125 – Elizabeth Meyer’s Courageous Journey to America Back in 1841
Rebecca Bloomfield of Jerry S Pearlstein Insurance has been privileged to work with the lives of famous women in American history like Abigail Adams and Lady Bird Johnson. She’s also been asked by small communities to honor the lives of women who were important to their beginnings.
We have the fortune today of meeting one of these women as Rebecca portrays Elizabeth Meyer.
Let me introduce you to Elizabeth.
She was born in the southeastern corner of Switzerland in 1818.
Elizabeth had a strong desire to open her life to a new world and new ways.
So she joined a Swiss Protestant group headed for Wisconsin in this land called America.
She had never before traveled more than a few miles from her parents’ farm. She wasn’t quite sure where she was going. But she took it step by step.
Let’s talk with Elizabeth now and hear about her remarkable journey and the life she created for herself in America.
The Journey from Switzerland to America
The practical reason why Elizabeth left Switzerland. [3:35]
The announcement and travel plan. [4:53]
Starting off on the trip and their route. [7:12]
The daily struggle. [8:55]
Meeting and marrying Nicholas Meyer [9:29]
Traveling on the sea in the 1800’s. [11:09]
Arriving in American
Seeing New York for the first time and on to Wisconsin [14:33]
Elizabeth doesn’t like Chicago. [16:41]
Stopping in Niles Center [18:00]
Building and living in their cabin. [19:50]
Elizabeth defines her “trade.” [22:36]
Elizabeth’s Reflections
Comments about her choice to come to America [24:17]
Family and life review [25:23]
Woman Power! [27:35]
Rebecca’s Comments
Rebecca’s side interest of famous women in history. [29:40]
Elizabeth Meyer’s land as it is today. [30:31]
A review of the historical places today. [33:22]
The overall message for our lives today. [34:41]
Rebecca’s Past Podcasts
021 – A Lesson in Courage and Impact (Abigail Adams)
117 – Why Life Insurance is for Living Not Dying
Contact Links
If you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcript
Hi there.
Speaker:This is a special edition for our upcoming labor day celebration
Speaker:in America.
Speaker:Gift biz unwrapped episode number 125.
Speaker:Time's near must go.
Speaker:Where your heart is that just what you want to do?
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to gifted biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it up.
Speaker:Welcome to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped your source for industry specific insights and advice to develop
Speaker:and grow your business.
Speaker:And now here's your host,
Speaker:Sue Mona height.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue and welcome to this very special edition of the
Speaker:gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Whether you own a brick and mortar shop sell online or
Speaker:are just getting started,
Speaker:you'll discover new insight to gain traction and to grow your
Speaker:business. And today,
Speaker:do I have a treat for you?
Speaker:We will be hearing from Rebecca Bloomfield of Jerry Pearlstein and
Speaker:associates, but not really.
Speaker:You see Rebecca has been privileged to work with the lives
Speaker:of famous women in American history like Abigail Adams and Ladybird
Speaker:Johnson. She's also been asked by small communities to honor the
Speaker:lives of women who were important to their beginnings.
Speaker:We have the fortune today of meeting one of these women
Speaker:against Rebecca portrays of Elizabeth Meyer.
Speaker:Let me introduce you to Elizabeth.
Speaker:She was born in the South Eastern corner of Switzerland in
Speaker:1818. Elizabeth had a strong desire to open her life to
Speaker:a new world and new way.
Speaker:So she joined a Swiss Protestant group headed for Wisconsin in
Speaker:this land called America.
Speaker:She had never traveled more than a few miles from his
Speaker:parents' farm.
Speaker:She wasn't quite sure where she was going,
Speaker:but she took it step by step.
Speaker:Let's talk with Elizabeth now in here about her remarkable journey
Speaker:and the life she created for herself in America.
Speaker:Elizabeth, welcome to the show.
Speaker:Thank you much.
Speaker:So I'm so glad to be young,
Speaker:Ms. Monheit.
Speaker:I am honored that you have agreed to talk with us
Speaker:today, and this might seem a little bit silly to you,
Speaker:but I'd like to start off our talk by having you
Speaker:describe a motivational candle.
Speaker:So if you were to think of a candle that describes
Speaker:you, your life,
Speaker:your journey,
Speaker:what you've experienced,
Speaker:what color would your candle be and what would be a
Speaker:quote or a motto that has driven you your whole life?
Speaker:Oh, that is a very interesting question.
Speaker:I would think my candle would be red,
Speaker:like a Christmas candle,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:bright red.
Speaker:I love always the holidays to be with people.
Speaker:Christmas is my favorite.
Speaker:And when I have this candle,
Speaker:I would be so grateful for everything that I have.
Speaker:And it would remind me that I got here bit by
Speaker:bit. You have to do it bit by bit.
