Interviewer: Andrea Mott Typed by: Marlena Fongthian Birth Earliest Memory Birth of younger brother 4 years younger exactly Family - siblings Eleanor/Sister Judith John Ralph Leona Joey Leo Ralph Very demanding St. Vitasdance Spinal condition Eleaner Left for convent when Leona was 8 years John Kind Stories Would smoke when mom and dad were gone Brother spanked her for tattling on them 6 years older Joey
Joy Ride horse to school Never argued Closer to him Father Had a previous marriage Flu in 1918 40 days Wife and 2 girls were buried Woke up and they were dead Born in Russia Stories: he and sister came over Worked off fare for journey Train to Richardton and walked 30 miles Emotions Played with lads and story Easter Bunny Thistle stickers in feet His nature Relationship Was stern Religion Don't eat without prayer Farmer Cope Bought groceries with sold goods
Good provider Bootlegger in grainery FBI confiscated barrels of whiskey Died 1951, flu epidemic Richardton Mother 1903 Cheerful 99% of time Hard worker Educated to 6th grade Served as secretary for Langer for govenor Expressed emotions Excellent cook & seamstress worked in fields too Good relationship Sunday Bible stories Songs - SINGS Children in the woods Mom would sing all the time Housewife Hard times But efficient Mom would sew three dresses from the catalog Died of Parkinson's disease Young 49 years Nursing home - lived to 73 years Mom & Dad Dad stricter
Influenced life more - both Parents meet Neighbors Marriage was good Pastimes Names Day Celebration Cards and food 500 Rummy DuRoc (Russian name for fool) Politics Mom Dad - Republicans Radio Little Bohemian Band, mom taught them to dance - was Waltz's polkas Paternal grandparents Didn't know Maternal grandparents Knew grandma, but she was ill Congregational Converted to Catholicism to marry Dad Grandma Strict Born in Russia Migrated to Harriet, S.D. 5 children Extended
Aunts 2 in Seattle Uncle 1 in Seattle High school story Aunt Philippine Spurley Strict Hated dishwashing Wouldn't let Leona go to her Senior dance in another town Door was barred Generous Leona worked in town for 1 year 1st Social Security check Other aunts/uncles Favorite cousin Gene Spurley Was his maid of honor Large family gatherings Alcohol New house - big living room, roll up carpet, made seats, music, & dance Moved in 1932 Lived in grainery during building process Cooked on kerosene stove Summers - moved to basement Winter up Farmhouse and description
Daily Life House, furniture, religious corner Garden Huge Each kid had a little garden Rows of peas In house until 1945 Moved house to Halliday 1/2 vd house Mom and Dad 1/2 and 2nd 1/2 Kuhn's Rec. Parlor Food Helped with that place Described experience Played pool Guests Every 10 days or so Language Grandma at home, English ok German paper at home, Mom read to Dad Dad spoke Russian very well Outhouse Cross ash pile to get there Catalog, Sears Roebuck Chamber in winter 2 holes "Sheep dig" to keep flies away from outhouse
Bathing Youngest to oldest Sister always said boys gassed in it Laundry Teeth Brushed every night with soda and salt Garden continued Pulls weeds to feed pigs Canning Tubs of peas to shell in quarts Meal Quart of peas with cream sauce over fresh bread Mom prepped meals Sisters helped Made in coal cookstove Cow patties as fuel Quick heat Quick cool Leona - 2 cakes/day to field for lunch Keep cold in well Other canned goods Pickled beets, etc Mealtime Assigned seats Talk yes Food
In 30's lots of noodles Poor but didn't know it Donuts Plachenda with soup Usually with meat Steamed noodles Favorite meals Dumpf noodles Dessert Angel food cake Least favorite Cheese buttons Hated 'em Traditional foods Potato noodles Fleischkeickle - Dad made Other doughs Ice cream Gallon syrup bucket turned until done Butter Shake cream in jars 1/2 hour Never rancid Jello dishes Butchering & description Hogs (3 or 4) Neighbors helped
Smoked Hung in grainery Hams in brine Cure bones with meat Sausage Liver sausage Alcohol Dad drank Mom made root beer (ice container) Clothing Overalls; not change every day Store bought In fall, get catalog New clothes in fall Reused clothes Dad's trousers = kid's shorts Sewing 1st crochet experience Shoes When needed Technology Electric, none Paint walls with carbite Catalog wallpaper Car/truck 1941 Chevy
No telephone Radio AA batteries, charged Dad got news B batteries Programs Plays Cards Ante-I-Over Tag Fox n' Goose Stick horse ride to mill in summer Knife and explanation Checkers Drill, beans game School in shed Button button Hide the Thimble Toys Dolls 6 year/ Shirley Temple doll Playmates Self or Leo Favorite place Kitchen
