StoryCorps: Eleanor Langley

Eleanor: It was my 87th birthday, and I had hundreds of people come see me and send me cards. And it was the best day I’ve had for a long time.

Carol: And it was special, all the grandchildren were there, all the great-grandchildren were there. And it was a nice day and everyone enjoyed it. You had a lot of friends come.

Eleanor: A lot of friends. I’ve been reading the cards that they gave me and, I didn’t count them, but I bet there’s a hundred.

Carol: Well, you had a lot of friends, Mom. People cared about you in the community.

Kathleen: What surprised you about what’s in the cards, what people are saying to you?

Eleanor: How wonderful I am.

Carol: That surprises you?

Eleanor: It surprised me, yes. Because I don’t feel I deserve it.

Carol: I think you definitely deserve it. You were an active member of the community; you were active in your church; you were in a lot of organizations. Your kindness extends to a lot of people. You and your husband, both, Dad was someone who was active in the community. And in the 40s and 50s and 60s you supported him in his business.

Eleanor: I worked for him.

Carol: You worked for him; got paid very little, right? And raised your children. So some of your popularity now has to do with what you did with Pop.

Kathleen: And whatever was going on in the town, Pop and Elanor were there, we could always count on it. Any fundraiser, any kid knew they could go into the insurance office and get a donation.

Carol: Well, I admire my mother’s tenacity. She just goes on and doesn’t give up. She grew up during the Depression. So her history, all her life’s experiences. She came from a very poor family; she came from a family where there was domestic violence; she came from a family that there was substance abuse. And she went on to marry and have three children and become an important part of her husband’s life. She was the Donna Reed.

Eleanor: Wow! To have her say that!

Kathleen: I think you even wore shirtwaist dresses.