My mother was the second child from the mixed marriage of Melvina Bowe and Oscar Volger. Yes, a Catholic woman fell in love with a Luthern man. Unheard of I know but it's true. They were married in the back of the Catholic church with promises made that any children would be brought up in the Catholic faith. I am here to say they did not break that promise.
Both my Grandparents came from large farming families. On the Vogler side of the family, none of the men of my Grandfather's family made it past the age of 60. The women of the Vogler side lived a lot longer. My Great Aunt Vilma being one of those ladies.
My memories of my Great Aunt are...interesting. Looking back with adult eyes on my Great Aunt, she deserved to be interesting.
My memories of Aunt Vilma always coincide with the memories of my Great Aunt Eleanor. Aunt Eleanor was less than five feet tall. A widower and a lady through and through. She didn't drive. Any family gathering we had Aunt Vilma always brought Eleanor along.
Aunt Vilma was a very no-nonsense lady. Girls wore dresses, did inside non-dirty things for fun, and she liked to let you know how to improve yourself. Yet, when it came to Vilma watching out for Eleanor, who walked slower than a turtle with three legs, she had all the patience of a Saint.
As a child, I saw this in action many times. Seeing her care for others made her human and likable, from a distance to me.
Each Summer my Mom, along with my brother and I, would drive my Grandmother up north to keep her promise to her mother to take care of her. During this time we would spend a week there. It was like going back in time.
My Great Grandma Bowe's children and family would stop by to visit. There were card games at night. Stories galore were told. All able body Great Uncles had served in World War 2. From them, I learned about pride in my country. Sacrifices made by those that served. As a small child, I did know how to be quiet, when I wanted to be. I heard stories of The War that most would never hear.
These stories brought images alive. My happy go lucky Uncles faces changed when they started to reminisce about the war and friends left behind.
One thing always stood out to me and still does. The way my Great Uncles spoke of interesting Aunt Vilma. They too knew her faults yet her name was always said with respect. Not just because she was part of the family through marriage. It went deeper than that.
What makes an interesting women gain so much respect? She was a Ward Nurse of the 128th Evacuation Hospital in World War 2.
D-Day +4 on the Beaches of Normandy.
Aunt Vilma is the lady in front looking up at the camera.
Lieutenant Vilma E. Vogler was a supervisor at Luther Hospital for several years, before joining the Army Nurse Corps in the summer of 1941.
After several months at Fort McClellan, AL, she went abroad in 1942.
Lieutenant Vogler took part in the African, Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, and then spent several months in England. She was among the first nurses to go to Normandy and waded ashore on the Normandy beaches on D-Day plus four.
Former Luther Nurse Wins Bronze Star For Heroism. The citation, from Courtney H. Hodges, Lieutenant-General U.S. Army, is as follows.
"To First Lieutenant Vilma E. Vogler, N730035, Army Nurse Corps, United States Army. For meritorious service in connection with military operations against the enemy as Ward Nurse, 128th Evacuation Hospital, from 11 June 1944 to 8 March 1945, in France, Belgium, and Germany. Exhibiting rare skill and judgment in the detection of complicated cases, First Lieutenant Vogler capably performed various medical procedures, which contributed to the rapid recovery of her patients. Despite frequent enemy artillery and aerial bombardment, she calmly remained at her post for long periods of time, nursing the wounded and supervising their care and treatment. By her professional ability and devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Vogler eased the suffering and speeded the recovery of countless seriously wounded men."
Lieutenant Vogler will soon wear, on her sleeve, six yellow service stripes. On her European Theater of Operations Ribbon, she wears eight Battle Stars which, with the Bronze Star Medal, gives her 120 points and, now, with two more Battle Stars, she will have 130 points, the most of anyone in her unit. ~Ref
I will end this long post with this thought. The more interesting a person is the more you might want to thank them for the stories that go untold of all they have done for so many.
Here I would like to thank a few more interesting people I know that make my days on the Steem Blockchain so much richer in every way.
And so many more......
Thank You!
Help someone smile today. It can not hurt you.
Love,
Snook
All photos are mine unless otherwise stated.
Steem Witness's I support
Enginewitty!, Jackmiller!, Guiltyparties!, C0ff33a / Deranged!
Your Great Aunt was quite the character. And your other Aunt, a turtle with 3 legs😂 good write up sis and glad you got know her. Not everyone gets to hear stories from things like that.
stories that go untold
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They were a pair LOLL
My parents went away for a week and they watched us..........
there was a house being built right next to ours......well close enough :D and it rained........ I might have come home REALLY muddy :D
My brother and I told my parents they could never go on vacation again once they got back LOLL
and Yes, I am Lucky in many ways. Many Hugs!!
Keep up the great work!
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Hello lovely lady! :D
That is a beautiful tribute to your aunt, she sounds like fantastic, if a bit quirky on occasion, lady, reminds me of another amazing lady I know called Snook. :D
Thank you very much for including me in your list of "interesting people" you know on Steemit, you're definitely on my list as well. :D
God bless you and your wonderful family. :D Have an awesome day my fabulous friend! :D
Thank You
HUGS
You're welcome lovely lady. :D
Hugs back to you. :D
God bless you and yours. :D
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Thank You!
Great post, @snook, and I'm grateful to have gotten to know just a little about this interesting and remarkable woman. I'm so glad you got to know her, and even more so, had the good sense to appreciate her.
I have a number of interesting sorts in my family, male and female, and like you, I heard a lot about their exploits during WWII, and much more besides.
If nothing else, it keeps me humble, just knowing what they had to endure in their lives, not to mention how they rose above it, and did what was most needed in the moment.
Like many, I come from a family that was highly dysfunctional, but oddly, highly functional at the same time.
No matter their failings or circumstances, they did what they had to do, and didn't waste time or energy complaining about their lot in life.
I think we could use more of that attitude these days.
;-)
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so freaking true!!! in so many ways. so many.
I love how you see what I say and make it sound better LOLL
Hope all is well in your world HUGS
Beautiful 💕💐🤗💖🙏
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I love you snook. That was a great story I wish I could have met her myself. That woman had stories for days I bet. 🤗
I love you too!!
she DID have stories. You would have liked her!!
Hope you are doing okay <3
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Thank You!!
Hope you both are doing okay and staying warm!!
Nursing sisters in many ways were unsung heroes during the wars. The troops who received their care sure knew that. They did their work under incredibly difficult conditions just like the troops did.
yeah, just the thought.........
makes you wonder how anyone came home........
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I enjoyed this post about your Great Aunt Vilma a great deal. It has stirred a great many different emotions in me.
As you know, one of my foster-fathers was a WW2 Combat Veteran and his GI Bride (a native of England) lost both her brothers who served in the English Armed Forces. I grew up, like you, hearing a great many stories of that time in American history.
Later in life, due to my research, I learned my maternal (biological) grandfather and all his brothers served in the *War of the Great Generation.
It is a shame that the contributions made by our Matrons in Uniform is not more prevalent in honoring the Veterans of the Second World War. The narrative you have shared about your Aunt Vilma's military history honors her, and all who did their part in those difficult days.
I end my comment by not only saluting your Aunt (Lieutenant) Vilma, but you as well. It is important to keep history alive. To pass those stories down to subsequent generations.
I salute the flag, not out of some misguided nationalistic form of patriotism, but because of what it represents: Those that went before we current Veterans, and for the people they served: our Countrymen and Women.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us in the #PYPT Podcast!