on Sunday morning at the Steel Pier when final newsreel pictures of contestants are to be made,for this reason it is most urgent you appear at Steel Pier, Sunday morning, September 7th, even though you are not a winner, you may be wanted for a screen test or nay be offered a good position by one of the talent scouts, We urge you to accept instructions and advice from your Atlantic City hostess and executives of the Miss America Pageant ONLY, You will find them deeply interested in your problems and in your triumph, WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE BE A COOD SPORT! Ceo. D, Tyson Executive Director Miss America Pageant places where a female could get a scholarship. The more we can have this prize, the better. The more they concentrate on giving the women an education, the better off we all are. I must tell you that I was one of the first women that felt put upon by the system. I tried to open a bank account here in Las Vegas and they asked if I had a man also on my account. I said, I don t think you have to. I'm just going to sign my initials". So I went by A. L. Baker for many years. Which year was that? That was back in the early 50s [1950s], When I applied for my notary public for Las Vegas to help my husband in his work, my application was returned "incomplete." I had signed my initials. They said I had to sign my full name to indicate female. I refused. I told them this was the way I signed my name, with my initials. It was really and truly a put down. Little things, but because I had been working all over the world and had been supporting myself, I felt like I was an equal to any of the men that wanted to put their money in a bank. I appreciate those sentiments so much. How did you feel back in the 70's, during the women's movement, when the beauty pageant, Miss America, was criticized? I felt like they had gone a little far. It was typical of some of the activists. They can't seem to strike a balance of good reasoning and get a foundation for what they believe in instead of going out on a limb and throwing bras in the air. That's ridiculous. I've often thought the same thing but I've often said, "Maybe they had to go over the line like that so that we could come back to a good middle ground". That could be. It certainly got the headlines, but they were not good headlines. There were those ot us who continued to work in the background and I must say that you had to have someone to get the headline. The unfortunate part I always thought was that most women today, that's all they remember of that movement, the burning of the bras. They forget about all of the positive things that came out of that movement. That's true. Let's go back to after Miami, how did you leave Miami? I was living with my sister and her family. Her husband was a navigator for Pan American Airways. I had gotten a job with Pan American Airways also. Not anything exciting like going overseas as a stewardess. You had to be a nurse then; I was definitely not a nurse. He was transferred to Atlantic City. I moved there with them and I had an exciting two years with The American Red Cross working out at the Naval Air station. It was during the time the injured were coming home from the war. I can't recall exactly but maybe in '43 and '44 [1943 and 1944], The government had taken over several hotels in Atlantic City for the men to use for R & R [rest and relaxation], I say hotels; two or three of the better ones were taken over. Working with the Red Cross, I felt a responsibility to go out in the afternoon and evening and walk with the amputees. If the conditions were right, we'd stay for a dance or two. It was most amazing to see this one guy I'll never forget, dancing on one leg, no crutches, doing the jitterbug with all of those turns and twists. He was having a ball! Just having a great time. He didn't have a false leg? No, not yet. The stump was still healing. Let's back up. Give me the names of your parents and your siblings. My mother's name was Ima Blanch Parrish Baker. Did she work outside of the home? She was one of the first teachers that graduated from the teachers' college in Florence, Alabama. She taught grades 1 - 8 in a one-room schoolhouse in Tennessee. When the older boys would misbehave, she called her husband, my father. He would go down and chastise the bigger boys. She taught as a married woman? Single and married, yes. A lot of women had to give up teaching when they became married. 1 heir first children were twins. They were living in Tennessee where my father was a telegrapher with the railroad. Between the two of them, they were doing pretty good. But with the twins, they both felt they needed to get closer to home in Florence where there were other family members that could help them with the babies; grandma and grandpa Parrish. What are the twins' names? Ernestine, after my father who's name was Ernest and Imagene after my mother. So the two of them had their name sakes. You are the third child? No, I'm the fourth. My father's name was Ernest McKinley Baker and the McKinley came from the president, I believe. His family background was farming. His father and grandfather farmed in the Tennessee Valley outside of Nashville. He went away to a trade school and learned to be a barber. He had to go to Texas to find this school. He 7 worked as a barber for many, many years. Eventually he bought almost a complete block of east Florence, which was down by the railroad tracks and the knitting mills. There was a lot ot cotton grown in the area. They had about a half of a dozen knitting mills in the town. He had a restaurant/cafe and he had a cleaning establishment. He had a beauty shop and a barber shop and he owned one of those bath and shower facilities. People who rode the train in those days would get filthy dirty from the black smoke from the engines, so when they came into town they always looked for a place to have a bath and clean clothes. All ot the facilities were there for these travelers to renew themselves before they called as salesmen