TRANSCRIPTION
I have a picture here and it says this picture was taken in school what can you tell me about this picture?
Yes I was in 7th grade it was taken at the beginning of the year.
Did you do chores as a young kid?
Yes, we did we had a lot, my mom and dad had lots of animals we would have to let them out from the corral to drink water a couple at a time because if not they would run all over the ranch. My mama had to get the water from a well, she would get the water we would get them to drink and then we would let the animals two or three at a time back in the corral.
Did the boys in your family have to do chores too or only the girls?
Yes, we would take turns. Boys and girls we were all the same. I didn't matter to daddy and mama we all had to help out around the house inside and out.
Tia what would you do for fun when you were young?
We used to play hide and go seek, and we used to play hop scotch, and marbles with the boys and my daddy.
You used to play marbles?
Oh yes, & my daddy would keep them if he would win and wouldn't give them back to us,(she laughs) mama would get mad at him but it didn't matter to him he won and that was ok with him.
Where would you go to the Dr. when you would get sick?
To Poteet.
There was Dr.'s there?
Yes and dentist too.
What kind of remedies did you use and for what? Did your mom have remedies?
Oh yes I didn't like it, when I had a tooth ache she would make us put our feet in warm water that didn't help, so that's what he would do.
I have a picture of you, it looks like you are in a yard somewhere. What memories does this picture bring to you?
This was taken at my favorite aunts' house, she was my Daddy's sister we all called her Tia Inez. I remember her baking and cooking for us. We would love going to Tia Inez's house specially during Easter it was fun, her house was the place where we would all get together.
What did you do in your spare time? When you had no chores to do?
We would play dolls, I used to love to play dolls, I liked to change their clothes, I used to love to listening to the radio and different things like that.
Tia in this group picture here you are the third one form the left and what can you tell me about this picture, do you see any of your classmates still?
Yes, I still remember a couple of them we don't see each other often. When we were younger we used to go out, one of them is my friend Fina we go out and eat every now and then, we share good memories every time we see each other.
As a teenager where would you go to have a good time?
Dancing, I loved to go dancing. So I'd go dancing with friends and my daddy would take me he wouldn't let me go by myself with friends, but I enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't like was that he didn't want me to dance with the same boy all the time, he wanted me to dance with everybody, that way he knew that I didn't have a steady boyfriend.
Tia in this picture that you are by yourself you look older as a young lady, was this picture taken at a studio?
Yes, I was seventeen years old my mom took me to take my picture, because it was my birthday.
Did your mom & dad have a car when you were young?
Yes when, oh I was about thirteen or fourteen we had a convertible.
What kind of car was it?
It was a Ford and I was learning to drive I wasn't very good at it but I would drive it as long as they would let me. That was fun because we all wanted to drive it and we would have to work hard to earn a test drive.
Did your family ever migrate to do labor work up to the northern states?
Yes. I didn't get to go but my two younger sisters did they went to pick cotton I think they went to Oregon. I was already married by the time my younger sisters were of age to work, so that's why they got to go and not me.
How old were you when you got your first job?
I never worked. As a kid, I worked after I got married and my kids were grown.
You never worked? When you were single you never worked?
Never just on the field that's all shaking peanuts and doing farm work but it was to get food for the family.
But that was a family farm or they would pay you?
They would pay us. Daddy would give us a little something if he would sell the fruits nad vegetables that we would grow. It was good money would could go buy treats and that was always nice.
But this was not like a regular job?
No. They would pay us for what ever was in season. Depending what was grown and depending how much we would sell.
Do you remember prices of groceries? What do you remember paying for that you can compare to now?
I can't remember about groceries I can remember about ice cream and soda waters (she laughs) a nickel for soda waters and a quarter the pint of ice cream, & we used to love it because that was a treat for us we wouldn't get it every day.
Do you have a lot of pictures of you and your kids when they were younger?
No, we didn't get to take that many pictures only on special occasions, birthdays, communions, weddings, we took picture only when we were going out somewhere special.
This other picture shows you and your two kids, Sylvia and Carlos? Are you all going somewhere all dressed up?
We are dressed to go to a family party.
In this picture you are holding a cake, what are you celebrating?
We are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and our neighbor Josie made us a cake to celebrate. We didn't do anything special that day just dinner at home and cake to share with the kids and family.
Why were you and Uncle Leo all dressed up for?
We were going to a dance. Even as we got older we enjoyed dancing all the time and would go to dances every chance we could get. Dancing was always our favorite thing to do.
Did you make flour tortillas every day?
Yes. My grandson used to live with us for a while and he loved to eat them and my husband Leo could not have dinner without them and they had to be fresh every day. So I would make them every day.
Was this picture taken at work?
Yes I worked for Somerset ISD Food Service for 20 years and it was hard work but it was good work, I learned to make a lot of different dishes and in large quantities. The salad bar was my department and I was the lead for that area, salads were my specialty.
Tell me about this family group picture.
This is my family Sylvia, Carlos, Albert, Carlos Jr., Taelor, and Gunner. My grandson and his family came from Arizona to the Alamo Dome to see The Longhorns play. As you can see we are all Longhorn fans, except they didn't let me in the picture because I wasn't wearing my Longhorn t-shirt, and my grandson's wife Amy is the one taking the picture.
Is there anything else you would like to add to any of the questions?
I wish my kids will never forget what I tell them, I want the best for them and I wish the very, very best for them.
Once the interview was done, we took the Cruz family out to lunch to celebrate. Tia how did you like the interview?
Well, I'll do an interview and anwer all your questions any time as long as you take us to celebrate after wards, (laughs) I loved it, the best part was that we all got together and had a good lunch and lot of fun that day. Thank you, we love you all bunches.
