Reuther, May Wolf, 1910-1970

Walter and May Reuther were married on March 13, 1936, after meeting on a streetcar in Detroit only six weeks earlier. They had two daughters, Linda born in 1942 and Elisabeth in 1947.<p>
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May was Walter's sounding board and close advisor throughout his public life. May was a teacher and involved in organizing a teachers’ union. Early on she was making $60 a week of which she gave most to help organize auto workers into the fledgling UAW. She soon gave up her teaching career to become Walter's full-time secretary, earning $15 per week. She was active in many charities and programs to uplift the community. May marched side-by-side with Walter in the civil rights struggles in Selma and elsewhere. She hosted Eleanor Roosevelt at their Paint Creek home. She also served as president of the PTA at their daughter's school. After the assassination attempt on Walter's life in 1948, May decided to spend most of her time at home trying to give their two daughters as normal a life as possible; although, the family had bodyguards and attack dogs living with them the rest of their lives.