University of Illinois at Springfield Norris L Brookens Library Archives/Special Collections Stan Catherwood Memoir C286.Catherwood, Stan b. 1921 Interview and memoir 5 tapes, 370 mins., 69 pp. Catherwood discusses his WWII navy experiences: service on the U.S.S. Tide, combat experiences, shipyard work, and military duties. He also discusses his father's medal of honor from WWI, education, businesses in Springfield, the Depression, career at Allis Chalmers, and interest in aviation. Interview by Steve Bolin, 1986 OPEN See collateral file Archives/Special Collections LIB 144 University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield IL 62703-5407 © 1986, University of Illinois Board of Trustees Table of contents Family Background • 1 WOrld War II Experiences. .11 Reunion of USB Tide SW:Vivors • .25 work:irg in the Shipycn:ds. • .29 Married Life. • .33 Workir:q at Allis Olalmers • .36 Politics. • .41 Illinois State Fair • .42 Depression Years. • .44 School. • .47 Father's Medal of Honor • • 0 .49 Aviation. .52 Stan Catherwood Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Preface '!his maruscript is the produc:t. of four taped interviews COlXiucted by steve Bolin for the oral History Office durin:f the fall of 1986. steve Bolin transcribed the tapes am edited the transcript. stan cathe.t:wood reviewed the transcript. stan catherwood was bom in Sprirgfield, Illinois on November 6, 1921. His father, John HUgh catherwood had eazned the con;,ressional Medal of Honor for service in the Blilippines. After an interval in Chester, Illinois, Stan's family IICVed back to Sprinjfield. Despite adversity during the Great Depression he was able to graduate fran I.anphier High School. D.J.rin:;J his high SChool years he was employed at the Ol:J?heum '!heater as an usher. In 1943 he enlisted for chlty in the United states Navy. Assigned to the uss Tide which on JUne 7, 1944 was SW1k by two mines, Stan spent alncst ei9liE months in military hospitals reaoverirq fran injuries. In 1945 stan returned to Sprirgfield ani began his thirty year career with Allis Chalmers. In the late forties he began flyirq small airplanes eventually owinq a J-2 ani later a Taylor craft. In the 1950s he began a career in p:::>litics. For twenty years he served as a Democrat on the Sangamon COUnty Board. Steve Bolin was a frien:l of the catherwood family by way of membership at the same church. Prior frierrlsh.ip with Gary Cathel:wood, Stan 1 s son, led to the desire to interview Stan for an oral history. Steve m:JVed to Springfield in 1975. He fiished schoo1i.rq there am then atterxied both Moody Bible Institute ani Lincoln Land community College before enterin:j ~ State university as an uOOergraduate major in the history progz:am. Readers of the oral history lnl!lOOir should bear in mini that it is a transcript of the spoken word, an:i that the interviawer, narrator and editor sooght to preseJ:Ve the infonual, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. ~ state University is not responsible for the factual aocura.cy of the IriEm:)ir, nor for views expressEd therein; these are for the reader to judge. 'Ihe manuscript may be read, quoted ani cited freely. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by arry :means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writ:i.rg from the oral History Office, Sargamon State unlversity, Spr~ield, Illinois 62794-9243. Stan Catherwood Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Stan Ca:therwood, o::tober 31, 1986, Sprirgfield, Illinois. steve Bolin, InteJ::viewer. Q: Could you give us your name please? A: Alfl:a:l stanley catherwood. Q: okay, Mr. catherwood, oould you also give us your birthdate please? A: I was bom an November 6, 1921, at Sprirgfield, Illinois. Q: COUld you give us your parents 1 names? A: It was Dolly A. ca:therwood ani John Hugh catherwood. My father was the seventh in line with the name of JC'Ihn HUgh. Q: Okay. '!hat was Jr¥ seoc:ni question, I was qoin;J to ask you, if there was any traditional name in your family. A: Well there is. My ~ named John, he was named after rrrt brother John Hugh catherwood. Q: Do ytlU remember yollr parents I