Juana at 5yrs old, July 1955

taken at Maya Studio

• What was living at home like back then?

It was two of my brothers and my three sisters, and I was number 6. Our house had been built by my father and grandfather. All 16 of us didn't’t live in the house at the same time, because when they would get of age they would get married, or like Johnny he joined the service, but there was no more than nine in the house at one time.

Juana 11 yrs old, in red with sisters and mother-------------Juana with her brohers Albert, Robert Luis and David (1962)

• What are some of your memories in those years growing up?

I remember the house always smelled clean, because my mom used pine-o-pine, for we had just wood floors, boards nothing fancy.

New Braunfels, summer 1975

• What did you do on the weekends?

• Describe a typical summer day

Our summers were fun, we would bike ride up and down the streets, and my brother Natavidad showed me how to ride a bike. I could not start off on my own and I still can’t, but after a push I could pedal on my own. We played all day and night, and the night was cool. And when we were little we would play a game we called war. War was just a game we came up with, and Nate would make fake guns from the fallen tree branches, and we would shoot at each other and play dead then switch teams. We would hide all over our yard, between the car and house, or in the tree, around the house and the other team would slowly enter the yard. Then bang bang your dead! And they would fall and it was fun. Over all I enjoyed my childhood, for we did as a family, and we shared as a family, and nothing seemed too big to conquer. We as children used our imagination to play and have fun, and put on funny show with small skits, and the children around the block would come and play, and even though our yard was just dirt, we had fun. But afterward all that dust would fill the bathtub for we would get dusty.

15 years old, 11-22-65

• How was it having all those brothers and sisters?

• What kind of chores did you do at home?

Mother had me fold laundry, or anything where I could just sit, and if I did the dishes, I would kneel on a chair to reach the sink. Other chores were peeling potatoes, and helping with diner. After all there was a lot to do all the time, and mom would get tired with all the feeding and cleaning and hand washin;s we would all help.

• What are your main and most cherished memories/highlights in your life?

• What were the main foods in the house?

• Did you have a television set growing up?

• What appliances did you have at home?

• What did your parents do for a living?

• Describe the family gatherings…

Well everyone would come over on Sundays and we would all cook and see the children run around and talk for we all would be there, with their wives or husbands, but these were also the days I hated, for I would always get stuck with the dishes, and there would be a huge pile. But they would all leave and before I knew it I would be the one there to have to clean up the mess they left behind. It made me feel like we ran a restraint, for we would all cook and I would finish the dishes. But overall it was fun with all the talking and games.

• How was going to school for you?

In elementary it was hard, I couldn't run, couldn't jump or play really, and since I got polio at the age of four I had limited abilities, I mean I could walk but not much else. So when we had recess I mainly just hung by the wall for balance, and watch the others play, but I did hold the end of the jump rope for the others to jump, sometimes. But when I started middle and high school things got harder for the stairs were a problem. So I would have to leave class early, and I did feel the teachers, disliked that fact; but it also seemed that in those last minutes when I would leave they would start on the main point of their topic, which to me was dumb.

• Were you in school with your siblings?

• What were the classes you took in school, and which were your favorite?

-Tell us about the schools you attended.

Well I went to Ivanhoe elementary, then rose middle school. When attending Rose they told my mother about a school for the disabled, so I got pulled out at 7 th grade and started at Eloise Japhet School for the handicap. Everything there at Japhet was one level, but upon visiting the school before attending I cried when I got home, because the school seemed so depressing, and the students there seemed worse off than me. In my mind I didn't think I was that disabled, so I cried. Yet I attended, and I did make friends, and our graduating class was about 16 total. I stayed at Japhet for 7, 8, and 9 th grade and then for 10 th grade I decided to go back to Linear, for I thought I need to learn more, but it was too hard for me so I transferred back and ended up graduating from Japhet, and thought why did I even leave, it was nice there, and the student teacher ratio was great. Well we didn't really graduate with Japhet, for we were under another school, and I want to say it was Highlands high school, but we were first to graduate and then leave, so I was glad we didn't have to stay for the whole program. Then in the fall I attended San Antonio College, and it was there though a program called Texas rehab that I was able to get a job at channel 5, but I also did work study.

19 yrs old, 5-26-1970

• How did you learn to drive?

My friend in college, umm I can’t remember the name right now but he helped me to learn, but it did take me a while. Mother was scared and didn't want me to drive, for I might get hurt on the highway. So I had to talk to my mother, “I have to learn how to drive for if anything happened to you or dad how would I get around, no one want’s to drive me around all the time, because they have their own family. I didn't learn till I was 25 years old, and the pedals were hard to push back then.

• What type of jobs did you have though out the years?

My first job was babysitting for the neighbors, but the hours were long and boring for you just had to take care of the children, and make sure they eat and go to sleep. Then I started working at our church rectory, San de los Jueves, I was just the receptionist, writing checks, taking phone calls, giving out information, and recording important documents, like deaths and Baptists, or letters, and I was there for about three years. After that I worked at KNS TV 5 in 1972, entering TV commercials, between the shows, I remember motor oil and laundry commercials, and it was all done by pushing certain numbers. Then I moved on to work at the Baptists hospital in 1975-1989, entering data in the computer system. After that I moved on to be substitute teacher around the year 1995, did that for about 3 years, and then in 1999 I started working with the city of San Antonio at the municipal courts and am still there today.

