St. Clair Shores woman recalls planning committee work at The War Memorial

The reason The War Memorial was established is pretty remarkable to Julie Norris.

“It’s not just a big house,” she said. “It’s for the people who gave their lives and served our country. When you walk in and view the big board with everyone who served is amazing.”

In March 1949, the Alger estate was deeded over to the Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association in honor of those who served in World War II.

Norris, of St. Clair Shores, previously resided in Grosse Pointe Farms for decades. She says that in the 1970s, The War Memorial Board of Directors asked a group of about 12 women from the community, including herself, to be on a planning committee for a series of educational events for the public to be held at The War Memorial.

“They said The War Memorial was not putting any events on and they wanted to have more events to educate people,” Norris recalled. “I brought mental health to the board. Back then, no one spoke of these problems and some members were afraid of this discussion. I said let’s try it. We went ahead anyway and thought maybe 20 people would show up.”

To her amazement, hundreds arrived.

“It was overwhelming, the ballroom was packed and we couldn’t believe it,” Norris said.

Some of the topics discussed at the mental health event were schizophrenia, dementia, Alzheimer's, and bipolar disorder.

Jump ahead a few decades at The War Memorial and you’ll find an in-house partner that offers mental health resources on a regular basis - The Family Center of Grosse Pointe & Harper Woods.

“We were so surprised and learned so much,” she said. “Mental health was getting started at that point and it was with the Michigan Alliance for Mental Health.”

She said the committee operated for about eight years, from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s.

“We met once a month and worked on what we thought the community could use,” Norris said.

Growing up, Norris attended events at The War Memorial and comes from a long line of Grosse Pointers in her family.

“When I was younger, we loved coming there and had all heard of the Alger’s,” she said. “I adored the gardens. My grandmother had beautiful gardens on Three Mile Drive, so I always have liked The War Memorial gardens.”

Additionally, Norris has been involved with the Duplicate Bridge Club for over 30 years. The group meets weekly at The War Memorial.

“I play bridge to this day and it’s a wonderful game that has taken me many places I never thought I would go,” she said. “To become a Life Master, you have to travel and go to tournaments.”

Norris’ story is just another example of the value of community relationships that have been in place at The War Memorial for decades and the importance of collaboration to achieve more.

Join us at The War Memorial on April 25  for our next Veteran Seminar on Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention, as we continue to prioritize mental health and wellness as part of our mission to enrich and support the community we serve.

This year, as part of our 75th anniversary, The War Memorial will share stories from the public about the impact and experiences they have had at the nonprofit organization. Do you have a special War Memorial story or memory? Join us in telling #myWMstory and share yours!