March invites us to pause and reflect during Women’s History Month, a time to honor the resilience, sacrifice, leadership and love that women have poured into families and communities for generations. Over the past 100 years, women have shaped history not only in headlines and history books, but also in kitchens, classrooms, hospitals, churches, offices and homes. At Legacy Senior Living, we are privileged to know many of these women personally. Their lives tell the story of a century marked by perseverance, faith and quiet strength.
Many of these women spent their childhoods shaped by the realities of World War II, a season defined by fear, sacrifice and steadfast resilience. Others had childhoods marked simply by uncertainty and had to run from social stigmas and oppression. These childhoods were shaped by resilience as families conserved what they had, prayed for safe returns and learned to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Even at a young age, they understood sacrifice and responsibility. Those formative years fostered resourcefulness, faith and a deep appreciation for community that has stayed with them throughout their lives.
Julie Van Ham (84), Legacy Village of Park Regency, was born in England just prior to the beginning of WWII. Her earliest memories center around the smog that was so thick she could not see her own hand in front of her, and that some days they had to burn coal to keep warm. Her favorite childhood memory was the end of the war. She moved to the US in her twenties with her family and eventually started working for Honeywell as a secretary where she assisted in testing new night vision technology for fighter pilot helmets.
Catherine Wilkerson Wood (93), Catherine grew up in the small town of Columbia, Alabama during WWII. When she was 9 years old, the war ended. A man grabbed the town’s fire truck and drove around town, picking up all the children so they could announce the end of the war. Since they did not have television, that was how most of the town found out. It was a very happy day.
Abigel Ans Goeman (92), Legacy Village of Hendersonville, began her story in Leiden, Netherlands. Her childhood was shaped by tanks rolling down her street, German soldiers on patrol and planes flying overhead. At one point, Abigel and her father journeyed many miles together searching for safety, often being turned away.
Julie Sandor (87), Renaissance Senior Living of Hilldale, grew up in Hungary during the Soviet era. Her father, once a Colonel General, was considered “undesirable” by the government, and the family lived under constant threat of intrusion. During a family vacation, her father was arrested and sent to a Russian prison camp despite having all the correct papers. At 16, Julie’s family was able to leave Hungary for Austria. A bright student, Julie eventually followed her brother to the US and attended university, despite not knowing any English. She graduated three years later.
These stories remind us that courage often begins long before adulthood. For many of the women in our communities, resilience was not something learned later in life. It was forged early, refined through challenge and carried forward into every season that followed.