Under basement steps playhouse Leo played house Dog - "Snip" Sledding Dog pull kids up hill Part Collie Rhymes/Saying German rhymes Mom prankster Scary stories/pranks Songs School/choir Chores Descriptions Poultry Herd sheep about 200 Always had them Fall - shell corn Harvest Shock wheat Inside chores Clean, wash clothes Gas motor for laundry Once/week Iron with flat irons Garden
She helped in the big garden Weed Winter clothes wash, dry process Mom in fields Harvest time only, set header stacks Liked getting eggs Didn't mind them Feeding lambs Winter vs. Summer chores Chickens better in winter - 150 chickens Grade school Wanted to be a sister To school Transportation 2 miles Bigger school Teachers - 2/3 Tablet and paper Attendance Favorite memory Not lunch Social aspect Favorite subject Student - average Homework Trouble - no
English High school Richardton, St. Mary's No religious mixing Social activities in high schools C Yo - Catholic Youth Organization Youth activities Dances Groups Take lunch go (boys) Waltzes, polkas, 2 step Band, mostly accordion No barn dances City hall yes Movies Dating at 16 years Typical date "Gone with the wind" Courtship differences Older generation - more house parties than barn dances Saturday night = show night Sisters had to read letters Stole letter from mailbox before her parents could see it Environment Spring April picking crocusus
Lambing 30's Parents worried Poor, no crops Grasshoppers Sand dunes as high as telephone poles There were hardships Always enough food Relief program Commodities Last program because of 5 milking cows Beauty Peace, serenity Gypsy coming! Scary, turban, kerchiefs, rattled things Extension salesman Unpleasant Not much No one had better than them Happiness outweighed sadness Religion St. Martin's church Weekly Seating/choir Val Senger, caretaker
Religious Activities Services, etc. Rosary every night Baptized 1929 week after birth Confirmed 12 years 1st Communion 8 years White dresses/veils Group by 12 Religious training Catechism school, 2 weeks Disciplined children Nuns at catechism school, 2 weeks span 3 mile walk Religious questions - no Resctrictions No meat on Friday No non-catholic services Sunday meal Chicken noodle soup Church celebration Description German language in church Communion in German
Funeral practices Other faiths No inter-mixing Dad's saying "Every hog stays at his own trough" - Dad Farm life Farmstead description Coal mine Juneberry bushes Chokecherries Wild plums Closest town was Marshall Mom would shop there Big town = Halliday Mom's shop and dad's at bars Isolation in winter - yes Possession Partly homesteaded Kept it during depression Grain farming Pastime Outbuildings Barn, grainery, brooder house, chicken coop Farm animals Got with bell, scare coyotes Turkeys - in fall would kill them, de-feather
Crated sent to Minneapolis - Fox Bros n Crates Roads Fairly bad Farming equipment Neighbors Schumackers, Lefelbeins, Krenzels, Lapps 1 mile different direction "neighboring" Very common Town vs. Farm Positive: Farm Responsibility Communication Everyone was "aunt" "uncle" Respect Independent Negative: Farm Isolated Limited socialization Ethnics German Lutheran German Catholic Different meals they cooked Dialects - 4 in a 10 mile radius Holidays and celebrations Favorite = Christmas
No Christmas tree Gifts Mom baked Always company Candy/nuts (morning gift) No Santa Claus Belsinickle - bad one with chain Christmas Eve Typical No midnight mass Food Turkey or goose/ducks Easter Holy Week Stations and prayer Good Friday service Easter Sunday Mass Always ham Tradition Easter eggs 4th of July Celebration at church with picnic lunch Firecrackers Races Ball games
Men & boys Birthdays With cake, angel food Ralph and Leona shared cake Names Days Dad's Big dinner for everyone Comb & cigarette paper Music Halloween Boys trick - or - treat Hanging Dummy Tip outhouses Higher Education Older Assumption Abbey in Richardton Accounting 1 year Loved it Favorite Memory 2 women set curve Least liked Leave youngest at home Environment Yearly round Winter: January Spring: calves and sheep
Seeding No fertilizer Milk cows Sold cream Grade A dairy Stopped it later 365 day/year job Hay making No equipment 4th of July Cutting Stacking/no bales Pitched 2 cows Harvest Bindered Tied on 2 stacks Shock it Threshed Women work a lot! Happy to get crop in Turkey harvest Butchering/canned meat Bad eive; slaughtered and canned Chicken butchering everyday Winter Beauty of Spring
Land breathes again Childhood Memories Conclusion Stressful Going to school 1st time, unknown HS at 13 Homesick Sick with strep 1st week 2 years with sisters = most formative years of life Rise at 5 am at school Happiest memory Love everywhere Parents were strict but loving Adventurous Sled riding with steep hills Horseback riding through land Concluding Insights Our children's heritage, it should be recorded