Big-Hearted 'Angel' Aids Hundreds
She Gets Help for the Needy
By DAN H. 8EIXARD
Of The BectittrOuard
Iff been a rough winter for
Mary Zunke, the woman who
won't take "no" for an answer.
Every winter it a bad one for
Mri. Zunke her people suffer!
most when it s cold.
But this past winter has been
particularly bad because the offi
cial welfare agencies have been
short of money. In addition to
helping those who can't qualify
for formal aid but whose hunger
is no less because they are newly
arrived In Oregon Mary has been
able to find clothes and food to
tide over families facing both un
employment and curtailed official
assistance.
It's been nearly eight years
since Mary first was asked to
assist a family. In helping this
family to a new start she found
that it is possible for a woman
with no means to help many.
No means? Yes, and no. Mary
has no money to give away. She
has barely enough for herself.
But she's wealthy in other ways.
She has a heart about as big asi
one can imagine. She has unbe
lievable "hustle" in a woman
soon to be 75 years old. And she
has other attributes highly-valued
in this hectic world a fine sense
of humor, a practical way of get
ting things done and a deep sense
of humility.
BARD TO GET STORT
It's hard to get the whole story
of Mary Zunke. She refuses to
talk of herself and insists on tell
ing about her people. But eight
years of answering her telephone
requests for "ads" to call atten
tion to some family's needs and
eight years of followh g her about
on her "calls" affords an insight.
The woman's attitude is the key.
She's helped hundreds but gives
the credit to the people who help
her help the poor. She an angel
to the downtrodden and the hun
gry.
Yet there isn't a santimonious
note in the woman's makeup.
Mary doesn t "do good for per
sonal satlfaction, there's too much
to be done to allow time for such
a luxury.
Mary's been in a hurry for eight
years. That first family was only
a beginning. Now, Mary s job
takes all her time and effort.
The approach is simple. Just
perseverance. It s almost impos
sible to refuse Mary Zunke one
of her requests.
NEW ARRIVALS
She hears of a family. It's fresh
from Oklahoma, or California, or
Arkansas. Or maybe Georgia.
Tney're m Eugene but that's all
The car is broken down. The five
or six kids are shabby and hun
gry. Father has no job. More
often than not, mother is pregnant.
The family can't qualify for
public welfare since the members
are not residents of the state or
the county. Other agencies can't
help because of other facets of
eligibility.
Mary gets on the phone. And
she stays there until the family
has been promised food, clothing,
housing and until the breadwin
ner has the "boost" often neces-
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(Register-Guard photo, WUtehire ens.)
JUST CHECKING up on her "people" was Mary Zunke
when the photo was taken the other day. The family
knew Mary well, for It was she who helped them when
they needed help the most.
sary to get him back on his feet,
Direct action. No questions, no
red-tape. No eligibility require
ment. Mary only says to herself,
"Those kids have got to be fed."
Call after call. No "fooling
around." Just "will you do this,
will you do that." Mary briefly
outlines the family s plight and
makes her requests.
GETS RESULTS
And results she gets. She has a
circle of friends to which she
constantly turns. These friends
have other friends. A pair of
pants here, a sack of spuds from
another place. Bedding. Diapers.
Shoes.
Since Mary's in a hurry, she
has little patience. She is aggres
sive almost to a fault. By her
direct approach she sometimes'
offends.
But she's impervious to this.
There's a job to do and no one
else will do it.
The whole gamut of human dis-
stress goes through the front
room of the green house with
yellow shutters at 477 E. 3rd Ave.
But Mary's done a lot of living
in her 74 years and nothing
shocks her. She calls a spade a
spade and can be brutally frank.
Nearly always, when a family.
comes to her attention, it's in
dire straits. Things just couldn't:
be any worse. But Mary isn't a
court of last resort, No, she's just
a friend in a strange city.
RECALLS SOME PEOPLE
In her tidy kitchen last week,
Mary sipped at a cup of coffee
and allowed herself to reminis
ce enough to satisfy the inter
viewer. She recalled some of her
people.
The family with the six kids
and no support. Winter. The same
story.
"Then the old man just up and
pulled out. He left that family
and went to Texas. And that poor
mother was about six months
along."
The woman turned to Mary,
They had a good cry together,
There were relatives in Cali
fornia and the woman wanted to
go to them to have her baby. But
it would take $65.
"I didn t have the money,
"Mary recalls, "but I started call
ing my friends. But I couldn't
raise that much money."
