One Woman's Century: The Remarkable Story of Angela Marsh Peterson (1902-2000)

257 Pages·2004·20.48 MB·English

by  Angela Marsh Peterson

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Parkway Publishers, Inc.
Boone, North Carolina
Copyright © 2005 by Kevin Todeschi
All Rights Reserved
available from:
Parkway Publishers, Inc.
P. O. Box 3678
Boone, NC 28607
www.parkwaypublishers.com
Tel/Fax: [phone]
Library o/Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Peterson,AngelaMarsh, 1902-2000.
Onewoman's century: theremarkable storyofAngelaMarsh
Peterson, 1902-2000/ [editedby] KevinJ. Todeschi.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-887905-38-3
1. Peterson,AngelaMarsh, 1902-2000.2.Teachers-United
States-Biography. 3. Businesswomen-UnitedStates-Biography.
4. UnitedStates.Army ServiceForces. SpecialService
Division.-Biography. 5. HighPoint(N.C.)-Biography. I.
Todeschi, KevinJ. II. Title.
CT275.P5847A32004
973.91'092-dc22
2004016577
CoverDesign byAaronBurleson
Editing, layoutandbookdesign byJulie Shissler

AngelaMarshPeterson(1902-2000)wasanextraordinaryindividualwhoencountered
nearlyeveryexperienceavailabletoatwentiethcenturywoman:marriage,motherhood,divorce,
thedeathofachild,beingabusinesswoman,teachingschool.ShewatchedHaley'scometwith
hermotherin1910andheardaboutthetragedyoftheTitanic.SheexperiencedtheDepression
andbothWorldWars.Thedaughterofastatesenator,shewouldgrowtosurviverape,anervous
breakdown, and acrippling illness. In time she would serve in the military, organize atravel
company, createoneofthefirstseniorcitizen centersin thecountry, andfound amuseum.
Her acts of helping others began as achild when she organized afundraiser for
the Red Cross during World War I.As ayoung woman and teacher, she began the firstfree
lunch programforunderprivilegedchildren inthestateofWestVirginia. Shealsoworkedfora
semesterteaching theblind.
AfteradivorceandWorldWarII,shebattledagediscriminationatforty-sixtobecome
aCaptain in theArmy's Special Services division and serve as overseas Recreation Director
in Korea. Shewould laterservein asimilarcapacityatmilitaryinstallationsin bothTexasand
Turkey.Afterherstintinthearmy,shewouldbecomeabusinesswoman,tourleaderandtravel
companyownerinTurkeyinthe1960s.Whilethere,shewroteamonthlycolumnonTurkishsites
andhistory.LatershewouldbecomeDeanofFreshmenMenatOhioWesleyanUniversity-where
shemanaged meetingsandconventionsduringthesummersession.
Inherseventiessheonceagaintaughtschoolandgavepubliclectures.Throughout
her life she was involved in theatre and the arts, and adoll collection that would expand to
becomeamuseum, which shefounded attheageofeighty.
Although herexploitsand herlife'sactivitieswereoften chronicled in thepaper, she
diedimpoverishedandcrippledinanursinghome, retainingonlythefacultiesofhermind.She
used the time to recount her long life, her many occupations, her doll collection, her varied
psychicexperiences, andthepeoplethathad been importantin herlife.
ThisisAngela's remarkablelifestory.
Lv
Dianainherarmorbright,hadnotyourcouragedear
ProserpinainPluto'snight,lackedyourboundlesscheer
Aphrodite'sbeautywasapalestartoyourbrilliantsun
AndVenus'form comparedtoyours waslikeelephanttofawn...
Sogotobed, andrestmypetandIprayyourdreams includeme
ForhowI wishI wasclosedinyourarmsinsteadofwhereI nowbe.
from Gordon, oneofAngela'ssuitors
whilehewason theroad in South Carolina
v

