When Nina Strong graduated from Roy High School in 1941 she had “sort of a plan” to go to college. However, it was the end of the Great Depression, there were four girls in the family, and money was tight.
If she was going to attend college, she would have to work to pay her way. Her high school principal, who encouraged higher education for the students in his charge, became the catalyst for Nina’s enrollment in college.
Soon after graduation, in the summer of 1941, he escorted Nina and her friend Josie Siedel to Las Vegas to tour the campus of Highlands University.
Afterwards he treated them to lunch at La Castaneda. He knew the manager of La Castaneda, and with his recommendation, Nina and her friend were interviewed. That very day the two girls were hired as waitresses.
Nina accepted the job with the terms of thirty dollars per month pay plus room and board. “That was pretty good,” she said, “it was the end of the Depression and there wasn’t any money”.
Nina accepted the job with the terms of thirty dollars per month pay plus room and board. “That was pretty good,” she said, “it was the end of the Depression and there wasn’t any money”. She went back to Roy, bought a footlocker, packed her belongings and moved into La Castaneda the next day. The bottom floor of the north wing of the hotel was set aside as a dormitory for the younger waitresses.
As a full time, student working at La Castaneda, Nina’s schedule was grueling. She was assigned to work the 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift. After her shift was over, she usually slept for a few hours and then walked to classes at Highlands. She grabbed a few more winks after school before starting the cycle all over again. She worked five to six and a half days per week, with Thursday evenings off to allow her to catch up on sleep.
No one was just hired that went in and asked for a job. You had to be introduced, you had to have a good reputation before you were able to go to work there and if there was ever anything derogatory about you, you didn’t stay.
Nina received on the job training, mostly from another more experienced waitress. It really was a very efficient type of organization. The organization part of it was that we did our job the way we were taught, and we knew what we had to do, we did it, and it was just fine. If you didn’t, you went somewhere else, probably on home. They were very strict on how you did; you became practically invisible once you got on the floor and became a server. In addition to her serving duties, Nina did quite a bit of side work such as making coffee and folding napkins.
Immaculately attired in starched aprons and skirts, Harvey Girls were known for efficiently serving train passengers full, delicious meals on white linen in just thirty minutes. The Fred Harvey Company served their excellent meals at hotels and lunchrooms all along the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway line.
Nina’s most memorable experience during her time as a Harvey Girl was serving the soldiers on troop trains during World War II. La Castaneda became one of the major meal stops for the troops and was arranged to serve hundreds of men at one time. Any open space was used, in addition to the dining and lunch areas. They would know ahead of time when the train would be there and had everything set up. The kitchen had all the food ready and could get them in and out in thirty minutes.
Even though Nina’s stint as a Harvey Girl was short lived – she gave up her job to marry – she and all of the many other “Harvey Girls” have earned their place in history. They set a standard that hasn’t been met and it has followed us – they were considered the best.
Despite pleas from family that she come to live with them, Nina had chosen to remain in Raton, living in the home she enjoyed with her second husband, Merlyn Strong, for eighteen years. Ever independent, she did her own shopping, housecleaning, and cooking, and frequently met her many friends for lunch.
She worked in childcare, becoming the Principal of the Amarillo Air Base Nursery and Kindergarten from November 1957 to November 1967. She was also an administrator for Goodwill, and a bookkeeper. And, at her 50th high school reunion in Roy, NM, she encountered her date for junior prom – Merlyn Strong, who had been a widower for eleven years. Nina had been widowed for three years. The two became re-acquainted, leading to her happy second marriage of eighteen years.
Nina was the last of the Castaneda HARVEY Girls. The one thing on her “bucket list” was to once again eat in the dining room of the hotel. Her wish had come true year at the Opening Celebrations during the Fred HARVEY Weekend! She was delighted to be an honoured guest where she had spent so many years serving others.
The wind blew so fiercely the night of March 4, the Stars and Stripes atop Goat Hill flew off its flagpole. That was the night Raton’s Nina Strong passed away, just a few days after her 99th birthday on March 1. On her birthday, friends had gathered outside her house to wish her a happy birthday. As she had suffered a recent fall, she could not come outside to greet them, but she smiled and waved from inside her front door. Nina passed peacefully, surrounded by family.
A wonderful lady and a true HARVEY Girl!!! She will be missed by many!
