What it was like Being a Single Mother in Brooklyn New York During the 1950s and 60s.

L.S. What was it like being a young, widowed mother in the 1950s and 60s?

J.S. I was very busy, taking care of my two boys and working. People used to comment about how I had it so rough, and that it was a shame that I had no husband, and I would jokingly tell them, to their surprise, that I sometimes wish I had a "wife," someone to do my laundry, cook my meals, take care of the kids.

L.S. I take it a lot of people had opinions about your situation?

J.S. They used to tell me after my first husband died, that I would never find someone my own age, that I would have to marry an older man. When I met your father, he was one year older than me, and born one month apart.

L.S. How old were you when your first husband died?

J.S. I was twenty-eight, with two boys to raise.

L.S. Were there any resources for you as a widowed mother?

There was social security benefits for the boys. I had good friends. I had no help from family. My sisters were much younger than myself. I lived in Brooklyn and they lived in New York City.

L.S. Were job opportunities harder to come by for women?

J.S. I worked part time, and what I needed for myself and my situation, having two kids and no family help, was a part time job, which I found as a waitress. Being a waitress worked well for me. I got to come home around the time the boys were back from school, and was able to see them off in the mornings. I was also able to spend time with them on the weekends. The cost of living at that time was obviously way cheaper, but we still had the same hardships that single and widowed mothers face today, especially those with no support system. When there is no husband or family help, the responsibility falls on your shoulders, and at a young age, its much harder.

L.S. Was it more difficult living in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan to find work?

My beautiful mother and brother Billy when he was a baby

Credit: Linda Stamberger

Copyright: Linda Stamberger