Speaker:Your motivation has been taking bit by bit,
Speaker:little step after a little step.
Speaker:And it brings you to great places.
Speaker:Would that be Right?
Speaker:Great places.
Speaker:Indeed. Yes.
Speaker:Your life is so fascinating to me and all of the
Speaker:people who are listening to us today.
Speaker:Can you start back when you were in Switzerland and what
Speaker:gave you the courage to leave your family and go to
Speaker:this unknown place called America?
Speaker:Well, we had a very nice life.
Speaker:They had been great was on the European continent.
Speaker:Napoleon had gone every place and made have like,
Speaker:but where I lived was not so much problem.
Speaker:The problem was there is only so much land.
Speaker:You can only divide the land up so many ways to
Speaker:support somebody.
Speaker:And then there is no land to make a new family.
Speaker:You must find a man who has some land to raise
Speaker:goats or some Cubs to support the family.
Speaker:And it got so small and everyone was after me.
Speaker:Elizabeth, it's time to marry Elizabeth bit.
Speaker:You are 16,
Speaker:you are 18,
Speaker:you are 20.
Speaker:It is time to marry,
Speaker:but I did not see on me who I would marry
Speaker:and how I would make a life.
Speaker:So I heard that every people going to America and one
Speaker:day I just decided that I would stop.
Speaker:And I would see how I could do that.
Speaker:Now Were other people that you knew doing the same thing
Speaker:or were you the only one?
Speaker:Oh yes.
Speaker:There was some of us,
Speaker:Carlos, Kevin Protestant,
Speaker:preacher. And they were going to Wisconsin in America where there
Speaker:were others like us also who wanted more opportunity.
Speaker:And so after church,
Speaker:one day I had a conversation and a trust.
Speaker:They run up so pleased to take me because I was
Speaker:a single woman.
Speaker:And I had cried talking to do to say,
Speaker:I won't cause any trouble.
Speaker:I won't go after the husbands.
Speaker:You know how that is?
Speaker:Then the youngest of the group that came over,
Speaker:I was the youngest,
Speaker:single person.
Speaker:The others were families.
Speaker:They had children.
Speaker:So that's what I said.
Speaker:I could help take care of the children as we went
Speaker:through, we didn't really know how long it was going to
Speaker:take. I stopped you for a second.
Speaker:How did you tell your parents and what did they say?
Speaker:What was their reason?
Speaker:My parents already sought me so headstrong.
Speaker:I think that they were mad,
Speaker:so cried that I would be going.
Speaker:And my father,
Speaker:he had a talk with the man who was heading the
Speaker:group. There were 14,
Speaker:maybe 15 of us and what I would need.
Speaker:And I think maybe he was happy.
Speaker:He didn't have to feed me anymore.
Speaker:My mother,
Speaker:she was the one who was so upset.
Speaker:She did not want me to leave.
Speaker:Sure. Because you may never see them again.
Speaker:Yes. That was two.
Speaker:And I was an adult woman in the household for her.
Speaker:But sometimes near must go where your heart is.
Speaker:That's just what humans do.
Speaker:So you were an adventurer and your heart just told you
Speaker:that because of the limited land,
Speaker:that continued to be smaller and smaller and smaller,
Speaker:that your future couldn't be where you were raised.
Speaker:You had to go somewhere else.
Speaker:Yes. You know,
Speaker:you stand on the mountains and you look at the mountains.
Speaker:You see so far you say there must be some more.
Speaker:If these mountains are so big with Vista is so big,
Speaker:there must be some more.
Speaker:So you decided to take the trip.
Speaker:You said your goodbyes,
Speaker:how did the trip go?
Speaker:The rhino river starts from near where we've in TRIBE,
Speaker:Jenn Switzerland.
Speaker:And it travels nose to the North sea.
Speaker:So we knew that this is how we would go by
Speaker:boat from place to place.
Speaker:And the head of our group already had written to some
Speaker:other communities of churches,
Speaker:like followers and Calvin and what we believed in.
Speaker:And we would go from place to place our group and
Speaker:start with these communities of believers like us.
Speaker:No. If the leader had a map all the way through
Speaker:or did he just know from the next place,
Speaker:and then at the next place,
Speaker:you found out how to get to the following place,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:In this part to go from our religion,
Speaker:to alter them up under North,
Speaker:see this renew,
Speaker:but to go this way was easy.
Speaker:We went on out and boat.
Speaker:We went on a river boat.
Speaker:We went from community to community.
Speaker:We could get supplies of people,
Speaker:took us in.
Speaker:They fed us.
Speaker:They gave us more to grow on.
Speaker:But once we got to other them,
Speaker:we now had to cross the North sea and the Atlantic
Speaker:ocean. And then how far was this Wisconsin?
