Jennifer McMullen (nee Conaway) was born October 22, 1924 in Scio, Ohio. She grew up there against the backdrop of the Great Depression, and she recalls government agencies such as the CCC and the WPA. When the war came her two brothers were drafted, and Jennifer recalls the way the country united, with everyone wanting to do their part. She too opted to get involved in war industry, becoming one of the millions of “Rosie the Riveters” who would transform the American war effort, and later society in general. Jennifer’s family moved from Ohio to Arizona because of her father’s health, and from there Jennifer headed to California, where she took work at the Lockheed plant in Burbank. There she was a bucker and a riveter, working on the line to produce the P-38 aircraft. For a time she stayed with two other young women, but after a while she stayed at a family home – the McMullen family home, where she would later meet a returning serviceman. When Mel came home the two started to date, and they would marry just a few months later, raising their three sons and making a life in postwar California – and traveling around the world. Crestwood students were able to zoom with Jennifer and Mel in April 2024.
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