TRANSCRIPTION
Ready Grandma?
I imagine
What was the house you grew up in like?
It was a small house but to me it was small and it was a house you know it was a lot of love in other words you know with like Buelita even though she baked beans or whatever cornbread something you know it was love. Now it's a big house but sometimes its empty you could tell it was love. Then we grew up and in 50 something we moved to a bigger house it had about seven rooms I think I'm not sure. Then we used to share beds the girls share beds and kids another bed I mean another room another bed. That's was about it mean we had our chores we had to do this and that and when supper was ready there was a day you washed dishes another day made you have to make tortillas I mean if it was a big meal mom would help but we would help even though we we're small we would help. My sister Margie I remember if it was her turn to was dishes and you we're talking then sorry I mean she wanted to go play outside but when it was our turn we weren't like that but we start to doing that with her and it was our turn but she didn't like it though. It was nice we struggled a lot with food, with clothes, how do you say it hand me downs how do you say it. Sometimes we bought clothes but it was only once a year during the Christmas time and that's about it. Ok what else
Describe a typical day as a child in Poteet?
During school time we used to get ready walk to school I don't know how far it is from Buelita's house to the school but it's pretty it's a long way and coming back for lunch to my mom's house and go back in thirty minutes. Just come and grab something and go back and walk or run whatever. Even though we were in Jr. High we still had to walk over here and you just had thirty minutes. Cause we didn't have enough money for you know some of the kids ate at the cafeteria but we didn't have enough for all of us so. And then after school mama would be waiting you know she'd have tacos or whatever get ready change clothes and then my dad would be waiting then work in the fields whatever it was strawberries, squash, corn anything I mean corn I didn't like strawberries so not too much. I would come home around 6 or 7 in the summer. That was every day.
Growing up how strict were your parents?
It was different everyday some had to wash clothes the other rinse them the other one would hang them and my older sister mainly in the kitchen mom in the kitchen if it wasn't that mopping the floors the other one cleaning the house you had certain chores everyday and it was hard I hate to wash clothes with the board what do you call that the wash board uhuh you had to bend over and get the clothes and get the water and put it in the big tub and we used to wash the clothes and rinse them and do it by hand and when we moved we had a automatic washer it was a blessing but before we didn't it was hard but it wasn't like it was hard to work but when you do it all together it was easy because you were talking and this and that so it passed by fast you knew what to do you weren't going to be waiting for your little sister to help you it was your job and your job only. So that was it.
What stores were in Poteet as you were growing up?
Okay it was a lot of stores I can't remember all of them there was Franklin's that was a department store. On the other side how do you call it was called a Wins but it was a five or ten store we but little cheap things there was another department clothes departments store no it was Arraniagas we had a theater a drug store an another department store it was Crouch and it had a lumber store and another on the side on Avenue H it was Davidson's we brought our grocery either or at Franklins. I don't remember what do you call it where the you sell cars and one car dealer ship that was about it there wasn't much.
Did you have any jobs growing up?
Well one time I worked at Franklins for about a year or so. That time was about 17 or 18 most of the time we had to work in the field we had no choice.
If so how much were you paid?
I don't remember it wasn't a lot I really don't remember the minimum wage at that time wasn't much. Most of time we worked in the field.
What did your mother and father do for a living?
They farmed and raised cattle. I don't know part of the time we went to Corpus other there to whole or picking cotton. We came back and waited a month or two and went to Lubbock or somewhere over there Herford to work in the cotton, hoeing all of that then we come back to Poteet during Christmas time. We only went to school half a year you weren't you learned but the other kids were smarter. I mean if you had a test you start looking because you didn't know what was going on.I mean it was hard very hard.
How has the Poteet School System changed?
Well now its better because if you missed school so many days they will go look for you. You could miss school as many days as you wanted to. If would have been better at that time to go look for you where are you, you cant' miss a lot of school you gotta go to school but there was sometimes I wanted to like there was some test we had to take you know we did our own excuses for school my mom did not know how to write English and we cant' write the excuse she was sick you could do it once you could not do it the next time. One day to school and day to work so you could not be sick every other day. I really loved math so I put she was sick. So I could retake that so I could not get a zero. Now it is better way better.
Was school important growing up?
It was but for the parents my dad would say and a lot of other parents would say school is not important for a girl. She is going to get married and have some body to support her. Now it is equal cause you're going to need it any way. There is something happens you gotta go to work or something . At that time the would just say that it wasn't important. You know they guys you know they can go to school. But not the girls.
What's the biggest change that has occurred in Poteet?
Now its not the Poteet in the City but the Poteet on the outside. Like hwy 16 has more store in there. The strawberry festival is bigger know at that time it was smaller and down town. Everything was down town.. Only the carnival was a little bit to the side. Everything was there now you have to pay. So now its a lot of change now its all money. Back then you could go and you didn't have to pay. Of course you buy something but other than you did not have to pay to go in now its 15 dollars or so. It changed but me it was better way back then there was a lot of stores. Now there is not there is just a field. Poteet had a lot of business there was a lot of small towns that would come over here. Buy groceries buy school clothes for the kids Franklins was a real popular store. But now there are closed.