For over four-and-a-halfyears Angela Marsh Peterson was a central part
ofmy life. We came together essentially because I was interested in writing and
she was interested in telling her story-a story that had encountered several aborted
attempts formorethanadecade. We decidedtoworktogetherontheproject.Angela
suppliedmewiththenarrative, aswellas awealthofpictures, letters, anecdotes, and
memorabilia.
Althoughshewasaloneandcrippledinanursinghome,upuntilthelastthree
months ofherlifehermindremainedclearandshepossessedaremarkablememory.
FrequentlyIhadthe opportunitytohearAngelatellastory from herpastandwould
later come across atape recording from more thantenyears before that containeda
nearlyperfectword-for-wordnarrativeofthe sameincidentshehadrelatedtome.
InadditiontoAngela's variedexperiences andthemanynewspaperarticles
chroniclingher life's events,Angela's archives includedliterallyhundreds ofletters
writtenbyher, herex-husbandFred, andhersisterHelen. Forthatreason, Idecided
tointersperseAngela'spresent-daynarrativewithlettersandnewspaperarticlesfrom
thepast.
Usingverbatimextractsfromthelettersandthenewspaperclippingshadnot
beenpartofAngela's intentandshehadnotevenlookedatthesethings for decades.
Irememberinparticularoneloveletterthatherthen-husbandFredhadwrittentoher
on October 5, 1925 that is included inPart II. While reading a draft ofthat section,
Angelawastrulytakenby surprisewhenshe sawFred'swords frommorethansixty
years before. Shewas shockedbyhowthe letterhadaffectedherinthe present, and
askedme to take itout ofthe book. Ichallengedher, notingthatFredhad savedher
letterstohim,justasshehadsavedmanyofhistoher,"Perhapsthesethingshavebeen
savedalltheseyearsforareason."Angelarelentedandtheletterstayed.Angela'ssister,
Helen,hadalsosavedmanyofherletters,recountingAngela'stravelswhileoverseas.
AfterbothFredandHelenhaddied,theletterswerereturnedtoAngela.Manyofthese
lettersbecameaninvaluablepartofchroniclingAngela's story.
s
EarlyonIdecidedtodivideOneWoman Centuryintothefivemajorpartsof
Angela'slife. Oneofouronlyarguments camewhenIinsistedthatweneededtoend
her storywithPartV, chroniclingher experiences withthe museum andthe nursing
home.Angelawantedto endthe book eitherafterherexperiences inTurkey orwith
themuseum,"Itoldyou, Idon'twanttodwellmuchonthenursinghome.Whycan't
weendthebookrightafterTurkey?There'snothingexcitingaboutthedailyeventsin
anursinghome.Nobodywantstoreadaboutanoldwomandyinginanursinghome!"
ButIinsisted. Beforeherdeath, shemanagedtoreadthefirst draftofallbutperhaps
the lasttwentypages ofthemanuscript.
Angelawas aproudwoman andrefusedto show any signs ofweakness or
talk about any regrets. However, in hernearly one hundredyears, she didhave one
regretthatbotheredherformuchofherlife.Anervousbreakdownhadresultedafter
alonghealthproblemandbeingraped-aneventthatshehadnevertoldanyone. That
breakdown caused her to leave her two young children in the care ofher husband.
Becauseofherownproblems,sheessentiallyabandonedthememotionally. Sheoften
mentionedthe impactof thewhole situation, especiallyonherson, Eric.
KevLVvJ. TodesGV1L
Yearslater,whenshejourneyedandlivedoverseastoworkfirstintheSpecial
Services andthenlateras atravelagentandtourguide, the distancebetweenherself
andherchildrenwidenedfurther. Hersononcetoldher,"Mom,youpaidquiteaprice
foryouryearsaway."Angelatoldmethatsheagreed.Heronlyregretwasthatshefelt
shehadfailed as amotherandthatshehadalienatedEric.
During the time we were together,Angela and I grew very close. Itriedto
callhertwiceaweekandItookthefive-and-a-half-hourdrivetoseehereverycouple
ofmonths. Every SundayandWednesdaynightwhenIwouldcall,Angelawouldbe
sittinginherbedwiththephoneonherlap,waitingforittoring. Irememberfeeling
