My Mother's Studebaker Car...Tillie was her Name
81When my younger brothers and I were youngsters living in the beautiful countryside of Wisconsin, my mother had an old Studebaker car and her name was "Tillie."
We were fortunate in that my mother was a stay at home mom.
My dad drove his car into the City of Milwaukee each day to go to work which was about 30 miles east from where we lived.
Thirty miles seemed quite the distance back then.
Of course roads have been greatly improved since those days and today we think nothing of traveling a similar distance all within this city where we now reside just to go to a symphony performance or even to go out to a special restaurant or to go to a friend's house for an evening of camaraderie.
Studebaker car
Tillie
At the time we thought nothing of the fact that my mother referred to her car as Tillie. My dad's car did not have a special name and why my mother's car was so named, I have no idea. We all just took it as a matter of course that Tillie was a part of our family's landscape of possessions at the time.
What made this car so special?
Plenty!
Post World War II
In those days of growing up ( in the 1950's ) and following "the war to end all wars".........sadly that is not the case!........not every family was fortunate enough to have a second car as well as a stay at home mom.
My parents worked hard and were thrifty in their spending habits and also believed in saving "for a rainy day."
They had built the house that I first remember living in, my memory not capturing the earlier days of living in a cottage on the lake next door to my grandmother ( my dad's mother.)
Ah.......but I DO remember the Studebaker car named Tillie!
Picture of me in my grandfather's gardening boots
car headliners
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Why was Tillie so memorable?
First of all, the cloth lining on the roof interior of the car had started disintegrating. When there was more of it hanging down than remaining attached to the roof, my parents decided to just remove all the remaining fragments.
I have no idea if a new headliner was not in their budget or if they just decided that Tillie deserved a new more distinctive look. Whatever the case may have been, the interior roof was painted instead.
My mother seemed pleased and after all, it was her second hand car to do with as she wished.
My mother in the days she would have been driving the Studebaker car.
Studebaker cars
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The primary reason that Tillie was unlike most other cars was her heater.
Few cars back in those days offered air conditioning. Windows were simply rolled down and whatever breezes passed through the car offered a bit of respite from the summer heat.
However.......in Wisconsin the cold weather lasts for many months of the year.
All cars of which I was familiar did provide heaters.
Tillie's heater was obviously just plain old and worn out.
That is not to say that Tillie's heater did not work. It worked...but sadly, just about at the end of any trip a faint bit of heat would start coming out of her.
Since we lived in the country and attended a private school, my mother would drive us there and pick us up each day. In the dead of winter, we would all be bundled up and shiver all the way to school. My mother tried to convince us that it was merely invigorating!
My mother and me in 1958.
Do you have funny car stories?
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Kids of a certain age like to blend in with their peers.
Even though some other friend's parents did not even own a second car, the fact that Tillie was so different embarrassed my brothers and me back then. We would ask my mother not to drop us off right by the school doors, but to stay back a bit in the small parking lot so that other kids would not see us exiting from Tillie.
How silly and my mother and I have often laughed about the old Studebaker named Tillie and those times of bygone days. Remembering her on this day, Mother's Day, with love and memories of all the many years that we shared together...even those days with her car, Tillie.
Where we lived at the time...
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - Zsa Zsa Gabor Shows off her Studebaker Lark
Studebaker Wagonaire
1956 Studebaker "Big New Studebaker" TV Ad
Sampling of other family stories by Peggy W...
- Autograph Books and Childhood Memories from the 1950s and 1960s
Autograph books can bring back many memories when read in later years. Some of mine from the 1950s & '60s. - My Grandmother's Antique German Prayer Book
June 25, 1905 was the date in my grandmother's little palm sized prayer book that was written in German. A little family history is included in this hub dating back to the time when horses and buggies were the common mode of transportation. - Dance Craze ~ Twist Nostalgia in 1960's ~ Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker's hit song "The Twist" had my entire family gyrating to the fun beat in the 1960's but my Dad was the all time expert in our family. Videos in this hub capture some of those good golden oldies. Does this resurrect any memories of your - Dolls and My Mother's Cherished Dionne Quintuplet One Named Annette
I was too much of a tomboy growing up to play much with dolls, but my mother loved hers...especially her favorite one named Annette after one of the famous Dionne Quintuplets. Learn how the Dionne Quintuplet girls were reared in those days. Sad! - Pictures of Farming in North Dakota in the early 1900's
The numerous photos show my great aunt and uncle's large and successful farming operation in North Dakota back in the early 1900's. My mother when she was a child got to see it in person and has told me stories about it. Readers can learn much about
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Thanks! Hope to see you around =)
Hi again oscillationatend,
That first new car turned out to be a bummer. Should write a hub about it! Think I will. Good luck with your new business and I do indeed think that you are funny. At least you bring a smile to my face and I "get" your humor. Best wishes!