Speaker:That was a big question to know how to do.
Speaker:Sure. So did everything go pretty smoothly though,
Speaker:as you were traveling?
Speaker:Oh my goodness.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:each day you had to think what might happen,
Speaker:would the boat go?
Speaker:Would the weather be good with a community that said they
Speaker:would take,
Speaker:you really take you in,
Speaker:would your money last,
Speaker:but everybody stay healthy.
Speaker:But I loved being with so many people.
Speaker:I loved seeing so many new things.
Speaker:So the river part of out,
Speaker:I still love,
Speaker:I love it too,
Speaker:because in one of these communities,
Speaker:I met Nicholas Meyer and he was a man thinking,
Speaker:like I was thinking,
Speaker:and there was a much chaos in Europe after Napoleon,
Speaker:no jobs,
Speaker:people moving around and ideas that he did not like.
Speaker:So I met him in one town and two towns later,
Speaker:we were married.
Speaker:Oh my word.
Speaker:So he wasn't part of the initial Group,
Speaker:but You met him.
Speaker:And then did he join your group to come to America?
Speaker:Because I think so.
Speaker:And because this is what he wanted and he saw some
Speaker:courage that we had in the group.
Speaker:And so he packed up what money he had sold,
Speaker:what he could to get more money,
Speaker:packed up his things and came.
Speaker:And as we TRIBEr soon,
Speaker:very soon we were married.
Speaker:The man who held that group,
Speaker:he said,
Speaker:Oh no,
Speaker:either you get married or Nicholas has to get off the
Speaker:boat. So You got married so fast because just the culture
Speaker:of the day would not allow both of you to be
Speaker:single and be traveling together.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:Yes. But it was good.
Speaker:It was a good thing.
Speaker:Yes. Very good.
Speaker:Okay. So continue on with the journey.
Speaker:So now at least you have a partner,
Speaker:you have someone who is now forming a family around you.
Speaker:You aren't even in America yet.
Speaker:So that had to be comforting for you.
Speaker:Well, it was,
Speaker:and I really needed him because Susan,
Speaker:I am not for the C the no C was so
Speaker:awful. The Atlantic was so awful.
Speaker:I was so sick.
Speaker:They kept saying,
Speaker:you will get your sea legs.
Speaker:And then I thought I would get my sea legs,
Speaker:but I was with child and I am sick because of
Speaker:this child.
Speaker:I am sick to be cause of this sea.
Speaker:And it takes a very long than there no fresh food
Speaker:there. All of us huddled together in this ship.
Speaker:And if not for Nicholas Strong arm around me and he
Speaker:kept saying,
Speaker:one day,
Speaker:one day,
Speaker:Elizabeth, here is one day.
Speaker:He would say,
Speaker:one month now,
Speaker:Elizabeth, the baby is going,
Speaker:you are doing a good job one month,
Speaker:one more day in Elizabeth.
Speaker:And so that is how we cost this enormous seas.
Speaker:So you just took it day by day,
Speaker:even if you were sick,
Speaker:if you were cold,
Speaker:surely the boats were cramped and you just looked at it
Speaker:day by day.
Speaker:Yes. And you prayed some and you did what you knew
Speaker:to keep healthy and made.
Speaker:And the ship sun kind of all the,
Speaker:some kind of a routine to clean,
Speaker:to bleeds,
Speaker:to exercise,
Speaker:to read from the Bible,
Speaker:just to something,
Speaker:to get schools a day that would keep you stoned and
Speaker:make you stronger.
Speaker:Wow. Did everybody on the ship survive and get to America?
Speaker:Yes. They were lucky that that happened.
Speaker:That it was a good captain that we found.
Speaker:This was not always true for everyone,
Speaker:but this was an upstanding man who was the captain on
Speaker:the ship.
Speaker:And his school liked him and the group together.
Speaker:There were some people who came not to like each other
Speaker:and there were arguments among them.
Speaker:But I was able to see what was my part too,
Speaker:in the argument or my path,
Speaker:not in the argument and to stay out if it was
Speaker:not my path.
Speaker:Yeah. So you were looking at the bigger picture and clearly
Speaker:I can only imagine Elizabeth with such close quarters and all
Speaker:these people together and everybody anxious because it had to take
Speaker:such courage and such willpower.
Speaker:And it was uncomfortable.
Speaker:I'm sure.
Speaker:But clearly,
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:just by human nature,
Speaker:there's going to be some friction.
Speaker:And every day I had to play that we would reach
Speaker:land before my baby came.
Speaker:Yes. How long was the trip?
Speaker:Across the sea?
Speaker:The North sea.
