Sarah Elizabeth "Beth" Stone
Sarah Elizabeth “Beth” Stone was born July 6, 1935. She grew up in Amarillo, Texas, during World War II. Her father was the superintendent of General Mills for thirty-six years, and her mother stayed home with the children an ran the household. Beth has one older brother who still lives in Texas. Although she a young child during the war, she reflects today on the ways in which it taught her to appreciate everything in life. Beth also had an uncle, on her mother’s side of the family, who died in the war.
In this interview, Beth speaks about her childhood during World War II in Amarillo, Texas, being taught to take nothing for granted, practicing air raid drills in school, an uncle who died in the war, and her anti-war sentiments.
Appreciate What You Have
CS: Between 1939 and 1945, were you aware that there was a war going on?
We were aware there was a war going on because we were always told to save, to watch what we spent, to take care of what we had because we might not ever have anything like that again.
Feelings About War in General
I never did like war. I didn’t like confusion and bitterness toward people. So, it wasn’t a big discussion in our home. But, it wasn’t that we didn’t know that there was a war.