Lucille Harwood oral history interview, 1994 October 8

Albemarle native Lucille Harwood recounts her experiences during the Great Depression, World War II, and the second half of the twentieth century. She describes growing up very poor during the Depression, but explains how families would always share with one another to ensure that everyone got through the roughest parts of the 1930s. At the start of World War II, Mrs. Harwood enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), more commonly known as the WAVES, eventually earning the rank of sergeant. She recounts her experiences following the war working for the War Department, including being stationed for two years in occupied Japan. She describes how in Albemarle before the civil rights movement white and black people lived in separate communities, how that has changed following desegregation, and the visibility of the Ku Klux Klan during her lifetime. Mrs. Harwood concludes by discussing how Albemarle has changed since the 1950s, and in particular talks about working mothers and the erosion of family values.