Melissa McDermott interviews Muriel Schuman

Muriel Schuman was in high school when the Great Depression hit in 1931. She doesn’t recall it being a bad time because everyone was in the same boat. Money was tight everywhere, so everyone would make their own fun. In high school, going on a date would be a walk and then maybe getting a 5 cent ice cream after. In her household, she would have singing nights, where the whole family would just sit around and sing together. There were 5 girls in her family. Her mother would go to a store during a big sale and buy cheap dresses. After, she would go home and hem them to fit all the girls. The family would do anything to keep their money under control.
Her father owned a shop in Middletown called Shelpes where her and her siblings worked. Although their shop suffered a little bit, because no one had money, they still were able to keep it running. This was a big help for her dad because it was a family run store and everyone helped out.
She remembers in high school that friends of her father committed suicide because they struggled so much.
Muriel goes on to say that the difference was that no one knew any other way. There was no money. They didn’t drink alcohol because they couldn’t afford it, but they did smoke a lot to curb their appetite. Even President Reagan advertised smoking. Everyone helped each other out. Once the war came, everything started getting better. Muriel says that she is very lucky. She always had a home, there was always food on the table and she always had her family which was very important to her.