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Real-life "Rosie the Riveter" gets long-awaited HS diploma in Metairie
Gina Swanson
Anchor
Real-life "Rosie the Riveter" gets long-awaited HS diploma in Metairie
WEBVTT GINA: THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONSPEOPLE DON'T FINISH HIGH SCHOOL,INCLUDING GETTING A JOB ANDGOING TO WORK.WE TALKED WITH ONE WOMAN WHOSESACRIFICE HELPED OUT NOT ONLYHER FAMILY, BUT OUR NATION.NOW THIS 2017 GRADUATE IS TRULYIN A CLASS OF HER OWN.[APPLAUSE]REPORTER: IT'S A CAP AND GOWN,AND POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE, INMETAIRIE AS IT IS GRADUATION DAYFOR KATHERINE SUMMERS MARTINSON.A DAY SOME 80 YEARS IN THEMAKING.>> NEVER THOUGHT I'D HAVE ADIPLOMA.REPORTER: MARTINSON GREW UP INMISSISSIPPI.SHE FINISHED 11TH GRADE, BUT DIDNOT GET TO GRADUATE.SHE QUIT SCHOOL TO HELP HERFAMILY DURING THE GREATDEPRESSION.AS THAT ENDED, WORLD WAR II WASJUST BEGINNING.>> DURING THE WAR, I TOOK A SHOPCOURSE.THAT'S HOW I LEARNED HOW TO USETHE TOOLS.AND TO DO THE RIVETING.IT WAS A GOOD GROUP THAT WEWORKED WITH.WE ENJOYED THE WORK.EVERYTHING FOR THE COUNTRY ATTHAT TIME.REPORTER: A REAL LIFE ROSIE THERIVETER, ONE OF THOUSANDS OFWOMAN WHO WORKED IN FACTORIESAND SHIPYARDS IN SUPPORT OF OURCOUNTRY'S WAR EFFORT.>> SO MANY YEARS AGO.[LAUGHTER]REPORTER: YEARS AGO, BUT NEVERFAR FROM MIND, WAS THE DIPLOMASHE ALWAYS LONGED FOR.>> AFTER THE WAR SHE MARRIED MYDADDY AND HAD FOUR KIDS IN FIVEYEARS AND ALONG THE WAY SHENEVER COMPLETED HER HIGH SCHOOL.>> THAT WAS ALWAYS IN MY MIND.SEVERAL TIMES I WOULD THINK MYCAN GO BACK.BUT THEN IT WOULD BE WITH SUCHYOUNG KIDS.I SAID, I CANNOT FACE THAT.SO I NEVER WENT BACK.REPORTER: BUT HER DIPLOMA CAMETUESDAY, TO HER.>> TO PRESENT MS. KATHERINESUMMERS WITH THIS HONORARYDIPLOMA FROM PICAYUNE HIGHMEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL.-- CONGRATULATIONS.[APPLAUSE]>> IT IS WONDERFUL.I HAVE SEEN MY CHILDREN GETTHESE DIPLOMAS.REPORTER: AND NOW SHE HAS WANTTO MATCH.ANOTHER MEMBER OF PICAYUNEMEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, MAROONTIDE NATION. A RITE OF PASSAGE THAT DID NOTDIMINISH WITH THE PASSAGE OFTIME.[APPLAUSE]REPORTER: KATHERINE SUMMERSMARTINSON, A 2017 GRADUATETHAT'S TRULY IN A CLASS OF HEROWN.GINA: KATHERINE MARTINSON IS97-YEARS-OLD.SHE WAS PRESENTED HER DIPLOMA BYTHE SUPERINTENDENT OF PICAYUNESCHOOLS AND THE PRINCIPAL AT THE
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Real-life "Rosie the Riveter" gets long-awaited HS diploma in Metairie
Gina Swanson
Anchor
There was a cap and gown and pomp and circumstance Tuesday in Metairie. It was graduation day for 97-year-old Katherine Summers Martinson."Never thought I'd have a diploma," Martinson said.She grew up in Mississippi and she finished 11th grade but did not get to graduate. Martinson quit school to help her family during The Great Depression. As that ended, World War II was just beginning."During the war, I took a shop course. That's how I learned how to use the tools to do the riveting," she said. "It was a good group we worked with. We enjoyed our work. (It was) everything for the country at that time."A real-life "Rosie the Riveter," she was one of thousands of woman who worked in factories and shipyards in support of our country's war effort."That was so many years ago," she said.It might have been years ago, but never far from her mind was the diploma she always longed for."After the war, she married my daddy and had four kids in five years. Somehow, along the way, she never completed her high school," Martinson's daughter said."It was always on my mind," Martinson said. "Several times I'd think I could go back, but then it would be with such young kids. I didn't think I could face that. So I never went back."On Tuesday, her diploma came to her."It means so much to me. It's wonderful. I saw my four children all get diplomas," Martinson said.Now she has one to match. She is another member of Picayune Memorial High School Maroon Tide Nation. It's a rite of passage, that did not diminish with the passage of time.Katherine Summers Martinson, a 2017 graduate in a class of her own.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!
METAIRIE, La. —

There was a cap and gown and pomp and circumstance Tuesday in Metairie. It was graduation day for 97-year-old Katherine Summers Martinson.

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"Never thought I'd have a diploma," Martinson said.

She grew up in Mississippi and she finished 11th grade but did not get to graduate. Martinson quit school to help her family during The Great Depression. As that ended, World War II was just beginning.

"During the war, I took a shop course. That's how I learned how to use the tools to do the riveting," she said. "It was a good group we worked with. We enjoyed our work. (It was) everything for the country at that time."

A real-life "Rosie the Riveter," she was one of thousands of woman who worked in factories and shipyards in support of our country's war effort.

"That was so many years ago," she said.

It might have been years ago, but never far from her mind was the diploma she always longed for.

"After the war, she married my daddy and had four kids in five years. Somehow, along the way, she never completed her high school," Martinson's daughter said.

"It was always on my mind," Martinson said. "Several times I'd think I could go back, but then it would be with such young kids. I didn't think I could face that. So I never went back."

On Tuesday, her diploma came to her.

"It means so much to me. It's wonderful. I saw my four children all get diplomas," Martinson said.

Now she has one to match. She is another member of Picayune Memorial High School Maroon Tide Nation. It's a rite of passage, that did not diminish with the passage of time.

Katherine Summers Martinson, a 2017 graduate in a class of her own.

Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!