TRANSCRIPTION
What are your earliest childhood memories?
(Spanish) I started school at the age of six. (Pause)
What was the name of your siblings from oldest to youngest?
Vidal Ybarra Tejeda, Philies Ybarra Tejeda, Maria Ybarra Tejeda(Her) , Victoria Ybarra Tejeda , Jesusas Ybarra Tejeda, Pedro Ybarra Tejeda, Pablo Ybarra Tejeda, Jesus Ybarra Tejeda, Louise Ybarra Tejeda, then Delia Ybarra Tejeda was the last one the baby. Pedro was a twin. Pablo was his twin, but he died.Then mom named Paul, the next child she had named him Paul Ybarra Tejeda.
Did you get along well with your brothers and sisters?
Yes we did. We didn't have toys, we didn't have anything, but we'd play outside. We made up things like you know we played hop scotch…that I couldn't remember the last time (chuckles) and uh we play like cowboys and…and you know and (pause ) [Indians] Indians right…and we used to play with uh…I'm not gonna say it…(laughs). The toys we had we used to play with the little…uh… (Spanish) [Yo-yo] I know you used to roll it like that…we used to play with that. We used to play ball, we used to play…we had a ball we play with it. We jumped urh…we climb trees and play in the trees too. All together, well the oldest one and then the youngest ones were another group you know. We were too many to though as long as I remember...
Would you all get togther?
Yes, we get together, we'd help mom you know. We used to help mom. We used to put some, uhm…you know…fire or carry wood inside. Help mom in the morning, when I grew up a little bit more one day I had to get up and then Philies used to get up the next day. Maybe, two three days and [then] one after the other and then Philies would take over then that's when we rotated. Me and her were the oldest one and Vidal used to help my dad. Yup, you know…with the cows…and I used to help my dad. You know I was always ready for…for my dad to bring the cows in and… put 'um in their pen and uh…the carol in other words and separate the calf's outside and the cows inside so in the morning we'll milk the cows. We used to milk cows and...took the milk in to mom and she set it in made some cream (something) put it in a jar. She would make some butter with it…...
What was it like at school? Was there any discrimination or unequal rights against gender?
No, no we…we all played together…we all played together and we had a lot of friends in school. Some of them were kind of rough, but you know just let go and keep on going. I had a lot of friends in school and uh…my dad didn't let me to play ball, but I liked to play ball with the girls. And boys together we would play together, but my dad didn't like it. So, I hold it a little bit you know (chuckles) not to do it …, but anyway I played and I was a good hitter (chuckles)… and I was a good catcher…
How did you get to school? Ya'll walk right?
We walked all the way from here… we walked from the house to school. [And yawl would walk barefooted?] it was about a mile.
What were the reasons that you had to quit school?
Well well, we needed to help my mom, you know, the main thing was to help my mom. Yeah, because she had the little kids, you know the twins. Well, they were grown up at that time, but Louie and Delia. Delia was sick she was sick for six years you know and I got married on 1940 I was sixteen and I was gonna be seventeen. I got married at that time.
When did you have to start working?
I never worked uh…, except in the field, but later on … the children of… [Names of families] they used to stay with me. Victoria's children used to come stay with me, they liked to stay with me and you know I took care of them in other words [So you liked babysit?] Yeah, I babysit for my family too…
How were the conditions when you would work out in the fields?
Oh, it was hot (laughs) it was hot. I used to work in the trash in. We used to go to to help somebody else trash their [cans I think she says] and they came to help us trash [Not sure what] when we planted some.
What would you harvest?
The way we planted cotton one time…uh twice in the two years, but not that much, you know. Ah… we planted corn, we planted black eye peas, I think that's what they called it, black eye peas, and watermelons, cantaloupes, and calabazas, you know what… (Chuckles) pumpkins… pumpkins, patches of …tomatoes, chili…uh cucumbers, potatoes. We, usually, every year we plant patches of it… like a garden. But we had a good time…
Doing all the planting and picking you had a good time?
Yeah, yeah, yes, we raised…you know…we had chickens too, turkeys I used to raise turkeys when I got married that's what I thought. Start doing, raising turkeys, hens and chickens… One time I had a hundred of them, one time I raised one hundred turkeys, we sold them in November… during Thanksgiving, we used to sale them. Take them to the San Antonio … we used to sale chickens too.
Did you still work in the fields and with the animals when you got married and had kids?
Yes, when they were old enough to stay with the oldest one like Lucy. I used to work in the fields…, a lot… and hard too.
When did you first meet Secundino Rodriguez Garcia?
I meet him? I knew him from next door. [You knew him from next door!] (Chuckles)We lived next door… And I knew him before, I knew him before, he knew me and I was six or seven. We used to go to their house and they used to come to our house. [Ya'll would play together?] Yeah, play…ah well…he never played with anybody he just…he was that way you know, the girls yes [Secundinos sisters] they used to play with us... We'd ride horses too. We like to ride horses and they went with us. And ride our horse or we ride their horses, you know (Chuckles) they had their horses too. So, that's the way we made it, you know…
When did you get your first house?