Finally, in desperation, Mary
turned to a local realtor who had
helped her out before.
"I got that man out of bed. I
talked and talked on the phone
but he didn't say anything. Fin
ally, I asked him if he was awake
and he said he was listening. But
he didn t say yes or no.
PULLED OUT BILLS
The next morning, the realtor
told Mary to get the family dress
ed and in his office. When the
family came in, he pulled some
mils out of his wallet and gave it
to them. Not just $68 $95. Next
stop was the bus station. Mary
hasn't heard from the family!
since.
Another time, Mary called the
city editor of the newspaper with
story about a family living in
part of a cow barn. The newsman
took the story with the proverbial
grain of salt Mary led the
photographer to the place and
there the family was sharing
quarters with a bunch of mangy
cows.
The story In the paper did the
trick and another of Mary's lam-
Hies was put up In quarters suit
able for human Beings.
There are a lot of stories. This
winter alone. Mary has had as
many as eight families on her
active list at one time. Just a few
weeks ago, she hauled a box of
groceries out to a family, then
found out about another bunch
of neonle "just as bad off." An
other trip, another box of groc
eries.
NO LINE DRAWN
To ask If there's any line
drawn for race or religion is an
Insult She's never even thought
of such a thing. Colored folks
have benefited most from the
woman's work.
There is one line, though. She
won't help a "drinking man." She
considers liquor a scourge. But
she'll help the man's family.
Those kids don't have any blame
for what that man does," she
rules.
She never handles money.
When she takes half a dozen pair
of jeans or a bundle of diapers
out, she knows how they'll be
used. No so with money. "The
old man" might take the money
and buy wine. Mary makes no
such mistakes.
Now, after eight years of hav-i
ing people come in at all hours
of the day or night for help,
Mary can point here or there and
show where the help has meant
a whole new life. There's a neat
little house north of town where
the kids are happy and healthy.
A few years ago, the family was
in Mary's living room seeking a
meal,
Some of the families drift
away. Some "fall apart." Others
she never hears of again. And
some come back for more help.
NO ANSWER
Mary has no answer as to what
makes "her people" the way they
are. But her husband, Bob, gives
a solution.
"There's one answer. Adult de
linquency."
He illustrates. When a family
is on the rocks, it's because of
Mom or Pop. Sure, admits
Zunke, there are conditions and
circumstances. But he insists
there's always a parent to blame.
Sometimes it's drink. More of-.
ten, one or other of the adults
lacks the "spunk" to make a way
in life. "Having too many kids"
is also one of Bob's reasons fori
the down-and-outers.
It's for Mary's husband to help
give the credit He says "the big
gest thing that woman does for
these people is to give them a
little push to get started again.
Sometimes a meal can start a new
life."
A medal could be cast, in-1
scribed with Mary Zunke's name
and listing her achievements. But
a higher reward is due.
Some scientists believe that
brick was manufactured as early
as 12,000 years ago.
0
R.ffUtnr-CiUard. Eueene, Ore,
4A Sun., Mar. 21, 1954
Welfare Needs
Go on Ballot
(Continued from Page 1)
jumped from 126 in 1951 to 153
last year.
For aid to the permanently and
total y d sabled. the monthly av
erage increased from 40 in 1051
to 75 in 1933.
Aside from case load increases,
the welfare problem is growing
more acute because of tne coun
ty's limited funds within Its re
gular budget
Despite heavy timber receipts,
the county still has had to levy a
property tax right up to its base
limits to finance its yearly pro
gram.
NEED SPECIAL VOTE
Lane County's tax base Is now
$910,390. This excludes $110,000
in special levies which are not
computed within the 8 per cent
limitation.
The county's base during 1954
55 can be increased only 6 per
cent to $985,013 without a spe
cial vote of the people.
Commissioners said Friday it Is
mandatory that the county bud
get sufficient revenue to meet
growing welfare needs. This
means that if the special levy is
rejected the money must come
out of the county s "base budget."
Petersen said Friday that if
this should happen it would mean
virtual halt to the county's
road improvement program.
ROAD PROGRAM
"Wo wouldn't have enough
money to do much, if any, pav
ing work. Minimum maintenance
would be all the county could
finance."
At present, not a cent of gener
al road fund money is raised by
a property tax. Expenditures are
offset in this way:
Gas tax apportionment, $700,-
ouu; forest service timber re
ceipts $975,000; O & C receipts,
$274,500: cash on hand, $285,000:
court fines, $60,000; miscellane
ous, S74.U00.
