In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Ruth Schoenly

Annotation Ruth Schoenly, née Moyer (b. January 29, 1904), born in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, was the daughter of Katie E. Moyer, née Coleman. She was married to Norman H. Schoenly. His oral history is also included in this collection. In this interview Schoenly discusses the Boyertown Opera House Fire of 1908, her family, childhood activities, education, shopping, religious activities, courting, domestic work, World War II rationing, and life during the Depression. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted by Lehigh University students and faculty from 1974 through 1977 focusing on retired Bethlehem Steel workers, business people, and the heirs of industrial magnates. The project was co-sponsored by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, who provided contact information for retired steel workers. An oral history interview is an act of memory and hence both highly selective and highly subjective. While it accurately reflects what a narrator remembers (or chooses to tell) of his or her experience and viewpoints, it may not accurately represent what actually transpired or what another person may have experienced. As such users should subject interviews to the same degree of critical scrutiny they would any other historical source.