Speaker:And then to wait for the big boat to go,
Speaker:because one boat from Rotterdam to England and then another boat,
Speaker:we had to wait for it to go from England across
Speaker:the Atlantic.
Speaker:And that took almost two months to New York.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:So, all right.
Speaker:So two months,
Speaker:so you land in New York.
Speaker:Tell me about that.
Speaker:Oh my goodness.
Speaker:I saw the Rotterdam where so many people,
Speaker:I thought in England,
Speaker:so many people,
Speaker:but here in New York,
Speaker:I never saw so many people,
Speaker:so many buildings in the distance,
Speaker:no mountains,
Speaker:just more buildings in the noise all day long,
Speaker:all night.
Speaker:And so now we find regens and retake dragons to where
Speaker:the ear we can nail stuff.
Speaker:And now I know that if I'm going to be in
Speaker:this country,
Speaker:my next step is to learn English.
Speaker:I must learn how to speak English for the first time
Speaker:I am with people who are speaking English and this eerie
Speaker:canal. You notice this Erie canal.
Speaker:Yes, of course.
Speaker:It goes to Buffalo,
Speaker:New York and Newell.
Speaker:And the mans I walked and they pool the flat bottom
Speaker:boat along the canal to get to,
Speaker:to Lake Erie along this canal.
Speaker:And I learned to sink Erie canal.
Speaker:They think yearly Connect.
Speaker:I learning this English.
Speaker:And again,
Speaker:I am hoping we will get to where we are going
Speaker:before this baby comes.
Speaker:I am now over halfway with this baby.
Speaker:And so you had no one really who was watching your
Speaker:health other than yourself,
Speaker:because you didn't have access to a doctor.
Speaker:Would that be right?
Speaker:Oh, there were other women with us and they tell me
Speaker:going into air can.
Speaker:Now you could always get off and found a midwife.
Speaker:But once we get to like area and these great lakes
Speaker:is like being on the ocean again,
Speaker:then weeks and weeks we going across,
Speaker:this is a great leg injury come to Chicago and do
Speaker:not like Chicago.
Speaker:Why not?
Speaker:Like mud everywhere is mud and people.
Speaker:And I am getting so big.
Speaker:And now we get a Ragen and we are supposed to
Speaker:be going to Wisconsin.
Speaker:Elizabeth, what time of year was this?
Speaker:When you got to Chicago,
Speaker:We had started out at the end when the river was
Speaker:no ice at the end of March.
Speaker:Whoa. So you were on the river.
Speaker:It was still very cold too.
Speaker:Yes. The wind on the liver was cold,
Speaker:but so we start at the end of March so that
Speaker:we can go up the river and cross the ocean in
Speaker:more summertime and get to where we need to be before
Speaker:another renter.
Speaker:That was the plan.
Speaker:So it may start out and there is a road that
Speaker:comes from Chicago and it old called the Lincoln tool that
Speaker:is covered in planks,
Speaker:not so much mud,
Speaker:but I say to Nicholas,
Speaker:when we get to this town called Nial center,
Speaker:I say,
Speaker:I cannot go anymore.
Speaker:I must stay here and wait until the baby is born.
Speaker:He says,
Speaker:it is just maybe days to go to Wisconsin.
Speaker:I say,
Speaker:no, Nicholas,
Speaker:I must stay here.
Speaker:And so we stay there by this path of this Lincoln
Speaker:road, that is,
Speaker:you must pay a toll to be on and amending Peter<inaudible>.
Speaker:He had the idea to build this road for people coming
Speaker:from Chicago,
Speaker:into Wisconsin,
Speaker:and he makes money on the toll.
Speaker:And he also builds many things.
Speaker:So Nicholas Key is very good to build things with wood
Speaker:is strong,
Speaker:man. And he talks to this,
Speaker:Mr. Peter<inaudible>,
Speaker:who tells us that we can take some trees down where
Speaker:the Oak and the maple that he uses for his road
Speaker:and for what two years building.
Speaker:And we can build our own cabin.
Speaker:And Nicholas can help us with the building.
Speaker:He is to make some money to now support a family.
Speaker:And that is very stuck in a cabin by Lincoln worlds
Speaker:that Mr.
Speaker:Peter Blom ICER has built.
Speaker:Wow. Okay.
Speaker:So now at least you are settled for at least the
Speaker:time being,
Speaker:and how's shortly after that.
Speaker:Did you have your baby Less than two months?
Speaker:I have my baby.
Speaker:So I'm still on my feet when we are making this
Speaker:Kevin, where you Helping to build the cabin also.
Speaker:Yeah. Not with the wood or the big logs,
Speaker:but there is you put this dog between the road so
Speaker:that the wind will not come school.
Speaker:This clay there's much clay in a fridge is a good
Speaker:thing for the cabin,
Speaker:not so much for making the garden.
