Doreen

=Doreen=

media type="custom" key="8200024"

Biography/ Geography
The interviewee I decided to ask to interview was my great-grandma, Doreen Brewer. She is from Paddington, London, England. She was born in 1924 and lives in Franklin, Ohio currently. Doreen got married in 1945. 10 months later she moved to America, February 1946. The capitol of England is London.

Creative Writing
By Abby Bowman
 * The News **

“Can I talk to you, in private?” Jim asks, as he very slightly glances at my sister and mother. I get what he wants; he wants to tell me first, whatever it is he needs to tell me.

“Sure, what’s the matter?”I ask as we walk out of the room.

He holds up a coffee stained color parchment. “I’m being demobilized,” he pauses for a very long time. I know what’s coming next and I don’t want to believe it. Well maybe we can still get married in august, who knows, I think to myself. “In June,” he says interrupting my thoughts. Those last two words did it; my whole world went from light to dark, white to black. I had to sit down; I couldn’t bear the weight of so much disappointment.

Now, we sit down on the love seat across from my Mother and Sister. I’m almost certain they were whispering and speculating Jim and I’s conversation as soon as we left the room. Jim has trouble finding the right words, he holds on to the parchment as if his life depended on it. Then finally, “Well, there’s no easy way to put this, but, I’m going to be demobilized in June,” he says solemnly. In my mind I agree with him, there is no “easy way to put it.”

“Can we move the wedding?” my sister asks desperately. She took those words right out of my mouth.

“I don’t think it’s possible, we only have a couple of weeks, also if we move it any sooner your step father won’t be able to come and give you away,” my mother says.

“Well, my uncle can give me away,” I say grasping for hope.

“We’ll have to make this work,” Jim says giving me that hope.

A couple of hours later we all sit at the dining room table changing my wedding arrangements. My Mother, Sister, and Aunt agree to put together their food rations to make the cake. We choose the church nearby to host the wedding in.

“We have to get permission from the Bishop,” I remind Jim. I guess in America you don’t have to do that. “If we don’t it’s not official!”

The wedding is ready, we have permission, and we have a cake. Now I just have to walk down the aisle. What if I’m not ready for this? We’ve only known each other for five months! No, I tell myself, stop thinking that it will be alright. Jim is going to be my husband! He has to be the one. Two weeks ago when we found out the news, he is the one that motivated us. Finally the music starts, and I start walking. As I walk down the aisle, I know I chose the right man, because a grin the size of the Eifel tower stretches across his face.


 * Captain **

By Abby Bowman

“Excuse me. May I ask if you know any Capitan’s around here?” I ask a stranger. He looks nice, and I am desperate to find someone who can transport me from England to the United States.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” the strange man says.

“Who is it?” I ask once more.

“You’re looking at him,” he proclaims.

“What is your route on the boat?” I ask, feeling a little shy.

“I travel from here to America and back I pick up and deliver hospital supplies and care for some sick people,” the strange man seems to be proud to be able to visit America.

“Great! Do you ever take healthy people to America?” I ask. I feel I might be having a lucky day. I have hope in this man getting me to the right port.

“I sure do! I only charge a little bit,” he says.

“How much would you charge? By the way, what’s your name?” I ask, slowly I begin to glow with happiness.

“For you I will charge nothing. My name is Captain Charles,” he replies.


 * Sea-sick **

By Abby Bowman

It took ten days to get to America. The way over was rough. Almost everyone was sea-sick.

I get sick a number of times. I am very dizzy now that we are on land.

My appearance, I am sure, is horrifying. I am trying to find my way to a bathroom, to fix myself up. Then a man approaches me and says, “We need you to come this way, ma’am,” I follow him to a small room. The room consists of a small end table, and a bed. I believe the man wants me to stay here through the night.

“Why am I in this room?” I ask. The man is taken aback by me understanding him and speaking.

The man recovers quickly. “You need a more thorough examination,” he proclaims. A more thorough examination, I think, does he mean to say that they already examined me? I was out in the open for no less than one minute.

“Do you mean to tell me that I am sick?” I ask a little confused, and a tad bit offended.

“Well, you did just throw up numerous times. It is for the welfare of other Americans,” the man says proudly, I believe he is showboating a bit. “We will let you go tomorrow.”

30 minutes later, a doctor examines me. I am perfectly healthy. It is night and I am tired. I think about my husband, it is weird to call Jim that now; husband it is nice, I slowly drift away to sleep on the unreasonably uncomfortable beds. I am anxious to see my husband, also to live in Franklin, Ohio for the rest of my life.

