Weathers, Dorothy L., 1928-2014
Biography
Dorothy L. Weathers was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1928. She later moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where she took a job stamping letters for Look magazine at the age of nineteen. She married her first husband at the age of twenty. She began working as a cleaning lady in Des Moines in the 1950s after getting divorced and having young children to support. In addition to work in domestic service, Weathers catered for Holiday Inn. She had three sons. Dorothy Weathers died in 2014 at the age of 85. Biographical information found in Weathers’ obituary as published in the Des Moines Register.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Weathers, Dorothy L., 2010-10-11
Dorothy Weathers’ oral history interview focuses on her experiences working as a cleaning lady in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 1950s. She recalls working for a white couple, Fred and Patricia Pigott, for 44 years. Weathers describes having a positive relationship with them, noting that they paid her twice as much as many other women were making in similar roles. She remembers the Pigotts helping her navigate legal and financial decisions and says that Patricia Pigott encouraged her to pursue a formal education. Weathers also discusses her experience working for a Jewish family, the Michelins, for 22 years.