TRANSCRIPTION
First, tell me about your birth.
I was born on December 24, 1935. Being born on Christmas Eve I imagine all my other brothers and sisters hated me.
Why did you think that they hated you?
Because I took their Christmas away. My mom was in bed having a baby.
When you were growing up did you have any treasured possessions that was just yours?
No, I didn't have anything like that. We all shared everything we had. We mostly played outside. We played baseball and played with dogs and that. Once we got stuffed toys for Christmas, but they didn't last long because the boys tore them up.
Where did your parents buy all of your clothing and shoes?
My mom made a lot of our clothes and some we would ordered from Sears, and J C Penny's and that.
How were your clothes washed?
In a washing machine! (Laughing) I didn't wash on a washboard or anything like that.
Did you have to hang dry your wash?
Yes, we washed in the daytime so everything could dry in the sun. We had a wringer type washing machine, we had to put the wet clothes through two rollers and ring the water out.
During WWII, did you understand what was going on?
Well I had four brothers who went into World War II, and we were lucky because they all came back home. I can remember when we use to have blackouts at certain times, and we had to turn all the lights out in the house, and everywhere the lights had to go off until we were given the clear. I remember we had the Depression, and we could only buy so much gas, and sugar and everything. I can remember all of that.
Do you remember listening to the new and hearing about Japan and Hitler and all that?
No, we really didn't keep up with the news when we were little. We just heard what my mom and dad talked about.
What sort of places did you visit in San Antonio when you were growing up?
Well we mostly stayed at home. We, of course, went to church on Sundays, but we mostly stayed at home. Our parents went and done all the shopping, but there was always someone older at home to watch us. We were just too many to take at one time. When we were little we use to hide under the house whenever somebody came to visit. When anybody came to see us, they would have to stick their heads under the house to say hi to us.
When the family moved from San Antonio to Elmendorf, which lifestyle did you prefer, city or country?
Well, we had a pretty house when we lived in San Anton, and then we moved out to Elmendorf the house was a mess. I was disappointed and that, but after they fixed it up it looked pretty and I liked it then. But we stayed outside and played, sometimes one of my brothers would go hunting. Albert (brother) had hound dogs. Neighbors would come over and we would play dominos, and canasta and that.
Did the house in Elmendorf have electricity and indoor plumbing?
Ya, they had electricity everything, but they did have to put in a telephone. It was a party line. We had wood stoves to cook on, woodstoves to heat the house with sometimes and then we got gas and everything, after we were there for a couple of years.
Do you remember different door to door sells men coming to the house when you were growing up?
The only sells men I remember is Watkins. They use to come out to the farm about once a week, and we would buy vanilla, pudding, and different things from them.
Was there any difference between going to school in San Antonio versus Elmendorf?
Elmendorf was a smaller school, I liked it better.
In Elmendorf, was there a teacher for every grade level?
Sometimes we had two grades in one classroom cause we didn't have that many kids going to school, not like today. Like the first and second grade would be together. The teacher would teach both grades. When she was teaching the second graders the first graders would do their work, and when she taught the first grade the second graders would work on their work. Then we would get out and play volleyball. We had a baseball team and volleyball team.
Was the school in Elmendorf just an elementary school?
No, it went from the first grade to the twelfth grade, but they built East Central and they closed Elmendorf down.
What grade were you in when they shut Elmendorf down?
Oh, goodness…..I was probably about the….about the ninth grade.
What happened if one of you got sick?
We stayed home.
Do you remember ever taking any strange medicine or home remedies?
We would have to take castor oil every other week, some of us. We only had one bathroom.
What were your day-to-day responsibilities growing up?
Dishes, a little bit of cooking and that was it. I'd sweep a little bit and made the beds too. One time I complained that it was unfair that the boys got to go outside and they didn't have to do the housework. Every day I had to do housework and the boys had to work in the fields. I was complaining about it one day and my mom said, "Ok you go out there and pick corn with your brothers". Well I never complained again. I got tired of that. It was hot out there.
Did your family raise livestock and vegetables for an income?
No, we just raised our own vegetables. My brother ran the farm. I didn't do that.
Would you say you grew up poor or more middle class?
Well we weren't rich, but we never went without food. We always had food.
What did your father do for a living?
He worked for the railroad, and retired from the railroad. He started when he was; I think about 14 or 15 years old. He worked until he was 65. He worked at the Southern Pacific Station in San Antonio.
What sort of things did your family do for vacation?
We had an Aunt and Uncle. We use to go out and have big picnic dinners out on their farm in Floresville. Uncle A. B. and Aunt Joan. We would go to the coast sometimes but I didn't like it because we stayed in a tent and you couldn't wash all the salt and everything off. I didn't like that. That was not for me. We use to go to Dallas to visit Hank (brother) too. Us young ones would go up there and stay for the weekend. My mom and dad would travel at night so we kids would sleep on the way. They didn't have to hear no whining that way.
Why didn't you finish school?
I thought I was smart and wanted to go to work. (Laughing) I thought I knew everything already, so I just went to work.
Was there any point, when you were young and working, that you thought you should have finished school?
No, I thought I should have married a rich man (laughing).
When you moved to San Antonio was your sister Aggie already living there?
No, that's another reason why I quit. I wanted to quit, but when Agnes wanted to move into town mom and pop let me go, so she wouldn't be living by herself, and that's another reason why I got out of school.
What would you and Aunt Aggie do for fun in San Antonio?
Dance!
Where would you go dancing?
The Tories Club. It use to be by the Greyhound Bus Station.
So you lived in the middle of downtown San Antonio.
Ya, we would walk to go dancing and that, because we lived right on McCullough.
Did you ever get scared, being a woman on your own in the city?
No, because in those days nobody bothered you. Someone might drive by in a car and holler, but not like they do today. I mean it was friendly. The world was friendlier then.
What else would you do for fun?
Well we would go to the Majestic and Aztec Theaters, and Josky's use to be down town and they had this restaurant in it. I always liked going there because it was good food, but then they tore Josky's down. We use to go and look at all the Christmas decorations there too.
What was your job at the Book Bindery?
Well we varnished the covers of High School yearbooks and thing like that. We just made the covers and somebody else would put the pages in. They would sew the pages up and then they would put them in.
How did you get the job?
I had a sister working there and she got me the job.
Did you date a lot?
I mostly liked dancing, I dated some, but I didn't date a lot, because you would go dancing and there would be people there who knew you. We would go every week, sometimes two or three times a week. There would be people we would always dance with and that. That is how I met Fred (first husband), at the Tories Club.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this Interview?
Oh, just that we had a good life. Life was fun in those days
Thank you so much for letting me interview you Granny.
