Ann (Benson) Rudolph lives in Olivia, but began life in Chicago, Illinois. She was born in August 1942, the eldest of three children of Dorothy (Sutherland) Benson and Clarence Benson. Ann’s younger siblings, Clark and Dean, were born in 1947 and 1951.

Ann’s parents met at St. Olaf College in Northfield. Her mother graduated from St. Olaf, but her father transferred to the University of Minnesota for senior year. Ann’s mom began teaching home economics in Danube, while her father began working in the family business in Chicago. The two, young college grads married and began their family with Ann.

But Ann was born into a world at war and her father was called into service with the Marine Corps. She shared her mother’s stories about those years.

“At first we lived in (an aunt’s) house and then Mom and I lived with her parents in Red Wing, Minnesota. I was still very young when we went to see Dad at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. We were on a train so packed that mother squeezed her way through and the men passed me down the line. (Ann laughed) I met up with Mom at the end of the car.”

Once her father’s wartime service ended, the young family returned to Chicago so he could continue working for his father’s business. Ann described that business.

“Grandpa originally had a record store; then branched out to a piano store; and later to appliances. Over time they added furniture. They had three of the four corners in an area of Chicago called Boston. Grandpa came over alone on a ship from Norway, so he was an immigrant who did well.”

The Benson’s home in Chicago was different from homes in our prairie communities.

“It had a nice front porch. I watched TV there after my tonsils were removed. We had one of the first televisions because Dad sold them. Once my second brother was born, Clark and I moved upstairs. Half of the upstairs was an attic and the other half was our room. Our part of Chicago had houses this far apart. (Holding her hands about a foot apart) You could shake hands with the neighbor. It had a fenced-in backyard and a garage. It was just a nice, quaint, Chicago house.”

Ann attended John Hay School in her neighborhood.

“I remember going to the corner; taking a right, and (walking) three or four blocks. We did that alone as kids. There was nothing to be worried about.”

Ann’s family moved in 1953 to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a west Chicago suburb. She explained their new home was her mom’s dream.

“My parents had an architect friend. He and mother drew the house plans. It had a front garage with a guest room above. Along the back was the living room with huge windows. Across from the windows was a beautiful stairway up to the guest rooms on one side and to the right there was a bathroom, my brothers’ room, my room, and my parents’ room. It was a large, beautiful house.”

Ann continued her education in the 5th and 6th grades at Main Street Grade School. She began flute lessons in 6th grade before moving to junior high school, where she continued playing flute; began voice lessons; and became a cheerleader. When she entered Glenbard High School the choir director presented Ann with a difficult choice.

“He said, ‘Ann, you have a choice of choir or cheerleading. You will wreck your voice as a cheerleader. You have a good voice. So, I hope you continue with music.'”

Ann chose to continue voice lessons and high school choir and had great experiences in music.

“We did hard stuff like oratorios. There was a solo in one piece and Mr. Carr had trouble assigning it, so he had three of us sing it behind a screen and the rest of the choir voted. (Because of her voice lessons) I had an advantage over the other girls, even though we all had really good voices. My mother and voice teacher came when we performed that piece. I didn’t know they were going to be there, thank God! (Ann laughed) I would have been scared to death!

Ann’s growing world extended beyond classrooms and music rooms.

“I worked summers at an insurance company in downtown Chicago because a neighbor got a couple of us jobs. We commuted via train to Chicago every day. (Ann chuckled) I worked in the filing department and got to know a lot of older people in their 20s and 30s.”

Ann graduated with the Glenbard High School Class of 1960 and carried three close, high school friendships with her into adult life.

There was never any question that Ann would attend college, nor any question about which college.

“It was St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. My mother graduated from there and my father went there through junior year. My uncles from both sides of the family went there. My parents got together every year with two couples from their college class and they’d laugh; reminisce; and have the best time. I wanted that. Honestly, since I had never heard of anything but St. Olaf, for years I thought that was the only college everybody went to. (Ann chuckled) Later, I was aware that there were others, but I had already decided I was going there to be a nurse.”

Ann headed west to St. Olaf College in the fall of 1960, following in her family’s footsteps and her own calling to be a nurse.

©2024 William D. Palmer.