Lesbian Elders Oral History Project: Interview with Donna M. Mellem

Titles: Lesbian Elders Oral History Project: Interview with Donna M. Mellem (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born in Austin, Minnesota, on March 26, 1932. One older brother. Raised primarily by her mother, Grace Marie Curtis, who died in 1993 at age 97. Father was Miller Richard Mellem, who died in 1958 at age 71. She graduated from Austin High School in 1950. Moved to Minneapolis in 1953. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early family life; importance of Christian upbringing; her relationship with her father; the struggles of her family, mostly due to her father's drinking, gambling and adultery; early jobs to help the family financially; work at Armour Company as a chicken plucker; working for telephone company; early lesbian tendencies and affairs; her move to Minneapolis; not knowing the label of "lesbian" during the 1950s; relationships with other women; not being ashamed; not fitting into the gay life; gay bars in St. Paul and Minneapolis; early lesbian community.

Dates

• 01/30/1997 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Mellem, Donna M.
• interviewer: Weiland, Mary R.

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 67
• Accession Number: AV1999.251.3

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, sound cassette: 'Lesbian Elders Oral History Project' <OH 67>

Quantity: 1.5 hours sound cassette 25 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 01:32:36 running time

Subjects

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