Imogene’s Memoir

By Rosanne Gulisano

I blog about snippets and snapshots of the memoirs and life stories of everyday folks attending my Lifestories workshops. I have changed the names, but the stories are the real thing, from the plain and simple to the sinister and dangerous. Enjoy!

Building a Fortune, Again

Imogene is one of four children of an immigrant Jewish mother and an immigrant Italian father—quite a volatile combination! She is 96 years old, looks perfectly groomed and put together and is sharp as the proverbial tack. Imogene loves to reminisce about growing up in Rogers Park, a north side Chicago neighborhood, in her lively household of parents and siblings.

Dad was a presser at Hart, Shaffner and Marx men’s clothing factory, a menial job with not much pay. Tears come to Imogene’s eyes whenever she speaks of him as he was a wise and witty man, the spirit of her family.

Her mom was a much more assertive person. Not satisfied with the meager income of her husband, she would knock on doors in apartment buildings in the neighborhood until she found the owner's apartment. She would make an offer to buy the building and, if accepted, would put come up a small down payment and move her family in. She had a knack for design and would enlist the aid of the family to glamorize and fix up the building and sell it at a tidy profit. The family moved often, the children often had to change schools, although many of the buildings were in the same neighborhood. They did this without complaint. This was the way things were in their family and that was that. They all worked hard to make the business a success.

Imogene’s mom made quite a fortune in this way, but lost it all in the Great Depression in the early 30s. Undaunted, she picked up the pieces of her shattered finances and began again, amassing still another tidy fortune.

Imogene is an avid reader with a practical, optimistic attitude. Back in 1952, a revolutionary book called The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, revolutionized her world and became a great bestseller. She calls it her “life changing book.”

Imogene is lucky. She is brimming with good health and energy. Her mind is sharp and she enjoys life. She is definitely a believer in positive thinking and puts it into practice every day of her long life. Her warm memories inspire us all.