Miss Josephine Pedersen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Pedersen, 219 Virden street, was sworn into the Waves in Des Moines on March 4. She will start her training at Cedar Falls April 9. Miss Pedersen, formerly employed in the office of the John Deere Tractor company, was the first girl from that organization to join the Waves.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - April 2, 1943 (photo included)
Three Waterloo Girls Graduated at Waves Center
Three Waterloo girls had been graduated Saturday from the Waves indoctrination course at the Waves center, Cedar Falls.
Lula Heldt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Brooks, 510 Fowler street, became a yeoman third class, altho she was unable to attend the graduation exercises Friday because of a broken ankle.
She is in sick bay at the navy sick bay, but will leave for active duty upon recovery, Yeoman Heldt has two brothers already serving in the US Navy. They are Lee and Arlo Heldt.
Also graduating were Josephine Pederson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pederson, 219 Virden street, who received her yeoman third class rating and Lois Ruth Culbertson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. Vern Culbertson, 422 Baltimore, who did not receive a yeoman's rating but will leave within a few days for active duty.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - June 27, 1943
Where Are Those GI Janes Since They've Again Become Civilians?
What has happened to those Waterloo girls who looked so smart in Wave, Wac or Spar uniforms, traveled the country and the world and the were discharged from service to return to civilian life?
Well, many of them were married while in the service and have settled in other states or brought their husbands to Waterloo to live. Still others entered new fields of work and have gone on to college through the benefits of education provision of the GI bill of rights.
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Former Wave Josephine Pederson is at home with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Pedersen, 908 Conger street. She attended Iowa State Teachers college, Cedar Falls, for one semester since her discharge but now intends to do office work in Waterloo and complete her college education later.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - Sunday March 9, 1947
