June Gill was born August 3rd 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. With 11 brothers and sisters it is not a surprise that her family did a lot together. During the holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, homeless people would come to their door and ask for food and drink. The Gill family was happy to let them eat and drink and after the meal was finished, they were even able to take some leftovers back with them.
Mrs. Gill has lived through both World War 2 and the Great Depression. She told me about how during World War 2 there would be blackouts (periods without electricity) and air raids. During school she and her classmates would do air raid drills. “It all seemed so real, we learned that a lot can happen in a few seconds.” (Quote from June Gill)
One of Mrs. Gill’s fondest memories was when the end of the war was announced. “You could see everyone celebrating in the streets of Detroit, people were hugging and dancing, everyone was so happy the war was finally over”.
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Another memory Mrs. Gill is very fond of is seeing Elvis in person. Elvis was the Beyonce of our time, and during her free time she would listen to him on the radio.
When Mrs. Gill was 16 she fell in love. Though her father loved his daughter he was a very strict man, she and her boyfriend were not allowed to go on many dates. They would sit on the porch and talk while her father looked out the window to make sure they weren’t up to any shenanigans! Mrs. Gill knew this was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with , but when she asked her father if they could get married, he said that she was too young. So, that following year, when she was 17, they go married. Because Mrs. Gill could not have kids she adopted a child. Although Mr. Gill has passed away, Mrs. Gill lives in Allen Terrace, with her 4 grandchildren coming to visit when they can.
