Remembering my Grandma

Mother to Mary Anne

Woman Banker

Widow at age 63 and for the next 31 yrs

Great-granddaughter, Bridigit – Granddaughter, Sally – daughter Mary Anne – Isabel (age 82 here)

Born on this date in 1908
in Louisville, Kentucky
Taft just became President and the Model-T became available.
She was the beloved only-sister to Bill and Eddie.
Her dad and one brother worked at Churchill Downs, counting the money
so maybe it was her destiny to also have a career handling money.

She moved to DC, became wife to Claude B. Moore
But everyone called him C.B.
He spent his life selling cars
though never taught Isabel how to drive.
In 1935, they had their only child, a daughter, Mary Anne.
Had her baptized and raised her Catholic
in the Columbia Heights neighborhood
where she attended Sacred Heart with her girlfirends
and would ride the streetcar downtown.

In 1943,
maybe because having a 7-year old was expensive
maybe, due to the war, cars weren’t selling
maybe, due to the war, jobs were easier for a woman to get
Isabel got hired at a bank.
She had to say her name was Miss Isabel Sulzer
because a married woman wouldn’t be hired
And for the next 40-some years, she kept the bank in order
and helped support her family.

For fun she played pinochle, crocheted and quilted
and cooked the best cheeseball, gravey and spare ribs
At age 63, she became a widow
Jimmy, Cathi, Jeanne, Sally and Chris came along and called her Grandma
Bridigit, Anne, Curtis, and Garrett came along and called her Great-Nana

Daughter – sister – Aunt – wife – mother – banker – widow – Grandma – Great-nana
So many lovely names for Isabel Sulzer Moore
Born on this date, March 28th, 114 years ago.
She’s my grandma, gone too soon, at age 94.