Evelyn “Evie” Patterson of Kingsford and Marjorie Knutson of Marinette, Wis., are among the few women left who held the vital position of being a “Rosie the Riveter” during the war years.

After graduating from Norway High School in 1943, the best friends joined the millions of working women in the defense industry as welders.

Together they enrolled in a vocational school, the National Youth Association — NYA program — in Marinette to learn the trade.

While attending school, they were housed in “barracks.” Knutson recalls the strict rules they had to follow at that time. “On a dresser, you can only have one article, and you had to be in the house by 9 p.m.,” she said.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS gathered last weekend to celebrate Evelyn “Evie” Patterson’s 100th birthday. From left are Peggy Knutson, Marjorie Knutson’s daughter; Evie Patterson; Cheri Hamilton, Patterson’s daughter; Charlotte Grenier, Marjorie Knutson’s daughter; and Marjorie Knutson, who with longtime friend Patterson worked as a welder during World War II. (Karen Klenke photo)

Patterson explained to receive a welding certificate, a state inspector would have to approve each project piece. Trainees had to weld a small pipe onto a thick piece of metal, and after completion they would put it into acid to test the weld penetration.

“You never knew when he (the inspector) was watching you,” she said. “But, I knew, because I could feel his breath on my neck.”

Patterson said her first weld was perfect. “He said to me, ‘You are a born welder,'” she said.

Knutson noted the class had a large number of women because a lot of the men already were serving overseas.

The duo went to work at The Lloyd Manufacturing Co. in Menominee.

LONGTIME FRIENDS Evelyn “Evie” Patterson of Kingsford and Marjorie Knutson of Marinette, Wis., turn 100 years old this year. The two real-life “Rosie the Riveters” worked as welders during World War II. (Karen Klenke photo)

Their first assignment was to weld Army bus seats, as a majority of the company’s business was military work at that time. They then moved to welding Link Trainers, an airplane cockpit simulator and the fuselage frames for the Gliders.

Patterson referred to them as “Wanda the Welder,” instead of “Rosie the Riveter.”

“We had a lot of great memories welding together and so many good times,” Patterson said.

Evie’s daughter, Cheri Hamilton, added both were gas welders. “They had the option in vocational school to become a skilled electric or gas welder,” she said.

Knutson recalled having to walk everywhere while in Marinette. “We would often walk down State Highway 180 to the stables and one rainy day two guys stopped to give us a ride,” she said.

EVELYN "EVIE" PATTERSON and Marjorie Knutson had made plans to join the Women’s Army Corps shortly before World War II ended. (Submitted photo)

Marjorie ended up dating one of the men in the car that day and they eventually married, said her daughter, Peggy Knutson.

She added the friends would often go back to Niagara for weekend visits.

Patterson moved to the Manitowoc Shipyard to weld Navy ammunition boxes until the war ended.

“It was all piecework — I hated that piecework,” she said, adding she got moved to the repair line because her seams were proficient and didn’t leak.

Patterson and Knutson, along with two other friends, decided to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps, or WACs.

“The day we were to leave for our inspection it was canceled because the war ended,” Patterson said.

“That’s right” Knutson added. “I still have a letter from Merle from when he was in the service, asking ‘Why are you thinking of doing that?'”

Patterson remembers she had borrowed a suitcase from her brother and he told her, “If you join the WACs, then you can’t have my suitcase.”

She makes special mention of her brother, Lee, who died in a vehicle accident while serving overseas after the war ended in the Philippines.

Patterson was born on April 7, 1924, to Edward and Bertha Edict, the second of seven children.

“All but one of her siblings were born at the family home,” said her daughter, Cheri Hamilton. “There is a 17-year difference from the youngest.”

Knutson was born Aug. 26, 1924, to Wesley and Gertrude Henry. She had three siblings who all preceded her in death.

“Her father lived to be 98,” said Marjorie’s daughter, Peggy Knutson.

They both grew up on Chapman Road in Niagara, attending classes at the one-room Geldmeyer and Chapman schools.

Knutson shared memories of climbing the fence and walking next door to the Geldmeyer School. She also recalled how she would walk with the neighbors to the river and the time spent sledding during the winters.

Patterson explained that she attended the first two years of high school at Niagara, but graduated from Norway High School.

“In the ninth and 10th grades I stayed in town (Niagara) with other families because I didn’t have a ride into school,” she said, noting the long distance of travel at that time.