When did you receive your license and was it a big deal to kids growing up in Poteet?
When I was married. No, not back then the teenagers you did not have a car in the first place. Unless you graduate that was different but during school time you would walk. Everybody knew who was absent because you would meant at the same place everyday. And if some of my friend didn't meet at the same place like Margaret is sick or somebody is sick because we meet at the same time. Now its now everybody takes a car. Way back then you know you did I cant say you did because I didn't have a license because I didn't have a car. Some parents take the kids usually the kids that ride the bus well be the lucky ones to go to school. Okay.
What kind of games or activities did you play growing up as a child in Poteet?
We played my biggest one was dominos cause you know I love dominos. But that was before when we were little it was a typical what you call that tag and hide an go seek and riding the barrels big barrels okay you would get in top and then rolls it whoever fall off you move it with your feet if you for some reason you fall well then even if you say let me start again let me start again no that was it we play that in the ranch when we finished and waiting for dad some tire there and barricas which is the barrels there we would play there and my mom said how come your tired to pick strawberries but your not tired to play and but you know we were finished already and waitin for my dad and let see what else rope we had contest on the rope who would jump more on the rope fly kites remember the kites my brother Mario would get mad he would say don't get to close to me go his flying real pretty and we would get close and tangle the string oh my God he would get mad he would say didn't I tell you not to do that. Look at you God dog it he would get mad we would not say bad words mom didn't let us. But he would get mad my brother would go fishing we never went fishing and Tio Nachos he had a little pond there and all the games we didn't have to buy it we had or you made it up and then the cards not the real cards but the old maids the dominos I love dominos. And we get married and we played dominos went grandpa to and Janie would say how do you like dominos they are boring not to me its my favorite one.
What were some big headlines you remember growing up? Did they effect the town?
Not really only when that drugged Carrasco but it didn't effect Poteet but some people were related to Carrasco the mafia. And then they had an old house or something they would say that I don't know if its true. And they burned and teared it down. We heard about Kennedy on the radio. We weren't hear we were in San Sabas they were picking pecans we didn't have TV we did in the 60's we got TV but not before that and then when we heard about the President. That was about it I don't recall I don't remember.
How do you view Poteet?
Small well now they say there's a lot of violence but way back then small country or town quiet town you can still way in the street at night walk to the neighbors like on TV there a lot of shootings you can still do that at night you see a lot of old people walking and all that to me its quiet and friendly
Would you want to live anywhere else?
I don't think so. To visit but not to live. I don't think so.
What were big events that happened in Poteet as you were growing up?
No. only the strawberry festival but I cant say anyone person.
Is there anything in life you still want to do?
What I want to do I think I would like to finish school. I would like to even though I don't have at my age I see people on TV you know your 60 or 70 or either is another may that finished college that's a challenge and a great big deal to me.
What are your hobbies?
I main one is playing dominos. I like to bake cakes to give cakes away to my friends to like Patty at the Dairy Queen to the doctors office I usually take cakes. That the main one and because they work there the whole they are tired and a little cake will cheer them up. And it will make there day I'm here at home I have my things to do but still giving something to somebody makes you feel good. Like the nursing home I went and took some clothes to I took a cake to Maria the one that works there and it makes you feel good. They are people at the nursing home that work a lot and giving them something makes their day. I love that. Like at the drive thru what do you bring us cake do you know my son yes I'm Ricky's mom and I like to give cakes away. Okay Mrs. Guerra cookies I don't because I'm not to good with them.
Would you like to add anything else?
Let see I don't now they have more opportunities in school and I young kids have better clothes sometimes you have clothes you have school and you have money but there is no love. Way back then you had a pair of shoes or half a year or all year and you take care of those shoes. You buy different pair of shoes and you don't even though which one you are going to wear the next day or you through them in the trash because the shoes lace is dirty and back then you wipe it and clean it and put it and way back then you eat a candy and share like those three musketeer we would eat four piece of the and enjoy it now you have the whole candy and you eat half and throw the other half away so now its you have more things I'm not saying everybody but you don't appreciate what you have right and way back then it was more sharing now you got the money you don't you want the whole soda to your self or pop what ever you call it way back them you would share two or three now you want the whole deal you want the whole can and that is sad because you have everything and you don't enjoy it because if not I have another one in the fridge way back then we ate a candy probably once every three weeks or we didn't eat candy my favorite was three musketeers I wanted the whole thing but I couldn't eat it now Christmas its like you have everything cookies not cookies, candy cane, orange, and an apple and that was Christmas everybody would enjoy and now you got this you got that you got some many toys so many clothes and you don't enjoy it I guess this is over for now.
