Lorraine Charlotte Stevens

Early Years

Lorraine Charlotte Stevens was born on September 1, 1929, in St Louis, Missouri¹, to Elizabeth Steinigger, age 40, and William Thomas Stevens, age 41. Lorraine was the youngest of five older siblings - Dot (16), Bill (13), Kenny (3) and Audrey (1). Another older sister, May, had died as a teenager before Lorraine’s birth.

The family was renting a home at 2808 Salena for $20 a month. Her father, William, worked as a beer bottler at Anheuser Busch brewery, and her mother, Elizabeth, took care of the home while her two eldest siblings attended school.²

Just under two months after Lorriane’s birth, on October 29, 1929, the stock market plummeted, beginning what would later be known as the Great American Depression. Americans rushed to withdraw all of their money from the banks, causing them to fail dramatically. The demise of industrial production was soon to follow, and unemployment became the sad norm.

Lorraine was around two years old when her parents, Elizabeth and William, separated and officially divorced. Her mother took a job working 56 hours a week as a matron at the Union Station making $1,000 a year to provide for her family.³

In 1932, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enters office with a landslide victory.

In December of 1933, when Lorraine was 4 years old, prohibition officially ended.

By the time she was 6 years old, Lorraine and her family were living at 3721 French Avenue with her mother, brother Kenny, and Audrey, where they rented for $22 a month. ⁴

1940's

In 1941, news hit of the terrifying and tragic Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. declaration of war that followed. Daily life became challenging as families constantly prepared for attacks on American soil and rationed food and common supplies to support the war effort.

During her high-school years, Lorraine was in Miss Foote’s group at Grover Cleveland high school.⁵

She was an active member of the Co-ed Club, a Y.M.C.A. affiliated teen committee organized to plan projects for teens in the community. They would meet every Tuesday night at the Carondolet Y.M.C.A. at 600 Loughborough Avenue to discuss business such as “getting along with teachers, the ‘war situation’ and dates”. Of course every other Tuesday night meeting was reserved for dancing.

Lorraine also attended a weekend in the country with her 26 fellow Co-ed Club members at Camp Montebello near Kimmswick in Jefferson County. There, she helped with the Sunday morning worship service and played games with other members.⁶

On April 12, at the height of the war, President Roosevelt died suddenly, and Vice President Harry S. Truman assumed the role of President. Four months later Truman issued orders for the use of the atomic bomb on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the surrender of the Japanese delegation and the end of WWII.

August 14, 1945 was celebrated as Victory Over Japan, or "V-J Day". There was singing, dancing, bonfires, and fireworks in the street, and Truman was hailed as a national hero.

It may have been a time of peace, but the conflict was not over. Instead, a new period of Cold War began and fear of the communist threat began to sneak into the American psyche.

While working at the Mayflower hotel desk ⁷ , Lorraine caught the eye of a handsome widowed man named Jack Roby. He had just been transferred to St. Louis on business with Edison Brothers, and was living in the hotel while looking for more permanent residence. He quickly struck up a flirtation with Lorraine, and although it was against hotel policy, Jack got permission from her manager to take Lorraine out on an official date. By May of 1948, they were engaged. ⁸ When news got out that Lorraine and Jack were to be married, a close friend and coworker of Jack’s asked him for a favor. He wanted them to be married in his home. On May 14, 1948 ⁹ , surrounded by friends and family, initiated by a minister, the two were married in the warmest and most intimate of settings.

Just a few months after their wedding, 19-year old Lorraine found herself pregnant, and the following spring gave birth to their first child - a boy whom they named Gregg Alan Roby. They were living at 5493 Loughborough.¹⁰

1950's

The summer of 1950 saw war once again - this time in Korea. It lasted three years, but is often termed the "Forgotten War". In addition, the "Red Scare" was really starting to intensify.

Almost two years to the day from the birth of their son, Lorraine gave birth to a little girl. They named her Debra Lynn Roby.¹¹

The election of Dwight D. Eisenhower was another landslide in 1952.

That same year, the first color televisions go on sale. NBC was the only network to broadcast in color at the time, and the sets were very expensive, so they didn't really gain household popularity until the early 1960's.

In March of 1954, Jack and Lorraine welcomed their third child, a son named John Douglas Roby.¹²

May of 1955 brought the integration of public schools in the United States with "deliberate speed", and January of that same year Rosa Parks infamously refused to give up her seat to a white man on the public bus. The next several years would be marked by civil rights protests that would change the face of American society as everyone up until this point had known it.

