Amalia Rivas (nee Alcorta)

"History was made. Just another day."

Amalia Rivas in her 20's (1930's)

San Antonio,Texas

March 9, 2009

Christopher Matthew Garcia

Palo Alto College

History 1302 - Spring 2009

 

INTRODUCTION
TRANSCRIPTION
ANALYSIS
TIMELINE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
POSTSCRIPT

 

INTRODUCTION

Amalia Rivas was born on March 10, 1915 in Jourdanton. Her father Secundino Alcorta worked his own ranch and her mother Margarita was fifteen years younger than him. Amalia Rivas has lived through the roaring twenties and the Great Depression. She married at the age of 17 and had her first child by 18. She had 6 children over twenty years. Her eldest son is my grandfather. She never was employed to a company in her life. She was always a house mother and before she was married she helped her parents with her brothers and sisters, after she was forced to leave school after only finishing the seventh grade. She married my great grandfather Ysidro Rivas, who recently died at the age of 95. They were married for over 70 years. She is my great grandmother. She has stories that could go on forever and I have an ear always for them.

 

 

TRANSCRIPTION

What was your maiden name before you got married?
Alcorta was my fathers last name.

Where did you grow up for most of your life?
I never left Texas. I stayed here in lower Texas my entire life.I was born in Devine,Texas and also lived in Charlie, Charlottte, Jourdanton and of course San Antonio.

Out of curiosity, was leaving not intended or it just wasn't possible?
Well, weren't the wealthiest people, and my father's work was down here.His ranch and family were here,there was no point in leaving 'wealth'.

Amalia in her father's lap in 1915

Could you tell me about your parents?
My parents were aged far apart.He was 30 and she was 15 when I was born.

What were their names?
His name was Secundino Alcorta and he married Margarita Balderas.

How many brothers and sisters did you have?
I was the oldest of my siblings. I had 4 brothers and 1 sister.

What kind of household chores did you and your brothers and sisters have?
Me and my sister did all of the household chores.My brothers just worked.We did all of the dishes and alot of cooking in the house.We always did the clothes.

I assume this is way before washers and dryers,how was it done?
We would wash our clothes on a washing board over a tub of soap.We then dried them all in the sun.

If it rained how would you dry them?
We would just lay them on chairs inside.

You said that your dad had a ranch, what did yall have?
The usual,Pigs,Chickens goats and such.

One more question before I switch subjects, Did you go to school?
I went to school at a school house named Crown.There was one school for Black, Mexicans and Whites at the time.You couldn't go to school until you were seven years old.But was only able to go up to the seventh grade.All the grades were in 1 building.I only got up to seventh grade because I had to leave and help my parents with the house and other things.

Amalia with Ysidro in 1960's with family

I am mostly interested in my late grandpa and your marriage. When did you meet your husband or my grandpa?
We met in 1930

How did you meet him?
He worked with my Dad (this is when parents wanted their children to wed)on the ranch.He helped with work with the animals or with planting.

So did that eventually escalate to you two going steady, or was there something else?
He would invite me to the Dances in the barns close by and we would go often.He played so many instruments and played in the bands at the dances.He loved to dance, and so did I.We always wanted to dance.

Given at their 70th aniversary

Given at their 70th aniversary

At these dances did yall drink beer?
NOPE, I did not drink at all but Ysidro( my Grandpa) drank a little.My parents always told me that well behaved women do not drink.

What was my Grandpa's full name?
Ysidro Jimenez Rivas

So when did you both get married?
On September 16 ,1932.We got married in Jourdanton.I was 17 and he was 19.

How long after did yall decide to have children?
We didn't waste no time.haha.We had our first kid in September of 1933.He was born on the second of September.We named him Esteban (Who is my Grandfather).

Amalia with 3 of her sons

How many kids did yall have total?
We had 6 Children.We had 4 boys and 2 girls.

What are their names from oldest to youngest?( I want the names to show how different names were from then to now)
Esteban,Isabel,Ysidro Jr,Hope,Fred,Martha.

What did you all do for fun?
Dances were the biggest thing.Their were picture shows or known as movies today.And of course before there was TV we would all listen to the radio.Those were weekends.They were much funner than anything today.

TV? When did that come out?
I am not sure but we got one in 1945. It was only 12" but the body was big! Of course it was all in black and white.

What did yall watch?
Mostly Cowboy Movies.And any kind of news.Cartoons didn't come out when TV did.

On the Radio what would yall listen to?
Mostly talk radio or news.Or music was often country.

Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
I Do no have the actaul word by word answer but all she told me while she held her photo album and told me,"photos are memories and sometimes that's all you have"

 

 

Chris Garcia and Amalia Rivas in 1994

ANALYSIS

After Interviewing Amalia Rivas my great grandmother I have learned so much about her and my family that I never even knew.I was mostly impressed with how different her life was then that of my own.Difference in technology and her way of life.I never knew my grandpa was a musician which to me was one of the neatest things.I was glad to find out that there was more to history then wars.This history of my grandma was more interesting then the last presidents in my opinion.I won't be a president but I will live a normal life like she did (at the time). Through this entire interview she was rather trying to recall so much but when I spoke of her late husband I could see her face just change which is easily understandable considering she was with my grandpa for 70 years.I learned a great deal about the first Tv's and radio as entertainment back then.Also how they ran.Learning how things were back then should hopefully make todays kids realize how much different and how much harder it was back then. I would say to her in a six word memoir "History was made.Just another day."

 

 

TIMELINE

1950 to the present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

List a minimum of FIVE sources. There must be links to each of the sources within the transcription.
Here are five examples of annotated sources plus a source for photos/documents.

 

 

POSTSCRIPT

Amalia A. Rivas fell asleep in the arms of Jesus on April 4, 2010 at the age of 95. Born on March 10, 1915 in Poteet, TX. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 74 years., Ysidro J. Rivas. Her parents Margarita and Secundino Alcorta, son-in-law George Gutierrez, great grandson Jonathon Garcia. She is loved and will be missed by her sons; Esteban, Isabel, Ysidro Jr. and Alfredo Rivas. Daughters; Hope Gutierrez and Martha DeLuna, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her brothers Jose and Miguel Alcorta and sister Julie Medrano. Amalia will be remembered for her Love of her family and her faith of God. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, and gardening. Everyone who knew her will miss her and her famous tamales. Visitation will begin on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. with a rosary to be recited at 7:00 p.m. at St. Philip of Jesus Catholic Church. Funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at the church. Interment will follow at First Memorial Cemetery.

(Source: San Antonio Express News. April 7, 2010.)

 

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