Edna Ramont discusses her career at REO Motor Car Company and Diamond REO Trucks, Inc. 10/6/2004 Shirley Bradley: This is October 6. This is Shirley Bradley and I’m going to be interviewing, I will be interviewing Edna Ramont on her REO Motor Car memories. All right, we’re at Edna Ramont’s home and this is October 6 and we’re going to be talking about REO memories and I’m going to start by asking, uh, Edna [0:22] where she was born and raised and where she went to school. Edna Ramont: Owosso, Michigan. I was born in 1916, July 10. And I went to school, Washington School, Bryant School, and the high school, that’s it. Shirley Bradley: And that was in Owosso. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [0:42] And when did you, uh…? Edna Ramont: And then how I got – I got a divorce. I was married and got a job in Owosso at Redmond’s. Shirley Bradley: In a restaurant. Edna Ramont: No. Shirley Bradley: No. Edna Ramont: In a factory. Shirley Bradley: In a factory. Edna Ramont: And I made $16.40 a week and you took, paid $20 a month rent and $4 for a babysitter, which don’t leave much. And then I got a, put my application over here at the REO in December or somewheres in there, and I got the call to come. Well, that was just before Christmas. You don’t know how good that was for me. Shirley Bradley: Oh, like a miracle. Edna Ramont: It was. And we had Christmas, a nice Christmas. I didn’t go out. I started out making maybe $40 a week. That’s a big difference, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh my gosh. Edna Ramont: Yes. Shirley Bradley: [1:37] Do you remember what year you hired in? Edna Ramont: In ’42. Shirley Bradley: In ’42. Edna Ramont: In December. Shirley Bradley: During the war. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And I could tell you my, uh, badge number 323442. Shirley Bradley: Great! Edna Ramont: Ain’t that something. Shirley Bradley: Yes, it is. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I gave that to Bobby. Shirley Bradley: [1:54] Now what did they, where did they put you when you first started? What did you do? Edna Ramont: Well, we went into the Navy Department and I worked on strikers. Shirley Bradley: [2:02] Now what’s that? Edna Ramont: A round brass striker where we drilled holes in it but there was so much oil. When you got done working you was oil-soaked from head to toe [inaudible 2:14]. It was terrible. Shirley Bradley: [2:15] Did you have to wear any special clothing or anything…? Edna Ramont: No. Well, we had… Shirley Bradley: …or gloves? Edna Ramont: I had overalls. Shirley Bradley: Overalls. Edna Ramont: Bib overalls we used to call it. Shirley Bradley: Bib overalls. Okay. Edna Ramont: And then on top of that we, we’re doing the same amount of production as the men but we didn’t get the money the men did and Ray Reed got us the same amount of pay. Shirley Bradley: He did? Edna Ramont: Yeah. And, uh, at the time, we’d get 5 minutes’ break in the morning and 5 minutes in the afternoon. That’s all you got. Shirley Bradley: Five minutes. You couldn’t really go away from your... Edna Ramont: No. Uh-huh, yeah. Shirley Bradley: Just long, long enough to get to the bathroom maybe. Edna Ramont: Yeah. That’s it. Just the bathroom. A lot of them smoked, you know, so that would be it. And then I got transferred from there in the Navy yet and I was, uh, a relief operator when they took off to go to the restroom or grabbed a cigarette or then they would, I’d take their job. I got 5% more. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: Oh. Great. Edna Ramont: Yes. Shirley Bradley: So you could do the different jobs so you could, you could rotate. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I can run any of the machines. Yeah. And I just took over when they went to the restroom. Shirley Bradley: Hm. [3:27] Mr. Reed that you mentioned, was he the foreman in that Navy Department? Edna Ramont: Ray, Ray Reed was the president of the union. Shirley Bradley: President of the union. Oh. Edna Ramont: Oh, he was a wonderful man. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay. Edna Ramont: Very, very… Shirley Bradley: So… Edna Ramont: …for the people, he was for us. Shirley Bradley: Oh, great. Somebody went to him and said look Ray… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …we’re not getting equal pay. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: We’re working as hard. Edna Ramont: Plus them days they didn’t do it, you know. Women didn’t get the money as the men did. Shirley Bradley: I know it. Yeah. Edna Ramont: So that made it nice that Ray did fight for us. Shirley Bradley: [3:53] And you had how many children at that time? Edna Ramont: Two. Shirley Bradley: You had 2 to support. Edna Ramont: And raise. Yeah. I was single. Shirley Bradley: So you had to come to Lansing. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Get a place to live and… Edna Ramont: And then after I got here, well, I, I started a rooming house on Christiancy Street. Shirley Bradley: On Christiancy. Edna Ramont: Across from the, where they had, uh, they were making poles for the plane, you know, over there at the, on Christiancy Street they had that factory. And I charged $10 a week. That was for their board and room. And then during the weekends a lot of their wives would come down. They were from Grand Rapids and way up north and all over. And they were nice guys. Everyone treated me wonderful. Shirley Bradley: Good. Edna Ramont: And I had my mother, she lived with me and my cousin. But I remembers I bought a half a hog. I’m not a butcher but I butchered that hog. Shirley Bradley: Really? [chuckle] Edna Ramont: Oh, that was a mess. Then they’d bring me rabbits and I’d clean them, you know, and we’d have that. You know, meat was hard to get. Shirley Bradley: Well, yes. It was rationed. Edna Ramont: You had to have a card to get it, see, but a lot of the guys would give us their cards, see. Shirley Bradley: [5:00] Now that half a hog, did you have to have ration stamps to get that? Edna Ramont: No. I didn’t. I bought it from a farmer. Shirley Bradley: Oh, and he didn’t require you to give him. Edna Ramont: No, uh-uh. Shirley Bradley: He just needed the money. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Ah! Edna Ramont: But that was funny. You should have seen me butchering that hog. I’ll never do that again. [laughter] You do a lot when you have to, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I’ve always said that. Edna Ramont: Yeah. You do. But these guys… Shirley Bradley: Amazing stuff. Edna Ramont: …were just wonderful guys. They were, I don’t know, they kind of kept an eye on my mother and I, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh, wasn’t that nice. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: So it was good for everybody. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And they had a place to live. Edna Ramont: It helped [inaudible 5:29], you know. Shirley Bradley: They could walk to work. Edna Ramont: But this one guy, his name was Dick Lowe, he says “Well, I’m going to stop and, uh, but I’m only going to stay about a week or two.” He says “I don’t think I’ll be here any longer.” You know, his two brothers and dad moved in until I got married. Shirley Bradley: Wow. [laughter] Edna Ramont: Then they had to move. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: That would be L-o-w, Low? Edna Ramont: L-o-w-e, yeah. Shirley Bradley: Okay, e-e. Edna Ramont: L-o-w-e, Dick his name was. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: But that was something else. Shirley Bradley: I got it now. Edna Ramont: He stopped just to stay a couple weeks, you know. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: Then I had the whole family. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: That’s wonderful. Edna Ramont: Oh, they were wonderful people. Shirley Bradley: [6:08] Um, so, uh, so you stayed in the Navy Department during the whole, the whole war? Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Until we got laid off. Shirley Bradley: [6:15] And that would have been after the war? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [6:17] Like ’46 maybe? Edna Ramont: Uh-huh, yeah. And then we had our soup kitchen, you know, during the war. Shirley Bradley: No. [6:21] Tell me about that. Edna Ramont: I mean when we got laid off, you know, well, we had that down on Isbell Street down there I think it was where the tavern was at one time. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: The tavern is there now. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: But, uh, the farmers would bring in their food, you know. Whatever they could bring in, we’d cook. Shirley Bradley: Surplus. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And, well, they just did it anyway to help us. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: ‘Cause a lot of people they, like Louie’s family, they even came. Louie and Fifi and their little kids, you know. And a lot of them brought their family ‘cause they didn’t have no money to buy, no money comin’ in. Shirley Bradley: So the food came from the farmers. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And they brought it in and gave it to you. Edna Ramont: And then we cook. Shirley Bradley: And you, and you gals all cooked it up. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: There was a kitchen there. Edna Ramont: Yeah. A soup kitchen we’d call it. Shirley Bradley: A soup kitchen. Edna Ramont: It was something. Shirley Bradley: I didn’t know about that. Edna Ramont: You didn’t? Shirley Bradley: No Edna Ramont: Did you know we walked out too? Shirley Bradley: No. [7:10] Tell me. Why? Edna Ramont: ‘Cause we didn’t, they didn’t want to give us a raise, the REO didn’t. Shirley Bradley: This was before the strike. Edna Ramont: This is, this is, uh, during the war. Shirley Bradley: During the war. Edna Ramont: Did you know that? Shirley Bradley: Uh-uh. Edna Ramont: Didn’t you hear? Shirley Bradley: Uh-uh. Edna Ramont: There was a big article in the paper at the time. There was only one girl. I seen her a while, quite a long while back. I can’t think of her name but she was the nicest gal you can work with, but her husband was in service and she was the only one that didn’t go out. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: ‘Cause we all went out and we got our raise. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: Not much but we got a little bit. And I’ll never forget that. We wasn’t out very long. Shirley Bradley: [7:51] So what did you do? Did you just, just didn’t, you got together and agreed that you’d have a walkout? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And you walked out during the working day or the… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: You were on double shifts then or something. Edna Ramont: Three shifts we had. Shirley Bradley: Three shifts. Edna Ramont: I hated that. Shirley Bradley: Did you? Edna Ramont: The night shift. Shirley Bradley: [8:05] What shift were you on when the walkout happened? Edna Ramont: That was on days. Shirley Bradley: On days. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. And everybody agreed. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. We all walked out. Shirley Bradley: And you just shut your machines off and everybody… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …[8:13] walked and went home? Edna Ramont: A lot of people don’t remember that we walked out. Shirley Bradley: And, and you just, uh, [8:18] did you all just go home or did you…? Edna Ramont: We wa-, we walked, stood around, and then we walked the picket line. Shirley Bradley: [8:24] How long? Oh, when you had picket. Edna Ramont: It wasn’t very long. It was only like… Shirley Bradley: It wasn’t very long. Like a day or 2 or a week? Edna Ramont: I think it was about a week anyway. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: Yeah. But a lot of people didn’t know that. Shirley Bradley: I must have heard it back when I – my mother worked there when I was a kid but I don’t remember that. Well, she didn’t work in the Navy Department so maybe that’s why I didn’t. Edna Ramont: That was during the war, though. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. She was in the, out on the receiving docks at that time. Edna Ramont: Well, she wouldn’t be in. Shirley Bradley: She wouldn’t have heard about it. Edna Ramont: Uh-uh. No. She wouldn’t have been in on it. Shirley Bradley: No. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Um, so when you – so they finally came and met with you and said okay, okay. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They gave us… Shirley Bradley: You can have your raise. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They gave us a raise. It wasn’t very much. Shirley Bradley: Was that when Mr. Reed stepped in to help get you a raise or was that…? Edna Ramont: No. Shirley Bradley: That was separate. Edna Ramont: That was afterwards. Shirley Bradley: That was separate. Edna Ramont: Afterwards. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And then after we got laid off from the Navy, then we started with the Lawnmower. Shirley Bradley: After the war was over. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Now you’re in the Lawnmower Department. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I was in the Lawnmower [inaudible 9:17]. Shirley Bradley: I know that there were a lot of strikes and things in ’46, a steel strike and a coal strike and… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Awful lot [inaudible 9:23]. Shirley Bradley: …something else and my mother was out of work for almost a year I think. Edna Ramont: Oh my God. Shirley Bradley: She worked in a restaurant down what is now the LCC Campus. Edna Ramont: Oh, is that right? Shirley Bradley: It was a little restaurant down there near the [inaudible 9:35] Sandwich Shop… Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: …around the corner from it. And, uh, I guess the thing was then, if they caught you working somewhere else then you couldn’t go back. They wouldn’t hire you back but so it was always an open secret. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Don’t tell anybody I’m working here. Edna Ramont: You didn’t. Yeah. No, you didn’t tell anybody. Shirley Bradley: No. There wasn’t unemployment. Edna Ramont: In fact, I worked at the 701 Club. I got – how much was it? $15 a week I think. No, I got maybe more, a little more than that but I made good in tips because the boys were coming home and, uh, then, uh, but otherwise my unemployment was only I think $20 a week and that wasn’t very much to live on. Shirley Bradley: Uh-uh. Edna Ramont: So I did go out to 701. I was, I was, oh, not the bartender but I was the server girl. Shirley Bradley: Served the drinks. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [10:27] 701 Club, where’s, where was that? Edna Ramont: That was a Veterans Club out on Grand River. Shirley Bradley: Oh, east. Edna Ramont: East Grand River. Shirley Bradley: East Grand River. Edna Ramont: It was in a home. Shirley Bradley: Toward East Lansing. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay. Edna Ramont: I worked there quite a while. Shirley Bradley: [10:36] And how long were you there before you went back to the shop? Edna Ramont: Well, not very long ‘cause I got back in the Lawnmower. Shirley Bradley: Into the Lawnmower. Edna Ramont: Thank God. Shirley Bradley: [10:45] And what did you do in the Lawnmower Department? Edna Ramont: Machines again. Shirley Bradley: [10:49] What did, were you, uh…? Edna Ramont: I worked in parts, making parts. Shirley Bradley: Making the parts for the lawnmowers. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: And you worked by then they only, [10:57] had they gone down to 1 shift or where they still double shift? Edna Ramont: We had, uh, just if I remember right, it was just 1 shift. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: Do you…? Edna Ramont: But you know when you worked on the machines, some of these people didn’t work very fast, you could really make the money. Shirley Bradley: You were… Edna Ramont: In fact, I think I was the first woman to earn $15 in a day. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: If you work [inaudible 11:19]. Shirley Bradley: [11:19] Now was that for production? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: You, the more production you turned out the more you could make, so it was like… Edna Ramont: Well, you couldn’t turn in more than $15. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: You wasn’t supposed to turn that but I did. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: I started then the rest of us went along but you get [inaudible 11:32] older people, it was something, we could really make the production. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: In fact, I don’t want to, I’m not bragging but Carl, uh, what’s the name? Shirley Bradley: Loudenslager. Edna Ramont: No. Shirley Bradley: No. Edna Ramont: Carl, he’s the time [inaudible 11:52] guy. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: I mean he timed you on these jobs and he made the remark he never liked to time me because I worked too fast. Shirley Bradley: [laughter] Edna Ramont: I did. I was a fast, really a fast operator. Shirley Bradley: I bet. Must be. Edna Ramont: Yeah. In fact, when I left, well, I’m getting ahead of my story but anyway, I was always paid top dollar, you know, as much as I could turn in. Shirley Bradley: ‘Cause you worked hard. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I had my production ahead. Isn’t that’s something? Shirley Bradley: Yeah. It’s amazing. You should feel good about that… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …about those years. Edna Ramont: But… Shirley Bradley: …and being able to do that and support your family. Edna Ramont: And then, you know, even when we got in the Press Room and at first I went down to Motor Plant after I left when the Lawnmower went down. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay, so you were in the Lawnmower and then… Edna Ramont: Went down to the Motor Plant [inaudible 12:43]. Shirley Bradley: You went to the Motor Plant from the Lawnmower. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Oh, back, oh, okay. Edna Ramont: I was… Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Instead of getting a layoff I got transferred down there. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I understand, okay. [12:53] And who did – let’s go back for just a minute into Lawnmower. Do you remember any of the people you worked with or the foreman or anybody like that? Edna Ramont: The foreman in the Lawnmower? Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: Oh, Roy Kilviton. Shirley Bradley: Roy. Edna Ramont: Was my boss. Kilviton, K-i… Shirley Bradley: Kilvins? Edna Ramont: Yeah. K-i-l – what was it? Kil – [inaudible 13:12] something like that. I know it’s Kilviton. Shirley Bradley: Kilviton. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: But, uh, he’d go and anybody come around and he’d always talk, you know, about Edna how a fast operator she was and his wife didn’t like that. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: She got tired of hearing him brag. Edna Ramont: Yeah, well. Shirley Bradley: [13:33] Do you remember any of the other folks? Edna Ramont: Dick Lowe was a friend of his, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: And he and Dick get together and he’d talk about me. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: And he would never go with anybody else, you know. He was true to his wife but when he’d come to Lansing he’d always stop [inaudible 13:49] see me. Shirley Bradley: Oh. That’s nice. Edna Ramont: Wasn’t that nice of him? Shirley Bradley: That was very nice. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And, uh, all the guys are dead now. I can’t think, there was John and, and there was this guy from Eaton Rapids. He was sort of my boss and him and his wife I remember them very well. They were nice people. Shirley Bradley: [14:14] Any of the women that you worked with that you remember? Edna Ramont: Oh yeah. I can remember them all in Lawnmower. Yeah, there was like, uh, Florence Connelly. She worked in the henhouse. Shirley Bradley: In your what? Edna Ramont: In the henhouse we’d call it. Shirley Bradley: Henhouse? What’s that? Edna Ramont: It’s assembling the lawnmowers together. Shirley Bradley: And they called it the henhouse… Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: …‘cause it was all women? Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: [laughter] I love that. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. And then Marie Sutton worked there. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: And, oh, who else? I can’t think of who else worked. Shirley Bradley: So… Edna Ramont: But I never liked to go on the line, you know. When they started the line, you know, they started with a line these girls would, you know. And then when they borrowed me to go down there, I couldn’t keep up with them. But let them get on the machine [inaudible 15:05]. Shirley Bradley: Oh, so when they switched… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …when they were on the production line… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …where things were going by you and… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Well they started on there. Shirley Bradley: Fast. Edna Ramont: And of course, I started on the, on the machines. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: But, oh, there’s so many of them there. And there was [Bessie Robinson 15:22] there and then there was, uh, Arkie worked there. Shirley Bradley: Who did? Edna Ramont: Edna Welch. Shirley Bradley: Edna Welch. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Did you say Arkie? Edna Ramont: They called her Arkie, yeah. And… Shirley Bradley: I wonder if that was, um… Edna Ramont: Don Welch’s wife. Shirley Bradley: Hm? Edna Ramont: Her husband’s name was Don, one of [inaudible 15:50]. Shirley Bradley: My stepmother worked in the Navy Department, bomb fuses. And she had a sister named Arkie. They were from Arkansas. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They were… Shirley Bradley: And I’m trying to think what Arkie’s real name was. I don’t know. Edna Ramont: Arkie’s name was Edna. Shirley Bradley: Okay. I, I guess. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 16:06] friend of mine. Shirley Bradley: A different woman, I guess. I just thought the nickname… Edna Ramont: Well, her sisters worked there. Shirley Bradley: Hm? Edna Ramont: Her sisters worked there. Shirley Bradley: Did they? Edna Ramont: Yeah. You think I could think of their name right now? Shirley Bradley: Well, anyway. Okay, let’s see here now, I’ve got lost myself here in my own memory. Um, so you went from Lawnmower to the Motor Plant. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [16:28] What did you do in the Motor Plant? Edna Ramont: I worked on machines. Shirley Bradley: [16:34] What were you producing or what were you working on? Edna Ramont: Well, one of the things I had to make, uh, drills, you know, you put the thing in and you drill in, I mean you’re, not drills but, uh, screws. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: And boy that was rough on your hands. Shirley Bradley: Was it? Cut your hands up? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And you had to put… Edna Ramont: You can’t wear gloves either. Shirley Bradley: Oh. And you were making drills. Edna Ramont: Screws, yeah. We made screws, not drills, but screws. Shirley Bradley: You were making screws. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Oh, so you’re putting them, something metal in. Edna Ramont: In a machine. Shirley Bradley: And that’s cutting up a screw. Edna Ramont: And it spins them. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: And then I worked on the machines and then they wanted me to learn how to set up the jobs. That was – I’m not a setup person, I’ll tell you that. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: [17:18] What was, what do you have to do when you’re a setup person? Edna Ramont: Well, you put like running the lathes, I could do that ‘cause I know how to go put the blade in, you know, and do that. But when you set up the, oh, the mill-, mill, millwright machines, well, you had these great, big cutters and you hold 2 of them and you get them together, you know. I wouldn’t set that up. I, why what if I did something? I’d seen one guy get hurt and, uh, 2 of them. Anyway, I got, then I got off of that and then I run the line and there was about 5 machines, you know. I’d start but I’d go right down that line and be back when the other one was ready to go quick. I was running that one line but, uh, I liked it real well. I – what was that guy’s name? His name was Walt, first name. Shirley Bradley: Walt. Edna Ramont: I can’t think of his last name now. [Inaudible 18:16] but he was a big guy. He was a nice guy to work for too. I had – people were really good, nice. I never had to complain about them. Shirley Bradley: That’s great. Edna Ramont: Never. Shirley Bradley: Um, I’m, I’m just curious for a second on setup. [18:32] Does that mean that you would get the machines ready for the day and something and somebody comes in and…? Edna Ramont: No. I had to run them. Shirley Bradley: You had to run them. Edna Ramont: Yeah. [chuckle] And I’m not a setup. I never, I tried to sharpen the drills and I could never sharpen them, like I said so, or molds. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: He worked on the big machines, the great, big machines. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: And he’d sharpen them for me. Shirley Bradley: [18:54] What were the working conditions like? Say when you started out, uh, in the Navy Department and, uh, and then on through the Lawnmower and into the Motor Plant, what, what…? Edna Ramont: In the Motor Plant we had a lot of compound we used. Shirley Bradley: Compound? Edna Ramont: Yeah. And it kept the machines, the drills from getting caught, you know. And, oh, that was a mess. Shirley Bradley: [19:16] Was that a liquid or like…? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Like milk. It was like milk. Shirley Bradley: Like milk. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [19:19] Was it greasy or…? Edna Ramont: It was dirty. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: A lot of times they didn’t watch and somebody would spit in it. Shirley Bradley: Huh! Edna Ramont: I’m not kidding. I’m not lying. Shirley Bradley: I believe you, my dear. You were there, you saw it. Edna Ramont: I remember. Shirley Bradley: Um, so the compound you put that on things so that they wouldn’t get hot. Edna Ramont: Yeah. [Inaudible 19:38], you know, and it was – I liked the job. I, no matter where I was, I liked it. Shirley Bradley: So… Edna Ramont: And I liked the people. Shirley Bradley: Good. So during the war, the women wore… Edna Ramont: Slacks. Shirley Bradley: Slacks. Edna Ramont: If you wore a dress, it wouldn’t work. [chuckle] You had to wear something, blue jeans or... Shirley Bradley: Slacks and a blouse. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I used to, I remember I got my, my black pants, they were like blue jeans but they were black. Do you remember them? Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: And I got them from Gordon’s. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: A lot of us wore them. Shirley Bradley: Oh yes. Yes, of course. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Remember? Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm, mm-hm. And a hat. [20:19] Did you have to wear that hat that had the..? Edna Ramont: They had a net. Shirley Bradley: The net at the… Edna Ramont: Yeah, just a net. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: A hairnet. Shirley Bradley: My mother had that blue hat… Edna Ramont: No Shirley Bradley: …that had like a snood they’d call them. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: With that net thing. Edna Ramont: We didn’t have them there. Shirley Bradley: Her hair went into it. Edna Ramont: Uh-uh. Shirley Bradley: You didn’t have to wear that. Edna Ramont: No. But you had to keep your space cleaned up. Shirley Bradley: You did. Edna Ramont: Otherwise, you can fall and slip. Shirley Bradley: So you, so it was slippery around where you were working. Edna Ramont: It was. Yeah. You had to watch it, you know. Shirley Bradley: [20:43] How would you clean up that grease or whatever? Edna Ramont: Well, you, when if anything was on the floor like the metal and stuff, you had to keep it clean. Shirley Bradley: Sweep it up. Edna Ramont: ‘Cause that one old man in the Press Room, he let scrap pile up beside him and he got up and he cut his wrist. He was a real old man. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: I can remember, uh, Mr., excuse me, [Robertson 21:06]. I forgot what his first name was but he was 80-something years or 80 years old on one of those machines. You should have seen that man. Shirley Bradley: He was good, huh? Edna Ramont: Yeah. And then his son worked, uh, his grandson worked the reamer and then there was like the Southwells. You know them don’t you? Shirley Bradley: The who? Edna Ramont: Southwell. Shirley Bradley: Southwells? Edna Ramont: Yeah. There was Dick and Ray and his, their dad worked there. I remember their dad even, isn’t that something? Shirley Bradley: It’s won-, I think it’s wonderful. That’s I think one of the wonderful things about REO that it was family. Edna Ramont: Yeah. It was. But afterwards, though, you couldn’t get anybody in, your relatives, you know. Shirley Bradley: [21:50] After what? Edna Ramont: Um, after the war, you know. My son was, Bobby and Kenny, but Bobby they wasn’t going to hire him. I says, well, he’s not my son. I raised him. His mother died but I raised him. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: They hired him because he wasn’t my relative. Shirley Bradley: He wasn’t blood relative. [22:08] They made that rule after the war? Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: [22:11] Was that because so many men were coming back and needed their jobs back do you think or what? Edna Ramont: I don’t know what it was or why. Shirley Bradley: [Inaudible 22:15]. Edna Ramont: It was something that they wouldn’t hire them. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Then my son got hired in there, Kenny, and then Bobby stayed until they pulled the rug. Shirley Bradley: [22:28] Until he, until what? Edna Ramont: Until they pulled the rug. Shirley Bradley: Oh, until they went down in ’75… Edna Ramont: Bankrupt. Shirley Bradley: ’76. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Um, okay, so you didn’t have any relatives working there until later. Edna Ramont: Until later. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Um, [22:45] did they train you when you first went to work there? Edna Ramont: No. I knew punch presses and machines ‘cause I worked at Owosso. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: See, I worked on machines there. Shirley Bradley: So you could transfer. Edna Ramont: I knew what I was doing. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And, uh, then I went up to Punch Press afterwards. I, I wanted to transfer. I liked the punch press. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Then I got up there after I left the Motor Plant. Shirley Bradley: [23:10] Oh, this is, now you’re out of the Motor Plant and you go to what department? Edna Ramont: Punch Press. Shirley Bradley: Punch, that was called the Punch Press Department. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Okay. [23:19] What kind of product were you working on there? Edna Ramont: Oh. Shirley Bradley: Something to do with the trucks I guess. Edna Ramont: Well, yeah, we run the, we – I can remember running running boards. Shirley Bradley: Running boards. Edna Ramont: They were heavy. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Then I… Shirley Bradley: They were? Edna Ramont: Then I run, uh, I had oil sticks. Shirley Bradley: Oil sticks. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. You need oil sticks for the oil. Shirley Bradley: Oh, where they would test the oil. Edna Ramont: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shirley Bradley: The dipstick. Edna Ramont: Dipstick. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay. Edna Ramont: We made them. Shirley Bradley: Uh-huh. Edna Ramont: And then I w-, worked on the fenders but they, I used to get so mad. I’m short, see. It’s so hard when they had them hanging up high. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: And… Shirley Bradley: [23:58] Did they have anything for you to stand up on or? Edna Ramont: I had some boards to stand on, a little platform I used. Shirley Bradley: I see. Edna Ramont: And then one time I went out the Press Room and the Heavy Press Room [inaudible 24:09]. They had me out there sometimes. But this one great, big machine they had, I remember I had to put both my hands in to get the parts in and I had the, the trucker was bringing me 2 big boxes and you know what they were like and they had them stacked together. Well, you hit that button and that machine come down, I got my, I just got my arms out. I was so, I must have looked like I was about ready to pass out. Anyway, they put guards over them after that so you pushed a button but they couldn’t [inaudible 24:46]. That was dangerous. Shirley Bradley: They should have had them in the first place, shouldn’t they? Edna Ramont: Well, they didn’t think. Shirley Bradley: They didn’t think anybody… Edna Ramont: That could have happened to a man even because when the trucker was bringing 2 boxes over, hit that button, boy, that was bad. Shirley Bradley: This was a box of parts that you were going to be working on… Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: …on the press with, okay. Edna Ramont: But that, that really scared me. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: My dear, I guess so. Edna Ramont: But, uh… Shirley Bradley: I guess so. Edna Ramont: Then, uh… Shirley Bradley: So that was a safety concern. Um it doesn’t sound like, like now with OSHA, everything is looked at carefully… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …but it wasn’t then. Edna Ramont: It wasn’t then, no. Shirley Bradley: So safety wasn’t [inaudible 25:21]. Edna Ramont: And we had those old belts, you know, to run the machines. Shirley Bradley: Oh yeah? Edna Ramont: These wide belts, leather belts, you know. Shirley Bradley: [25:27] Did they ever break? Edna Ramont: And they put, had to put oil and stuff on them to make them go sometimes. Shirley Bradley: So they wouldn’t dry up and so... Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [25:33] Did you, did they ever break or cause…? Edna Ramont: No. They never broke. Shirley Bradley: They never did. They kept oiled. [chuckle] Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 25:37]. You think back how they run now those machines, you know, they were old ones. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I know they had old machinery inside the shop. Edna Ramont: Yeah. But it was something. And the people there, it was, uh, oh, let’s see, what was the girl’s name? There was 2 or 3 women there besides me and they’re gone too. Shirley Bradley: In the Punch Press Room. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. Hazel Moss was one of them. Shirley Bradley: Hazel Moss? Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. And Ruth, uh, [Shafer 26:10], she died. Hazel is gone. You look back, all those girls are gone. Shirley Bradley: It doesn’t seem real, does it? Edna Ramont: It doesn’t seem possible. Shirley Bradley: That’s what I mean. Aw. Edna Ramont: And then when they are, a lot of them got something wrong with their minds. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Aw. [26:29] Um, so how long were you in the Punch Press Room? Edna Ramont: Until I retired. Shirley Bradley: Until you retired, so… Edna Ramont: And then I worked in the Canteen Store at noon and in the morning. Shirley Bradley: Oh, you did? Edna Ramont: Oh yes. Shirley Bradley: [26:39] Well, tell me first of all how, so how many years do you think you would have been in Punch Press before you retired? Edna Ramont: Oh, good lord, I must have been there 10 years anyway. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 26:51] that was the last job I had. Shirley Bradley: Was it? [26:54] And so you retired do you think what year? Edna Ramont: Well, let’s see, I was, uh, 88 now and I retired when I was 56, so that would be 36 years in the, what year would that be? Shirley Bradley: Let’s see, I don’t know what year you hired in. Edna Ramont: ’42. Shirley Bradley: Oh, ’42. I do too know. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: You told me that. You hired in at ’42 and you were gone in ’56. That’s 14 years, so you worked at the REO for 14 years. Edna Ramont: 32 years I think. Shirley Bradley: 32 years. Edna Ramont: Oh yes. Shirley Bradley: Where, where, what’s wrong with my – oh, wait a minute, I’m sorry. Edna Ramont: [chuckle] Don’t do that. Shirley Bradley: You left, I got the wrong figure. You hired in in ’42. Edna Ramont: Yes. Shirley Bradley: And you were there 32 years. Edna Ramont: Yes. Shirley Bradley: Seventy… Edna Ramont: I retired. Shirley Bradley: So you retired in ’74. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Just before they… Shirley Bradley: Just couple years before they went down. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: [27:53] And then after you retired what happened? Edna Ramont: Oh, I, uh, helped, oh, probably 3 or 4, no, 3 people that I know, different ones, set, um, setting up on their antiques, help… Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: …working with the antiques. I like antiques. Shirley Bradley: Do you? Edna Ramont: I did. Well, I sold all mine except [inaudible 28:17] got here. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Oh, that’s gorgeous. Um, so, what was I going to ask you? Oh. [28:24] When you retired, did, did you get your benefits, retirement benefits? Edna Ramont: Yeah. I got $350 for a few, not too long because then it went down to $189. Shirley Bradley: For a few months anyway. Edna Ramont: Well, yeah, some months. Shirley Bradley: Two years maybe or a year. Edna Ramont: About a year, little over a year probably. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. I think they… Edna Ramont: Then I got $189. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: So that’s – and now we – and then we got our insurance paid too, you know. And then we had an insurance policy too and they took that away from us. And a lot of these old people, I shouldn’t say old. I’m old too. But anyway, I say that’s what I – they were older than I was and they gave up their policy, insurance, their own ‘cause they figured they had REO. Well, then they don’t have nothing. I felt sorry for a lot of these people. Shirley Bradley: When they went bankrupt. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Nobody had anything. Edna Ramont: They, they lost everything. Shirley Bradley: Their investment or their pension fund. Edna Ramont: Their pension and everything. Well, look at what you get, $189. My, my Blue Cross is $500 a month. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: My rent is $500 [inaudible 29:31] so where does it go? You don’t get that much from Social Security. Shirley Bradley: I’ll say not. Edna Ramont: So I feel sorry for a lot of those people. I sold my home so I’m not hurting that bad but I don’t want to spend it all either. Shirley Bradley: But you can, you can get along. Edna Ramont: Yeah. But pay and the Blue Cross will probably go up again. Shirley Bradley: Oh, insurance is getting so scary. Edna Ramont: But you got to have it. It… Shirley Bradley: I was with some friends this noon and they had to carry their own insurance and they’re in their 80s and… Edna Ramont: That’s bad, isn’t it? Shirley Bradley: …it’s $500-and-some a month… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …just to carry insurance. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Mine was $500 but when I was in the hospital for 3 ½ months and the doctors and doctors, I don’t know how many doctors I had, I didn’t have to pay a penny. Shirley Bradley: [30:15] And you had what? Edna Ramont: I never had to pay a penny. Shirley Bradley: Your insurance took care of it? Edna Ramont: Every penny. Shirley Bradley: Oh, how wonderful. Edna Ramont: And all the [inaudible 30:22] bills. Shirley Bradley: You have a good policy. Edna Ramont: X-rays and everything. Shirley Bradley: Great. Oh yeah, and just through daily keep, board and room… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …and then tests and medications. Edna Ramont: Oh yeah. That’s terrible. Shirley Bradley: [30:33] Um, what would you say looking back about the safety at REO? Edna Ramont: Well, I think a lot of it they could have did better on the safety. One man got caught in the grinder, one of the double grinders and that, he got hurt real bad. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: And then I had seen this man down in the Motor Plant and, of course, he had sleeves on. You’re not supposed to wear sleeves but he had a big drill press about like that. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: A drill and he was on that machine and he got caught [inaudible 31:05]. You know, I seen it happen and you suppose I could even yell. Shirley Bradley: You were probably frozen. Edna Ramont: Well, I was. And my setup man, I forget what his name was. He was a sweet, old man but he was a grouchy, old guy and he called me out. He says you should have yelled or gone over and turned it off. I says I couldn’t. I see people get hurt, you know, and you’re not supposed to be wearing long sleeves. Shirley Bradley: Because you could… Edna Ramont: Or any wedding, any rings even. Shirley Bradley: No rings, no sleeves. Edna Ramont: No rings. I never wore a ring. Shirley Bradley: And long hair that might get into something. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm, yeah. And rings are dangerous when you [inaudible 31:46]… Shirley Bradley: Oh, I would think so. Edna Ramont: …drill press. Shirley Bradley: Catch them on a part of the drill. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Hm. So you’re thinking that… Edna Ramont: They didn’t follow through on that either, you know. Shirley Bradley: They didn’t? Edna Ramont: And then, you know, we weren’t, we’re supposed to wear sweaters when they hired in the Navy. Shirley Bradley: How could you do that without long sleeves? Edna Ramont: Well, I mean sweaters, you know, the women weren’t supposed to wear sweaters. Shirley Bradley: Oh, you weren’t supposed to wear sweaters. Edna Ramont: No. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: Because of the long sleeves. Edna Ramont: No just. Shirley Bradley: Oh just because. Edna Ramont: Just because. Shirley Bradley: Somebody made that rule. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [32:17] Was it cold in the Navy Department? Edna Ramont: No. It wasn’t cold in there but it’s just that we weren’t supposed to wear that. Shirley Bradley: [laughter] Edna Ramont: And then on top of that, one time, one woman, I can’t remember her name now, but she came, that was in the Lawnmower, she came to work with a backless, you know how we used to wear… Shirley Bradley: A halter kind of thing. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And they sent her home. [laughter] Oh, you think [inaudible 32:42]. Shirley Bradley: Well, there had to be lots of funny things happening too over the years. Edna Ramont: Oh, there was. I mean it was nice, though. I enjoyed every bit of it. Shirley Bradley: And the people… Edna Ramont: I never [inaudible 32:53] hated going to work. I liked my job. Shirley Bradley: You got to go to work instead of I have to go to work. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Um, and so I, as I have experienced so many of you ladies especially have stayed together over the years, stayed in touch with one another. Edna Ramont: Oh, I did [inaudible 33:11] with Arkie, a very good friend, and Edna, I mean Edna Pratt and Florence Connelly. And, uh, when the others were alive we used to get together, Betsy Robinson and, uh, there was Florence [Burlock 33:28] and I used to… Shirley Bradley: [33:31] What was her name? Edna Ramont: Florence [Burlock 33:32]. She worked in the Lawnmower. Shirley Bradley: Florence Bulock? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Her husband was Earl [Burlock 33:37]. He worked in, um, oh, uh… Shirley Bradley: Something like B-u-l-o-c-k. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 33:42] I think. Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Anyway, I shouldn’t say but I used to get kind of mad at her. [laughter] Shirley Bradley: Really? Why was that? Edna Ramont: Oh, I don’t know. The way she was, you know. “Your parts go in here!” [tape ends abruptly] Get! [tape ends abruptly] Shirley Bradley: Uh, we’re talking now with Jean. Jean: [Inaudible 34:04]. Shirley Bradley: [Inaudible 34:05] and she’s a friend of Edna’s and her father did the electrical work on the R. E. Olds’ home at Main and Washington and Edna said that she went in the house before it was torn down. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Oh, that was something to see. Shirley Bradley: [34:18] Tell me what it was like. Edna Ramont: Oh, it was a beautiful home. Jean: Oh, I know it was gorgeous. Edna Ramont: It was just a shame they tore it down. Jean: I’d like to go through the Dodge home because my mother used to play there when she was a little girl. She was [inaudible 34:30]. Edna Ramont: And what [inaudible 34:30]. Jean: She was a friend of the Dodge’s. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 34:33] went with. Jean: Oh. Edna Ramont: I used to go with him years ago. Jean: She went to see [inaudible 34:38]. Edna Ramont: That blonde guy. [laughter] Jean: I went to school with Franklin and his brother. Edna Ramont: Is that right? Jean: Yeah, yeah. They were… Edna Ramont: Isn’t it something? Jean: Frank, uh… Shirley Bradley: [34:47] What, uh, what did the house look like inside, the Olds mansion? Edna Ramont: Well, I can remember the ballroom upstairs. They hadn’t tore, started to tear it down but they let me go through it and I couldn’t get over the laundry room down in the basement. Shirley Bradley: [35:02] Why is that? Edna Ramont: It was such a big place and that big mangles they, iron mangles that they did to iron the tablecloths and everything probably. Shirley Bradley: Sheets. Edna Ramont: I just couldn’t get over all that stuff. I mean to me it was I never seen anything like that. Jean: Hm. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Jean: Well, honey, I’ve got to run and get this thing [inaudible 35:22]. Edna Ramont: Well, I just wanted you to rest a minute. [tape clicks off] Shirley Bradley: [35:25] The ballroom upstairs, did it have that big pipe organ? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: On one wall. Edna Ramont: At the time, yeah. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: But, uh, and it was so, you know, empty otherwise, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh, everything was gone. Edna Ramont: But I couldn’t understand having a ballroom upstairs. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: Wood floor, you know. Shirley Bradley: Well, that’s the way they used to do it. Edna Ramont: Yeah. But that was… Shirley Bradley: [353:42] Um, so but the house was empty? Edna Ramont: Yeah. It was all empty. Shirley Bradley: [35:44] Were the rooms large? Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: We got a picture at the museum of a room that Mr. and Mrs. Olds were sitting in and the two girls were sitting there and it looks to me like it might have been a library room and it looked like it had a bay window. Edna Ramont: Yeah, yeah. Shirley Bradley: And I saw a fireplace. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: I wonder if that faced the front of the house. Edna Ramont: I don’t know. Shirley Bradley: You don’t know either. Edna Ramont: I don’t remember now but… Shirley Bradley: I used to go by it all the time when I was a kid… Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 36:07]. Shirley Bradley: …to walk down to… Edna Ramont: And the one that, remember that one on Washington and [inaudible 36:11] and, uh, Oakland, that big white house? We had a sale there and Mr. Olds, you better turn that off. I don’t want to tell… [tape clicks off] Shirley Bradley: What I want to ask is, uh, [36:25] when you retired in ’74, by that time, how much were you making a week? When you hired in in ’42 you were making $40 a week. Edna Ramont: Oh, yeah. Shirley Bradley: And I wanted to see how that changed. Edna Ramont: I think I was, was it $100 or what, I don’t know, somewheres around probably $100 a week anyway or a little more. Shirley Bradley: [36:40] How much? Edna Ramont: $100 a week or more. Shirley Bradley: So you, that, that was the difference between ’42 and ’74. Edna Ramont: That’s piecework. Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. [36:48] And they, did they took things out of your pay like for insurance and that sort of thing? I suppose. Edna Ramont: Oh yes. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: The Blue Cross, your union. Shirley Bradley: And your… Edna Ramont: The union wasn’t that much, you know, in them days. Shirley Bradley: Was not, the union wasn’t. Edna Ramont: No. And, uh, anyways, they had that to pay and then our house insurance we paid some of it. Shirley Bradley: They paid some and you paid some. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Um, did you ever…? Edna Ramont: I had to pay it all. Shirley Bradley: Oh. [chuckle] [37:15] Um, what about the REO Clubhouse? So many people had activities in the clubhouse. Edna Ramont: Oh, when I was little I used to go, there was the movies… Shirley Bradley: Did you? Edna Ramont: …you know, years ago. And then we had the Christmas party one time and, uh, Mr. what’s his name, well, he and I was the one to cut the ribbon at the Christmas party. I know him [inaudible 37:41] his name. Awful nice guy. He was from the Bronx. Shirley Bradley: [37:45] Cut the ribbon for? Edna Ramont: What was her, what was his name, you know? Shirley Bradley: Worked in the front office, worked in the offices? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Herm Everhardus. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I have heard that name. Edna Ramont: I knew it would come to me. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: And him and I we tied, uh, cut the ribbon for the party. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I see. Edna Ramont: He was a nice guy. He died. They all died. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: Passed away, you know. Shirley Bradley: Sad to see to lose folks. Uh, so you had… Edna Ramont: You heard of him, haven’t you? Shirley Bradley: Heard of who? Edna Ramont: Everhardus. Shirley Bradley: I have heard that name. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: I know… Edna Ramont: He was real active. He… Shirley Bradley: Was he? Edna Ramont: He’d come around the shop a lot, factory even. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: More so than like Clare Loudenslager. Shirley Bradley: [38:35] Did you ever work with Carl or did he ever come through the Motor Plant? Edna Ramont: Who, Clare? Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: He was my boss for the first five years. Shirley Bradley: Clare was? Oh. Edna Ramont: I told him, I was mad at him one time and I says you want me to run it like a punch press I will, you know, then we get production. Shirley Bradley: He didn’t like the way you were running. Edna Ramont: No. He didn’t. I was the one complaining. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: ‘Cause they had the rate, you know, and I was working, I did work fast and [inaudible 39:04] but I was mad at him. He’d talked to you anyway. He was down to earth at one time. Shirley Bradley: You could talk to him. Edna Ramont: Yeah, then. And then we had, what was his name, Schultz from Owosso. He was the boss there. And one time – he was a little short guy and they were, this one guy was going to beat him up. He was mad at Floyd, Floyd Schultz I think that’s his name. Shirley Bradley: Schultz was mad at somebody. Edna Ramont: No. This guy was mad at Schultz. Shirley Bradley: Oh, somebody was mad at Mr. Schultz. Edna Ramont: And he was going to beat him up. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: So he had to have Plant Protection take him out. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 39:46] these guys would get mad at these bosses. Shirley Bradley: They thought they were pushing them too hard… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …for production or… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …this or that. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Oh. And they threatened him. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And then he had to have Plant Protection. Edna Ramont: They threatened him so he had Plant Protection taking him out. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Um, so, about activities there, I have there were dances, bowling, there was the radio prog-, uh, station, movies, that sort of thing. Edna Ramont: They had movies, yeah. Shirley Bradley: [40:12] And did you take part in some of these things? Edna Ramont: Well, just the, when we had the dances and stuff like that. And then we had a, oh, like a bazaar or something and, and people would bring, some of these guys could really build cabinets, really build beautiful things. Shirley Bradley: Oh. They were skilled. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They were. And I knew, I can’t tell you the name but I knew him real well but he can really build cabinets [inaudible 40:39]. And, uh, we’d have that and then people would buy stuff there. Shirley Bradley: At the bazaar. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: People would bring in things… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …they’ve made or whatever. Edna Ramont: Yeah. From the REO. Everything was brought in from the REO. Shirley Bradley: [40:51] Was that done in the Clubhouse? Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Uh-huh. Edna Ramont: It was big. It was a big [inaudible 40:54]. Shirley Bradley: Like once a year maybe or. Edna Ramont: No. We didn’t have it too often. Shirley Bradley: I see. Edna Ramont: But I can remember this one year, you know. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: But like I say, like Ardith Pappen she was the one that [inaudible 41:08]. Shirley Bradley: I’ve heard so many good things about her. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Uh, we met her and talked with her several times at some of the REO girls’ luncheons. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: And we wanted to interview her and she was perfectly willing but, uh, we didn’t know it but she was ill at the time and she was having to go for treatments every so often. Edna Ramont: Oh, uh-huh. Yeah. She… Shirley Bradley: And it seemed like every time we’d get a date set she’d have to… Edna Ramont: She’s like family, you know. You just love to talk to her. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: She’s just a wonderful person. Shirley Bradley: Is that right? Edna Ramont: I’ve been over to her place and had coffee and one time I bought a settee from her and I sold it to my niece and she still got it. Shirley Bradley: Well. And you mentioned movies. Edna Ramont: Well, that’s when I was a kid that we used to go to the movies there [inaudible 41:49]. Shirley Bradley: [41:49] You had somebody that worked there that could take you or did it not matter? Edna Ramont: It didn’t matter evidently. I don’t know. I had a cousin that worked in the, he was a, his name was Ray Burhams and he worked in the checking account. He was a big shot there. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: But I didn’t never see him even after I worked inside, worked at the REO. Shirley Bradley: Oh, is that right? Edna Ramont: He’s a lot older than I was, you know. Shirley Bradley: I’m sorry. What was his name again? Edna Ramont: Ray Burhams. Shirley Bradley: Burhans? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: B-u-r-h-a-n-s probably. Edna Ramont: Uh-huh. Shirley Bradley: The reason I’m asking you about spelling is somebody types this up. Edna Ramont: Burhams. Shirley Bradley: Burhams with an M. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Somebody is going to be listening to this and then trying to type this. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: And if they have no idea how to spell names… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: It’s difficult for them. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: So I try to get that straight. Edna Ramont: But, uh, it was a good place to work. I liked it. Shirley Bradley: [42:37] Can you remember anything, we’ve talked about some of it, but anything that was really funny that happened or something that was serious and was a problem? Edna Ramont: Well, I used to, when we – I don’t know if you remember but this is during the war and this gal, Barb. What’s Barb’s name? She lives out on the highway. She was from Owosso too. Anyway, she – her husband was in the service and he, anybody wore, you know, high heels with straps or whatever, they weren’t good girls [inaudible 43:13]. Her husband, Barbara had to go and talk to the, the minister or whatever, the chaplain I should say, when he was in service ‘cause he was going to leave Barb for this girl. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: And here he is [inaudible 43:29] me. I never did like him. Ray and Barb, it’ll come to me but right now I can’t think of it. But you know people talk and then the poor girl [inaudible 43:45] going to lose her husband. Well, she talked to the chaplain and [inaudible 43:49] he got it straightened out. They ended up back together again. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: But… Shirley Bradley: And he was away in the service during this time. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: And she was there working. Edna Ramont: Yeah. But here she thought he was a prince and he was going to leave her for this other woman. Shirley Bradley: Oh mercy. Edna Ramont: But anybody who wore strapless and high heels, they were no good. [Inaudible 44:11]. Shirley Bradley: Is that right? Edna Ramont: Yeah! Shirley Bradley: I didn’t know that. Edna Ramont: Yeah. You were… Shirley Bradley: That’s funny. Edna Ramont: It is. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: It meant you were kind of a loose woman if you wore… Edna Ramont: Well, I was a wild woman. [laughter] Shirley Bradley: Tell me. Did you wear, uh, never mind, I won’t ask. [laughter] Edna Ramont: That was cute. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: But he did. She told me about it and then after that I let her know. But, oh, there were so many nice guys and people. That’s the best [inaudible 44:36], you know, different ones. And I got wrote up one time because... Shirley Bradley: [44:40] Why? Edna Ramont: I got wrote up. Shirley Bradley: [44:43] Why? Edna Ramont: Because – I didn’t get wrote up but this guy did, he was a neighbor of mine, Jerry Allman. And Louie wrote him up ‘cause he stopped and talked to me for a few minutes. [laughter] Shirley Bradley: Jerry? Edna Ramont: Allman. A-l-l… Shirley Bradley: M-a-n. Edna Ramont: Yeah. M-a-n. Yeah. Allman. Shirley Bradley: Okay. And Louie… Edna Ramont: He got… Shirley Bradley: …Louie wrote him up ‘cause he stopped to chat with you. Edna Ramont: Louie [inaudible 45:04]. Well, he’d see him talking to me and he didn’t, he was – Louie was always trying to get after me, anyway, get me mad. Shirley Bradley: Really? Edna Ramont: Yeah. He just did it on purpose. Shirley Bradley: [chuckle] Was that his idea of fun? Edna Ramont: Yeah. It was for him. He just, oh, I’d get so mad at him sometimes. Shirley Bradley: Louie Garcia Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Edna Ramont: And then him and Lee, Larry Lee, they [inaudible 45:27] and get me mad. Shirley Bradley: Larry Lee? Edna Ramont: Larry Lee in Owosso. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: I didn’t know [inaudible 45:33] Owosso but he was from Owosso too, you know, but, no, you, you think back how they would get me so mad. And then my boss, [inaudible 45:45] left and he’s my boss. [Inaudible 45:50]. Shirley Bradley: Altime? Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 45:51] Au I don’t know how to spell his name, [inaudible 45:54]. Shirley Bradley: Just say it again for me. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 45:55] I think. Shirley Bradley: Okay. Edna Ramont: Something like that. Shirley Bradley: All right. Edna Ramont: Anyway, he wrote me up the last day I worked. I quit early ‘cause I had 2, about 3 weeks production ahead. And so everybody was going to shut their machine, even the tool room was going to shut down. Shirley Bradley: Tool crib. Edna Ramont: Tool, tool crib, yeah. They were going to all shut down on account on how he write me up. They were for me. Shirley Bradley: Oh, they were going to do that in, in sympathy… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …with you. Edna Ramont: For me, yeah. That showed who the friends were. Shirley Bradley: I guess. [46:28] Why in the world did he want to write you up? Edna Ramont: Oh, just to show he was the boss. And you know, he had enough gall, I used to go, they let me go to the credit union and he’d borrow money from me. That was all right but if I – the last day I figure well I can do what I want to do, you know. Shirley Bradley: Sure. Edna Ramont: He writes me up. Shirley Bradley: [Inaudible 46:48]. Edna Ramont: And you know what happened? Shirley Bradley: No. Edna Ramont: They tore it up in my office, Larry Lee and Jack Harris and then they tore it up in the front. Shirley Bradley: Oh. So nothing happened on that account. Edna Ramont: Nothing happened on that. But can you imagine getting wrote up after all these years. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: No. After 34 years, 32 years. Oh dear. Edna Ramont: Isn’t that something? Shirley Bradley: [47:07] Well, looking back on the REO Motor Car Company, what, what are your impressions? When you look back, what do you think about? What means the most to you? Edna Ramont: Well, it meant so much to me to have that job, to get that, you know. And that it meant so much that the people they were, you’d like every one of them. They were all nice people. Shirley Bradley: Like family, they went to bat for you. Edna Ramont: And I used to go through the whole plant and take up the collections. Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: …for whoever, like Ray Reed died and, and, um, when, um, oh, what’s his name. I can’t think of his name. And anyway, he was such a nice guy. He’s some kind of a machine repairman or something and I went and got collections for him. And then one time, uh, Janet [inaudible 48:02] her name was, her husband died and, you know, money was tight. Shirley Bradley: Yes. Edna Ramont: And so I went through the plant and got her some money and then she could buy some clothes for the kids for the funeral… Shirley Bradley: Aw. Edna Ramont: …for their dad. But I, I did do that too. Shirley Bradley: You were the one that would run around and took up the collections. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Always did. Shirley Bradley: Obviously, you were well liked if people were willing to donate. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They’d give it to me. And then when we had to take up for the bond, you know. Shirley Bradley: [throat clearing] For the what? Edna Ramont: Saving bonds, we took up for saving bonds, you know. Shirley Bradley: Oh, the, uh… Edna Ramont: WWII. Shirley Bradley: Yeah, yeah. Edna Ramont: And I’d go and we had so much taken out of our checks, see. Shirley Bradley: For the bonds. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And one time I went to this one guy and he says, well, he really couldn’t afford it and I says, well, if you put a quarter in a week it would help. And he did, everybody put in so much, you know. Shirley Bradley: What they could. Edna Ramont: And so that was a nice deal, you know. But then they had a big banquet but I never went to it, in the same, I figured, well, why don’t they use that money instead of entertainment, you know. I didn’t go. Shirley Bradley: Mm-hm. Edna Ramont: And then, uh, what else? There was something else I was going to tell you. Shirley Bradley: And there was, it had a family feel because people would be there to stick up for you or support you if you needed it and to be friends. Edna Ramont: Oh yeah. I gave people money that really needed it. I never told anybody there but… Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Not a lot but even $10 helped them. Shirley Bradley: Even $5 or $10 helps a lot. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: You could buy more with it then… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …than you can now. Edna Ramon: But one guy got fired. I felt so bad. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: And, uh… Shirley Bradley: You didn’t think it was, uh… Edna Ramont: I didn’t think he should have gotten fired. Shirley Bradley: Shouldn’t have gotten fired. Edna Ramont: He was, he worked on the paint line. I thought he was doing all right but they fired him. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: His wife was sick and… Shirley Bradley: Oh. Edna Ramont: …I felt so bad. I did give him some money. Shirley Bradley: Well, that was really good of you. Edna Ramont: And… Shirley Bradley: I bet he… Edna Ramont: He probably appreciated it. Shirley Bradley: He appreciated it and more than the money is the idea that somebody… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Somebody. Shirley Bradley: …reached out to him. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. But anyway, you stop and think about certain things. Shirley Bradley: You said something about working in a canteen after you retired. Edna Ramont: Yeah. I worked in the morning and at night, and the afternoon [inaudible 50:20]. Shirley Bradley: [50:21] Was that at the REO? Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [50:23] Tell me about that. How did you happen to start doing that? Edna Ramont: Oh, they needed some help so I did it. I got started and then I didn’t quit until I retired. [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: [50:33] Was this, um, this was in the building? Edna Ramont: It was in, in the Press Room. Shirley Bradley: In the Press Room. Edna Ramont: [Inaudible 50:38]. Shirley Bradley: [50:38] And the Canteen was what? Edna Ramont: The Canteen [inaudible 50:40] hot coffee and snuff and any… Shirley Bradley: Candy bars or sandwiches or something. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: [50:48] And did you go around with a cart to the different work stations? Edna Ramont: No. I just worked at the window with, uh, I think his name… Shirley Bradley: There was a room for it. Edna Ramont: Yeah. We had a space for it and I think his name was Miller that I worked with. He was a nice guy too. But I helped. Shirley Bradley: [51:03] Now this was after you retired and you went back? Edna Ramont: Now this was when I was working. Shirley Bradley: Before, oh, okay. Edna Ramont: See, I had my production ahead so I… Shirley Bradley: So you… Edna Ramont: …snuck out a little earlier and help. Shirley Bradley: And you, and you could do that in those days. Get your production ahead and then you could go and do this. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Not all the time but I did that. Shirley Bradley: But sometimes. Edna Ramont: Helped a little bit. Shirley Bradley: That’s interesting ‘cause you know nowadays everybody has their job… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …and they’re not allowed to go help that guy… Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: …because that’s not their classification. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And one time I, some of these [inaudible 51:29] one of them worked with Bobby and he says “If it hadn’t been for your mother” he says, that was in the Press Room, he says “I don’t know what I would have done.” Shirley Bradley: Is that right? Edna Ramont: They didn’t show him how to run these machines, you know. Shirley Bradley: Just put him on it and not show him how to run it. Edna Ramont: Yeah. [inaudible 51:43] supposed to make [inaudible 51:44] all right. Shirley Bradley: Oh, for heavens sakes. Edna Ramont: Well I showed a lot of people and then when I left I had 3 weeks production I gave Elmer, then he had the gall to write me up. [laughter] He did it just to show off. Shirley Bradley: Well, it sounds like it. I got to show… Edna Ramont: He’d been out to my house even. Why did he come out to see me but he did. I was married. But he’d come out and visit. [laughter] Shirley Bradley: [52:12] Did you marry somebody from REO? Edna Ramont: No. He was from Fisher Body. Shirley Bradley: Oh, okay. Edna Ramont: Dick Ramont. Did you ever hear of Maurie Ramont? Shirley Bradley: What was it? Maurie? Edna Ramont: Yeah, Ramont. Shirley Bradley: [52:23] Now whereabouts in Fisher did he work? Edna Ramont: He was superintendent over the, uh, what was it? Well, he retired when I [inaudible 52:34]. Shirley Bradley: [52:34] He retired when you did? Edna Ramont: No. He retired before I did. Shirley Bradley: Oh, I see. Edna Ramont: He bought a tavern in [inaudible 52:40] Rapids. Shirley Bradley: Hm. Edna Ramont: Then his wife died and left him with three little kids and I had two. He adopted my two and we raised them and I’ve been married, would’ve been married over 54 years. Shirley Bradley: Aw. Edna Ramont: The kids, I’m the only mother they know and they’re good to me, very, very good to me. Shirley Bradley: So you have five, five children… Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: …that look out for you. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They take me wherever I want to go. If I have to go to the doctor, they, every, I don’t have to worry on how to get there. Shirley Bradley: That’s wonderful. That means so much. Edna Ramont: And when I was there for 3 ½ months, those kids were there every day. They said they’ve never seen a family that was there every day. Shirley Bradley: So together. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: That’s great. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: [53:23] Well, have you got any last thoughts or something you wanted to share with me that I haven’t even thought about or? Edna Ramont: I think I told you pretty… [chuckle] Shirley Bradley: It’s been wonderful. I have really appreciated it but sometimes I think maybe there was something more that they wanted to share that I didn’t touch on or didn’t think to ask. Edna Ramont: Like, uh, like in the Navy in the dining room we had a piano there and I can’t think of this black guy but he could really play the piano. We had a ball. Shirley Bradley: He… Edna Ramont: And then they used to go across the, the tavern across the street. What was their name? Shirley Bradley: Right across from the REO. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: Yeah. Right there on Baker. Edna Ramont: Oh, not Baker. Shirley Bradley: Washington. Edna Ramont: No. This was on Washington [inaudible 54:02]. Shirley Bradly: On Washington. Edna Ramont: Yeah. They had… Shirley Bradley: Oh, that’s right. The Navy Department was down at that end. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Washington and the corner of Baker. Edna Ramont: Yeah. And we used to go over there and some of them would drink a bit too much. Shirley Bradley: Hm. [laughter] Edna Ramont: You think about different things, you know, but, oh, they were all a bunch of nice people. I mean they would help you. And I see them now, younger guys, you know, they all remember me. Shirley Bradley: That’s great. Edna Ramont: Isn’t that nice? Shirley Bradley: Yes, it is. You made a good impression there. Edna Ramont: Just like when I went down there to that parade. Wasn’t that something? Shirley Bradley: Yes. Edna Ramont: I just loved that. Shirley Bradley: I did too. Edna Ramont: And I see some… Shirley Bradley: The REO parade. Edna Ramont: I didn’t see very many people I knew. And this one guy, I was walking down Washington by the railroad tracks, he says “Edna Ramont.” And I didn’t know him or met him, but he said he was a stock chaser, you know, delivered stock but he says I was so fussy, I had to have it just right. ‘Cause that’s the only way you can make production is if you have the… Shirley Bradley: Oh, so you know exactly where to reach... Edna Ramont: Yeah, yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: …for something. Edna Ramont: Yeah, mm-hm. Shirley Bradley: Oh yeah. Edna Ramont: But he remembered that. Shirley Bradley: Isn’t that interesting? Edna Ramont: They all remember Edna. Shirley Bradley: Well, I, I’m so hopeful of REO Town being a place now that people will come to and try to, you know, because REO was so important to the history of this town… Edna Ramont: Oh yes. Shirley Bradley: …and so many people don’t realize it. Edna Ramont: No, they don’t realize it. Shirley Bradley: No, they don’t. Edna Ramont: No, uh-uh. Shirley Bradley: And that gave people employment. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: It gave them hope. Edna Ramont: Yeah. Shirley Bradley: It gave them, uh, they could start building a house, educate their kids… Edna Ramont: Oh yeah. Shirley Bradley: …because of REO. Edna Ramont: It was something. Shirley Bradley: And I have sometimes visitors at the museum and they’ll say what, what was REO? Where was that? Edna Ramont: Is that right? Shirley Bradley: And what did they make? And you want to go… [chuckle] Edna Ramont: Oh. Shirley Bradley: Well, I thank you so much, Edna. I really appreciate getting your memories on tape… Edna Ramont: Oh, [inaudible 55:54]. Shirley Bradley: …and we’ll, we’ll treasure having them at the museum. /mlc