From this it is seen that the
entire road program hinges on
the amount of receipts the coun
ty is likely to receive during the
fiscal year. If receipts drop sharp
ly, tne program could be drastic
ally curtailed, Petersen said.
Since the commissioners are
expecting a $500,000 reduction in
umber receipts, other funds are
needed to insure a continuance of
the current expenditure rate for
permanent road work.
The key to the situation rests
with the welfare levy. If tax
payers vote the special tax to
finance the welfare program
there will be sufficient revenue
to operate all county departments
adequately.
The commissioners were noti
sure just how they would handle
the problem if the welfare levy
Java Padders
Needn't Tell
The Customers
SALEM (In Oregon eating
establishments which use a cof
fee "stretcher" to pad out their
coffee will not be required to
post signs telling customers
that something has been added
to their cup of java, the State
Department of Agriculture
said here Saturday.
The department said that a
regulation put into effect in
1941 under the Oregon food act
was being rescinded. Depart
ment spokesmen said that after
study by the. department's le
gal staff it was decided the re
gulation exceeded the provi
sions of the food act.
The department said, how
ever, that proper labels will be
required on all packages of the
coffee stretcher which are sold
as such.
Hummingbirds
Herald Spring
Mrs. Roy Bert's hummingbirds
are back again for their 20th con
secutive season at her 206 How
ard St home, she reportetd Fri
day.
This year they arrived on
March 19 and headed straight for
her wild currant bushes, as
they've been doing for the 20-some
years she has been observing
their habits.
Lacking the regularity of the
Capistrano and Meridian Bridge
swallows, the hummers, neverthe
less, manage to make it in the
month of March, the earliest date
of their arrival having been on a
March 12, the latest a March 28.
Mrs. Bert's hummingbirds, how
ever, were not the first to appear
in the Eugene area. Mrs. Lloyd
Elliott, on DeLay Drive, report
ed last week that the tiny birds
had been around her place for
several days.
The Onion Editor was too busy
trying to clean up last summer's
garden refuse to record the exact
date of the arrival of the spring
harbingers.
Veterans Draw
Jobless Pay
SALEM 11 Oregon -veterans
of the Korean War have drawn
$1,155,034 in federal unemploy
ment benefits since the program
started 18 months ago, the State
Unemployment Compensa
tion Commission reports.
Returning service men can get
maximum of $26 a week for
26 weeks, but only 155 have
drawn the full amount. Claims
have been filed by 6,269 Korean
veterans, but thousands of them
have been placed in jobs by the
State Employment Service.
Payments to veterans of World
War 11 in Oregon totaled 32 mil
lion dollars.
Eugene's Mr, pT?
HOBBY and TOY SH?
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Springfield Store ' 515 Main Ph.7-9411
YOUR
HDry Cleaner
When you tend your valuable clothing or dry clean
ing service, why settle for less them the best? Member
of the Lome County Cleaners Association an required to
meet rigid standards of quality service . , all for your
protection. The 16 member firms listed here are repu
table operators who employ skilled personnel and the
most modem methods of the dry cleaning industry. To be
sure of the best possible care for your clothes, be sure
YOUR cleaner Is a member of this association.
CHARM
CLEANERS
1469 Willamette St.
C. T. "Buck" Buckley and Ml wlfi
Nadi Are owners and operators of the
ultra-modern Charm Cleaners. The
Buckleys purchased this plant
2H , years ago, follow In 16 years of
dry' cleaning experience In Klamath
Falls and Corvallli. Recently they ac
quired a franchise for nationally
ramous Sanitone dry clean Ing. This
process In the hands of the U well
trained Charm Cleaners employes, Is
aimed at Hiving the ultlm.it In fine
dry cleaning "For Particular People."
LANE COUNTY
took lor this emblem
the alga of quality dry cleaning
Charm Cleaners
Eugene Laundry' & Dry Cleaners
Townsend'i Dry Cleaners
Domestic Laundry & Cleaners
Kastslde Cleaners
The Best Cleaners
New Service Laundry It Cleaners
Cottage Grove Cteaaers
SkopH's Eugene Cleaners
Prlngey Cleaners
Kle-Klo Cleaners
Saunders Superior Cleaners
Club Cleaners at Tailors
Electric Cleaners
Day It Nile Cleaners
Springfield Cleaners
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