Speaker:And that was the part that I did in that I
Speaker:made it's summertime.
Speaker:So I could make some garden,
Speaker:some beans and many kinds of beans.
Speaker:And I find blueberry bushes in this area.
Speaker:And there is much rabbits,
Speaker:but you mustn't take rabbits in the summer.
Speaker:So you have to wait for four,
Speaker:but we are settled by the time I have my baby
Speaker:baby, our first child.
Speaker:And we will be in this cabin in the next years,
Speaker:I will have four children in this cabin before Nicholas can
Speaker:build this hose.
Speaker:So Are you telling me,
Speaker:you never did go to Wisconsin,
Speaker:But I like this nails.
Speaker:People come,
Speaker:they speak German.
Speaker:I speak French.
Speaker:And they speak Germans after for Mecklenburg and from Germany.
Speaker:And they build churches and there is two stores,
Speaker:general stores.
Speaker:And over one of the general stores is a dance hall.
Speaker:And there is a market comes to town every Thursday.
Speaker:And so,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I love the people I love that is always something as
Speaker:a church.
Speaker:And there is always something as a dance hall.
Speaker:I like this nerve center.
Speaker:So you had really established the dream that you had set
Speaker:out for.
Speaker:When you left your family in Switzerland,
Speaker:you were looking for a place in America with land where
Speaker:you could make a living along the way you found your
Speaker:husband. And now you have a family of six,
Speaker:is that correct?
Speaker:Yes. I had stopped.
Speaker:I would have another farm,
Speaker:just like<inaudible>,
Speaker:but no farm,
Speaker:no more than a kitchen garden and some chickens and pigs
Speaker:and goats.
Speaker:So that was not what I had planned,
Speaker:but to be with new people,
Speaker:to be in something,
Speaker:growing to have children and sees them go to school.
Speaker:This is the part of my dream.
Speaker:Since maybe it was more important than regular,
Speaker:it is done on the farm or in a town or
Speaker:village like nail center.
Speaker:Sure. And did you do anything else in terms of having
Speaker:any type of a trade?
Speaker:Well, my was keeping us fed and clothes,
Speaker:and then,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I work with the church ladies and we take care of
Speaker:the church and we take care of charities and it was
Speaker:a very busy and the full life.
Speaker:Sure. Sounds like it.
Speaker:Did you ever get homesick or wish you hadn't have made
Speaker:the journey?
Speaker:I could not allow myself to get homesick.
Speaker:If you think your heart is at home and you think
Speaker:you must give heart to where you are going,
Speaker:and if you have in two places,
Speaker:then you have a book and half Oh,
Speaker:that's very wise,
Speaker:Elizabeth. Well,
Speaker:you must keep,
Speaker:what is your purpose?
Speaker:How are you going step by step,
Speaker:day by day is where your heart must be.
Speaker:What happened today?
Speaker:That was a good step.
Speaker:What happened today?
Speaker:That is your dream coming to,
Speaker:this is what you must do.
Speaker:And yes,
Speaker:I would this again,
Speaker:because I came so wonderful to be with Nicholas and have
Speaker:my family and be part of a place that is growing
Speaker:and changing every year.
Speaker:I, I liked that.
Speaker:It's so interesting.
Speaker:And I think that you feel the way you do,
Speaker:probably because you were an adventuresome spirit when you left your
Speaker:family, it wasn't like you already knew Nicholas and were going
Speaker:because he wanted to,
Speaker:you already had the vision.
Speaker:Yes. I think if I had stayed at the time,
Speaker:I would have become bitter.
Speaker:I would unhappy I would do what I do,
Speaker:but something would always be missing.
Speaker:Sure. I believe that.
Speaker:Do you recognize how valuable and important your journey was in
Speaker:terms of establishing a whole nother group of people here in
Speaker:America? Did you see that when you were landing here and
Speaker:starting to build your cabin?
Speaker:Oh, I know from his skill,
Speaker:how important Nicholas was in the building because so many people
Speaker:coming railroad,
Speaker:coming to Nile center,
Speaker:right by the big general store,
Speaker:visit dance for a lunch.
Speaker:And also people who come visit their doings like we did.
Speaker:And I can have people when they come and Nicholas builds
Speaker:for them.
Speaker:And so I think that was important that we could do
Speaker:that for them.
Speaker:Absolutely. And how has your life continued to play out?
Speaker:I have called children.
Speaker:They have also survived and they are healthy and I am
Speaker:part of this community and it is my dream come true
Speaker:to be well,
Speaker:there is more than just the small farm and the same
Speaker:people every day.
Speaker:Elizabeth, I would like to offer you a special gift.
Speaker:It's called daring to dream.
Speaker:I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.
