“We Just Barely Got By”: Voices of the Silent Generation

1940. Mobile City, Alabama. City of Oppression and the lingering shadow of Jim Crow. Sharecroppers in backwoods scratching to make a dollar to feed a whole family in a 600 square feet home. Whites Only signs on every corner. Dora Lou Gamble was born. She was brought into a world where everything was black & white. However, there was one thing that helped her survive: family.

“My very first memory was getting evicted,” recalled Ardie Zimmer, born in 1941 during World War II. “We just barely got by.”

Zimmer was only three years old when his family was forced from their home in Germantown, Wis., after his parents could no longer afford rent. Raised in a poor household with seven children, he learned early how to survive with very little. Meals were stretched carefully, clothes were worn until they tore, and toys were often made by hand from scraps of wood and rubber.

Ardie was born in the Silent Generation. This generation faced hardship and adversity such as poverty, economic instability, segregation, war and sudden social change, yet they still managed to survive by core values, religion, and the most important thing; family.

Individuals such as Ardie Zimmer, Osie Taylor (but everyone calls her Ms. Osie) and my grandmother Dora Lou Gamble, but the family calls her “Maw”, share very different yet similar perspectives on life during this difficult time, but the one thing that they have in common is family values. When you put them all together, the portrait that they produce shows WHY their lives reflected a different version of the American Dream. They built a fulfilling yet extremely powerful life based on religion, sacrifice, resilience, and courage.

While America promoted images of postwar victory and prosperity, many families were still struggling simply to survive. Zimmer recalled eating inexpensive cuts of meat and being taught never to waste food. Clothes were carefully preserved because replacing them was often impossible. The entertainment was homemade. “We had to make our own games,” Zimmer said. “We made our own toys a lot.”

My Grandmother Maw also shared vivid memories of growing up and having to be smart with the resources that she was given in order to survive. Dora Lou Gamble, born in 1940 in Mobile, Alabama, described growing up in a household with 12 children where religion and responsibility were central to everyday life.

‘We were taught to respect people, to love people,’ Gamble said. ‘Always put God first.’

Gamble said children were expected to help raise younger siblings, keep the house clean and stay active in church. Her family also experienced the realities of segregation in the South during the era of Jim Crow laws.

“‘Black folks weren’t treated right,” Gamble said, describing life in Alabama before moving to Milwaukee in 1962.

Miss Osie also remembered segregation in Milwaukee during the 1950s and 1960s. Taylor described racial tension and restrictions that divided Black and white communities throughout the city.

“It was bad because the whites watched our every move and I didn’t like it because it wasn’t like this when I was living in Illinois. Everyone liked one another, no matter if we were black or white,” said Taylor. Taylor’s memories reflected real fear and racial tension rather than distant historical memory. “The whites wanted to make sure that blacks stayed on the north side of Milwaukee,” Taylor said.

Despite hardship and discrimination, all three interviewees described finding joy through family, music, sports and community life. Taylor remembered dancing, playing softball and listening to jazz music, especially songs by Lena Horne. She also recalled walking with friends to the lake, going to movies and spending time at Washington Park.

Although their experiences differed, each interview reflected many of the same values: sacrifice, faith, responsibility and resilience. Gamble eventually became a homeowner after moving north and said financial discipline was one of the most important lessons she learned growing up.

“‘Don’t ever pay anyone rent to live in a home,’” Gamble said. Another lesson she gave referring to today’s expenses and younger generation’s spending habits is, “Don’t DoorDash your money.”

The interviewees believe many values from their generation have faded over time. Zimmer said modern definitions of wealth and poverty have changed dramatically, while Gamble believes younger generations often overlook the importance of faith, patience and family unity.

Still, all three interviewees shared one common belief: survival was not defined by money alone.

“It’s not so much financial,” Zimmer said. “A lot of other things in life than just money.”