With their new family of five, Jack and Lorraine took out a $17,000 loan for a 3-bedroom home in Crestwood Hills. It was the home their children would grow up in, and a neighborhood where Lorraine would find herself at home.¹³

On September 26, 1956, Lorraine’s father, William, passed away at the age of 68. ¹⁴

1960's

That November, the United States bid farewell to President Eisenhower and welcomed John F. Kennedy to the White House.

The fall of 1962 brought about the Cuban Missile Crisis, a conflict which lasted a total of 38 harrowing days in which many believed the Cold War might actually break into armed conflict.

Despite the political upheaval of the season, Lorraine and the family kept their focus closer to home and prepared themselves for the holidays to come. That year, their home won the Crestwood Christmas Decorating contest, and the following year Jack acted as an honorary judge.¹⁵

That summer, the Civil Rights movement raged on with a march on Washington D.C. and Dr. Martin Luther King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

The tumultuous era continued with the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. It was an event that would shake the nation to its very core.

March of 1965 brought about the decision to send American troops to the war in Vietnam.

That October, the great Gateway Arch of St. Louis was completed.

On April 4, 1968, another devastating assassination rocked the United States - that of Martin Luther King. Race riots were rampant in Kansas City in response to his death. Almost two months later to the day, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at a campaign victory celebration. He died one day later.

That November, Richard M. Nixon took to the White House.

In the summer of 1969, millions sat around their living room televisions and witnessed the unimaginable: Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon.

1970's

This same year, Americans witnessed the Watergate crisis as well as the re-election of President Nixon, and the beginning of his downfall. His impeachment proceedings took place throughout 1974, and ended with his resignation on August 9th.

In November of 1976, Gerald Ford conced ed the Presidential election to Jimmy Carter.

Her mother Elizabeth passed away on December 30, 1978, at the age of 89.¹⁶

1980's

In June of 1980, the Jack and Lorraine made the final payment on their home on Gayle and proudly collected the title.

That November, Ronald Reagan is elected the 40th president of the United States. Three months later, he is shot in the chest during a failed assassination attempt while walking to his limousine.

In September of 1981, Jack retired from Edison Brothers, and started a new phase of his life.

On Jul 15, 1985, Lorraine's sister Audrey passed away.¹⁷

In January of 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded after lift off.

On October 19, 1987, the stock market crash known as Black Monday occurred with a historical 22.6% drop in one day.

In November of 1988, George H.W. Bush was elected President of the United States, and one year later, the Berlin Wall came down after thirty-eight years. The overarching message to the world at large was that the Cold War was finally coming to an end.

1990's

In August of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, thus beginning the involvement of the U.S. in the Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm began in January of 1991 with air strikes against Iraq and in February of the following year a cease fire is declared, ending the war.

November of 1992 saw the election of Democratic President Bill Clinton.

February of 1993 was one of many tragic deaths with both the bombing of the World Trade Center by Islamic terrorists as well as the 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas of the Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh. Closer to home, the Great Flood of 1993 swept over the midwest, devastating many parts of St. Louis.

Lorraine's sister, Dot, passed away on April 11, 1994.¹⁸

Then, in the summer of 1994, there was the O.J. Simpson trial, one of the highest profile murder cases in the nation's history. Americans everywhere were glued to their televisions as live news covered the infamous high-speed white Bronco chase. Lorraine was no exception. She followed the whole story from murder to acquittal, not missing a moment of the trial if she could help it.

In the spring of 1995, anarchists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols detonate a bomb outside of a federal building in Oklahoma City in yet another domestic terrorism attack.

Her brother Bill died on September 23, 1995.¹⁹

July of 1996 big news was announced in the shape of a sheep. Dolly was the first mammal to be successfully cloned, beginning a strong debate on both animal rights ethics and the potential ability to do the same on humans.

2000's

On September 11, 2001, Lorraine likely watched on television with millions of others around the world, as the news broadcast the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Her brother Kenny died on May 16, 2003.²⁰

In December of 2003, Lorraine's health began rapidly fading. With an history of consistent smoking, she had been diagnosed with emphysema, and it had taken a heavy toll on her body over the years. On New Years day, 2004, she slipped into a coma, and the family gathered to her bedside as she passed away later that evening²¹. She and Jack had been married 58 years, and though their marriage was not always the perfect semblance of marital bliss, her passing effected him greatly.

1. Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), 499269148; Lorraine Charlotte Stevens. Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014), Number: 499-26-9148; Issue State: Missouri; Issue Date: Before 1951. Lorraine Charlotte Roby, death certificate No. 124-04-300004 (2 January 2004), Missouri Department of Health, Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA. Elizabeth Steinigger Stevens form aa-15, 1941; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934-1987, Record Group 184; National Archives at Atlanta, 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Lorraine Charlotte Stevens, 499-26-9148, 13 November 1943, Application for Social Security Account Number, Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, . Dorothy Stevens Mueller, handwritten notes of family dates, Dorothy Stevens Mueller Personal Files; supplied by Liza N. Reid, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Labadie, MO, circa 1994. Dorothy Mueller to Debbie Lankford to Liza Reid.
2. 1930 U.S. Census, St. Louis, Missouri, population schedule, ward 9, block no. 1415, enumeration district (ED) ED96-412, sheet no. 12A, household 2808, dwelling 144, family no. 249, William Stephens household; digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6224/images/4660824_00534?pId=1550698 : downloaded 11 April 2021); FHL microfilm: 2340967; Ancestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), St Louis, Missouri, City Directory, 1930.
3. Elizabeth Steinigger Stevens application for employee annuity, 1957; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934-1987, Record Group 184; National Archives at Atlanta, 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. 4. Elizabeth Steinigger Stevens form aa-15, 1941; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934-1987, Record Group 184; National Archives at Atlanta, 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260.
4. 1940 U.S. Census, St. Louis, Missouri, population schedule, St. Louis City, enumeration district (ED) 26-263, p.5B-6A, household 117, Elizabeth Stevens household; digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 18 July 2021); NARA, 1940. T627.
5. Ancestry.com, U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Cleveland High School; Year: 1945.; Ancestry.com, U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Cleveland High School; Year: 1946.
6. "'Y' Planners Committee That Arranges Discussion Schedules for Carondolet Club of Teen-Agers Spends a Week End in the Country," St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri, USA), 25 February 1945, p.65; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 July 2021), St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 7. "John Albert Roby oral interview, recorded with John Albert "Jack" Roby," 2004 by Liza N. Reid, owned by Liza N. Reid, 1975 Grand Army Rd., Labadie, MO 63055, tape recording.
8. "Incorrect Listing," correction, The St. Louis Star and Times (St. Louis, MO, USA), 11 May 1948, page 22; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 19 January 2018).
9. Dorothy Stevens Mueller, handwritten notes of family dates, Dorothy Stevens Mueller Personal Files; supplied by Liza N. Reid, [address for private use], Labadie, MO, circa 1994. Dorothy Mueller to Debbie Lankford to Liza Reid.
10. "Roby, Lorraine," birth announcement, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri, USA), 6 April 1949, p.31, col. 5; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 July 2021), St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
11. Dorothy Stevens Mueller, handwritten notes of family dates; Ancestry.com, U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Debbie L Roby, b. Mar 1951.
12. Dorothy Stevens Mueller, handwritten notes of family dates.
13. Ancestry.com, U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Jack A Roby. 14. William T. Stevens, death certificate 8923 (1956), Missouri Department of Health, Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA.; "Stevens, William T.," obituary, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 27 September 1956, page 31; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 3 November 2019); https://www.newspapers.com/image/140095018; Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), SSN 489051716, claim date 14 Jul 1954, William T Stevens.
15. "Winners Named in Crestwood Christmas Deorating Contest," St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 3 January 1963, page 58; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 19 January 2018).
16. Elizabeth Stevens, death certificate 78208759 (30 December 1978), Missouri Department of Health, Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA; Ancestry.com, U.S., Railroad Retirement Pension Index, 1934-1987 (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017), The National Archives at Atlanta; Morrow, Georgia; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934 - 1987; Record Group Number: 184; SSN: 702126541; Claim ID: A706572; Dorothy Stevens Mueller, handwritten notes of family dates.
17. "Stevens, Audrey V.," obituary, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 17 July 1985, page 16; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 3 November 2019); https://www.newspapers.com/image/140984586.
18. "Mueller, Dorothy F.," obituary, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 13 April 1994, page 29; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 3 November 2019); https://www.newspapers.com/image/142351668.
19. Obituaries, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 25 September 1995, page 24; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 27 June 2020); https://www.newspapers.com/image/142450967.
20. "Stevens, Kenneth O.," obituary, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 19 May 2003, page 27; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed 24 December 2020); https://www.newspapers.com/image/142810964/?article=076d0b0d-ecff-4199-a194-615025e777c4&focus=0.8827879,0.35545477,0.98989755,0.54782&xid=3355&_ga=2.102505669.55738540.1608587385-590744378.1602104607.
21. Lorraine Charlotte Roby, death certificate No. 124-04-300004 (2 January 2004), Missouri Department of Health, Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA; "Roby, Lorraine C.," obituary, St. Louis Post Dispatch (St. Louis, MO), 4 January 2004, page E007; digital, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : downloaded 16 March 2018); Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), 499269148; Lorraine Charlotte Stevens.

(1929 - 2004)