Naomi Mae Woolcot moved to Saginaw in 1906 when she was nine years old. She attended Hoyt and Saginaw High School, then began doing custom dressmaking with her mother, Eva Woolcot. Naomi married Harold Stenglein in 1920, and they lived on South Washington Avenue with their three children.
She, along with her husband, and the MacDonald’s invented a cleaner named Spic and Span, a name Naomi came up with. The Steingleins and MacDonalds hustled to make this product successful, and it was sold to Procter and Gamble.
Naomi was a part of the Red Cross, took classes at Saginaw Art Museum and became a sculptor. She and Harold were active members of First Congressional Church, where a bronze sculpture “Daniel and the Lions” was given to the church in her memory.
You can also read the book "A Spoonful of Glue" written by Naomi and Harold Stenglein’s son that details their family life and Spic and Span.
Are you ready to get into Naomi's Barbecue Sauce recipe?
Here's what you will need:
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 tbsp fat (I used butter)
• 1 cup catsup
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper (to taste)
• Cook pinion in fat until tender. Add remaining ingredients.
• Simmer for 5 minutes.
This barbecue sauce was quick and easy to make. My husband and I used this on grilled chicken. Due to the sauce's tang, we seasoned the chicken with brown sugar mix, which gave it a great balance.
Deana Coleman, our staff associate, tests out weekly recipes from the cookbook Savoring Saginaw.