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Interview of Nelda Lucille McCutcheon March 16 and 17, 1994 Tape 1--Side 1 Stephanie Anderson Tape Summary 005 Nelda's mother's father lived in Wilton, Iowa. He had a gorgeous house that was clean and smelled of bananas. They only received fruit in their town, Wilcox, Saskatchewan, during Christmas. She remembers her father's mother was a little woman. 016 Nelda's father's parents were farmers. Her mother's father worked in an office. He didn't have much money, her family didn't have much money,N~never did in her life. Her father's parents were named Elmira and Wilson (also her father's name) Fryberger, a German name, and their parents lived in Germany. Her mother's maiden name was Herr, also a German name. 038 She doesn't know how her mother's parents met, but, they were family oriented. Her mother and father each had 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Her father's parents lived in Muscatine, Iowa. Her father was the only one of his family to become a farmer. 046 She doesn't know why he became a farmer or had the urge to go west. He was a telegrapher for the Rock Island Railroad. 053 He didn't like farming, when he was a boy he had to miss school. He made it as far as the fifth grade. He was an intelligent, self-educated man who helped her and her sisters with their high-school homework. 059 He read everything he could get his hands on, he especially liked history. He was even able to help Nelda with her high-school math, her toughest subject. 065 It was tough for her father growing up. Her parents were married a couple of years before they had Nelda and her twin sister, Nita. 071 She doesn't know how her parents met. Her mother was a school teacher; she taught English. She was a gentile woman, Nelda never saw her angry. She taught in a one room school house, for grades 1 - 8. She didn't have time to read, she had too many children. She was a hard worker all her life. 087 Her mother washed clothes with a tub and washboard, wringing the sheets by hand. She made her own soap, churned butter, sewed all of their clothes. Two children were born on the farm, and one in town. Nelda was two years old when they moved to the farm. 099 Her father had every sister named Robert, but he never had a son. 102 They farmed with horses and a plow. She explains the harvest procedure. Her father did it alone. 118 They had a large garden, there was no other food. Her father participated in a beef ring. Her mother made head cheese; they used every bit of the animal. 130 Her mother cooked meat, potatoes and gravy, her father's preference. They had lots of vegetables from the garden, and used no fertilizer. Her mother worked the garden by herself. 145 A grass fire nearly surrounded their house. They managed to put it out. 160 There were no neighbors closer to them than five miles. 164 Nelda started school when she was five years old. It was a two mile walk. In the 2 winter, when the temperature could get to 35 below zero, her father would take them in a horse and buggy. Sometimes they had to shovel the snow to get out the door. 174 School was hard. They got diplomas in the eighth grade. Her father bought a house in the village, Wilcox, when she was seven years old. From the village he would go to the farm. They eventually used automated machinery. 199 Her father made his living going from farm to farm, harvesting. Most of the help was college boys from the U.S. Nelda and her sister had their eyes on the boys. 212 Nelda, being the eldest, had no spare time to play. She washed dishes, helped her mother, and took care of the babies. In the mornings, 5 or 6 a.m., her father would sing to them, in his beautiful singing voice, while milking the cows. He would also recite poetry. She doesn't know why he picked farming, because he was a very intelligent man. 234 She thinks he really didn't enjoy farming. She would see him get very angry at the horses, who could be very stubborn. She has a hunch he wishes he hadn't gone up there. It was hard living. They had no running water or electricity. They bathed in a wash tub, had an outside bathroom, and used the Montgomery Ward catalogue. 254 Her mother never complained, but Nelda believes she would have rather been in Iowa. 262 Her parents had a beautiful relationship. Her father was the disciplinarian. One time she didn't like her father, when he struck her. They had to tow the mark. He wasn't angry, it was just the way he was brought up. 275 Nelda was liberal with her kids, she made them mind, sent them to their rooms. 285 They had a better life in town, though they still had no electricity or running water. When they did get electricity, the power plant would shut down at midnight. 293 There was one store in town. It had canned goods, but no bread. Eventually, they got a meat market, but it lasted only a year and a half. During a blizzard, with strong winds, the meat market burned down, as did a grain elevator. They only had horse drawn wagons to help put the fire out. Her father stayed up all night watching their coal furnace so their house would not burn down. 316 The only fun her father had was when, each year, he went up north to go duck hunting. Nelda and her sisters didn't like that because they had to pluck all the feathers, which they used for pillows. 