Back then I would get pay checks, but I never thought to keep it for myself, most of it went to my parents and they would leave me the rest. Because mom needed the money so I just turned it over. I didn't need the money, for back then money was not held in high importance, it was family. That is how I helped my mom, and I even went to buy her two sofa sleepers, from Sears, which ended up being the bed for the boys. We worked and never though about hoarding our money. We also give to charities, not a lot at a time but a little over a period.

-At what age did you move out of your parent’s house?

• When did your dad have the stroke?

In 1990, due to bad working conditions, and poor health, after all we couldn't afford much of anything, so with him working hard from early morning to late evening, he had to support us, and it was not easy. But there were other reasons, like around the first time I moved out dad had got into a bad car accident, and the car crashed into so where dad hit his head very hard. He almost died on us, for the crash threw him about 50 feet, and dad ended up having brain damage, and that took its toll for he was not the same, at work they put him in a special program for the disabled for simple work, but it didn't work out so he had to retire from the base; And we still had Michael, Mary, David, Daniel, and Jr still at home, but we managed.

Christmas 1982

• Tell about the times you went cotton picking….

We would go cotton picking when dad went on vacation, for extra money/income, and if we need to buy something like a new car, so dad packed us into the station wagon and off we’d go (10 of us). I don’t remember the years but I was around 12 yrs old, and we drive out east and look for farms, and dad would get out and ask if they needed help. The farmers always asked how many would be picking, and dad would reply all of us in the car, and the owner would come and look us over, and ask, are all these ours, and dad would reply yes sir, all mine and so we got hired. We would get up at five, eat an early breakfast, then get to work, each of us had a row to do. When we first started, we thought it look like fun, all that white fluff, but then when we saw the row, and we saw how far we had to go it did not look so fun. I couldn't pick cotton like my brothers and sisters could, but mom had made me knee guards, and sewed a burlap potato bag to fit around my shoulder to stuff the cotton in as I crawled down the row, for I could not stand. So there we were picking cotton.

Larry Lee Jersery City 1988

-When did you first notice your husband?

I only notice him when a coworker at the hospital, said that the men would hang by the clock to watch us ladies. I was nervous mainly because I fell down a lot. Then I noticed that when ever Larry would pass by he would give me a certain stare, which made me even more nervous, and then when he finally asked me out, I was like wow! He asked me out by the vending machines, which was weird because I had just got a craving for soda and I never drank soda, and there he came and blocked the door way and he asked me out. Then we got married about a year later, in May. He was so sweet, and he has big blue eyes.

Wedding May 14 1988

the wedding party

-How was it with your first born?

Ahhh, when they said I had a baby girl at Santa Rosa, I cried so hard, for I thought how am I going to raise her and protect her from all the violence in the world? I cried so hard, but then I thought, where is my faith in God, that I fear so much, and now well she’s 21 and strong.

Then with your second born?

I didn't cry so much, for I knew God had been taking care of my daughter, and I knew he would do he same for my son. I mean my daughter was already walking by 9 months, and she would help me as far as walking came. It was hard to walk after the birth of my son, I couldn't even pick up my legs sometimes, the pain was so much, and so she walked and got items for me out of reach. I was glad that she was helpful, like when we went to the store, I didn't have to carry both of my children. I love my children, I remember that I would sleep between them when they were little, and I just put them to sleep. It was just so comforting, I had a family finally.

Travis's birth May 23 1990

Sanata Rosa hospital

• How hard is it having polio?

• Did anyone ever tease you?

Well I don’t remember being teased; I was just ignored. It was not that bad, I was a loner I guess for I felt I couldn't do much, I couldn't participate so yeah I hung by the wall.

The Lee Family 2008

Juana, Larry Travis and Nyomi Lee

ANALYSIS

Polio and other disabilities were very hard for people back then, which lead to all buildings having to have ramps, elevators, and handicap parking. Over all life was hard back then but people always put family first, and helping out the family was a big part of life. The children were raised to help and had more values and morals then we do today. I learned a great many things, several being that I did not know all the suffering my mother went though her whole life. To me she is a strong woman, and never let anything keep her from doing what she needed to do. She loved so much, but her pain was great. She never thought she would have married, or had children, but she did and is all the more happy. We all think life is hard, but it is harder for others, who can't do all the things we do, like run going out and not having to worry about falling over. Juana had many struggles from the day she was born, they thought she would never walk, and she did. Juana was very proud to talk about her life, but very moving, her voice was calm when we first started, but upon the middle and talking about how she could never run with her children, her voice changed to a sad tone. Her stories are touching and show that all of us who can do should do, and be grateful for what we are given; life is not hard only if we let it be.

To verify the stories I was told, I looked up the Disabilities Act, how Polio affects the body, and looked up Japhet School for children with disabilities. I found different books, and found some articles online. I did not have any drawbacks other then the fact that I found out how truly hard my mother life had been. The benefits from this interview are the fact that I learned how much our family has been though, and how strong our family bond is for being a big family. I love my mother and my family, and we hold our values strong, and Juana is a strong woman, so if she can do it, then all of us able people can too. Learning about the past is important and I feel there is no better way then to talk with the people who have lived it.