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You Fly, Girl
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"All those who see me, and all who believe in me, share in the freedom I feel when I fly."
Interview: Judy Wolff
| How did yo first become interested in aviation?
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My husband, whom I have been with for 33 years -- we just had our 25th Wedding Aniversary -- is a pilot. I started going to the airshow in Oshkosh with him and enjoyed it. However, I'm afraid of flight and would never fly in a smaller aircraft. But I love everything else to do with aviation. |
| Do you remember the name of the WASP whom you
first met?
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Margaret Ringenberg. She was the first one that we talked to when we entered the WASP tent at Oshkosh, the first year that they were there. She was selling her book and we purchased a copy of it and she signed it.
In talking to her she mentioned that she did alot of talks for Girl Scouts and told my daughter that the WASP story would be a great project for her. She also gave us some pages from one of her books of contacts in order for us to contact other WASP. |
| Stephane started the quilt project as part of the
requirement for the Gold and Silver Awards. Did you have any mentors to help?
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I'm a sewer, and have been for many years. I had never done a quilt. Stephane had never done any kind of sewing. We basically did this on our own without a book or the help of anyone except my mom, Stephane's grandmother. She showed us how to do the back of the quilt. |
| Who initially designed the way the quilts would
look, with the photos and the hand-embroidered wings?
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I sat down with Stephane and showed her my ideas about the quilt design. We talked about what kind of pictures we would put on the quilt and how many on each square. It was my idea to add the wings to the quilt. We started out by doing some research. Going back to Oshkosh the next year and talking to some other WASP. Shutsy Reynolds was a hugh help in putting us in contact with Betty Turner.
Betty supplied us with a book she published on class 44-W-9. All the pictures on the quilts we have done came from her book. We also decided to put their mascot "Fifinilla" on the square as well as another emblem. The wings to us were an important part.
Since my daughter had never done that type of sewing, I did the work. She did the ironing-on of the pictures and other emblems and the planes. |
| You've talked to many WASP. Did you ever manage to
meet Mary Belle Ahlstrom before she passed away?
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We never got to meet Mary Belle. She had passed away before we had the chance to. We did have correspondence with her brother and that is how we got information on her. |
| Is the WASP museum supplying you with all the
photos of the pilots, ad so on? Or where are you
finding all your material on the WASP?
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We recieved most of our pictures from the Texas Womens University. Other pictures that we have been getting are coming from WASP. All the other supplies for the quilts have been coming out of our pocket. That is why it's taking so long to do as it can get expensive.
We at first were only going to do one quilt but after the reaction we recieved from the WASP when we took the quilt to Oshkosh to show them, we decided to do one for every class and one for the 38 who were killed, and one of the WAFS. |
| Do you give speeches at schools or other places on
the WASP, and display your quilts?
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My daughter did a few speeches. One to the Civil Air Patrol here. We displayed the quilts at the Airshow here in LaCrosse. She spoke to the Lioness Group here as well. We also were invited to an Airshow in Shawano, WI and there a school did a documentary on the quilts and sent us a copy of that.
We have been asked by WASP if we would tour the quilts, but we can't afford to do that. That's why we both decided that the quilts should be donated to the Museum in order for others to enjoy. |
| Have you or your daughter ever had the desire to
learn to fly - or are you pilots now?
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My daughter has a desire to learn to fly. She did take ground school but the cost has held her back, plus she now has a son.
Me, I'm afraid to fly but I love doing anything on the ground. I introduced Aviation Programs to the Park and Recreations here in Holmen for the kids. I'm right now working on a 2 day event for girls to learn about aviation. I'm hoping to have it up and going next year. |
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