Speaker:So this would be your dream or your goal that you
Speaker:would have right now that could almost seem unattainable kind of
Speaker:like when you left Switzerland,
Speaker:like, will you really even make it,
Speaker:what would be that dream that you have now?
Speaker:That's, what's inside this box.
Speaker:So if you would open it up for us and let
Speaker:us know what's inside your box Also,
Speaker:I would like to see what you see of Nile's center.
Speaker:What is the Nial centers that you see as the people
Speaker:that I knew,
Speaker:the clams,
Speaker:the<inaudible> as they still there,
Speaker:the children,
Speaker:the grandchildren,
Speaker:what is it like from what you can see in your
Speaker:crime? That is what I would like to know.
Speaker:Very interesting.
Speaker:Just as we're so curious about the courage that it took
Speaker:and everything that you did with your life,
Speaker:which is why I'm so grateful that you're sharing it today.
Speaker:It's interesting how we're all curious about other people and how
Speaker:they've lived and especially women,
Speaker:because even though we live in different times,
Speaker:we're still so bonded to each other.
Speaker:I dunno what I would have done if it had not
Speaker:been for a wonderful woman along the way,
Speaker:who shared with me,
Speaker:you could not sit with men.
Speaker:You're always had to have other women with you.
Speaker:And they were wonderful women.
Speaker:They were courageous women too.
Speaker:And I could not have done it without other women.
Speaker:Always the women must lead the women.
Speaker:The women must allow as a women to lean on them.
Speaker:The women must give a strength and courage is the women
Speaker:who give this thing encouraged to everyone.
Speaker:And that there was wonderful.
Speaker:It's still the same today.
Speaker:We lean on each other for sure.
Speaker:And there's a strength in women not to discount the men,
Speaker:they have their role for sure,
Speaker:but there's strength in women and having that connection.
Speaker:And that bond is like no other Elizabeth,
Speaker:thank you so much.
Speaker:I appreciate your sharing your journey through this life and through
Speaker:this world.
Speaker:And I appreciate you're talking about your candle,
Speaker:that beautiful red candle and how bit by bit you did
Speaker:something that almost seemed insurmountable.
Speaker:Being able to come from Switzerland all the way over to
Speaker:a community in muddy Chicago,
Speaker:but to let us have a little bit of insight into
Speaker:the strength of women of your age and what you've done
Speaker:for us.
Speaker:I so appreciate your sharing this with us and may your
Speaker:journey through this world continue to burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:So, all Right.
Speaker:Gift biz listeners.
Speaker:I hope you enjoyed meeting Elizabeth as much as I did.
Speaker:And now I would like to bring back in Rebecca so
Speaker:we can talk a little bit more about Elizabeth,
Speaker:but from Rebecca standpoint.
Speaker:Hi Rebecca.
Speaker:Good, good,
Speaker:good, good.
Speaker:This is always so interesting to do with you and give
Speaker:biz listeners.
Speaker:You may be familiar with Rebecca.
Speaker:She did an episode as Abigail Adams almost a year and
Speaker:a half or so ago.
Speaker:I'll connect that up in the show notes.
Speaker:We also did an interview as herself surprised,
Speaker:surprised with her insurance company.
Speaker:And that is an excellent episode.
Speaker:It's part of our summer school series.
Speaker:And I'll also connect that in the show notes.
Speaker:But one of the things we talked about there was this
Speaker:side interest or hobby that you have in terms of researching
Speaker:and then portraying historical women.
Speaker:Tell us a bit more about that.
Speaker:Rebecca. I have always been interested in history and how we
Speaker:got where we are.
Speaker:I have a very big family and my family has traced
Speaker:their origins back to the early 18 hundreds and cousins have
Speaker:done family trees,
Speaker:but it always seemed to me that history is not date
Speaker:history is people making decisions.
Speaker:And how did they come to make those decisions?
Speaker:Some of the questions that you asked Elizabeth,
Speaker:why did you decide to go?
Speaker:Why did you decide to stop?
Speaker:Those are very personal and they do,
Speaker:as you suggested it towards the end of the interview,
Speaker:have many times global consequences from an individual's move.
Speaker:So the Skokie public library,
Speaker:which is a nationally recognized library for most of the time
Speaker:that I've lived in Skokie and Skokie was NILD center until
Speaker:after world war two.
Speaker:Yeah. And give biz listeners,
Speaker:that's about just to give you a little perspective,
Speaker:it's about,
Speaker:I don't know,
Speaker:12, 15 miles North of Chicago,
Speaker:Right? It's Southern border is on the Northern border of Chicago
Speaker:and it's served by Chicago transit.
Speaker:It was called Niles center and Niles center road.
