Many of you have inquired about the inspiration for Crutcheze. With Memorial Day upon us we thought it would only be fitting to introduce you to Gladys Smith who was the initial inspiration for this business.
In 1943 Gladys joined the Navy. World War II was raging and after losing two brothers and her fiance, Gladys knew she had to do something to help with the war effort. She enlisted in the Navy becoming a WAVE--seaman first class.
It took courage for an Iowa girl to leave her hometown of Fort Dodge and travel to New York for training, but courage was never in short supply. Gladys herself once said, "I always was a 'stoic old broad.'" When her training was completed, Gladys was stationed at Algiers Naval Base in New Orleans. She worked in the personnel office taking the place of a young sailor who volunteered for sea duty.
Those who worked with Gladys knew how much she wanted to help bring about the end of the war and they knew why. They understood her conviction in the huge personal loss and they had their own nickname for her, "The Blonde Bombshell." She remained in the Navy for the duration of the war.
When the war ended and Gladys was discharged, she returned to her hometown of Fort Dodge. Life returned to normal, but it wasn't exactly easy. Gladys eventually married and had three children. When the marriage failed she raised her children as a single parent. She said the children grew up well disciplined thanks to her tough training. They also learned from their mother that if you don't give up you can succeed.
Gladys was always much younger than her years and remained active and involved in the community. She left Iowa and became a Colorado resident. An unfortunate boating accident caused her serious injury that left her unable to walk any distance. For the most part, Gladys was confined to a wheelchair, which limited her independence. To make matters worse, her wheelchair was old, rusty and standard issue green--anything but unique. All that changed when Gladys' neighbor and friend, Amy stepped in to help. After cleaning and polishing the old chair plus creating a wheelchair slipcover Gladys' wheelchair became a classy ride for a classy lady.
It all could have ended there, but we discovered there are alot of other "Gladys" out there who want comfort and style that reflect their personalities and courage. As word spread, we were invited to present our products at local American Legions, the annual VA Women's Health Gala in Denver, and other venues.
On this Memorial Day we would like to acknowledge all of our brave men and women serving our country. A special shout out to all the fine folks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Crutcheze newest account. And, a very special acknowledgement to our blonde bombshell inspiration, Gladys.
Sadly Gladys has passed on but her inspiration lives within all of us and remains our driving force. Thanks Gladys!
