WWW.OLOHP.ORG • The Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project
  • Home
  • About
  • Excerpts
    • Quotes >
      • On Early Awareness
      • On Finding Others
      • On Language
      • On Closet/Coming Out
      • On Military
      • On Religion
      • Miscellaneous
      • Finding Resources
      • On Marriage and Children
      • Seeking Professional Help
      • Loss and Grief
    • Profiles >
      • Annalee Stewart
      • Beverly Hickok
      • Jean Mountaingrove
      • Ocie Perry
      • Ruth SIlver
      • Ethyl 'Ricci Cortez' Bronson
      • Betty Shoemaker
      • Vera Martin
  • Newsletter
    • Back Issues of the Insider
  • Old Lesbians, a documentary
  • Books/DVD
    • DVD Our Stories, Our Voices >
      • More about the DVD Our Stories, Our Voices
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Excerpts
    • Quotes >
      • On Early Awareness
      • On Finding Others
      • On Language
      • On Closet/Coming Out
      • On Military
      • On Religion
      • Miscellaneous
      • Finding Resources
      • On Marriage and Children
      • Seeking Professional Help
      • Loss and Grief
    • Profiles >
      • Annalee Stewart
      • Beverly Hickok
      • Jean Mountaingrove
      • Ocie Perry
      • Ruth SIlver
      • Ethyl 'Ricci Cortez' Bronson
      • Betty Shoemaker
      • Vera Martin
  • Newsletter
    • Back Issues of the Insider
  • Old Lesbians, a documentary
  • Books/DVD
    • DVD Our Stories, Our Voices >
      • More about the DVD Our Stories, Our Voices
  • Contact
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART


Ocie Perry 

Picture

I went through a whole lot of changes about my life. I went through a whole lot of guilt about feeling those ideas [loving women], and I ran from it for a long time. But I think the best way I can put this … is to say it took me a long time to realize that there’s nothing wrong with what I feel. There’s nothing wrong with loving a woman.

​
Herstory description:
  Subject: Ocie Perry
  Date of Birth: July 1926
  Place of Birth: Arkansas
  Age at Interview: 77
  Death: 2016
  Date of Interview: December 2003
  Interviewer: Arden Eversmeyer
​  Place of Interview: Mesa, Arizona
  Transcriber: Lorna Ellis
  Length of Transcript: original, 32 pages; OCRed text, 35 pages;
    ~ 16,900 words
  Contract: Unconditional
  Contract Dated: 12/19/2003
  Support documents: 40 pages; copies of photos, certificates, programs,
    vitae
​
Abstract:
Born and raised in a rural area of Arkansas, Ocie’s first job was working as a personal bath attendant at the nearby Hot Springs. Her determination helped Ocie succeed in nursing school despite being the only woman of color in a school where some of the nuns were not very accepting. She also served in the Army Nurse Corps. Ocie had several successful careers; first nursing in VA hospital settings and later as head nurse within the US Postal Service. During both careers, Ocie was very active in the union, integrally involved in unionizing the nurses within the Post Office. Outside of her traditional careers, Ocie devoted much of her free time to her love of jazz music, hosting first a radio program and, later, a television show. She was also a single mother, adopting a child when she was 41.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture
Sample page from Ocie's interview transcript

Home

About

Excerpts

Newsletter

Documentary

Books/DVD

Contact

Mailing Address: 
OLOHP c/o MPurcell
6912 35th St W
University Place, WA  98466
Picture

​[email protected]

 
Margaret on behalf of the OLOHP 
Copyright © 2009