Judith "Judy" Faye Gunn (nee Halbardier)
Describe a typical day as a child.
Oh gosh...Well, just playing. Okay... this is weird, we had a gravel drive way and I remember I used to love to ride my stick horse down the drive way. That's silly, but anyways. I used to go sit in my mother's car in the garage and I would play like I was driving. I used to love to walk in my mother's high heels on the concrete because I liked the sound it made. But you know that's playing by yourself. Let's see...I think my brother and I, we used to fight a lot be we didn't know we were fighting, we were just having fun I guess, now that I look back. There were some girls that lived on the same street as I did. One of them, I would go up to her house a lot. She had polio when younger and was disabled but she was very smart. But, I would go up to her house or she would come to mine and we would always play jacks. We would just play jacks all the time. She had a piano that I liked to bang around on. I often wonder what happened to her from time to time. Then the other girl that lived on the same street, we were like in high school together. We ran around a lot together. Her mother would take us downtown to the Pig Stand down on Broadway and we would get those root beer floats or whatever. It didn't seem like it was very far at all. And, now I know you have to get on the express way and go down Broadway. But we had fun doing that. We would spend the night together and watch TV late we lived close enough where I could just walk home.
What were your weekends like growing up in San Antonio?
Well, when I was younger, before I was a teenager, the family would go visit my grandma. We had an aunt and uncle that lived out where Calaveras Lake is now, that is were my daddy was from. We would visit with them, they had a big farm and we would just roam the bluebonnet fields and just run around and go through the creeks. I don't know how we survived, missing the rattlesnakes. My uncle would take us riding in the back of his truck and let our feet dangle. He would take us up on the tank dam and we would just all holler afraid that we were going to fall in the water. We just had real good times out there at my aunt and uncle's and grandma's. I remember that. I guess those must have been the best times because I can't remember a lot of them.
What were some of your favorite vacations you took as a family?
Umm, we didn't vacation a whole lot, because my daddy, I guess he worked a lot. But I do remember we always went to the coast, just as that continues. We would go to Port Aransas, mostly with my parents. We would make it a family affair. You know, there would be several of our aunt and uncles, they would all come down there and we would all stay in these little cabins. I can remember my daddy and I were coming off one of the piers and I was about seven or eight, we were holding this fish line. Oh my goodness, it was just a little fish, but I guess it was a big deal to me. We would go up to New Braunfels; my daddy's brother lived up there. He ran a hot dog stand; it was like a Dairy Queen now days. We always drove along River Road, before everything got so built up. We liked to go into the water area and play in the water.
What type of classes did you take at Sam Houston High School? Do you remember any of your favorite teachers?
Well I just took the classes that were required. I do remember a couple of my favorite teachers. My math teacher, I really liked math, thank goodness I was pretty good at it, but Mr. Morris was my math teacher, especially when I got way into high school. He was so nice; I even met his wife later on at the beauty shop where I used to go. My homemaking teacher was Mrs. Bradley. She taught me how-to sew. That really helped after I got married. I sewed a lot of my clothes. I made my daughter's clothes that she wore to school. But those are the two that I can really remember that were my favorite.
Were your grandparents living when you were a child? If so, what are some favortie memories with them?
Who were some of your friends when your were younger? Do you still stay in contact with them?
Well, of course the two girls that lived on my same street, no I don't keep in contact with them anymore. I had two best girlfriends in high school, Loretta Montgomery, and then Mary Morris. I know where Loretta lives now, she lives in South Carolina, but we don't really have contact. I lost contact with Mary also, but I would really like to know if she still lives in San Antonio or what. I don't know how-to get a hold of her. I went to a reunion luncheon a while back and reunited with about half a dozen of girls that I went to high school with. They were just as sweet as they were in high school. We weren't really close in high school, but you wouldn't know that the way they are so nice and everything. They are always after me to be more involved with them. Then Sharon Sendemer and her husband Edward. I guess when they say that you go through your whole life with about two best friends, well Sharon is mine. I met her through my husband, Wayne. Sharon's husband and Wayne grew up next door to each other and were just like brothers. We were in each others weddings and we had two children each. The kids grew up together. Sharon and I may not talk all the time but she is there if I need her and I all I have to do is just call her. She is just wonderful. Another real close friend I had after I got married was Janice McInvale. Wayne and I were real close friends with her and her husband, Buck. In fact, Janice and I worked together and Buck and Wayne worked together. We just loved them to death. Unfortunately, Janice passed away, but she was my other best friend, as far as friends after you get married. Buck and I still talk; he is almost like a brother to me.