in the area, which was the tri-cities; Florence, Sheffield, and I uscunbia (the home of Helen Keller). Sheffield was a port on the Tennessee River for the water traffic. Tell me what life was like growing up in a place like that with your father being so successful. Well, when the stock market crash came in New York City, we were as poor as everybody else in the south. There were food lines. We were not in one because we had a garden. We grew our own vegetables and canned our food for the winter months. We had a couple of fruit trees and we canned our fruit and we were very frugal with all of our things. Clothing was passed down from one child to another. Newspaper and cardboard were inserted into your shoes so you didn't walk on the ground. This was very common in that area during the Great Depression. My father was very resourceful and intelligent. He passed an engineering mail order course, got a job as an engineer/pilot on the Mississippi River doing the Mark Twain soundings for the U. S. government. He had to leave home to do this job. My mother, the wonderful mother that she was, stayed in 8 f lorence keeping body and soul together. She helped to feed us with income from the sewing that she could do for the neighbors and helped the children get through their school work. There were seven of us. Seven children, the twins [one died in 1988 of a brain aneurysm] were first and then two years later, my brother, Ralph Jackson, who also picked up the historical name of Jackson. My birth came two years after that. My full name is Anna Louise Baker. My sister, Carol, came next. She was named by the kindergarten teacher, who was a dear friend of the family and because her birthday came so close to Christmas, they decided to name her Carol. Then came my sister Genevieve. There was a song out about that time, Sweet Genevieve. She was named for that. She was sweet. She died in January of 2001 at the age of 70. Then came my baby brother, Richard Thomas, who wanted to be called R. T., but we wouldn't do it. We called him Dick, (laugh) And he hated it. He is still alive. My older brother, Jack (1917-1978), died at 61 of colon cancer. He had authorized the use of his body for experimental drug research for cancer. He traveled to the University of Birmingham Hospital quite often for treatment until the end. They would send an ambulance for him and take him down. He was on the cutting edge of some of the medical breakthroughs in colon cancer. From his body, they were able to use his eyes. So we think of that, that someone else is seeing the world through his eyes. Jack loved music. He married a professional teacher/musician who was trained at Julliard and taught music at the teachers college, which is now the University of North Alabama. Some of the original buildings are still standing. Jack and Lorene worked at the Grand Hall in NYC, what do you call it? The Metropolitan Opera House, is that it? Carnegie Hall? 9 Carnegie Hall, yes. They spent many fun time hours at Carnegie Hall. They were in the background doing the necessary work for the productions. His wife, Lorene, was a wonderful accompanist. She performed The Fantastics all by herself on several occasions with brother Jack along to turn the pages of the music, (laugh) After living in Atlantic City with you sister and her husband, is that the point that you go to Europe for a while? No. I went back home to Alabama. You get home sick, you know. New York is fine. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, but home is even better. I worked there in the construction phase of a chemical plant. This plant was built by the military? No, it was built by two companies from Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama. They called themselves The Southern Contractors. They were specialists in their field. How the chemical portion of the job went, I don't know. 1 was more into the initial building and construction of it. It was an Italian recipe, so to speak. It is still in existence, whether it's still operating or not, I'm not sure. What it produces, I don't know. My father worked with The Tennessee Valley Authority. He was in water purification. The area drew their water from the Tennessee River and sent it through a similar operation that we use here in Las Vegas with the water from Lake Mead. He got his engineering degree like I said through mail order. He was fortunate to have the Tennessee Valley Authority there because that's what brought the area out of the Depression. Your father went to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Were his private investments ever regained? 10 No. He was depressed some days. He would say, "I work, and work and work and seems like I can't get ahead from one month to the next." But as we children grew up and became, more or less, not a burden to him, I think he felt a little easier in his life. He retired when he was 62 for medical reasons. He died when he was 65 or 66 of an aneurism that burst in the lower aorta. Surgeons can fix that now, but at that time they couldn't. The twins grew up and were married at 20. My older brother was married at about age 28. My marriage occurred in 1954. I was 34 and my husband was 34. This was your first marriage? Yes. I d had quite a lite up until then doing my thing from New York to Berlin to Africa. Tell me about Berlin and Africa. Berlin was divided into zones and it was governed by the different occupying forces, the British, the French and the Americans. Oh, Russia also. This was the cold war, that's why I was even there. I worked with the Allied Komma datura, which was the quadripartite government in the occupation of Berlin. The U. S. took turns chairing the meetings that went on. I was with the financial and economic departments. The way I got to Berlin was by going down to the United States Post Office and asking for an application to go to work. It's a form 57. It was a four page application. I gave them everything that had ever happened to me, from the diapers on up. I sent it to Washington, D.C. It was