holds up a coffee stained color parchment. “I’m being demobilized,” he pauses for a very long time. I know what’s coming next and I don’t want to believe it. Well maybe we can still get married in august, who knows, I think to myself. “In June,” he says interrupting my thoughts. Those last two words did it; my whole world went from light to dark, white to black. I had to sit down; I couldn’t bear the weight of so much disappointment. Now, we sit down on the love seat across from my Mother and Sister. I’m almost certain they were whispering and speculating Jim and I’s conversation as soon as we left the room. Jim has trouble finding the right words, he holds on to the parchment as if his life depended on it. Then finally, “Well, there’s no easy way to put this, but, I’m going to be demobilized in June,” he says solemnly. In my mind I agree with him, there is no “easy way to put it.” “Can we move the wedding?” my sister asks desperately. She took those words right out of my mouth. “I don’t think it’s possible, we only have a couple of weeks, also if we move it any sooner your step father won’t be able to come and give you away,” my mother says. “Well, my uncle can give me away,” I say grasping for hope. “We’ll have to make this work,” Jim says giving me that hope. A couple of hours later we all sit at the dining room table changing my wedding arrangements. My Mother, Sister, and Aunt agree to put together their food rations to make the cake. We choose the church nearby to host the wedding in. “We have to get permission from the Bishop,” I remind Jim. I guess in America you don’t have to do that. “If we don’t it’s not official!” The wedding is ready, we have permission, and we have a cake. Now I just have to walk down the aisle. What if I’m not ready for this? We’ve only known each other for five months! No, I tell myself, stop thinking that it will be alright. Jim is going to be my husband! He has to be the one. Two weeks ago when we found out the news, he is the one that motivated us. Finally the music starts, and I start walking. As I walk down the aisle, I know I chose the right man, because a grin the size of the Eifel tower stretches across his face.

Transcription
Abby: What town were you born in?

Doreen: I was born in Paddington, England. It is in central England.

Abby: Is that where you grew up?

Doreen: Yes.

Abby: Why did you come to America? Did you have a choice to come?

Doreen: Yes, I did have a choice. I came to America because I married an American soldier.

Abby: How did you get here, what was the journey like?

Doreen: I took a boat ride, The Zebulon Vance; it was a hospital ship during the war. It took ten days total to get to America.

Abby: Did you face any struggles when you first came to America?

Doreen: No, not at all, it was very much like living in England.

Abby: Do you think you made the right choice in moving to America?

Doreen: Oh yes!

Abby: What did you do in England everyday?

Doreen: I worked.

Abby: What was your job?

Doreen: Well, I’ve worked several places and the last place I worked was the Admiralties’ office.

Abby: What’s the Admiralties’ office? I’ve never heard of it. Doreen: It’s part of the British Government, the naval officers. I was in the purchasing department. I worked at the Admiralties’ office for 8 months.

Abby: Did you have any family back in Europe?

Doreen: Yes, just my sister, Norma. My nieces and nephews also live there. I have cousins that live there but most of the older ones have pasted on.

Abby: How is the U.S. different compared to England?

Doreen: Well, there isn’t a whole lot difference. It seems like the United States and England are very much alike.

Abby: Do you plan to ever go back to England?

Doreen: No, not at my age. (Chuckles) I’ve been back several times.

Abby: What was the hardest thing about leaving England?

Doreen: Oh, leaving my family.

Abby: How well do you think you adjusted to living in America?

Doreen: Very well, I came to a very caring family; it made things a lot easier.

Abby: Did you know about America before you came here?

Doreen: Well, no not really. I didn’t know very much about it because I never had any intention to come here, until I met my husband and that changed the whole story.

Abby: Do you consider yourself American or British?

Doreen: I’m half and half. I love England because England was my native home, but I love America too.

Abby: Do you know what could have been done to keep you in England?

Doreen: Nothing, because I had a choice. I could travel anytime I wanted to, so if I wanted to see England I could see England.

Abby: Do you think your husband would have lived in England?

Doreen: We did sort of brush the subject a couple of times. He would have gone to stay in England.

Abby: What port of entry did you come in?

Doreen: New Jersey, I think it was.

Abby: What’s one thing that’s better in America than it is in England?

Doreen: I don’t think there’s much of a difference.

Abby: When did you come to America?

Doreen: February the 12th of 1946. It was almost 10 months, after we got married, that I saw my husband for a while because the war with Germany had ended, but the war with Japan hadn’t. So then he was going to travel overseas, but then they dropped the atomic bomb and that was the end with the war with Japan. So, instead of sending him overseas they sent him back to the United States to be demobilized. Then 10 months later I finally got passage on a ship and came to the United States.

Abby: Do you miss anything from England?

Doreen: Oh, yes everyday! Not being rude but I like the politeness of English people, I do like Americans but I like the lifestyle of English people.

Abby: What was it like when you first came to America?

Doreen: It was a new adventure!

Abby: Did you bring anything to the U.S.?

Doreen: Not, really no. except for of course clothes. I think I had two suitcases total.

Abby: Well, that concludes my interview. Thank you for letting me interview you for my social studies project.

Doreen: You’re Welcome, thank you for choosing me as your immigrant for your project.

** Analyisis **
I have learned that every immigrant’s story is different. I really didn’t expect what Doreen’s story would be like. I had a small idea because she was my great-grandma but I only heard bits and pieces, but now that I have heard the whole thing I finally get the big picture of her whole story. In social studies class we learned things in our lesson that would prepare us for one big, elaborate interview. We also learned that the immigrants could have gone through poverty or slavery or discrimination or something along those lines, but the one thing we didn’t exactly learn the immigrants would go through is a normal life. That’s what I learned. England is almost the same as America. I never exactly realized that some people just go to other countries because they want to, or for any reason at all. I think the reason I learned about this is because of the immigrant I interviewed.