330 The village had a population of about 260. Everybody knew each other. Oranges and bananas were sent ~Christmas time, it was as thrilling as getting a new dress. 353 Nelda met Mac, her husband, at the skating rink. He was a hockey player, and 19 years old. She was 15. Her father came home every evening. Her mother milked the cow. They carried their water from a cistern. 381 When they got electricity they thought they were one of the wealthy. Before, they used kerosene lamps, and had to wash them every day. Tape 1--Side 2 400 Description of their house. There were two girls to a bed. On Saturday nights they each took a bath, one after the other. 412 With their friends they would walk the Sioux line, for entertainment. They would 3 also take the train, stopping at the little towns. They had an ice cream parlor; eventually a theater; made friends with the piano player; and ice skated at the rink or frozen creeks. 431 They played with both girls and boys, as one big family. Many of the residents were English and about a third were from the u.s. The only trouble between the townsfolk occurred in 1912, when some formed an "orange lodge" to keep the Catholics out. 448 Her family was Methodist, but were not particularly religous. Her father sang in the choir. One Sunday morning he was whistling while walking to the post office. The minister told him he was not to whistle on Sundays, so her father never went to church again. They had no cards or liquor in the house. 470 Their high school lasted three years. They took provincial exams. They carried their subjects all the way through. 500 Mac was taking pharmacy which entailed a three year apprenticeship and two years of college. The man who owned the drug store that Mac was working in was a bootlegger, and was gone much of the time. So Mac made the pills, doing everything by hand. 522 The sheriff would fine the bootlegger from time to time, but he had prestige and money, so he was pretty much left alone. That's why Prohibition never worked, because the bootleggers came in. There was no doctor in town, so if someone was very sick, they'd call the vet. 552 A doctor was called in to town to help her mother have her babies. 558 When Nelda was twelve years old her father bought a Model-T. On one of their rides they drove into a ditch. Before the Model-T her mother would hitch up the horse and buggy to ride the two miles in to town. 577 Girls and boys were all seen as the same, as though family. She does not recall any high school dating. 585 Her first date was with Mac. They became closer and closer and she knew she was in love with him while in nursing school. They married when she graduated from nursing school in 1928. 611 Mac had a tough life growing up. His mother died when he was two years old. He was shifted from aunt to aunt, and left home at fourteen. He joined the Navy as boy seaman during WWI. He lived in Yellow Grass and was sleeping in doorways in town until someone gave him a room and a job. He moved to Wilcox when he decided to take pharmacy. 634 Mac went to the University of Saskatoon. He loved chemistry and never had to study, it came so natural to him. Following his five years of study he moved to Topeka, and passed the state board. He worked in a drug store in Wichita. He had to make a sundae once, the customer complained that it tasted bad, he said this was not for him, and quit the drug store. He then went to work at Lloyd Spearman, in the chemistry department. Then at Boeing he worked with chemicals for the fabric wings. 671 After three straight years of drought Nelda's family lost everything and moved to,first, Iowa, then Topeka and Peabody, Kansas. 690 They packed everything on the top and sides of their Willys Knight. It had hook-onwindows with isinglass. There were eight people in the car. There were no paved roads in North and South Dakota. Her mother and father had to take their citizenship over again, and he had to pay a head tax on three of them. 4 728 The children fought in the back seat. Her mother sat like a little doll, she was the most perfect woman that Nelda has ever known. 735 Her father started a chicken farm, but it did not do well. The early 1920's was when the hard times started. There was no business anywhere so they moved to Wichita, where he worked part time at a chicken hatchery. Boeing called Mac back so he, Nelda, and Anne moved in with her parents and paid their rent and supplied their food. They moved out, at her mother's suggestion, because her father was getting more and more morose. They gave money for groceries. Mac and her took care of them all through the depression. 770 Her mother got a job taking care of a working couple's child. She was paid ten dollars a month, and that was enough to put food on the table. That is when women really started to work, because men couldn't get any work. Tape 2-- Side 1 000 Vanji had scarlet fever and was quarantined. Nelda was always told: Nelda,do this, do that. Once she said she wasn't going to do something and her father struck her. For a while she didn't like her father. 