At The SUMMIT Senior Apartments with Assisted Living Services in Crookston, they treasure the life experiences of their tenants. Here are some memories shared by 103-year-old Evelyn Scully. Having been born in 1916, Evelyn remembers, well, the effects of the Great Depression. She shared, “The farmers were poor and nobody had money. They closed the banks. Anyone who had money in the bank lost it. There was a shortage of money everywhere and for everyone. People couldn’t find work. Because of that, my brother joined the army so that he could at least have an income. The WPA (Works Progress Administration) became established so that people could be put to work.”
Scully stated that though times were tough, she, her seven siblings and her parents had their basic needs met. They had food, clothing and a roof over their heads. “We had plenty of milk, chickens, eggs, butter, beef, pork, and garden produce. All of us worked very hard to do our part. And the Depression didn’t affect our education. We still went to the Douglas Consolidated School.”
The Scully’s were fortunate to have a car. Evelyn reflected, “I can’t remember when we didn’t have our Model T Ford that had to be cranked on to get started.”
‘The Dust Bowl’ is a movie that Scully refers to as a must-see. She noted that the movie truly reflects the difficult times that people lived through during the Depression. Scully remembers how the dust and dirt blew everywhere, “It was unbelievable.” Check out www.villastvincent.org for more.