Her brothers wanted to take a course in agriculture, but Niagara Schools didn’t offer it, so the girls also decided to join the boys at Norway High School.

“My dad bought a dry cleaning van, which was like our bus,” Patterson said. “My brother and I would pick up about six kids and drive them for 50 cents a week.”

Both recalled how high school students would have to take part in learning military maneuvers similar to soldiers, such as crawling under barbed wire.

“That was my favorite thing to do,” Knutson said.

In 1946, after returning to Niagara, Evie married her husband, Claude Patterson.

Hamilton said her mom tells the story of how she was 20 minutes late for her own wedding due to her father having to get a haircut.

The couple started work on their “new home” in 1951. “They only had $28 in labor costs until the plaster was needed, because they did everything themselves at night,” Hamilton said.

They had two daughters, Cheri (Roger) Hamilton of Iron Mountain and the late Peggy Kuester, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2003. She has four grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Her oldest great-great-granddaughter, Adlee Evelyn, was born on Evie’s 97th birthday.

Although her welding career came to an end after the war, many local farmers and neighbors took advantage of her skill.

“It’s one of my childhood memories I have of many Saturdays at our house,” Hamilton said. “I would remember her saying, ‘Now don’t look at the arc.'”

“I loved to weld — I really did,” Patterson said. “I just loved the smell of hot metal.”

In addition to raising her daughters, she worked for local grocery stories over the years.

Claude worked at the Niagara Paper Mill and in his spare time cut pulpwood.

“My mother would take the loaded trucks of wood to different mills, including Oconto and Marinette,” Hamilton said. “It was nothing for her to make two or three runs a day sometimes.”

“She loved driving that truck,” she added.

Evie’s husband preceded her in death in 2007 and she then moved to Kingsford, where she still resides.

Patterson also had a love for deer hunting and fishing. She started to hunt with her dad at age 11 and received her first gun at 16.

Hamilton said her mom would be just like a little kid when November rolled around each year.

Patterson has a reputation for good cooking — some of her favorite requests are potato salad, pasties, dill pickles, apple pies and chicken dumpling soup.

She is known to hundreds of local residents as “Auntie Evie.”

“We always had different kids coming to the house,” Hamilton said. “Even now, she still has lots of kids, including grandchildren, visiting her and they love to help her with chores.”

Hamilton said while preparing for the celebration she has learned many new things about her mom. “She’s totally amazing,” Hamilton said.

However, Hamilton is baffled by the fact Evie switched to being a Minnesota Vikings fan in 1974.

After the war, the former Marjorie Henry put down her welding torch and married Merle Knutson in 1947.

The couple made Marinette their home, raising their six children: Charlotte Grenier, Heidi Dietrich, twins Terry and Thomas Knutson, Peggy Knutson and David Knutson, all in Marinette. She has 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Merle preceded her in death in 2009.

“We all live in Knutsonville,” said her daughter, Peggy Knutson.

Peggy said her mother still has all the letters that her parents wrote to each other during the war and is in the process of digitizing them to possibly make a book.

“In the letters, she talked often about going to the movies for a quarter, or how they were not allowed to have lights on at night,” Peggy Knutson said.

Marjorie still resides in her own home and remains active.

“She loves the outdoors, even still hauls firewood,” she said. “She will also ride her bike down the driveway.”

She enjoys listening to live music as well. “Anytime you talk about a musical event she says, ‘Let’s go,'” said Peggy Knutson.

Knutson is an avid Green Bay Packers fan and loves watching all the games.

She’s very sharp and amazingly healthy, her daughter said.

Over the century, they have seen 17 U.S. presidents.

Patterson said most wouldn’t believe her secret to looking so great at 100. “It’s Coca-Cola — I drink it all the time,” she said.

Her sister, Lillian Leonard, who will be 91 this year, often tells her she drinks too much soda, Hamilton said.

Knutson will tell you that, along with staying active, her secret is she has never touched a drop of alcohol in her life.

They both agreed that being blessed with a special family helped them reach the milestone.

“There also has to be something in those welding rods, because I’m 100, she will be 100 in August,” Patterson said.

The first celebration, hosted by Patterson’s family, took place a week ago at the Niagara Town Hall, with everyone in agreement they have left a lasting impression.

Knutson will celebrate with a special party Aug. 11, with Patterson in attendance to help honor her.