Veda Mae Haggerty was an old and cantankerous woman resident of Grantville. She was a nursing assistant at Bowers Assisted Living Center and almost retired from office work on Social Security before the Ring of Fire. Because she grew up during World War II (her father had served oversees), Veda Mae maintained anti-German prejudices. She also loudly complained about Russians (whom she deemed "commies", even though it was still an empire) and Italians ("Eyetalians"). Thanks to her antipathetic attitudes, she was disliked by most of Grantville. Haggerty was also the town's loudest gossip which Jacques-Pierre Dumais, a Huguenot spy, appreciated.