Nice!
I've only purchased one semi-new car, but ended up not keeping it. We're now just a one car family, but I'm good with that. If I'm lucky the biz should be mostly home based anyway when it takes off. =)
Hello oscillationatend,
My first new car was a 1970 Pontiac that had a white roof and was a nice body color of green. I was still single and living in the nurse's dorm in the Texas Medical Center. What a proud moment of new car ownership! :-) That was many years and cars ago!!!
Cute storry Peggy!
I remember some of my parents old cars, they were great! Kept in good shape.
My first car was an '89 chevy celebrity, with tinted windows. It was the pimp mobile.
Hi reddog1037,
I agree with you that no matter what the story is...it is good to keep passing on family stories like this one about my mother's Studebaker car. It certainly left an impression upon us! Ha! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
What a delightful family memory. My family doesn't have any car stories but sitting down and remembering the good times helps keep family histories alive.
Hi Micky Dee,
So...your aunt COULD have been among the first Studebaker NASCAR drivers! Ha! My short little mother-in-law had a very heavy foot when driving also! Not that she was NASCAR material.....
My Aunt had a Studebaker. I loved it. Boy she could drive that thing too. Alas- she lived too early too compete in NASCAR!
Greetings Wayne Brown,
Happy to hear that you enjoyed this story about my Mother's Studebaker named Tillie. Thanks for leaving a comment.
I liked that a lot, Peggy! What a beautiful memory to associate with your mother. We had some relatives who owned a Studebaker. I was always fascinated by it. I think it was the pointed nose on the front. Great memories...thanks for sharing them.
Hi Enelle,
Sounds to me as though you had the best backseat being seated on that raised armrest and being able to look out of the front window plus both side windows. Something to be said for being the youngest and smallest! Ha! Thanks for visiting this hub about my mother's Studebaker and leaving your comment.
We didn't have a studebaker, but we did have an old squarish station wagon (not the long, low, sleek kind) with a finicky column shifter. It also had a wide, fold down armrest in the middle of the back seat that used to be my seat whenever we traveled. Being that I was the youngest, and smallest, it afforded me an excellent view through the windshield - as both my sisters had the window seats!
Hi jacobkuttyta,
Glad you enjoyed reading this hub about my Mother's old car, the Studebaker named Tillie. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Nice hub
Enjoyed reading it.
Thanks
Greetings timelesshotrods,
So Loki was not a good car for you! Nice that your next unnamed car was a real performer. I don't think that after "Tillie" my mother ever named another car either. Ha!
Hi Candie,
Here is to the Betsy's and Tillie's of the car kingdom! Happy to hear that this hub about my mother's Studebaker brought back memories for you. :-)
I named my first car "Loki", named after the Norse mythology god who caused trouble. And trouble that car was, always leaving me stranded or breaking down. It finally got totalled in a car accident, and I decided to not name my next car and it was the best car I ever had!
My father called our 66 LeMans "Betsy"! I'd forgotten that till I read your wonderful hub! Thanks Peggy!!
Hi robie2,
So happy that you enjoyed this story of my mother's Studebaker and the 1950's setting in which it was placed. My dad drove the station wagon in our family and it was definitely more comfortable...at least the heater worked! Ha! Nice to hear that you also have good memories from that time.
Hi saddlerider1,
So you had your old car memories also. Thanks for sharing yours. Hey........nothing wrong with sleeping with socks on in the winter! Makes sense to me. Ha! Heating systems have improved since earlier days...but it is still nice to snuggle up under blankets, wearing socks, etc. Unfortunately in Houston, most of the year we have the opposite situation...that of needing air conditioning to stay comfortable.
