Wilmette Public Library Local History Digital Collection

Anna Kathryn Witt (1895-1988) oral history

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Track 11, Transcript p. 14-15: Track 11, Transcript p. 14-15
Transcription: Track 11 And then came the war years, 1914 to 1918. The war years with Germany. Men and boys had to register for the draft at that time and those that passed the physical exams were inducted into the Army and nearly always sent overseas. Many of our fine Wilmette boys lost their lives at this period in the war and those fine Wilmette boys that gave their lives to defend their country and -- -- and there's a plaque in the Village Square that is in Wilmette where the Village Hall is, there's a plaque beneath the flag that gives the names of these young men who were Wilmette boys. I shall never forget being in the Palm Sunday tornado in 1920 in Wilmette. My husband and myself and my child were visiting my mother at this time. M: This was the house on Twelfth Street? AW: Yes, did I not say that? This was my mother's home on Anna Witt, cont. p.15 Twelfth Street and the storm came very quickly without warning. It got very dark and the wind blew and it rained and hailed big egg-like hailstones and about this time I became very frightened for my child who was asleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms, so I dashed up … Oh, first of all, the table downstairs that was in the very large kitchen my mother had was all set for dinner with the food and dishes and everything, but I dashed upstairs to rescue my son I was getting nervous about. And as I came down, the family had tried to go down in the basement, but the steps of the stairway were all sprung apart and they could not go down. And during this time the dishes and the food and everything had blown off the table and I - - M: Were the windows all shut? AW: The windows were all broken upstairs and the doors were turned inside out, and the baby was covered with leaves and broken glass and debris, but it had blown in from the outside, but I rescued him very quickly and went downstairs and found the others had left the house and gone out to the old building, the ice house, which was used for storing ice in the summer for our dairy use.
Creators: Witt, Anna Kathryn, 1895-1988, Interviewee; Maselli, Briggs
, Interviewer
Media Type: Audio; Image; Text
Item Type: Audiocassettes
Description: Interview with Anna Witt by Briggs Maselli in Wilmette on December 9, 1975.

Abstract:

Sold milk from 800 block of Forest Avenue
Moved to Harms Road on Lake Avenue farm (Wilmette Golf Club grounds)
Returned to Wilmette — bottling plant — ice house eventually sold to Bowman Dairy Co.
Mother’s role — horse and buggy — run away!
School at Lake/Waukegan Road
German background of Mother
Central School experience
East-west Wilmette rivalries
Clothing of children around 1910
Violin lessons for a milk bill
Marriage — Plochman’s mustard
Tornado — Palm Sunday- 1920
“New library” - 1950
Miss Siniff — 1953 — Mrs. Witt and her work for Wilmette Library to present — 1981
Place of Publication: Wilmette, Illinois
Date of Original: December 9, 1975
Subject(s): Librarians
Milking
Oral histories
Wilmette Public Library
Wilmette (Ill.)--History
Personal Name(s): Witt, Anna Kathryn
Local identifier: R977.31 WI
Language of Item: English
Copyright Statement: Protected by copyright: Uses other than research or private study require the permission of the rightsholder(s). Responsibility for obtaining permissions and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Copyright Date: 1975
Copyright Holder: Wilmette Public Library
Copyright Holder Contact Information: 1242 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S.A.
Recommended Citation: Witt, Anna Kathryn, and Briggs Maselli. Anna Witt. Wilmette, Ill: Wilmette Public Library District, 1975.
Contact: Wilmette Public Library
Email:refdesk@wilmettelibrary.info
Website:
https://www.wilmettelibrary.info/

Agency street/mail address:
1242 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL
60091-2558
U.S.A. Phone: 847-256-6930