Speaker:The road that Elizabeth talks about is now Lincoln Avenue that
Speaker:runs on an angle out of Chicago from around Milwaukee Avenue,
Speaker:300 North,
Speaker:almost in downtown Chicago,
Speaker:all the way up through Skokie and ends a little bit
Speaker:past Skokie.
Speaker:It had been an Indian trail and then people sectioned it
Speaker:off and put down plank roads or graded it and then
Speaker:charged wagons to go across their section of the road.
Speaker:So the Skokie public library and Carolyn Anthony was director of
Speaker:the library for the longest time,
Speaker:helped me work on Abigail Adams.
Speaker:And while I was doing that,
Speaker:introduced me to the Skokie historical society who asked me to
Speaker:come to the cabin,
Speaker:which they were refurbishing and be a living history in the
Speaker:cabin certain days.
Speaker:And they helped me find the story.
Speaker:The interesting thing is that Skokie's first head of the public
Speaker:health in which was Louisa Clem.
Speaker:And she was a doctor.
Speaker:She became a doctor in 1896 at the university of Illinois
Speaker:and in Chicago,
Speaker:the reason she became formed of board of health for the
Speaker:Nile center area was because of the Spanish flu in 1918.
Speaker:People think they're just living in a little history in a
Speaker:little village,
Speaker:in a little suburb,
Speaker:but there may be a lot of history to your own
Speaker:suburb that ties you to the place that makes you proud
Speaker:that you were there.
Speaker:That shows you courage.
Speaker:People who first came that may give you courage when you
Speaker:need it.
Speaker:Okay. That's so interesting.
Speaker:So what still exists?
Speaker:I think you were referencing just now the cabin,
Speaker:is it still there?
Speaker:Yes. The cabin was moved so that it's next to the
Speaker:old firehouse so that the grounds can be taken care of
Speaker:and it's still there and it is still open on certain
Speaker:days and they have sleepovers for kids and kids from the
Speaker:public school come to it.
Speaker:Lincoln Avenue is still there.
Speaker:It still runs through what is now Skokie.
Speaker:The interesting thing is Elizabeth youngest son,
Speaker:Samuel built a theater near Mr.
Speaker:Clemens general store with a dance hall on top.
Speaker:He built his theater when silent movies came in because the
Speaker:Keystone cops who came from Keystone Avenue in Chicago,
Speaker:came out to where the railroad was and where the general
Speaker:store and the market were.
Speaker:And they filmed there.
Speaker:They pretended it was the wild West or the Keystone cops
Speaker:came and were chased by the train and stuff like that.
Speaker:So he built a theater,
Speaker:which is now the Skokie theater,
Speaker:and that's still there in Skokie.
Speaker:It's been million dollar sound system inside and the Chicago cabaret
Speaker:coalition has taken it over.
Speaker:And there are programs going on now in Samuel Myers theater,
Speaker:That is crazy to know that some of these buildings go
Speaker:back, you know,
Speaker:from the origins of the people.
Speaker:And then the descendants of the people who came and first
Speaker:lived on this land apart from American Indians,
Speaker:of course,
Speaker:well give biz listeners,
Speaker:Rebecca. And I decided to do this specially as a gift
Speaker:for you for labor day,
Speaker:just because I think,
Speaker:and the majority of my listeners of course are women,
Speaker:is that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:there is so much courage and strength and determination and ability
Speaker:to succeed and make a way in this life that looking
Speaker:at some of the people who had challenges way different than
Speaker:what we have today that might have seemed insurmountable.
Speaker:They did,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:Elizabeth spirit of leaving her family,
Speaker:never seen her parents again,
Speaker:could you imagine?
Speaker:And then not even knowing if you'd survive,
Speaker:the journey really ended up turning into a beautiful thing for
Speaker:her, with her life,
Speaker:meeting her husband,
Speaker:having children landing and making a life for herself in a
Speaker:place that she ended up loving.
Speaker:So think about this for yourself too.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:some of the things that we think about with our businesses
Speaker:and being entrepreneurs seem like they're just out of our reach,
Speaker:right? But I want you to harken back specially on this
Speaker:labor day to Elizabeth story and think about what she was
Speaker:able to achieve.
Speaker:And I wish for all of us to have that same
Speaker:type of courage and commitment to our dream and deciding that
Speaker:we're just going to go,
Speaker:as Elizabeth was saying,
Speaker:and Rebecca also said the same way bit by bit step
Speaker:by step,
Speaker:because it is achievable for all of us.
Speaker:Rebecca, would you add anything else to that?
Speaker:I think that what you said is just wonderful and yes,
Speaker:I think that you have to remember that Abigail Adams and
Speaker:Elizabeth Meyer didn't know how it was going to come out.
Speaker:We know now,
Speaker:but they didn't know.
Speaker:And so they stayed in the present and did what they
Speaker:needed to do in the present.
