An Art as Well as a Job

Editor’s Note: A recent letter from Marjorie Vidlund, “the proud wife of a bricklayer,” tells another heartening story of the positive role the Union plays in the lives of members and their families.

Local 6 MI member John Vidlund received his Gold Card in 1998.

I just finished perusing the December 2001 issue of the BAC Journal. I was struck immediately by the cover and other pictures on the inside, which recognized exceptional masonry work. The brick, block, and tile work displayed were indeed outstanding.

My husband, John Vidlund, was always so proud of his craft as a bricklayer. He was the son of a bricklayer as well, and had been taught at an early age to value the trade as an art as well as a job. He became a journeyman in the spring of 1948 and we were married December of that year. I remember well taking long rides so that he could show me the building he was working on or some other edifice that to him was a tribute to his craft.

I noted in the BAC Journal the recognition that Local 21 in Illinois had gotten for their work in the Glenview Community Center, and also the commendation to the same local for community service by helping in the building of a playground. My husband joined that local back in 1948, so it held a special place in his heart.

When we moved to Michigan in 1950, he joined the local in Marquette and became a vocal supporter of union construction. He always looked for the union label and “made in USA” on whatever we bought. He continued to take pride in his work and his union membership.

It was a memorable day for him when he received his Gold Card [April of 1998]. I am so glad he was able to realize that dream, because it wasn’t long after that he had to go into a nursing home due to increasing problems with Alzheimer’s disease. He is presently in the DJ Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette. He is living in his own world these days, but I think that he still must remember some of those buildings that his trowel and good eye helped raise. And I know that the courses are level and plumb.

The proud wife of a bricklayer,

Marjorie Vidlund
Marquette, MI