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12/13/2021

Maxine: 100 Years in Bloomington, Indiana

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Maxine: 100 Years in Bloomington, Indiana

Working with Sandra McLary, Maxine's daughter has been a delight and pleasure. We had a lot of fun visiting and sharing stories together and then deciding that Maxine's stories could be broken into three distinct stories that fold into the bigger picture that shows Iris Maxine Pontius has been living in Bloomington, Indiana for 100 year. Her stories help to preserve the history of our community. Here are some of the highlights of the stories and links to each story.

Growing up on Bethel Lane during the depression
Meeting my dad, courtship, and wedding
Living in Florida at the end of the war
Working at RCA
- Building radios on the line pre-WWII
- Working in the secret room
- Building a gold-plated color TV for exhibition

Growing Up in Bloomington

Maxine: Growing up in Bloomington Iris Maxine Pontius grew up during the Great Depression on a small farm outside Bloomington, Indiana. She and her eight siblings learned that working together made family life enjoyable even during hard times. They grew up in a two-bedroom farm house with no heat or electricity or indoor plumbing, yet their home was a center of hospitality for many people in their community. The interview is with Maxine (aged 100)and her daughter Sandra McLary (aged 74).

Working @ RCa & getting married

Iris Maxine Pontius worked at RCA starting in the late 1930s and continuing until her retirement in 1978. During WWII, she was part of a secret project building electronic devices to help the war effort. Later she helped build an early color television set displayed by RCA at an electronics conference in NYC. The rules for working women during the 1940s made being married a special challenge. The interview is with Maxine (aged 100) and her daughter Sandra McLary (aged 74)

Hooray! The war is over

Iris Maxine Pontius moved to Florida to be with her soldier husband Wayne during the final months of WWII. She brought a radio from home which became a source of news and entertainment for their twelve-cabin community. At war’s end, Maxine and Wayne long to be home. With no car, little money, and a baby on the way, the young couple are in for an adventure. The interview is with Maxine (aged 100) and her daughter Sandra McLary (aged 74)