Ship’s Cook, Petty Officer 3^rd class, US Coast Guard, Roselyn Zukoski Meyer

Born: July 29, 1922, Michigan

Died: October 27, 2009, Los Alamos, New Mexico

SC3 Roselyn Zukoski Meyer joined the US Coast Guard Women’s Reserves on July 16, 1943.¹ The Coast Guard Women’s Reserves were known as SPARs from the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus – Always Ready.² Most new recruits were trained at Oklahoma A & M Stillwater or Iowa State Teachers College in Ceder Falls, so this is most probably where she trained. “For SPARs, the indoctrination period was a mad rush of classes, physical education, aptitude tests, physical exams, shots, drill, mess and watch.”³ The tests determined what a newly minted SPAR would do; parachute rigging, chaplains assistants, air control-tower operators, boatswains mates, coxswains, radiomen, ship’s cooks, vehicle drivers, clerks, or hundreds of other jobs.⁴ It was during her training that Zukoski Meyer was assigned as a Ship’s Cook.⁵

The uniforms for the SPARs were “a ‘navy blue, semi-fitted garment.’ With the intent of making the figures of all members as nearly equal as possible, the uniform consisted of a six-gored skirt of serge gabardine or tropical worsted and a four-button blouse with rounded lapels,” but shocking to many both in and out of the corps, they were also issued pants.^6,7 One of the jobs that the pants were issued for is kitchen duty, so SC3 Zukoski would have worn her Coast Guard-issue pants fairly often.⁸

Where SC3 Zukoski served the US Coast Guard is unclear, but she was honorably discharged on January 13, 1945.⁹

Roselyn Zukoski was born July 29, 1922, to Michael (Mike) and Antonnette Zukoski in Michigan, but the little family moved to Wisconsin in 1924.¹⁰ In Wabeno, Wisconsin, the little family would grow into a big one of two girls and four boys with Zukoski Meyers as the eldest.¹¹ She had the regular childhood of anyone who grew up in a large Polish family before joining the US Coast Guard just before her twenty-first birthday.

When she returned home to Wisconsin, she attended Beloit College, probably with her GI benefits, and earned her Bachelor’s degree.^12,13 Zukoski Meyer taught in California for a brief time around 1950, but she returned to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin for her Master’s degree in Art and Education.^14,15,16

In 1953, Zukoski Meyer was hired to teach high school in the West Bend, Wisconsin public schools.¹⁷ Around this time she met Earl A. Meyer, formerly of the US Army Air Corps, now a physicist, and the two were married in 1954.¹⁸ The Meyers would have four children, and in 1967, they moved all the way across the country to New Mexico for Meyer’s new job in Los Alamos.¹⁹

There, Zukoski Meyer would be active in the Los Alamos branch of the National Association of Retarded Children (NARC), offering not only art and craft classes to the children but classes on how to teach them.^20,21,22 For the state convention of NARC in 1971 she even presented a workshop.²³ By 1974, when the children were older, Zukoski Meyer began teaching art at Pinon Elementary in Los Alamos.²⁴ She arranged many art showings of her students’ work through the years.^25,26

Also in the 1970s, both being veterans, the Meyers were proud to have a son decide to serve; he joined the US Marine Corps.²⁷

Through the years Zukoski Meyer received unstinting support from her husband for her career and her art.²⁸ Eventually, the couple would retire to work in their garden in White Rock, New Mexico.²⁹ The entire town was nearly lost to wildfire in 2000 but was fortunately spared.³⁰ Towards the end of her life, Zukoski Meyer had health challenges, and her husband supported her through those just as he had always supported her.³¹ But recovery was not to be, and Roselyn Zukoski Meyer passed away on October 27, 2009.

Images & Documents

Notes:

1. 1. “Roselyn Meyer.” US, Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010; US Department of Veterans Affairs. Last Updated: 12 Oct 2013.
   2. Thomson, Robin J. UCSG. “SPARS: The Coast Guard & the Women’s Reserve in World War II.” United States Coast Guard. Hosted by Defense Media Activity – WEB.mil. Copyright 2023. para. 10
   3. See note 2 para. 21.
   4. See note 2 para. 66.
   5. For the definition of her rating, see: “U.S. Navy Rate and Rank Abbreviations.” USS Little Rock Association. Copyright 2023. Last updated: 3 August 2022. Letter S.
   6. See note 2 para. 58
   7. Military Spouse Team. “The Women of World War II: Coast Guard SPARS.” Military Spouse. Copyright 2020. para. 11.
   8. See note 7.
   9. See note 1.
   10. “Zukoski.” Year: 1940; Census Place: Wabeno, Forest, Wisconsin; Roll: m-t0627-04480; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 21-19.
   11. See note 10.
   12. “Zukoski, Roselyn.” U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012; School Name: Beloit College; Year: 1946.
   13. “Miss Zukoski Becomes Bride of Earl A. Meyer.” Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. 20 June 1954. p. 6 sec. 2.
   14. “Zukoski.” National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 1876; Page: 22; Enumeration District: 66-1899.
   15. “A One Day Rural Art Show.” La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. 12 February 1952. p. 1.
   16. “LA School System Gains 18 New Teachers.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 1 September 1974. sec. C p. 6.
   17. “Add Three New Teachers.” Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 19 August 1953. p. 14
   18. See note 13.
   19. “Earl Meyer Obituary.” Legacy Obituaries; Legacy.com. Copyright 2023.
   20. This was the official name of the Association. Since then it has changed its name five times, becoming simply The Arc in 1991 and dropping the word retarded from their name completely. Please see: “FAQ” The Arc at: https://thearcalliance.org/faq/
   21. “Crafts Class for the Retarded.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 29 February 1968. p. 5.
   22. “Hill Adults Learn Retarded Work.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 14 November 1969. p. 6.
   23. “Los Alamos Heads State Convention.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 25 April 1971. p. 3.
   24. “LA School System Gains 18 New Teachers.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 1 September 1974. sec. C p. 6.
   25. “New Mexico Briefs: Students in Art Show.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 12 May 1984. p. 2
   26. “Que Pasa?: The Fuller Lodge Art Center.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 12 March 1981. sec. D p. 3.
   27. “Service Notes: George M. Meyer.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 25 January 1978. sec. B p. 3.
   28. “Earl Meyer Obituary.” Legacy Obituaries; Legacy.com. Copyright 2023.

   29 & 30. Chacon, Daniel J. “White Rock Evacuees Reclaim Deserted Town.” Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 15 May 2000. p. 1.

   31. See note 28.

Compiled by: A. D. McLean, MA, MLIS. Central New Mexico Community College, retired 2022.

Featured Image:

“Zukoski, Roselyn.” U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012; School Name: Beloit College; Year: 1946.