Madge May

Madge May was amazing. She went from being a farm wife to the head bookkeeper of Lincoln's most upscale fashion store at the time. She learned bookkeeping because she and her husband borrowed money from the Farm Security Administration, and they insisted that their clients know how to keep track of their finances. To see and hear Madge in portions of his oral history interview click here or on the pictures above.

Madge used to kill and process a lot of chickens, first for her family and then as a money-making operation. Her husband, Lynn, went through a lot of different enterprises to make ends meet, as well. They worked very hard to make it through the Depression. Yet, she was remarkably philosophical about the experience. "It was difficult at that time," she said, "and we wouldn't want out children to go through it [the Depression]. But I can see great value in it because we have a much greater appreciation for even small things than people do today."