Levittown’s Superwoman Who Helped Beat Both the Nazis and COVID-19 Gets Space Travel Industry Honor

By

Rosie_Krier_Levittown_Rosie_The_Riveter
Image via David Maialetti at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rosie Krier, WWII's "Rosie the Riveter."
Krier was the model for this 1940s campaign to celebrate women’s work on the home front during World War II.
Image via Maile Alau at Creative Commons

Mae Krier, 95, is Levittown’s Superwoman. Alfred Lubrano catalogued her high-profile life, which shows no signs of flagging, for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Consider Krier’s achievements:

  • During World War II, Krier was “Rosie the Riveter,” posing for artwork that celebrated women who entered the workforce as men went off to fight
  • For her work and her advocacy of women’s employment, she was named a Congressional Gold Medal recipient
  • During the pandemic, she sewed masks, using the iconic polka-dotted pattern
  • A representation of her is now going into space

Krier worked for Boeing during World War II. In recognition of that service, the aerospace giant is sending a rocket to the International Space Station with a robotic Rosie — complete with polka-dot bandanna — as passenger.

The experiment could be a precursor to taxi-like service to and from the station.

“It’s amazing the experiences I’ve had,” Krier said. “These aren’t the kinds of things that happen when you decide to just sit home in your rocking chair.”

If the Nazis couldn’t keep her down, no pandemic was going to slow her either.

Krier listed polka-dotted masks for free on Facebook, and they went viral. She shipped more than 5,000 orders across the U.S. and to six nations abroad.

“That was a lot of sewing,” Krier said with a laugh.

More on Krier, Levittown superwoman, is at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe for stories that matter!

"*" indicates required fields

Hidden
BT Yes
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement