I went thru eighth grade, graduated and went on to nine months at the Metropolitan Business College, after which I worked at a few odd jobs in offices. [First I] got into the Butler Paper Co. where I worked for two years and quit, [then I] got into The Import Paper Co. worked there for four months and quit, as we were moving way up north to Devon Ave. It was too long a ride to work.

[I] was home for awhile, had put [in] an application at Northwestern RR Co. where Aunt Cal got a job and Ollie Buehlman worked as brakeman, so was anxious for that job. Got to work there for 13 years plus [as a comptometer operator]. Had a wonderful boss altho’ the company was hard to work for as far as we girls were concerned in our dept.

We got passes, and altho’ I couldn’t get a summer vacation because [of] so many having seniority and never quitting, I usually got March, April or the Fall. So took advantage of the passes and usually went traveling with a girlfriend or a group. Also got a leave of absence two summers in a row, once because I wasn’t well and the other because Ollie spoke up for me to our head boss, Mr. Foster, who was very nice [but was] later tossed out by a real strict bunch taking over.

So I travelled with the family--Aunt Louise and her sons and family. We went out west on the trains, it really was a venture in those days, early 30s. Went to Seattle and Puget Sound and Victoria Islands via a big boat, on to Vancouver. Went many times to Florida, New York, Wash. DC and once to El Paso Texas with girlfriend Florence during the days of the awful sand storms and the OKies all moving to Cal. We saw many dead cattle along the way. We got into Jurarez Mexica, just over the border, but with Aunt Cals and Stan’s nephew and friend meeting us, took us around so we had protection.

I knew Karl (dad) from kid on although we didn’t see one another for many years. [We] remet in 1936 and were married Sept 1937. Went thru the second world war, had hard times. Paul was born 1941, Marcia in 1943, Alan in 1945. A boy was born (still born, had he lived would have been retarded) in 1939. So the rest of the years you know.

-- Ethel Mayer Vogt, May 1979 letter to her daughter Marcia

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Educated thru 8th grade. (She had to get a job to help support the family (other, father, and sister Margie), thus was unable to further her education. (However, Ethel’s verbal, spelling, and social skills were well beyond the years she spent in school.)

Ethel died of cancer in Sept. 1979 after fighting it for nine (9) years.

-- Marcia Vogt Podlesak, Oct. 2013 letter to her cousin Lynn Steen

Ethel L. Vogt, 70, a Monterey resident for the past nine years, died Thursday at her home after a lengthy illness. Mrs. Vogt was born Oct. 18, 1908, in Chicago, Ill. She was a member of the American Association of Retired Persons.

Mrs.Vogt is survived by her husband, Karl; sons, Paul of Lebanon, Ohio and Alan of Santa Monica, Cal.; daughter Marcia Podlesak of Country Club Hills, Ill.; sister, Mrs. Margery Voutsas of Carmel, and six grandchildren.

Private family services have been held. California Cremation Society is in charge of arrangements. The ashes will be scattered at sea. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Hospice of the Monterey Peninsula, P.O. Box 7236, Carmel, 93921.

-- Monterey Herald

See http://www.steen-frost.org/Pwd/Docs/Mayer_files/1979_Mayer_Family_History.pdf for Ethel’s take on the Mayer family history.