012 Mac played in a band, going from town to town on Saturday nights. Nelda and Nita wanted to go too,and dance. Her parents thought dancing was evil, so said no. Once her mother went with them to check it out. They didn't have much trouble after that, except when it was out of town, then they • d sneak out. 040 Nelda and Mac planned to have children after they had been married for five years. They used withdrawal as a form of birth control. When Anne was four years old, they discussed whether they wanted another child. Mac may have been happy having no children. Living with Nelda was his home. 063 They had Bill, Mac would have liked another girl. Him and Bill never meshed. Mac didn't let the children talk back/abuse Nelda. 074 Nelda was in nursing school for three years in Wichita, Kansas. They took care of patients and went to classes. Nelda and rJita were put on different floors because they were helping each other out. They had never been separated before. 100 Nursing was just in them. They also had an aunt who was a nurse, and whom they idolized. 108 The doctors ordered the nurses around1 and Nelda was sexually harassed. 125 The doctors were thought of as God. Nelda still doesn't know how to communicate with them except under orders. 131 All during their three years at school Nelda, her sister, and their roommate never had a falling out. 138 Nursing school was hard work. 146 Nita and Nelda were almost expelled twice. 165 On $10 a month they bought everything they needed. Her mother made their uniforms. School was very strict. 201 She graduated and worked for a month at the hospital. For twenty hours of work she 5 made f5 a day. 232 She then worked for five years at a doctors office. Nelda was second highest in her class, out of 35 or 40. 262 Mac and Nelda got married. The doctor she worked for had said he would not hire a married woman, but he kept Nelda because she would stay after 5 p.m. 308 Nelda and Mac never made much money but, they were able to buy houses,and send money to Anne and Bob. They used cash for everything they bought. 352 Anne was not eating, Stephanie was a colicky baby and cried a lot. 395 Nelda quit her nursing when she had Anne and they moved to Seattle. Tape 2--Side 2 400 Boeing was laying off people in Kansas. Mac got a job at Boeing in Seattle as materials engineer. He checked the materials at the little companies. 408 They borrowed from their insurance policy and rented an apartment for $100 dollars a month. Nelda was pregnant and sick for the first two months. There was a run on the bank. Mac had gone to the bank and they told him he'd better take out all his money then. Mac and Nelda handed out $20 here and there to their friends who could not cash their checks. That was the beginning of the depression, and when they decided to have Anne. Mac was never out of work. He waited two months and got his job at Boeing. Their friends, four couples, also came out to Seattle. 435 Seattle was little then. The highest building was the Smith Tower, that Ivar bought and flew a fish over it. It was marvelous to come downtown, there were no crowds. On Saturdays Nelda and her friend would leave their babies with their husbands and go to the matinee, calling them at the intermission. Mac was worried when Anne fell, but Nelda said that if she was crying she was okay. 460 Mac took beautiful care of Anne. She was spoiled and had every kind of lesson. 467 They moved back to Kansas when Anne was eight months old, and back to Seattle when she was two, back into the same exact apartment. 477 Mac was never out of work during the depression. They got jobs for Nita's husband often. They also lent them money, and to her surprise he paid it all back one day. 494 They had a glass milk bottle that they'd take down to the drug store to fill with coca-cola. That was their entertainment. 500 Nelda and her friend would walk down to West Seattle with their big baby buggies. 528 Every weekend they would go dancing, to the music of the big bands. The sheriff had to notice all the paper sacks with liquor in them. That's why Prohibition never worked, everybody ignored it. 545 They had potluck picnics, Mac would play golf. They had parties every weekend, before Anne. They had a lot of friends and fun. 560 When Anne was in college, Mac developed prostrate problems, was restless at night, and they started to sleep in separate bedrooms. 584 Mac was Nelda's best friend. During the war Mac was gone a lot. People at work would 6 suggest that he go out for drinks. That's when Mac started to drink, and he gdhooked. 606 Nelda was distressed about his drinking and would scold him about it. She now realizes that doesn't work. He would go for days without, then his friends would suggest it. 620 He never touched her except once. He was a gentle considerate man. Anne was eleven years old and Bill was nine, at the time. When they came out to Seattle he didn't drink. 