This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Parachute Pack Queen of World War II Iowa Story
Dorothy Welsh, at 5 foot 1 and 92 pounds, packed 975 parachutes in 1942–43 for military training. Her daughters recall the meticulous process at home in Cedar Rapids, the $5 per parachute wage, and a family routine of dinners and cinema between shifts. Her husband Fred served in the Navy, and she continued work after the war until 1991.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mary Sharp Gazette
Metro-Iowa
Susan Welsh
Welsh
Dorothy Louise Morgan Welsh
Glass Rd
Nancy Welsh Bell
Juhl Dr
Second Ave
Dorothy
Susan
Nancy
Fred
Navy
Hunter
Cedar Rapids
St. Luke’s Hospital
Killian’s Tea Room
Woolworth’s
New Jersey
Alaska
Florida
Fred Welsh
Colonial Bakery
Armstrong’s Department Store
Dorothy Welsh
Second Avenue