especiallyguiltythe twotimes Iforgot to callher(eventhoughI calledherthe very
next day), for I imagined seeing her sitting there waiting, and waiting, all alone in
herroom.
Shetoldmethatshelookedforwardtomyvisitsandmyphonecalls,"More
than anything."Although Iwas more thanfifty years youngerthan she was, intime
Angelajokedwithherfriends thatIwasher"boyfriend."
The lasttime I everspokewithher, she toldme, "I do loveyou, honey. Be
agoodboy," andthenshetoldmegoodnight. ItoldherIlovedhertoo andIhungup
the phone. Iwish Ihadknownthenthat itwouldbe the last conversationwe would
everhave.
Afew days afterherdeath, the localpapercarriedafront-page article about
thewomanIhadcometoknow. Itwouldbeoneofliterallyhundredsofarticlesabout
herlife's experiences.
Excerpt,HighPointEnterprise; Tuesday, September 19,2000:
WomanCapturedMagicinMiniature
Angela Peterson created afantasyworldwith dollsfrom hermanytravels.
She said the dolls recreated the magic oferas long past and spoke truths their
creatorscouldnolongershare.
Shewas91whenshedonatedhercollectionofmorethan1,000dollstocreate
theAngelaPetersonDoll&MiniatureMuseum. PetersondiedFridayatage98.
BorninParkersburg,WestVirginia, Petersonledanomadiclifeofexploring
anddollcollecting.
"Shewasstrong-willed, andthathelpedhertodoalotofthemoreunusual
thingsshedidin herlife,"said Peterson'sgranddaughter, Karen. "Shedidalotof
thingsthatweren'tthenormorexpectedforwomen bornin1902."
Peterson's adventurouscareerand passion forcollecting dolls blossomed
relativelylateinlife.Shehadbeenahousewifeandmotheruntilshedivorced.
Shewasinherlate40swhenshebecamearecreationdirectorfortheU.S.
ArmedForces.ShewasstationedinWaco,Texas,andKoreauntilthewarescalated.
In 1952,shewenttoFortWorth. Afterthat, shespentseveralyearsasadeanof
freshmenatOhioWesleyan University.
In 1960,sheleftforasix-month vacation in Europeandwound upstaying
inTurkeyfornearlytenyears...Inall,Petersonlivedineightstatesandshevisited
44countries.
"She was anomad. She just loved to roam," [daughter-in-law] Neville
Petersonsaid.
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Nooneknowsexactlywhyshewassofascinatedbydollsanddriventofind
avenuetodisplaythemallfortheworldtosee.
Shereceivedwhatwould bethefirstdollofhercollectionwhen shewas6
yearsold.Thedoll, Rosie, disappearedeachThanksgivingand reappeared each
Christmaswithadifferentwigandoutfit.
"I think that sparked her love of dolls and made herwant to craft these
wonderfuloutfits,"saidSusanMyers,directorofthemuseum.Today,Rosiehasan
extensivewardrobe,andPetersoncraftedelaborateminiaturedisplaysshowcased
atthemuseum.
Hermostprizedpossession isalargenativityscenewithdollsfromaround
theworld.
"Theyareawonderful documentofthelives,dress,customsofthe Middle
AgesandtheRenaissance.Wecancreateonlyfromwhatweknow,andEuropeans
knewnothingofPalestineorearliereras.DollsrepresentingthetimeofChristwere
dressed and housed astheirmakerswere," Peterson wrote in an introduction to
thecollection.
Thenativityscenetookher34yearstocomplete.Themostdifficultcomponent
toacquirewasthebabyJesus.PetersonsaidthatshopkeepersinItalywerereluctant
to sell hermany members ofthe nativity, but nonewanted to sell herthe infant
because"onlyJudastookmoneyforJesus."
Eventually,ashopownergaveherababyJesusdolltostophercrying.
"Later,shetoldGarySmithwheretoputeachandeverydollandsaidnever
tomovethem,"CharlotteYoung,directoroftheHighPointConventionandVisitor's
Bureau,saidofherpredecessor.
Smith,nowinLongBeach,California,said,"Shewantedeveryonetoshare
whatshehadfeltaboutthecollection.Shehadsomestorytotellabouteveryone
ofthem..."
Angela'sfinalwishwastohavethe opportunityto shareherremarkablelife
s
storywitheveryone. Forthatreason, itispresentedhere as One Woman Century.