This past winter was much colder than normal...even some most unusual snow days! Many nights I wore socks to bed. :-)
I love the story and the pictures and the '50's memories they churned up for me. I used to love the look of the Studebaker as a little kid-- to me it looked very modern, like a space ship and so different from the sedate sedans my parents drove. I love your memories of that time, your family, and of course, Tillie--t hanks for sharing.
It's so comforting to have those pleasant memories of your mom and her Studebaker car. I had my 57 chevy and it had molding that kept peeling off, but she ran beautifully. Oh I remember those days of very little heat when I drove in the Canadian winters, brrrrrr. I also remember being cold in our house and sleeping with my winter coat on and thick socks.lol those were the days, and thanks for sharing some of yours.
Hi Mike,
You have some great memories as well. Wouldn't you just know it...now I have the "Yellow Submarine" tune going round and round in my mind. Ha! Also Bob Hope's "Thanks for the memories..." Thanks for stopping by and reading about my mother's Studebaker named Tillie. A long ago...but vivid memory! :-)
What a great memory from your childhood, and the photos were terrific, as well. My sister's first car was a 57 Nash Rambler with a Continental Kit on the back, and she drove me to my friends' houses and doctors' appointments in it. The car was 10 years old when she got it, and I remember singing the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" on the way home from the doctor. It periodically flooded, and she would take a stick and open up the breather to start the car when it wouldn't start.
Great days. As Bob Hope would sing, "Thanks for the memories..."
Mike
Hi Frieda,
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the story of my Mother's Studebaker, Tillie. Also glad to know that the photos pleased you. It was fun looking through the photo albums choosing these to insert into this hub. As a child, I loved growing up in the country! Thanks for the visit and comment.
Greetings Hello, hello,
No...Tillie the Studebaker is no longer in our lives...just our memories. Prior to selling our two houses and finding one that suited my mother, husband and myself several years ago, our then next door neighbor collected and worked on Studebakers. So we often got to see them. Thanks for visiting this hub.
Love this post. Had to share it. Gorgeous gorgeous photos.
Thank you for sharing your memories with us. I really enjoyed every word. I hope you still have it because they are the most collectable cars.
Hi agusfanani,
Glad that you enjoyed this story of my Mother's Studebaker, Tillie. Thanks for the nice compliment.
Hi Louise,
Mother's Day without my Mother has indeed been difficult as this is the first one. Thanks for the sweet words of comfort.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks! Yes, my mother truly enjoyed life and also people in her life. You were one of those special people!
Hi habee,
Guess there were many Studebaker fans. Hope your grandmother's Studebaker kept people warm when needed! Ha!
Hi dahoglund,
I don't know the year of my mother's Studebaker...just that the heater was surely on life support if even that. Ha!
Greetings CASE1WORKER,
If you mean having more stories...I have plenty! This story about my Mother's Studebaker whose name was Tillie is just the tip of the iceburg so-to-speak. Thanks for the visit.
Wow, you have wonderful memories in the family , and you're able to present them in extraordinarily interesting way.
Peggy, thank you for sharing these sweet memories of your dear mother. I know you miss her very much, especially today. She is watching over you and now loves you from afar.
Fun memories to cherish. Your Mom was very beautiful and appreciated life. Always a beautiful smile.
Loved this! My grandmother drove a powder blue Studebaker.
I really like Studebakers. One of my first cars was one of the old ones but I can't remember the year. I was thinking 1947 but I'm not sure. As far as heaters go, I think they had better heaters than other cars did until the mid-fifties or whenever fresh air heaters were introduced.I always wanted one of the Golden Hawks but never got one.
thankyou, hopefully you have more|?
Hello suziecat7,
It is funny what children remember. Guess the fact of Tillie not offering much heat and looking different stuck in my mind. Also laughing about it through the years with my mother helped reinforce the memory. Have fun with your children and hopefully you can all share happy memories in the future together. Thanks for the visit and comment.
Hi Putz Ballard,
My mother and I had laughed and spoken about Tillie through the years. I'll miss those days of talking about "the good old days" with her now that she is gone. This just popped into my head today for some reason and it brought back some happy memories. Glad that you liked this little story.
I also loved this story. Such great memories. I wonder what our children will remember with fondness years from now. Great Hub.
I just loved reading your story, thank you for sharing.
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Peggy W Hub Author 23 months ago
Will put it in the idea box, oscillationatend. Actually I had already thought of doing it. May move it up a bit. Thanks for the prod.