TRANSCRIPTION
So you have three brothers and a sister, what order are you?
I'm the middle child, smack down in the middle, and it doesn't bother me like it usually bother middle children.
So you weren't able to attend high school all the way through, but did you like going to school when you did go?
Yes, I loved going to school. It gave me something to do, and I loved learning.
Did you have a lot of friends?
Yes, I did, from school and from my neighborhood. But in the end, I still stuck around my brothers most.
What did you, your brothers, and friends do for fun?
We would play football and basketball a lot. Another thing we would do for fun, we would ride our bikes around the neighborhood. It was a lot of fun. But with my brothers it was different; we would go fishing a lot. Even when my parents wouldn't let us, (laughs).
Where would you go fishing?
Well the lake at Our Lady of the Lake University used to be an open lake, before the university even existed. It wasn't far from my house, so we would ride our bikes to the lake, or sometimes even walk.
Why wouldn't your parents let you sometimes?
Because my mom said we went fishing too much, and after her and my father got divorced, she needed us to work rather than fish, (laughs). I was about thirteen when my parents divorced, and helping my mom financially was put on not just myself, but also my brothers. We didn't mind helping, we gave my mother alot of credit for raising us on her own, and i still do today.
So skipping a few years ahead, when you stopped attending high school your freshman year, what did you do?
I worked. My first job was at St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, I loaded and unloaded trucks of donations. I find it weird because my oldest grandaughteryour older sister, she worked there her second job around. And you work at a thrift store for your first job, so I guess our family has a thing for working at thrift stores! (laughs)
So you met grandma when you were nineteen, and soon after were married, how did you meet her?
She lived down the street from my house. I would see her walk to work everyday, and we got to know eachother and we fell in love.
What did you first notice about grandma?
She was alot of woman! (laughs) No, I thought she was very beautiful.
So after a few months into your marriage, you moved to chicago. Tell me about that.
Yes, we moved to Chicago, Il, and we lived there for almost ten years. When I first moved there to chicago, I didn't like it. I didn't like it because I had no friends, and I thought it was a very strange place. But after getting to know people, I grew to love it there, and I also learned to love the weather.
So where did you work?
I worked mostly in factories, I bounced back and forth really.
So you have two daughters, and earlier mentioned about your son. How did they get their names, and what are their nicknames?
Yes our frist son was Victor, named after me, but he only lived to be one day. If you don't mind, we don't like to talk about it, it's too heartbreaking, (paused to catch breath). Then came Diana and then Ruby, and I chose all their names, inluding their nicknames: Diana was Bucko, and Ruby was Boo.
So why did you move back down to San Antonio?
We moved back because we missed our family, and we decided to raise the girls where we grew up. We didn't want them to grow up without knowing their family, because we never came down to visit much, it wasn't really in our budget most of the time. When we moved back, we knew we wanted tp stay, so we bought this house.
So where did you work when you came back down to San Antonio?
In factories like I did in Chicago, that's really what I stuck to my whole life, (laughs). Your grandma worked in a lot of factories as well.
So you mentioned you are medically retired, tell me about the accident that put you out of work.
I was involved in a car accident, while I was on the job. I was driving a truck of deliveries, and as I had the right away, a senior citizen came and hit me. I basically destroyed my back, I've been through so many surgeries, so that's when I retired in 1989.
So after the accident, you spent a lot of time at home since you weren't able to work, would that frustrate you?
At first, it would, only because I was always in so much pain. But over the years I began to enjoy it. I started going fishing more often, with your dad and with some friends, and I really enjoyed building things for you girls. I would make myself do little projects, so that way I wasn't always lying around. Still to this day, I still keep active, I love fixing up the yard.
So then, that brings us to today. What do you do for fun?
I mainly just fix up around the house and around the yard. I take my grandaughters where they want to go and where they need to go, and once in a while, every chance I get, I still go fishing. I enjoy my life very much.
Thinking back, what are the main things you remember from your many years?
I remember the important things, rather than the good times. I remember the birth of my children and grandchildren, the day I was married, the days my parents passed, and the day my son passed. As far as history points, the two main things I remember are; September 11, when John F. Kennedy was shot, and all the presidential elections, because since I was able to, I have voted in every single one.
Do you have any regrets?
There are some things that I would different, instead of making a right turn I should've made a left turn, (laughs). But other than that I'm okay.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
No ma'm, you have covered it all. Im just a simple guy in Texas, who loves fishing, the SPURS, and shopping at Thrift Stores!