647 They went back to Wichita, and he didn't drink for eight years. Then Boeing hired a younger man in Mac's place,someone Mac had trained, and their friend. Nelda never saw a man so broken, she was afraid he would commit suicide. He started drinking again. Then he got a job with Boeing in Seattle. 690 When Anne was twenty years old, her, Nelda, and Bill were very concerned that Mac would combine drugs and alcohol. He was always sweet the next morning. 700 Mac worked for Boeing until 1962, when he retired. They moved to Dungeness Bay. This was not a happy time for Neld~ 732 Nelda has always been a walker. She loved Mac and wanted to see him change. 758 The wind in Dungeness Bay got them down so they moved to Bellevue. Mac never drank much after that. 770 Nelda has knitted and sewed for a number of years. Tape 3--Side 1 000 There was one black man in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He worked on the telephone lines. Mac would play the saxophone, the black man played Mac's clarinet. Nelda couldn't under_JStand why everyone hated the blacks here in the u.s. She never saw any Indians, but the towns had Indian names. 020 The government gave the land to her family. 030 When Nelda first started her period, it just happened. She used rags. 043 Menopause caused her no trouble. She took estrogen and it kept down the hot flashe,. She was very happy to go into menopause. 053 When she had her babies, she was in the hospital for twelve days, and it cost her about a $100 dollars each, with her RN discount. Her mother told her she was pretty when she was pregnant. 069 Her second baby was not as glamorous as the first, and she had induced labor. When her mother had her last baby, she later realized that what they put at the foot of the bed was the placenta. 090 Men weren't allowed in the delivery room in her generation, so she had them by herself. 101 It's hard for Nelda to be growing older, she's not as strong physically, but she keeps her mind alert. 115 She is proud to be a democrat, republicans are so narrow-minded. Her father was political and paid attention to what was going on. 137 She doesn't talk politics, to avoid arguments, including her sisters, three of whom are Republican. 7 160 Her happiest time was when she married her husband, and had Anne. 168 Her unhappiest moments were when Mac was having his problems. Their last ten to fifteen years together were happy and content. 199 If she could do anything different, she would have more knowledge in bringing up her children, and given them more attention. 217 Nelda had all the freedom she wanted when she was young, and also while married. 233 Her mother had too much responsibility. Nelda's husband helped and never got angry. 241 She believes it's been a man's world for too long, and men should give women the privilege to do what they want to do. Nelda felt like she could do what she wanted. 257 She is surprised there are so many woman doctors. Men are better scholars than women. She feels more secure with men doctors. She grew up with the idea that men protect women. 343 WWI was a very bad time. There were some English girls who taunted her and her sister Because they had a German name. They threw the English girls in a ditch and they were never taunted again. 369 Canada was one of the first countries to go into the war to help England. 387 A flu-epidemic broke out and the morgues couldn't handle so many of them, so they were put into people's garages. Tape 3--Side 2 400 One member out of five families died. Her family was lucky, they have good genes, all her sisters are still living. 418 Mac was working for Boeing in Wichita during WWII. There was a lot of rationing. The woman who owned the store would put items into paper sacks for her faithful customers. Nelda never suffered from the loss of anything. She was a careful shopper and never wasted anything. 431 Nelda would have felt bad had the U.S. not gone to war. 442 Nelda never thought about the Japanese being sent to the intern camps, at the time, not knowing who may have been a spy for Japan. 449 Nelda's Gulf War thoughts. 468 Her thoughts on going into Panama to take Noriega out. 473 Nelda came out to Seattle in 1932, it's a changed city. 494 She used to be able to take a walk every night, whereas now she wouldn't think of it. 515 Her world is pretty little now. She would rather live in town, than in the country. 533 She believes the world will get worse. 556 Her mother wore a corset. She made all their pants and petticoats. Today women have more freedom in their clothing. 8 570 She believes rock and roll started the decline of this country. Music of the 20's and 30's was calming. Now, on T.V. they call it slow dancing. Music, now, is out of control, with the craziest performers, jumping up and down. 640 The Civil Rights movement was very proper. Nat King Cole used to have to enter through the back door. 656 She is afraid of black people today, they have so much anger. They need to make up their minds to make their lives work. 715 The problem with this generation is money obsessions. 734 Further thoughts on blacks, especially concerning positive role models.
