Life Story for
Freda Johnson (Stoller)
Parents came to America from Switzerland. Her father, Fred Stoller immigrated through Ellis Island when he was 18 in the 1880’s, became an American citizen, went back to Switzerland and married her mother Katherine. They settled in Green County Wisconsin as “cheese makers.” Therefore, my mom was first generation American born on a cheese factory in a farm community. (My grandfather then sent for brothers Emille, Robert and Sister Rosa Wasser – married name.)
She and her brother learned to speak English when they went to country school and taught their parents to read and write English.
She had three brothers Fred Jr., Hans Rudolf & Werner and two sisters- Louise and Ruth. Her parents were married 63 years in Wisconsin before her father Fred passed away when he was 90 and her mother was 96.
When “The Great Depression” hit (1931) mom had to leave her home to find work and support herself. She has been on her own since she was 15 and had to drop out of school to work for a family in Monroe to help take care of their children. When they moved to Riceland Wisconsin (up by Lake Superior) they took her with them. She also worked for a doctor and moved to Minneapolis MI. But she returned to Ricelake and began a new job as a housekeep, learned to cook “kosher” for a Jewish family by the name of Abramsons till she was 24 and World War II broke out.
America now set up training station to hire woman to work in the aircraft factories and other “war-time vocation.” Freda went to training in Minneapolis (she stayed with her fiancé’s sister- that’s right Freda had a serious boyfriend at this time.) She was hired to go to San Diego, CA to work in the aircraft factory there. She and three other girls that she became friends with went to the bulletin board and contacted a ride to drive them to California (which happened to be a “guy in a red convertible.”
Housing was difficult to find because of all the growth due to the war with Marine and Navy bases and “Workers for the War.” Mom eventually found an apartment for her and her roommates.
Celebrates such as Carol Lombard (selling war bonds) and even President FDR visited the plane and ammunition factories. Freda rode the trolley to and from work. She also became a worker that had special security to inspect or complete tasks to intercede against espionage. She helped make motors for Navy PBY’s.
On paydays, they would hand out USO tickets for big band club dancing with the soldiers that were stationed in San Diego. That’s how my mother met my father- Harold C. Johnson. He was a US Marine (who later was shipped to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii). They became engaged on Valentines Day and had a military wedding March 20, 1942. Their song was “For Me and My Gal.” Mom had a pink floor length wedding dress and Dad was in his dress blues.
By 1944, Freda became pregnant with me and you were not allowed to work when you were pregnant (she hid it as long as she could) and she was laid off.
Once dad shipped overseas, she got on a train and rode to Osborne, KS to meet my dad’s family (Harold was 1 of 11 children) and then went to be reunited with her parents in Wisconsin. I was born at St. Clair Hospital in Monroe Wisconsin August 2, 1944.
