Born: March 30, 1921
Birthplace: Wilmerding, PA
Occupations: Homemaker, Artist
Married to: Joe Thompson
Children: Joe Jr, Martha, Emily, Bill, Sara, Joan, Diane, David

NOTES: Zora Thompson’s GreatLifeStory was created in two parts:

PART 1:
Written by Zora Thompson, April 2005, age 84
Notes: Zora Thompson typed this original document using all capital letters. I have left all of her original formatting, spelling and organization. However, Zora typed this document as one long piece, with no subheads. I have added subheads at the beginning of key paragraphs or sections as an aid to the reader. These are in bold type.

Part 1 was scanned & converted to Microsoft Word Using Optical Character Recognition Technology by Mike Brozda, Nephew, age 51

PART 2: Zora Thompson was interviewed by Mike Brozda in late 2006. In this GreatLifeStory, Zora’s comments appear as up-and-down text (ie, not all capitals).

MY EARLY YEARS


MY MOTHER TOLD ME THAT I WAS BORN AT 8:00 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING 1921, IN TIME FOR SCHOOL.

THAT WAS HER LITTLE JOKE FOR ME. OUR HOME WAS ON KLINE AVENUE IN WEST WILMERDING, PA. ABOVE THE WESTINGHOUSE AIRBRAKE CO., WHERE MY FATHER WORKED. JACK FALLON WAS BORN ON THE SAME STREET. HIS FAMILY LATER MOVED TO SIXTH ST., JUST ACROSS FROM THE THOMPSONS.

MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED ON SEVENTH ST. IN TURTLE CREEK. I THINK OUR HOUSE WAS A DUPLEX AND OUR NEIGHBORS WERE THE SHINERS, A POLISH FAMILY WHO TAUGHT DOROTHY TO SPEAK IN POLISH.

OUR HOUSE BURNED DOWN AND ALL OF MOTHER’S THINGS BURNED EXCEPT TWO LITTLE CHAIRS WHICH I REMEMBER. WE THEN MOVED TO EAST McKeesport TO RENT SPACE WITH THE GOYKOVICH COUPLE.


MY FATHER MEETS TESLA, THE FAMOUS INVENTOR

DOROTHY WAS 16 MO. OLD WHEN I WAS BORN. MY GRANDMOTHER NAMED ME. WARREN HARDING WAS THE PRESIDENT AND THE 19th AMENDMENT GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE WAS PASSED IN 1920. MY MOTHER WAS 24 YRS. OLD.

IN 1921 MY FATHER WAS INVOLVED WITH THE NEEDS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN WILMERDING, PA. HE WAS ASKED TO GO TO NEW YORK CITY TO ASK IF NIKOLA TESLA WOULD DONATE MONEY TO SHORE UP A WALL ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY.

I DON’T KNOW IF TESLA GAVE ANY MONEY BUT HE DID TELL MY FATHER TO FORGET ABOUT SERBIAN POLITICS AND TO STUDY LAW. I THINK HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH MY FATHER. HE WAS USHERED INTO THE SUITE AT THE WALDORF-ASTORIA. TESLA WORE WHITE GLOVES FOR THE HAND-SHAKE. IT SEEMS THAT TESLA WAS AFRAID OF GERMS AS HOWARD HUGHES WAS.

SO BACK TO PITTSBURGH ON THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.

I LEARNED TO WALK EARLY; I HAD DOROTHY AHEAD OF ME. I HAD A SWEET AND GENTLE MOTHER AND A WELL-RESPECTED GRAND GRANDMOTHER. MY GRANDFATHER DIED THE YEAR BEFORE DOROTHY WAS BORN.



SUNDAY MORNINGS WITH DAD

WE USED TO PILE INTO MY FATHER’S BIG BED IN THE MORNING AND HE READ AESOP’S FABLES TO US. I REMEMBER ESPECIALLY THE “GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT” AND ON SUNDAYS HE READ THE FUNNIES TO US. ON OUR WALL IN THE DINING ROOM HE HUNG A REGULATOR CLOCK WITH A BRASS PENDULUM. I WONDER WHERE IT WENT. I ENJOYED A PRINT OF THE VENICE CANAL AND A PRINT OF A LITTLE GIRL LISTENING TO A BIRD SING. I DID A COPY OF THIS OLD PAINTING AND IT IS IN MY KITCHEN TODAY. BEST OF ALL WE HAD A PHOTO OF MY GREAT UNCLE WHO WAS GREATLY RESPECTED BY MY FATHER. I HAVE THAT OLD PHOTO IN OUR ALBUM. IN A CLASSROOM MY EYES KEPT LOOKING AT A PRINT OP A WINDMILL ON A COAST IN HOLLAND. NOW I KNOW THAT IT WAS PAINTED BY A DUTCH ARTIST NAMED JACOB RUISDAEL, AND THAT THE ORIGINAL IS IN AMSTERDAM.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION


ACROSS THE STREET FROM GOYKOVICH, THE MCGURK FAMILY HAD A GREEN PARROT SITTING ON THE BANNISTER. HE USED TO CALL DORTHY; YOUR MAMA WANTS YOU!” MY MOTHER CALLED OUT TO LITTLE DOROTHY. WHEN THE MCGURKS GAVE UP THAT HOUSE A POLICEMAN AND HIS FAMILY MOVED IN. THEIR NAME WAS MARTZ.

MANY FAMILIES TOOK IN BOARDERS. AT OUR HOUSE JOHN WINTER LIVED IN THE FRONT ROOM FOR A WHILE. HE WORKED IN THE LAB. AT WESTINGHOUSE AND ONE TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEPRESSION HE BROUGHT MY MOTHER TWO LAB COATS WHICH SHE TRANSFORMED INTO WHAT WERE CALLED HOOVER-APRONS. WE HAVE A PHOTO OF HER IN THESE NEW DRESSES. I KNOW SHE APPROIATED THOSE LAB COATS. HE USED TO BRING HERSHEY SILVER TOPS IN HIS POCKET TO TREAT US.

BUT WHEN MY FATHER OPENED THE CANDY STORE ON BROADWAY THE SALESMAN CAME IN ONE WINTER AFTERNOON AND GAVE SOME EX-LAX, OUT OF HIS SALESMAN SAMPLE CASE. WE ENJOYED EVERYTHING.

MANY OF MY MEMORIES ARE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. WHEN I WAS 8, STOOD BEHIND MY FATHER IN HIS MODEL A FORD AND ASKED HIM “WHERE DID ALL THE MONEY GO?”JALL THE AIRBRAKE PARTS WERE RUSTING IN THE SHIPPING YARD AT WESTINGHOUSE. MY FATHER WAS THE MILLWRIGHT FOREMAN AND WORKED ONE OR TWO DAYS PER WEEK.

ON ONE OF HIS VISITS MY UNCLE NICK BROUGHT MY MOTHER A LEATHER CAT 0’ NINE TAILS TO DISCIPLINE THE KIDS. LUCKILY BROWNIE TOOK THE STRAP TO THE BASEMENT AND CHOPPED IT UP WITH A HATCHET.

MY FATHER TOOK US TO RAINBOW GARDENS TO SWIM; I MAY HAVE BEEN 7. WE ALL HAD TO RENT BATHING SUITS AND EVEN HE GOT IN THE POOL. YEARS LATER I WALKED TO BLUE DELL ON THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY TO SWIM. I LOVED TO DIVE OFF THE RAFT. 5 MI.

DOROTHY GATHERED US UP TO MAKE A MINIATURE GOLF COURSE IN OUR BIG YARD. WE HAD TOY GOLF CLUBS. NO DOUBT MY FATHER BOUGHT THESE AND I REMEMBER A SET OF TABLE AND CHAIRS. WE HAD VERY FEW TOYS. HE MADE US A LITTLE BOB SLED FOR WINTER. BROWNIE HAD A RED TOY FIRE TRUCK THAT I USED TO PUSH HIM IN.

ABOVE THE GARAGE ON WOODMONT STREET, WE HAD A PLAYHOUSE. MR. KING PARKED HIS NEW CHEVY ON ONE SIDE AND OUR FORD WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE. DOROTHY DECIDED THAT THE PLAYHOUSE NEEDED TO BE SCRUBBED, SO THE HOSE WAS TURNED ON AND A BROOM BROUGHT IN. ALL THAT DIRTY WATER POURED DOWN ON MR. KINGS NEW CAR. HE WAS FURIOUS WITH US BUT MY FATHER JUST DISMISSED THE WHOLE THING AS KIDS HAVING A GOOD TIME.

MY MOTHER MADE CHERRY JELLO & PLACED THE GLASS CASSEROLE OUT IN THE WHITE SNOW. I LOVED SEEING THAT RED JELLO PYREX. GLASS BECAME VERY POPULAR. SETTING IN THE NEW WHITE SNOW. NOW I THINK HOW PLEASED THIS EMIGRANT MOTHER MUST HAVE FELT IN MAKING US THIS TREAT.