At Hartge Yacht Yard, generations of women played essential roles from 1934 to 2006. Alice Wayson Hartge, wife of Cap'n Oscar and mother of eleven, became the yard's bookkeeper, time keeper, and bill payer when Oscar took over in 1934, and because she had the area's only phone, she signaled calls to the yard with blasts from a boat horn. Their youngest daughter, Elsie Hartge Schlegel, joined the business in 1936 after high school and, though trained in bookkeeping, took on wider responsibilities in records and materials; after marrying Buck Schlegel in 1943 and raising four children, her family remained closely tied to the yard, and she also became the first female commodore of the West River Sailing Club. In 1945, Alma Hartge Strong, the oldest daughter, returned to Galesville at her father's request to replace Elsie, and under her supervision suppliers were paid promptly, helping maintain the yard's excellent reputation. Also beginning in 1945, Mardi Robinson Hartge served mainly as Alma's assistant, ordering materials and distributing supplies to workmen and boat owners, and her warm personality added to the atmosphere of the yard. During World War II, Anne Lupo Hartge married Laurence in San Francisco, and after moving back to Galesville in 1952 she became office manager, bookkeeper, and secretary for the yard's Board of Directors, while also publishing the monthly newsletter Report from West River with news and anecdotes from HYY and neighboring clubs. Irma Bingham came in 1963 as a temporary replacement for Anne's assistant but became the regular office bookkeeper for more than forty years, patiently explaining financial matters to managers and board members. Edna Wynne Hartge Raley, daughter of Mardi and Buddy Hartge, first worked at the yard in 1968 just after high school and returned ten years later until 1988, cherishing the family atmosphere. Donna Hansen Schlegel arrived in West River in 1976, soon became part of the Hartge family circle through marriage to Elsie's son Alex Schlegel, worked first as a woman workman sanding, painting, and varnishing, and later became a very successful yacht broker and a valued member of the Hartge team.