BCGS continues to honor those who have served this nation by offering this tribute to the women of World War II. In addition to serving in the military per se, America's housewives and mothers exchanged electric mixers for the power drills of the industrial sector and filled a wide variety of other significant roles from medical care to clerical work to USO services.

“Rosie the Riveter” became the icon reflecting the strength of these amazing women. We are proud to honor these women and thank them, one and all, for their service and contributions to our nation's success.

Members of the Bucks County Genealogical Society have submitted the stories and photos of their ancestors, extended family members and family friends who served in any capacity as a Rosie the Riveter. Member Connie Ace has assembled these stories and photos into a dramatic slide show. Click on this link to view the completed presentation. The index below lists each individual appearing in the video, whose story has been submitted so far, and features a short description of the woman's role and a photograph if available.



The poster to the right provides an interesting list of some of the positions that needed to be filled. Click on the poster to view it in full size. To learn more about these remarkable women, the importance of their work, and the story behind the "Rosie the Riveter" inspiration, click here.

Below is a list of the women which our BCGS members are honoring for service during World War II. Click on the woman's name to view the slide showing her photograph and the details of her service.

Name	Residence	Service	Contributor
H. Jeanne Waller Ace DeLong	Bridgewater, CT and Warrington, PA	US Army volunteer ambulance driver	Connie Larkey Ace (Mother-in-law)
Katherine Mae Baur	Bristol, PA	Clerk typist with Intelligence Branch, US Office of Military Government, Berlin, Germany	Bill MacDonald (Mother)
A. Virginia Shutt Bivens	Warrington, PA; Big Cove Tannery, PA	US Army Nurse Corps, deployed with 3rd Army in Europe	Susanne Fellman Jacobs (Maternal Aunt)
Claire A. Bowman	Plumstead & Philadelphia, PA	Worked in cafeteria at Wilmington, DE shipyard	Patricia B. Gessner (Mother)
Irene Geraldine Golembiewski Butash	Wilkes-Barre & Philadelphia, PA	Registered nurse, Cramp Shipyard dispensary	Mary Butash (Mother)
Angela Calabrese	Trenton, NJ	Manufactured torpedo bombers at Inland Fisher Guide Plant, West Trenton, NJ	Jerry Purdum (Mother-in-law)
Doris Kathryn Kramer Capaldi	Perkasie & Philadelphia, PA	Nurse at Pennsylvania	Joann Cosgrove (Mother's sister)
Mary Ann Robb Clymer	Philadelphia & Lansdale, PA	Women's Air Corps	Denise Robb Swingle (Aunt)
Lillian Cohen	Philadelphia, PA	Secretary to Quartermaster, Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot	Meryle Gurmankin (Mother)
Rita Marie (Eichhorn) Colella	2129 North Second Street, Philadelphia	Rita worked in Building 64 of the Frankford Arsenal "doing piece work on the assembly line, putting pins that went into the bombs to win the war." She also used a micrometer to enlarge the pins that were placed in the bombs.	Jean Colella (mother-in-law)
Kathryn Senior Dwyer	Perkasie, PA	US Navy, Radioman 2nd Class	Joann Cosgrove (Wife of 2nd cousin 1x removed)
Esther Shutt Fellman	Warrington, Doylestown, Chalfont, PA	Supervisor, Doylestown Draft Board	Susanne Fellman Jacobs (Mother)
Kathryn N. Freed	Perkasie, PA	US Navy, Specialist Photographer, 2nd Class	Joann Cosgrove (Not related)
