War times
Area resident remembers serving food at WW II prisoner camp
Julia Marker, a resident of Sidney Health Center Extended Care, remembers the service she provided during World War II.
She was one of the leaders who prepared and served lunches at the CCC camp when it was used as a prisoner of war location.
"My sister and I volunteered for that," Marker said. "I wouldn't take money to do that."
Marker remembers the meals consisting of four pieces of bread and fruit. She says the sandwich usually consisted of some lunch meat and a piece of cheese.
"An old guard would stand right behind them (the prisoners)," Marker said. "If they ran, he said he would shoot them. I told them not to run."
She was glad that none of the prisoners ever attempted to run away at the camp located between Sidney and Fairview.
"I didn't want to see a person shot in the back," Marker said.
She noted that each prisoner was saddled down with hobbles. "If they had tried to run, they would have landed flat on their face." Marker described the years as a bad time. Her younger brother died in the war.
Happier times were when she and her husband, Bill, worked at West Side Elementary School as custodians for 15 years.
"It was such a pleasure to see those little kids," she said. "It was such fun when you saw them at the grocery store and they wanted to say hi to you."
Currently, Marker enjoys her time at Extended Care. "I like it here."
One of her hobbies involves collecting stuffed musical animals. She even keeps a few small ones inside the bottom of her shirt.
"When the kids come, they like to play and squeeze them," Marker said.
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