When visitors enter our brewery, one of the first things they encounter is a large white board which hangs outside the production room. The board is a record of our batches that contains lots of data like pH measurements, code dates, inventory, etc but what is most intriguing are the relatively obscure names that represent the sturdy stainless steel tanks which we use to hold our brew during the fermentation process. “So what’s with the names?” is a question we frequently hear. When we initially drafted our facility diagram, we had listed FT #1, FT #2, FT #3, etc. as the designation for our tanks. While this was fine for a schematic, we really felt the facility needed some personality and good karma. Hence, our tanks bear the names of our foremothers; strong women who were resilient in the face of adversity. Here are their stories …
Virginia was born in Milwaukee in 1917. She grew up during the Great Depression and recalls wearing the same dress to school every day and washing it every night. Needing to work to support her family, Virginia quit high school and entered the workforce. She was married (for 60 incredible years) and raised three children (one, who was me, much later in life). Age age 79, she was diagnosed with a deadly form of cancer. After two surgeries and radiation treatments, little else could be done. Miraculously, Virginia celebrated her 96th birthday this year. She remains independent and filled with positive energy and, YES, she drinks Karma Kombucha daily!
Irma was born in Milwaukee in 1893. As a young child, she lost her father to an aneurysm, which occurred shortly after an arm wrestling tournament. Alma, her mother raised Irma and her sister on her own which was very unusual at the turn of the 20th century. Irma attended grade school but starting working at a young age to support her family. She later married (for 66 years), raised two children (Virginia and a brother), and lived a long life to age 91. I recall her always saying “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all”.
Katherine was born in Hungary in 1897. She immigrated to the US as a young girl with her aunt but was rejected at Ellis Island due to pink eye and sent back alone. She later returned to the US and settled in Milwaukee. She married at age 17 and worked her entire life alongside her husband, first in the tavern business, and later as a farmer. She worked long days, often frying fish all day just to attract nickel beer customers and farmed into her 70’s. Katherine was a cancer survivor too and lived to be 89.
Gladys was born in northwest Indiana in 1922. She lived a hard life during the years when she raised her children. Married to an alcoholic who was abusive to her and the boys, she worked in factory jobs most of her life to support her family. The abuse finally ended when a heart attack took her husband at the age of 39, but the damage had left a lasting scar on her and the boys. Always strong-willed and scrappy, Gladys was never one to bite her tongue again. Gladys is still with us today at the age of 91 and continues to speak her mind.
Lucille was born in 1921. She and her husband of 52 years were farmers in northwest Indiana. They had two children and then tragedy struck. Lucille was pitching hay from the barn loft one day. When she finished, she threw down the pitchfork which had a broken handle and scurried down the ladder. Skipping the bottom rungs, she unknowingly hurled herself directly upon the pitchfork. Bleeding profusely, Lucille dragged herself from the barn to the county road to hail down anyone who might pass by. She was rushed to the hospital and told she’d never have any more children since her uterus had been perforated. Miraculous, Lucille gave birth to two more children after a seven year lapse. We sadly lost her to heart disease at the age of 70.
While their stories are not necessarily all that unique, they are the inspiration that propels my work ethic, dedication, and strength. When I’m having a bad day and am struggling to find motivation to carry on, I just think about all the women who have come before us and I realize I am capable of most anything. I feel their spirit and grit and know that the sky’s the limit.
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