My Mentor

Thank you for all your thoughts and memories.  A common theme seemed to be ‘listening’.  Got it. 

As I was cleaning out some stuff and things I came across this article from the local paper, dated November 14, 1976.  I was in college, married and 3-1/2 years away from becoming a mother the first time myself.

She’s Active Sewing Student At Age of 90

When the time comes for Ada Wolf to have her dress hem marked in tailoring class, she doesn’t need help from anybody. 

This may not seem an unusual fea except fo rthe fact that Mrs. Wolf is 90 years old.

She is not attending class because she does not know how to sew,  She goes because she likes to stay active and she wants to improve her skills.  She loves to sew and has been sewing most of her life, first b hand, then with the treadle (which she still owns), and now with any machine available. (current day note – I now own that treadle machine.)

"My daughter suggested that I go back to school several years ago.  I thought I was too old, but I like it and I’ve been going ever since."

The class she attends is a Hillsborough County Adult Education course conducted at the Ybor School by Mrs. Sara Superlady.

"Mrs. Wolf seldom misses a class and makes more clothes than any other student.  She not only sews for herself, but for her daughter and granddaughters as well.  I think she’s fantastic."

The change in women’s fashions through the years was an interesting topic of Mrs. Wolf’s conversations.  Althought she does not like the short-short skirts, she prefers the simplicity and convenience of modern dresses.  Nevertheless, she recalled with delight the long dresses of her girlhood-the bustles-the underskirt with graduated tiers of ruffles, covered with embroidered flounces.  The work involved in maintaining these items, however, was not so delightful.

"Those underskirts had to be starched and ironed.  ANd we didn’t wear just one but two and sometimes three under our dresses.

The hobble skirt was another style neither she nor her husband liked.  It was a long very narrow skirt with only a short slit in the ankle length hem.  Boarding a streetcar presented a real problem.

"In those days it was very improper for a woman to pull her dress up over her knees, but if she was wearing a hobble and wanted to ride the streetcar she had no choice."

Other progessive changes Mrs. Wolf can appreciate are the inventions of the washing machine, automobile, airpolane, radio and television.

She enjoys watching television, but not to the extent of inactivity. She lives with her daughter and son-in-law and does all the laundry for the family, bakes and helps with the housework.

She likes to read and thinks libraries are wonderful.  For years when she was a child, libraries were non-existent. And when a library was built, it was 6 miles from her house.

"And that was before streetcars.  Six miles was a long way shen you had to walk, so I didn’t get there very often."

Now, in a few minutes time, her daughter drives her to the library every two weeks.  She checks out 6 novels at a time and has her own method of selectivity.  She always reads the last page to see if the story has a happy ending.  If not, it stays in the library.

"There’s enough unhappiness in the world.  I don’t have to read about it in books."

In her hometown in McKean Count, PA, Mrs. Wolf was school director from 1921-1049.  When her husband, the county tax collector died in 1949 she was approved to replace him.  She held this job until 1960 when she moved to FL (to take care of me!)

On September 18 her sewing classmates gave her a surprise birthday party.  They sang Happy Birthday Grandma, and rightfully so.  She has 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.  She said she thoroughly enjoyed being 90.

"I don’t feel any older.  In fact I remember when I thought everyone over 35 was old.  But I guess when you get to the age you thought was old, you don’t think it’s old any more."

Her face saddened somewhat when she spoke of the few friends her age who are still living, but her sense of humor soon dispelled the pensive mood.

"Of course, I have other friends-some in their eighties-just young people."

I loved my Gran – and I miss her.