Speaker:Always keeping in mind where they wanted to go.
Speaker:And that's always been a fantastic lesson,
Speaker:Wonderful point,
Speaker:keeping an eye on the goal,
Speaker:right. Clarifying for sure in your mind what you're trying to
Speaker:achieve and then keeping your eye on that.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Well, we're going to wind down here,
Speaker:Rebecca, but do you want to just really quickly because how
Speaker:could I have you provide all of this great.
Speaker:I'm going to say entertainment and motivation to us through Elizabeth
Speaker:and not let you give a little bit of a summary
Speaker:of what you do with your career.
Speaker:So talk to us a little bit about insurance.
Speaker:Well, thank you.
Speaker:My husband,
Speaker:Jerry Preston,
Speaker:and I have a unique insurance agency in that my being
Speaker:in the creative world,
Speaker:I was always around people who had to get their own
Speaker:insurance, their own retirement plan,
Speaker:doing that planning themselves.
Speaker:And didn't have somebody who specifically would take care of them.
Speaker:Dividual, family,
Speaker:health insurance plans,
Speaker:the right kind of life insurance for somebody in business for
Speaker:themselves, or in a very small partnership and how to put
Speaker:together your own personal pension plan.
Speaker:So that's what we decided to do.
Speaker:And we've been doing it now for I think,
Speaker:16 years.
Speaker:And we love the people we work with.
Speaker:We started with people in the arts world and then support
Speaker:the arts world and manage it have 500 clients,
Speaker:mostly in the North shore area who are entrepreneurs and who
Speaker:inspire us every day.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Rebecca. And again,
Speaker:you can hear more about her business.
Speaker:And then also Rebecca gives some really great information about insurance
Speaker:overall and heads up insurance is not just for when you're
Speaker:later in life and to help people who will be here
Speaker:after you're gone.
Speaker:And she talks about why there's value to having insurance.
Speaker:I call it insurance while you're living,
Speaker:but that's all over in another episode.
Speaker:So you can go check that out later.
Speaker:All the information is going to be over on our show
Speaker:notes page at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped as usual and Rebecca.
Speaker:Again, I really appreciate you coming on with a special talent
Speaker:of yours,
Speaker:giving us insight and some really strong courageous women.
Speaker:So thank you so much.
Speaker:And also to you,
Speaker:we've talked about your candles.
Speaker:You've had now three candles kind of only one of them
Speaker:has been yours though,
Speaker:from Abigail to you and Dow to Elizabeth.
Speaker:But again,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I do the candle because it's the light of the future
Speaker:and our ability to be strong and share with others,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:So also for you,
Speaker:Rebecca May your candle and your success always burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Sue. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity gift biz listeners.
Speaker:I hope you enjoyed as much as I did that interview
Speaker:with Elizabeth Meyer.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:just thinking of women at that time and how courageous they
Speaker:had to be and all that they had to do in
Speaker:terms of getting themselves prepared to go into what was an
Speaker:unknown and putting their life at risk,
Speaker:really, we can be so appreciative and grateful for these women
Speaker:because they were so courageous and they led the way for
Speaker:us also to be able to build on top of what
Speaker:they've already done and move forward with our dream towards that.
Speaker:And I have a little confession to make.
Speaker:I think I was remiss in not making the announcement here
Speaker:that the gift biz builder program was open about three or
Speaker:four weeks ago to accepting new students.
Speaker:I've had a number of,
Speaker:you asked me about the course.
Speaker:It has opened up and since closed already.
Speaker:I'm supposed,
Speaker:sorry to say.
Speaker:So let me just tell you that the gift,
Speaker:this builder program is a step-by-step course on how to start
Speaker:your business.
Speaker:So virtually from nothing,
Speaker:how do you decide what you're going to do?
Speaker:What you're going to name it,
Speaker:everything all the way to,
Speaker:should you be home-based brick and mortar.
Speaker:How do you work?
Speaker:Social media?
Speaker:What do you do about email?
Speaker:How do you get customers?
Speaker:How do you do networking?
Speaker:Just the complete package a to Z.
Speaker:If any of this is of interest to you,
Speaker:I don't want to make this same mistake again.
Speaker:So I've set up a list that you can get on
Speaker:so that I can notify you when the gift,
Speaker:this builder program reopened.
Speaker:If you're interested in this,
Speaker:I put together a link.
Speaker:You just go put your name and email and then you'll
Speaker:get an announcement when get this builder to get yourself on
Speaker:the list.
Speaker:Just go over to Bitly forward slash G B B.
Speaker:Notice that's B I T dot L Y forward slash G
Speaker:B B.
Speaker:Notice with that,
Speaker:it's a wrap and I look forward to being together again