Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

Summerside Press™
Minneapolis 55438
www.summersidepress.com

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington
© 2010 by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss

ISBN 978-1-60936-000-9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

The town depicted in this book is a real place, but all characters are fictional. Any resemblances to actual people or events are purely coincidental.

Cover design by Chris Gilbert |
www.studiogearbox.com
.

Interior design by Müllerhaus Publishing Group |
www.mullerhaus.net
.

Vintage photos of the Seattle Boeing plant and factory workers are from the U.S. government archives and are public domain. Photo of modern-day Victory Heights provided by the authors.

Author photo of Ocieanna Fleiss © 2010 by Jessica McCollam | Jessica’s Visions Photography.

Author photo of Tricia Goyer © 2010 by Jessica McCollam | Jessica’s Visions Photography.

Summerside Press™ is an inspirational publisher offering fresh, irresistible books to uplift the heart and engage the mind.

Printed in USA.

To my grandma, Dolores Coulter,
whose loving guidance pointed me to Jesus.
Tricia Goyer

To the Rosie the Riveters of World War II,
who left the comfort of their homes
to brave strenuous and unfamiliar jobs
in the national pursuit of victory.
Your strong arms played a mighty role
in preserving the freedom we now enjoy.
Ocieanna Fleiss

To my Michael, whose love and support carry me through each day. Without his help with the kids, the house, and his own career, this book wouldn’t have happened.

To the best kids in the world—Ben, Gabrielle, Christian, and Abigail. Thanks for being on my team!

To Tricia, for laboring over edit after edit and making it shine.

A huge thank you to the real-life Rosies, who generously gave their time and stories to Tricia and me on a cool October afternoon: Georgie Kunkel, Anita Lusk, Chris Holm, Margaret Seis, and Rowena Tobias. Also, to my dear friend Jan, who shared photographs and stories about her mom, Iris, the first female auto parts deliverer in Seattle.

Thank you to my McCritters: Annette Irby, Dawn Kinzer, and Veronica McCann, for their great plotting advice; and to Kathy Jones, for her expert critiques. Many thanks go to Vicki Stiles from the Shoreline Historical Museum, who poured out her wealth of information about the Victory Heights area as well as Playland. To my mother-in-law, Nellie Fleiss, for research help, and my sisterin-law, Poppy Tackett, for being a first reader. Sharon Chastain at the Maple Valley Library also answered my panicked requests for research help.

I can’t adequately express my gratitude for Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which faithfully preaches and teaches the Word of God, and especially to a group of ladies who inspired me with a Rosie-inspired O
CIEANNA
C
AN
D
O
I
T
T-shirt. Love it!

I’m also always thinking of my mom, who supported any dream I wanted to pursue and shared stories of her life as a little girl during the War.

And most of all, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood.

Ocieanna Fleiss

Words cannot express the gratitude I have for those who pour into my life to make these books possible. Topping the list: my awesome coauthor, Ocieanna Fleiss, who must have Rosie biceps now for the many ways she carries me!

I will forever be thankful for my family and friends: My husband, John. My kids—Cory, Leslie, Nathan. My grandma, whose prayers lift me up every morning. My numerous friends at East-haven Baptist Church, who lift me with their prayers. My small group friends: the Dittmers, Waltmans, Griffins, Callans, and Klundts. Also, much appreciation goes to my friend Jim Thompson for his wonderful insights and edits.

Tricia Goyer

And last but not least, we want to thank those who have so prayerfully and diligently worked to make this book possible, including our agent, Janet Grant. A special thanks to Carlton Garborg, our editors—Rachel Meisel and Ramona Tucker—our publisher, Summerside Press, and so many of their staff. We couldn’t have done this without you! We hope you will always know how much we appreciate you.

Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss

Not unto us, O L
ORD
,
not unto us,
but unto thy name give glory.
PSALM
115:1

N
AMED FOR
V
ICTORY
H
IGHWAY
, which had celebrated the triumphant end of World War I, Victory Heights is a neighborhood in north Seattle, Washington. The damp streets and cedar-clustered hillsides paint a portrait of down-home America. During the Second World War, stars hung from windows representing sons at war—and those who had fallen. Hopeful workers lugged their belongings into the small homes of Victory Heights, and its women rose to action, hefting the load while their men fought for freedom overseas.

Seattle brimmed with life during the War. Its West Coast location made it the perfect launching ground for military missions to the Pacific Theater. For the area’s protection, brownouts, barrage balloons, and antiaircraft missile sites were set up. Some you can still visit today. Despite Seattle’s commitment to victory, folks in the Northwest also knew how to have fun. Restaurants (such as the odd-shaped Igloo), dance clubs, and the famous Playland served as fun escapes for the hard-working population. Not only did many celebrities, such as Bob Hope and Lana Turner, make stops at Seattle’s Victory Square, but dignitaries such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt also celebrated Seattle as a great contributor to the War effort. Researching the Northwest’s rich World War II history gave us great admiration for the area.

Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss