The Original "Rosie the Riveter"

[Not to be confused with Rosalind P. (Palmer) Walter 25 June 1924 – 4 March 2020 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_P._Walter), who was the original inspiration for the song "Rosie the Riveter"]

Rose Will Leigh Monroe https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7357215

An American Folk Figure. She was the original "Rosie the Riveter" -a Kentucky native who as a young widow, rearing two daughters, went to work building B-29 bombers at Ford's Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Michigan. Rose became the live personification of the already created fictional "Rosie the Riveter" poster girl and the Kay Kyser song "Rosie the Riveter". She was noticed by Walter Pidgeon during a bond drive to the Ypsilanti, Michigan plant and was asked to appear in a promotional film for purchasing war bonds.

It was shown in theaters between features to encourage viewers to buy bonds. Her fame was brief and she never capitalized on the role. After the war she continued working in jobs usually held by men. Rose drove a cab, operated a beauty shop and founded Rose Builders, her own construction company. At the age of 50, she realized her dream of flying and obtained a pilots license which almost was her demise. In 1978, she crashed in her small propeller plane during takeoff which resulted in a near death situation leaving her impaired. However, she died peacefully at her home in Clarksville, Indiana at the age of 77.

From US Post Office

ROSIE THE RIVETER Song

• All the day long whether rain or shine
• She’s a part of the assembly line.
• She’s making history,
• Working for victory.
• Rosie the Riveter
• Keeps a sharp lookout for sabotage,
• Sitting up there on the fuselage.
• That little frail can do
• More than a male will do.
• Rosie the Riveter

Excerpted from Rosie the Riveter by Paramount Music Corporation, 1943

• Reference: U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) - SmartCopy: Mar 19 2017, 2:38:53 UTC
• "ROSIE THE RIVETER" at History.com
• "Rosie the Riveter Postage Stamp"