Object Description
Rating | |
Title | McCutcheon, Nelda Lucille Oral History Interview, 1994 |
Interviewer | Anderson, Stephanie |
Date | 1994-03-16 |
Description | 187 minute oral history with Nelda McCutcheon, conducted for a Women in the West (HST 398) course at Washington State University. She talks about the classes she took in school and her relationship with her family. She talks about being teased by English students during WWI about having a German last name as well as the flu epidemic. Between WWI and WWII, Nelda's family left Iowa because of a drought that bankrupted most of the farmers; her father looked for work and Nelda and her sister went to nursing school. She and her husband Mac moved to Seattle in 1932, and Nelda describes the city, its nightlife, and avoiding Prohibition laws. Nelda talks about the rationing during WWII, and her husband's experiences with Boeing. Her husband died at the age of 83 and Nelda is sad about how the world around her has changed; she no longer feels safe in her community. At the end of the interview, she gives her thoughts on modern US foreign policy in Iraq, Panama, and Palestine. |
Subject | Farm life; Education; Alcoholism; Working mothers; Internal migration |
Coverage | North and Central America--United States--Iowa--Jasper County--Metz; North and Central America--United States--Washington (State)--King County--Seattle |
Type | Sound |
Genre | Interviews |
Publisher | Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries: https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc |
Rights | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
Rights Notes | In copyright. Item is in copyright until 95 years after 2011 publication date. |
Identifier | ua220b12f81 |
Source | Is found in Archives 220, Women in the West Oral Histories https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/finders/ua220.htm at Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc |
Holding Institution | Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries |
Contributors | Digitization and description funded through a National Endowment for the Humanities We the People grant for Washington Womens History to the Washington Womens History Consortium, a part of the Washington State Historical Society. |
Language | English |
Digitization | Original audio cassettes were converted to wav files using Audacity and a USBPre interface. Mp3 files were then created from the wav files for online access. Film clips were created as mpeg-4 files using Adobe Premiere Elements 9 to add selected images to the wav audio files, and then converted to flv files for online display. Print documents were scanned to 300dpi pdf format using a Xerox Workcentre 5030 copier/scanner. |
Description
Title | ua220b12f81_Abstract |
Full Text | Interview of Nelda Lucille McCutcheon March 16 and 17, 1994 Tape 1--Side 1 Stephanie Anderson Tape Summary 005 Nelda's mother's father lived in Wilton, Iowa. He had a gorgeous house that was clean and smelled of bananas. They only received fruit in their town, Wilcox, Saskatchewan, during Christmas. She remembers her father's mother was a little woman. 016 Nelda's father's parents were farmers. Her mother's father worked in an office. He didn't have much money, her family didn't have much money,N~never did in her life. Her father's parents were named Elmira and Wilson (also her father's name) Fryberger, a German name, and their parents lived in Germany. Her mother's maiden name was Herr, also a German name. 038 She doesn't know how her mother's parents met, but, they were family oriented. Her mother and father each had 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Her father's parents lived in Muscatine, Iowa. Her father was the only one of his family to become a farmer. 046 She doesn't know why he became a farmer or had the urge to go west. He was a telegrapher for the Rock Island Railroad. 053 He didn't like farming, when he was a boy he had to miss school. He made it as far as the fifth grade. He was an intelligent, self-educated man who helped her and her sisters with their high-school homework. 059 He read everything he could get his hands on, he especially liked history. He was even able to help Nelda with her high-school math, her toughest subject. 065 It was tough for her father growing up. Her parents were married a couple of years before they had Nelda and her twin sister, Nita. 071 She doesn't know how her parents met. Her mother was a school teacher; she taught English. She was a gentile woman, Nelda never saw her angry. She taught in a one room school house, for grades 1 - 8. She didn't have time to read, she had too many children. She was a hard worker all her life. 087 Her mother washed clothes with a tub and washboard, wringing the sheets by hand. She made her own soap, churned butter, sewed all of their clothes. Two children were born on the farm, and one in town. Nelda was two years old when they moved to the farm. 099 Her father had every sister named Robert, but he never had a son. 102 They farmed with horses and a plow. She explains the harvest procedure. Her father did it alone. 118 They had a large garden, there was no other food. Her father participated in a beef ring. Her mother made head cheese; they used every bit of the animal. 130 Her mother cooked meat, potatoes and gravy, her father's preference. They had lots of vegetables from the garden, and used no fertilizer. Her mother worked the garden by herself. 145 A grass fire nearly surrounded their house. They managed to put it out. 160 There were no neighbors closer to them than five miles. 