Describe your jobs that you held as a teenager. Which one was your favorite? Why?
After you got married, where did you live? Do you still live their?
Mostly out in the East Central district, not too far from where I live now. We either lived off of Foster Road, or off of Hildebrand. We lived in a couple different houses off of Foster road. I've always lived out in this area since I've been married. It took us about four years to move out the where I live today. We rented different places in the neighborhood until then. My step father gave us an acre of land. This house was built out at a lumber company on Military Drive and they would move it onto your property. That is where this house came from and of course we added on to it and enlarged it.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
Um...Well I hope I'm doing a good job for my granddaughter and I love her to death. I just love my family and I don't know what the future holds for us but you can only hope for the best and live life to the fullest. Thank you for listening to me.
I feel that the most important points of the interview were just to show how simple life was back then. The children of that era made their own fun with their imaginations like pretending a stick horse was real, playing dress up, or jacks. Now days it seems like a child can't have fun without an electric device in their hands at all times.
Throughout the interview, my Grandmother would reminisce on certain things like her friends, Sharon and Janice, or how much the neighborhood has changed over the years. What you didn't see in the interview transcription was the moments where my grandmother would tear up talking about how good her friends are to her, or how much she misses her loved ones who have passed away. The one thing that made her very emotional was talking about how her neighborhood has changed. She was devastated because she feels that she is not safe anymore where she lives and people are not as nice as they used to be. (I also tried to stay off the topic about my Grandfather during the interview process because the one year anniversary of his death was coming up and it was a very emotional time for both of us.)
Because of my Grandmother's vivid stories and recollections of the past, I learned that San Antonio and the surrounding areas have changed dramatically. Not necessarily the environment and shops, but the people and ways of life as well. I feel that the type of people that lived back then were more sincere, appreciative and loyal to others and everything else around them. You can only find a handful of those people today, and they are mainly our elders who grew up to appreciate and be thankful for everything.
Every question that my Grandmother answered, I wanted to see if there was a picture to go with her story. It's not that I didn't believe her stories, but I wanted to get a better idea of her life when she was younger and I thought that a photograph would help. I love old pictures and getting the chance to see how much someone can change over the years.
During the interview process, one of the drawbacks of learning about the past was the fact that I got a one-sided perspective of it. No one else was there during the interview so I could only receive my Grandmother's point of view on the subject. On the same hand, the benefit about the interview was her perspective! I loved "digging" into her past to see how much things have changed or even stayed the same in San Antonio. Not many history books or websites can give me those kinds of personal portrayals and insight. I think the interview was an effective way to learn about the past because I can get my Grandmother's perspective and compare or contrast it to what I have learned already in my history classes or on the internet.
Joske's and The Handbook of Texas Online is a multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association and the General Libraries at UT-Austin. It was produced in partnership with the College of Liberal Arts and the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin. Copyright © The Texas State Historical Association. Last Updated: May 6, 2004.
Texas MHMR This department has worked to improve the quality and efficiency of public and private services and supports for Texans with mental illnesses and with mental retardation so that they can increase their opportunities and abilities to lead lives of dignity and independence.
City of Port Aransas This webiste gives all the information you need to know about Port Aransas such as a calendar or events, chamber of commerse, and the background of the city. Copyright © 2006 City of Port Aransas. Last Updated: March 30, 3007.
Concrete Cistern This is an example of what a concrete cistern looks like. My grandmother's did not look exactly like this one but similar. Copyright © 2007 Oxfam GB.
