Birthday Celebration Planned for 95-year-old “Riveter” May Bell

May Bell (Parsons) (Parker) Davis turned 95 on November 2, 2019. May is a former Bryan County resident, and long-time Marshall County resident. She retired from the Madill Walmart at the young age of 80.

Her birthday celebration will be in Oklahoma City, OK 73135 on Wednesday November 27 before Thanksgiving at 4:00 p.m.

We know of no other living “Riveter” in Oklahoma at this time, although there may be some.

I grew up hearing my mother talk about working during the War (WWII). She told stories of she and two of her sisters, Florene and Hazel.

Mother worked at the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Arkansas and later at the Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot, also in Arkansas where she grew up.

While I may not have all the facts completely straight, as I understand it there was a conveyor-belt for grenade assembly there. Occasionally, a pin would fall out but there was a barricade in front and an explosives bin for the rejects and live grenades.

The women were supposed to grab the live grenade, throw it into the bin, yell something - I don’t recall what but it had a lot a bravado like “Bend Over and Kiss it” - then everyone hit the floor. One woman lost her arm doing that, but she saved several lives in the process.

Mother is the youngest of the six girls. She is pictured above with her family. All of her brothers and sisters survived the War. Below she is pictured with her three surviving brothers of the five brothers and with her sisters, Florene, bottom left, Hazel, middle, and May Bell, bottom right. Mother is now the only surviving “girl”.

According to Wikipedia, there were 3 million women who went to work during WW II and then returned home after the War (And the baby boom started.).

Mother later went back to work and worked until she was 80… She never achieved her ambition of getting a college degree; however, all four of her children did. Her son became an attorney.