Rose Goldman	Philadelphia, PA	Secretary/proofreader for technical munitions manuals, Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia	Linda Ewall Krocker (Mother)
Margaret J. Gallagher Grau	McKees Rocks, PA	Pressed steel company making tanks & gun carriages	Joseph Grau (Mother)
Margaret Greenawald	Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA	Forced service in German army during war; after war, switchboard operator for US	Ed Greenawald (Mother)
Leitha Elizabeth Haws	SC, PA, India, FL	1943-1945 U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Aviation Engineering Squad, Aviation Women's Reserve	Peg Felter (Maternal Aunt)
Belva Warrington Hayter	Oakland, CA; Calaveras Co., CA	Seamstress in US military uniform factory	Connie Larkey Ace (Aunt)
Lorna Jones	Chelmsford, England & Bucks County, PA	Worked in ball bearing factory, Chelmsford	Andrea Pendle (Mother)
Florence Snyder Kielar	Philadelphia, Langhorne, and Northumberland, PA	Ran a riveting machine making wing flaps for the C545 at the Proctor Electric Plant located at 3rd and Hunting Park Avenue in Philadelphia.	Kathy Rice (1st cousin, 2x removed)
Evelyn Claudia Kirkpatrick	Telford, PA; Bridgewater, CT	Ensign, US Navy	Joann Cosgrove (Not related)
Hildegard Klinge	Forest Heights, MD	Secretary to US Undersecretary of War	Joyce Schmidt (Mother)
Wilma E. (Hayter) Larkey	Los Angeles & Sacramento, CA	Worked for Butadiene Corp., producer of synthetic rubber	Connie Larkey Ace (Mother)
Marian Jo Lepianka	Long Beach, California	During the 1940's she worked in the ship yards in Long Beach, California. I don't know exactly what she did on the docks but I know she met my father-in-law there since they both worked on the docks.	Beth Lepianka (mother-in-law)
Mary Regina (Young) Melly	North Philadelphia & southern NJ	Coil winder at Brown Instrument Co., Philadelphia	Helen Marie Melly More (Mother)
Anna Flynn Monkiewicz	Natick, MA	1941-1944 Piper Aircraft Col, building military planes; from 1943, pilot with WASP	Beth Gerry (2nd cousin 1x removed)
Theresa Nagel	Germany & Philadelphia, PA	Worked in factory making sensors for US military	Connie Larkey Ace (Sister's mother-in-law)
Dorothy L. Graver Oettel	Perkasie, PA	Worked for US Gauge Co., Sellersville, PA	Joann Cosgrove (Wife of uncle)
Mary Mona Oettel	Perkasie, PA & Pocatello, ID	Secretary in US Dept. of Weights & Measures, Washington, D.C.	Kevin Russell (Mother)
Wilma Fobes Peek	Atlantic Highlands, NJ	Morse code operator at Fort Monmouth, NJ	Sherry Mitchell (Mother)
Mary Lucile Schatz	Perkasie, PA	US Navy, Shopkeeper 2nd	Joann Cosgrove (Friend of parents)
Ann Meredith Smith		Aircraft manufacture for General Motors	Gale Vanselous (Mother)
Dorothy Mae Stockbauer	Lancester Co., PA	Women's Army Air Corps, propeller manufacturer	Wayne Campbell (Mother)
Rose Margari Sutor	Bristol Borough & Levittown, PA	Worked for Kaiser-Fleetwing, manufacturing airplane wings and fuselages	Christine Schonewolf (Maternal aunt)
Olga Verbo	Philadelphia, Port Richmond, South Philadelphia	Operated a punch press machine during WWII for Geo K Garrett Co making washers.	Damyon T. Verbo (Mother)
Elizabeth (Betty) Vera (Gessner) Weirback	Upper Black Eddy & Ferndale, PA	US Army Nurse, served in US & Italy	Patricia B. Gessner (Sister-in-law)
Doris Wiley	Bensalem, PA	Worked in machine shop manufacturing land mine casings, hand grenades & bomb fins for Philadelphia Ordnance District	Lindsey Lehr (Grand aunt)
Florence Ronan Williams	Philadelphia & southern NJ	Purchasing agent, Selby, Satterby & Co., Philadelphia (ship deck coverings)	Carroll Williams Feldman (Mother)