birthdates? A: No, I don't. Q: Y'aJ. don't? A: I'll soon be 65 years old in two weeks, or one week rather, and at this time I don't remember. I think that JI¥ father was ten years older than lfti mother. I think she was bom in 1888, am that would make Jirf father's birthdate ten years prior to that. Q: Okay. Do you kr'1ow where they were bom? A: He was bom in SprirgfieJ.d, Illinois, ani she was bom in Cora City. Q: Is that in Illinois? A: Yes. Q: NCM do you know heM they met? Do you remember? Stan Catherwood Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS stan cath.erwocxi 2 A: Well, I really don't :la'DI exactly how they met, but~ had a frierd Myrtle Olffee that was a friend. of her's until the time she died. But, I actually don't remember. Q: Did you know when they married? A: It was 1918 but I don't remember the exact date of either. Q: Ik:> you remember your gran:lparents' names? A: '!bey was D:Uly-pardon me. It was • • • Q: You can't remember right not? A: I don't remember. Q: Okay, that's fine. Did you have any brothers or sisters? A: Cb yes, I had a bl.'Cther named John Hugh. Q: was he the first :born? A: Yes. Q: Okay. I:b you know when he was born? A: February 14, 1919. Q: Ib you have any other brothers or sisters? A: No, I had one sister named. Bonnie Faye. Q: Ik:> you know when she was born? A: She was born in 1927, but actually I don't remember the exact date. Q: Arri so you were the second oldest of the children in your family? A: Yes, I was. Q: Okay. What do you know about your family's su.mame-catherwood? A: Well, it originally is Scottish ani-onoe we were over to • (tape stc:lpJ;.led) It was in Inverness, SCX>tlan:l. Q: Is there a.nyt;hirg else you remember about your name? A: At the p:>int there was a castle named in honor of them. Arri the reasal I know that is, a distant cc:usin of mine, of scotty-or En;Jlish descent, told me about that. We never knew about it until the time we got back-I CCII'lta.cted him by wil:e. Ard then he said, "If you'd been in Inverness you was within five miles of that castle." So I never did see it at that time. Stan Catherwood Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS stan catherwood 3 Q: so, you went to visit in sootlard? A: Yes. I've :been there four times. (laughs) Q: Folr times? When was the last time you went? A: 'Ihree years ago. Q: 'Ihree years aqo? A: Yes. Q: Okay, so you have sane ties with your family or with an;ybody over in scotlam? A: well, no-just good frierXls. Q: Good frierx3s, okay. Does the name catherwood have any significant meanini? A: Yes, it means ••• there's a certain meani.nq. It means the ••• I dal't :remember. well, we can always cane back to A: SUrely. Q: So your family wasn't really a large family? A: No, there was only 26 of us in the united states by-we oontact.ed a local • • • well, they was a local-it tells W.ere you were bon1 and all that, b.It • • • Q: A genealogical society? A: Yes, yes. Q: Okay, sure. D:> you ever have ramions with your family? A: No, bJt the only reunicn -we have is with 11r:f ship. Q: Now you said you were bon1 in Springfield--where exactly did you grow up? A: I lived the first years of llr:f life in <l'lester, Illinois. It was the hane of Pclpeye. '!be fellow that ori<Jinated Pq>eye was a theater-he operated a theater. It was m the old days when it would be maybe five cents wall.d get you into a ll'OVie. You had to climb up the steps, ani they were chairs-you would sit there arrl we would watch the mvie. And Elze Beger used to grim out these films as they were l:leil'x1 shown. But, we had one kid named Dodo Kever. (laughs) He was a little bitty fellCM, and-so eve:cyone thought the world of him-ani he would always sit in the front rr:M ani he would read off Stan Catherwood Memoir - Archives/Special Collections - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS stan catherwood 4 what the person was sayin:J. So, we had ll'OVies-ta.J..kin;J movies before anyone. {laughter) Q: so, they had-it was subtitles? A: Yes. Q: Now were these navies or cartoons? A: Well, mainly D¥:Wies. Q: Movies? A: Yes. Q: You said the person that did Popeye was there? Was that the cartoon character? A: Yes, yes.