Jeanette: My Mother (Chapter 6)

Jeanette Marguerite Beck was born June 10th, 1898, in Chicago.

She was the 5th child born to Charles Beck and his wife, Martha Valk Beck. Both of her parents were of French and Dutch origin. Charley worked as an upholsterer for the huge Fish Furniture Company in Chicago. He also did upholstery and furniture work in his well equipped basement. He was a fun-loving man who loved to drink, but was not an alcoholic - a jolly Dutchman who loved kids, a good time and life. Martha, his wife was a weary woman, totally in the grip of her church and worn out from having 13 children (three of whom died in infancy). She had great skill as a dressmaker and her children were always well dressed and scrubbed, but she was not a good cook. Her allegiance to her church dominated all her thinking. She wanted her daughter, Jeanette, to go into the nunnery at fourteen, but Charley put his foot down, saying "She is not going to waste her life there - I forbid it." He raised such a fuss that she never brought it up again. All of the children went to school at St. Edward's School on Chicago's North side. So, my mother had only an 8th grade education. High School was out of the question as the children all got jobs at the age of 16.

Mother learned to type and so was hired as a typist in the Accounts Department at Sears. She met my father at 18 and married him at 19. Her mother was ecstatic. After she had met Campbell for the first time, she told Jeanette "Marry him - he's got money and he's smart!" But, Jeanette was just 19...Campbell was approaching his 30th birthday...not a good idea!