When we got married? [Yes, when you got married]. He had that house in 1940. It was an old house and yet they moved it from San Antonio to…it was one room, and the kitchen and a little porch. That's all it had, you know. […] in 1952 we build a new house when Chicho[Secundino ] was born…now it's falling down. (Laughs)
Where were all your kids born?
Victor was born in the house the doctor came, delivered him. Lucy was born with a midwife, she came into my house. Manuel was with a midwife and then Arturo was with a midwife. Secundio Jr was with a midwife, Lenard was born in the hospital and Mary Helen was born in the hospital. I don't if I should tell you, but I had three miscarriages…one was a girl and two boys…
How did it feel raising so many kids?
(Laughs) Spanking them once in awhile, didn't mind (Laughs).
How were you and your family affected by WWII?
[Family members in discussion about it till my Grandma answers] Vidal… he went to war [Your Brother?] He went to war Vidal the oldest one…and then [Discussion]… Well, we missed my brother a lot, he was umm… because he wasn't [or was] quarantined they were on quarantined when he was there and uh… they had uh yellow fever and… my mom was worried…we didn't know anything about him for mouths you know and then they talked to a person here…and he…let mom and dad know what was going on out there. They were on quarantine, they couldn't answer any letters, receive any letters from here so…and a lot of soldiers passed away because of the yellow fever and he had a friend that helped him a lot you know. Bought him some…uh grapefruit, orange juice and from the kitchen of their… the soldiers he used to take them to him so he could drink because he was sick, my brother was sick…Then we learned he was okay, my mom heard he was okay and my dad…we were all excited because we knew that he was doing okay…but he didn't come till 1945…
Is there anything you would want to change in your life?
No, no… (Chuckles) well I would like for my husband to be here, but I can't change that (laughs). No, I'm doing fine. I've been through a lot I had uh…had uh…surgery here in my …uh thyroid. I had uh…hysterectomy, uh… gallbladder, uh pendesitus, uh cancer in the skin here and then my heart was the last surgery I had and the heaviest one… and I'll be 90 on October the 6th …
ANALYSIS
In all honesty, I didn't think history to be interesting, but it's starting to grow on me and this Oral History project has got me closer to another side of my family that I didn't know about. What we learn from history we learn to achieve in the future. The experience that every one of us encounters we share with a new generation to show them how life was then and how it is in today's world. In working on this Oral history project I found my interviewee, Maria Ybarra Garcia (Tejeda) or my great grandmother, lived a life of growing up in a hurry and doing what one can for family. When growing up Maria and her older siblings had to help take care of the younger ones and help out in the fields and with the animals. She, also, lived next to door to Secundino Garcia who would later become her husband. Also, when tending to the animals Maria had raised around a hundred turkeys which would be sold around Thanksgiving.
I found it cool that my great grandmother raised so many turkeys and was able to sale them when so young. It goes to show how much she tried in helping her family. Maria explained her stories about her life, when trying hard to remember some events, but other memories came to her naturally. She enjoyed telling me on how she used to play ball when young and how she would work hard in the fields. By hearing these stories, especially about how my great uncle being in WWII, I learned that everyone has a story to tell and once you hear it you'd find something you never thought to see. Maria was very young in taking on many responsibilities, but having to grow up quick is what makes her my great grandmother.
TIMELINE
" Born October 6, 1924
" Went to school for 14 years
" Married at 17 in 1940
" First child, Victor Garcia, born March 17 in 1940
" Second child passed away after six months after Victor
" Third child, Lucy Garcia, born December 10 in 1943
" Fourth child was born in 1945 March 18; deceased
" 1945 Vidal comes home from WWII.
" Fifth child, Manuel Garcia, born on March 15, 1947
" Sixth child, Arturo Garcia, born 1948 on the 7 of November
" Seventh child, Secundino Garcia, born June 30, 1952
" Eighth child, Lenard Garcia, born February 11, 1955
" Ninth child, Mary Helen, born December 17, 1956
" Genovira Tejeda died on June 28 1983
" Jesus Tejeda on March 5 1987
" Secundino died 1997 October 23.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
List a minimum of FIVE sources. There must be links to each of the sources within the transcription. Consult Citing Web Sources MLA Style for further help. Not sure how to cite a reference, utilize EasyBib: Free Bibliography Maker. Here's an example of an annotated bibliography:
Graytown, Texas near Wilson County.This is my great grandmother is currently living and has lived there for almost all her life.
. Fairview Texas. Is where my great grandmother was born.
Photographs and/or documents on this website were provided by name of interviewee and ____________________. Provide some historical background on the photos/documents. e.g. Who is in the photo/s? Who took the photo/s? Where was the photo/s taken? When were the photo/s taken? Special occassions? Everyday life? They were from her/his photo album... Located in the kitchen drawer...
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14:27 1/31/2012