164 Nelda started school when she was five years old. It was a two mile walk. In the 2 winter, when the temperature could get to 35 below zero, her father would take them in a horse and buggy. Sometimes they had to shovel the snow to get out the door. 174 School was hard. They got diplomas in the eighth grade. Her father bought a house in the village, Wilcox, when she was seven years old. From the village he would go to the farm. They eventually used automated machinery. 199 Her father made his living going from farm to farm, harvesting. Most of the help was college boys from the U.S. Nelda and her sister had their eyes on the boys. 212 Nelda, being the eldest, had no spare time to play. She washed dishes, helped her mother, and took care of the babies. In the mornings, 5 or 6 a.m., her father would sing to them, in his beautiful singing voice, while milking the cows. He would also recite poetry. She doesn't know why he picked farming, because he was a very intelligent man. 234 She thinks he really didn't enjoy farming. She would see him get very angry at the horses, who could be very stubborn. She has a hunch he wishes he hadn't gone up there. It was hard living. They had no running water or electricity. They bathed in a wash tub, had an outside bathroom, and used the Montgomery Ward catalogue. 254 Her mother never complained, but Nelda believes she would have rather been in Iowa. 262 Her parents had a beautiful relationship. Her father was the disciplinarian. One time she didn't like her father, when he struck her. They had to tow the mark. He wasn't angry, it was just the way he was brought up. 275 Nelda was liberal with her kids, she made them mind, sent them to their rooms. 285 They had a better life in town, though they still had no electricity or running water. When they did get electricity, the power plant would shut down at midnight. 293 There was one store in town. It had canned goods, but no bread. Eventually, they got a meat market, but it lasted only a year and a half. During a blizzard, with strong winds, the meat market burned down, as did a grain elevator. They only had horse drawn wagons to help put the fire out. Her father stayed up all night watching their coal furnace so their house would not burn down. 316 The only fun her father had was when, each year, he went up north to go duck hunting. Nelda and her sisters didn't like that because they had to pluck all the feathers, which they used for pillows. 330 The village had a population of about 260. Everybody knew each other. Oranges and bananas were sent ~Christmas time, it was as thrilling as getting a new dress. 353 Nelda met Mac, her husband, at the skating rink. He was a hockey player, and 19 years old. She was 15. Her father came home every evening. Her mother milked the cow. They carried their water from a cistern. 381 When they got electricity they thought they were one of the wealthy. Before, they used kerosene lamps, and had to wash them every day. Tape 1--Side 2 400 Description of their house. There were two girls to a bed. On Saturday nights they each took a bath, one after the other. 412 With their friends they would walk the Sioux line, for entertainment. They would 3 also take the train, stopping at the little towns. They had an ice cream parlor; eventually a theater; made friends with the piano player; and ice skated at the rink or frozen creeks. 431 They played with both girls and boys, as one big family. Many of the residents were English and about a third were from the u.s. The only trouble between the townsfolk occurred in 1912, when some formed an "orange lodge" to keep the Catholics out. 448 Her family was Methodist, but were not particularly religous. Her father sang in the choir. One Sunday morning he was whistling while walking to the post office. The minister told him he was not to whistle on Sundays, so her father never went to church again. They had no cards or liquor in the house. 470 Their high school lasted three years. They took provincial exams. They carried their subjects all the way through. 500 Mac was taking pharmacy which entailed a three year apprenticeship and two years of college. The man who owned the drug store that Mac was working in was a bootlegger, and was gone much of the time. So Mac made the pills, doing everything by hand. 522 The sheriff would fine the bootlegger from time to time, but he had prestige and money, so he was pretty much left alone. That's why Prohibition never worked, because the bootleggers came in. There was no doctor in town, so if someone was very sick, they'd call the vet. 552 A doctor was called in to town to help her mother have her babies. 558 When Nelda was twelve years old her father bought a Model-T. On one of their rides they drove into a ditch. Before the Model-T her mother would hitch up the horse and buggy to ride the two miles in to town. 577 Girls and boys were all seen as the same, as though family. She does not recall any high school dating. 585 Her first date was with Mac. They became closer and closer and she knew she was in love with him while in nursing school. They married when she graduated from nursing school in 1928. 611 Mac had a tough life growing up. His mother died when he was two years old. He was shifted from aunt to aunt, and left home at fourteen. He joined the Navy as boy seaman during WWI. He lived in Yellow Grass and was sleeping in doorways in town until someone gave him a room and a job. He moved to Wilcox when he decided to take pharmacy. 