COEUR d’ALENE — There were many heroes who emerged during World War II, but for Lela Ray, there is one that matters most: her mother.

Emma Ramer was a real-life Rosie the Riveter. Throughout the war, she worked at factories in the San Jose, Calif., area. She rose early and came home late. To Lela Ray of Coeur d’Alene, her mom was one of America's angels.

“We weren’t too far from any of the factories where they were working on the boats and ships and whatever they needed to complete the war,” said Ray, who goes by Lee to friends. “She did the riveting. She actually did do that work. But she was so tired when she came home she didn’t want to talk about it.”

Talk or not, Lee said her detailed-oriented mom, a beautiful brunette, had a strong influence on her.

“I think it’s something that goes through the generations, taking care of things, making sure everything is doing right,” she said.

Each Memorial Day, Ray does right by her mom, who died Aug. 6, 1992. She leaves a copy of an article, “Being Rosie the Riveter,” by Elaine Miller published in American Profiles, at her mom's burial site at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene. She left a copy there this year, too.

On the headstone for Emma Ramer, with an angel sitting on top, it says “Peace To You Who Gaze At This Angel.” It also says, “Her Spirit Is Love And Determination.”

Ray said she does so because she loved her mom, whom she described as lighthearted, determined, and someone who liked to enjoy life with friends.

She believes women sacrificed much for the country during the war, and received little fanfare for it.

“Women have done so many things,” Ray said. “Some gave their lives. It’s hardly ever talked about."

So Ray talks about it for her mom.

She said her mom also donated her time to the USO during the war and drove in convoys.

“She was a little woman, barely able to get up in the military truck,” Ray said, smiling with pride as she chatted. “But when she got up there, she could drive them.”

She and husband Bob Ray will have been married 48 years come October.

Ray, inspired by her mom’s drive and dedication, enjoyed a successful career. She worked in the garment industry in Dallas (She saw Elvis Presley perform and laughs as she tells that story, and Bob was just blocks away, and said he heard the shots, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963), served on the city of Coeur d’Alene planning and zoning commission and ran a bed and breakfast on the top of Blackwell Mountain.

But Ray doesn’t want the spotlight. She wants it to shine on her mom and other women like her who helped America win World War II.

“It’s important to highlight the roles that women played,” she said.