On January 21, 1918, Frank Leigh Gitchell Jr. was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to his parents, Frank Leigh Gitchell and Laura Mae Miller. Before Frank’s first birthday, his mother passed away, leaving behind her husband and three children. Frank was the youngest of the Gitchell children with two older sisters. Following Frank’s first year of high school, he dropped out and pursued a job with University Press at the University of Virginia.
Read MoreMichael Steven Lyle was born on April 18, 1946, to his parents, Nellie Richie and William Lyle. Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Michael was surrounded by a large family; he especially loved spending time with his four brothers. Denver had started to grow after World War II, but the city was not always welcoming to African-American families like the Lyle family.
Read MoreDorothy “Dottie” Louise Williams-Young was born on January 7, 1923, in the Steel City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest daughter of Howard and Edna Kunkle. Dottie graduated from Bellview High School in 1941, followed by the completion of her associate’s degree from the Grace Martin School of Business.
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Read MoreOn December 21, 1922, John Gifford Adamson was born in Englewood, Colorado. He was the son of Gifford Fred Adamson and Gertrude Minor. He lived his early childhood in Englewood, surrounded by his younger sister and parents during the Great Depression. By the time John was finishing high school, the United States was deeply entrenched in the Second World War. In 1942, John attended Otero Junior College and had just finished his football season when he received a draft notice.
Read MoreDiana Denise Ceciliani was born Diana Denise Clark on October 30, 1959, in Columbus, Ohio. During her youth, she grew up in the city and attended Walnut Ridge High School, where she joined the Student Council and effected change for the better within the school. She was also a member of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and belonged to the German club, showing a deep dedication to learning and leading.
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The story of Booker T. Sowell is one of hard work and determination. Throughout his life, he faced numerous hardships, but he remained steadfast in creating opportunities for himself and his family. Booker was a man who bravely fought for his rights in the face of racist intimidation, making Colorado history while doing so.
Read MoreJohn Donald Keller was born on January 18, 1935, in Denver, Colorado, to Evelyn Donna DeLuca and Lewis Henry Keller. John (affectionately named “Donnie” by his family) grew up with his parents and older sisters, Betty and Josephine, on Mariposa Street right across from the La Alma-Lincoln Park neighborhood near downtown Denver.
Read MoreIt was June 2, 1927, when Albert and Laura Skari, two farmers from Arnegard Township, North Dakota, welcomed their twins into the world. One of these children was Vernon Edwin Skari. Vernon and his twin sister Verna were the youngest of Albert and Laura’s ten children, all of whom were raised on the family farm and ranch in North Dakota.[1]
Charles Neil Zorn was born on June 7, 1930, to Glenn and Grace Zorn in Muskegon, Michigan. Muskegon, a city located on the shores of Lake Michigan, was like many others during the 1930s, economically devastated by the Great Depression. Most notably, Michigan fared worse than the rest of the country in the Depression due to a heavy reliance on the auto industry for its labor market.
Read More“...It is the preservation of wilderness areas, national parks, and monuments that give us fleeting glimpses of the wonders that nature has created. It is the parks, the gardens, and other recreational facilities that provide a constructive outlet for our leisure time.
Read MoreFoster Duane Wendell was born on January 18, 1941, to Howard and Harriet Morley Wendell. Foster was one of four children and was the second son.
Read MoreHason “Haas” Fujio Yanaga was born to Haishburo and Tamano Yanaga both of whom were Japanese immigrants to the United States, on August 21, 1926. Hason, the fifth boy of six that blessed the Yanaga home, grew up on a 160-acre farm near Fort Lupton, Colorado.
Read MoreDick Daisuke Momii was born on January 29, 1924, on a farm in Brighton, Colorado, the son of George Shumpei Nawata and Takeno Momii. His parents immigrated to the United States, his father first living in Hawaii and Wyoming before settling in Colorado.
Read MoreTo be courageous during wartime requires a great deal of mental fortitude and self-trust. This is especially true when you find yourself fighting during the outbreak of a war halfway across the world. Within the first months of US involvement in the Korean War, Billy Lindley proved just how courageous young Marines can be.
Read MoreBravery can be hard to come by. For Ronald Eugene Dusch, however, bravery was almost second-nature. Born January 11, 1938, to Emma Van Horn and Charles Dusch,
Read MoreAs far back as she could remember, Yvonne was always interested in planes. It may have stemmed from listening to her father Elvin’s stories about serving in World War I as an airplane mechanic for the Navy’s Aviation Flight Unit.
Read MoreMercedes LaVay Peebles was born Mercedes LeVay Reichstein on July 18, 1921, in Kearney, Nebraska, to Eddie and Stella Reichstein. Eddie Reichstein was born in Iowa and worked at a filling station (modern-day gas station) and by the 1940s, he would own the station.
Read MoreRobert “Bob” Elliott Ball was born in Wichita, Kansas, on May 2, 1923. He grew up on a farm with his parents, Sidney and Lucinda, and his grandparents.
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