634 Mac went to the University of Saskatoon. He loved chemistry and never had to study, it came so natural to him. Following his five years of study he moved to Topeka, and passed the state board. He worked in a drug store in Wichita. He had to make a sundae once, the customer complained that it tasted bad, he said this was not for him, and quit the drug store. He then went to work at Lloyd Spearman, in the chemistry department. Then at Boeing he worked with chemicals for the fabric wings. 671 After three straight years of drought Nelda's family lost everything and moved to,first, Iowa, then Topeka and Peabody, Kansas. 690 They packed everything on the top and sides of their Willys Knight. It had hook-onwindows with isinglass. There were eight people in the car. There were no paved roads in North and South Dakota. Her mother and father had to take their citizenship over again, and he had to pay a head tax on three of them. 4 728 The children fought in the back seat. Her mother sat like a little doll, she was the most perfect woman that Nelda has ever known. 735 Her father started a chicken farm, but it did not do well. The early 1920's was when the hard times started. There was no business anywhere so they moved to Wichita, where he worked part time at a chicken hatchery. Boeing called Mac back so he, Nelda, and Anne moved in with her parents and paid their rent and supplied their food. They moved out, at her mother's suggestion, because her father was getting more and more morose. They gave money for groceries. Mac and her took care of them all through the depression. 770 Her mother got a job taking care of a working couple's child. She was paid ten dollars a month, and that was enough to put food on the table. That is when women really started to work, because men couldn't get any work. Tape 2-- Side 1 000 Vanji had scarlet fever and was quarantined. Nelda was always told: Nelda,do this, do that. Once she said she wasn't going to do something and her father struck her. For a while she didn't like her father. 012 Mac played in a band, going from town to town on Saturday nights. Nelda and Nita wanted to go too,and dance. Her parents thought dancing was evil, so said no. Once her mother went with them to check it out. They didn't have much trouble after that, except when it was out of town, then they • d sneak out. 040 Nelda and Mac planned to have children after they had been married for five years. They used withdrawal as a form of birth control. When Anne was four years old, they discussed whether they wanted another child. Mac may have been happy having no children. Living with Nelda was his home. 063 They had Bill, Mac would have liked another girl. Him and Bill never meshed. Mac didn't let the children talk back/abuse Nelda. 074 Nelda was in nursing school for three years in Wichita, Kansas. They took care of patients and went to classes. Nelda and rJita were put on different floors because they were helping each other out. They had never been separated before. 100 Nursing was just in them. They also had an aunt who was a nurse, and whom they idolized. 108 The doctors ordered the nurses around1 and Nelda was sexually harassed. 125 The doctors were thought of as God. Nelda still doesn't know how to communicate with them except under orders. 131 All during their three years at school Nelda, her sister, and their roommate never had a falling out. 138 Nursing school was hard work. 146 Nita and Nelda were almost expelled twice. 165 On $10 a month they bought everything they needed. Her mother made their uniforms. School was very strict. 201 She graduated and worked for a month at the hospital. For twenty hours of work she 5 made f5 a day. 232 She then worked for five years at a doctors office. Nelda was second highest in her class, out of 35 or 40. 262 Mac and Nelda got married. The doctor she worked for had said he would not hire a married woman, but he kept Nelda because she would stay after 5 p.m. 308 Nelda and Mac never made much money but, they were able to buy houses,and send money to Anne and Bob. They used cash for everything they bought. 352 Anne was not eating, Stephanie was a colicky baby and cried a lot. 395 Nelda quit her nursing when she had Anne and they moved to Seattle. Tape 2--Side 2 400 Boeing was laying off people in Kansas. Mac got a job at Boeing in Seattle as materials engineer. He checked the materials at the little companies. 408 They borrowed from their insurance policy and rented an apartment for $100 dollars a month. Nelda was pregnant and sick for the first two months. There was a run on the bank. Mac had gone to the bank and they told him he'd better take out all his money then. Mac and Nelda handed out $20 here and there to their friends who could not cash their checks. That was the beginning of the depression, and when they decided to have Anne. Mac was never out of work. He waited two months and got his job at Boeing. Their friends, four couples, also came out to Seattle. 435 Seattle was little then. The highest building was the Smith Tower, that Ivar bought and flew a fish over it. It was marvelous to come downtown, there were no crowds. On Saturdays Nelda and her friend would leave their babies with their husbands and go to the matinee, calling them at the intermission. Mac was worried when Anne fell, but Nelda said that if she was crying she was okay. 460 Mac took beautiful care of Anne. She was spoiled and had every kind of lesson. 467 They moved back to Kansas when Anne was eight months old, and back to Seattle when she was two, back into the same exact apartment. 477 Mac was never out of work during the depression. They got jobs for Nita's husband often. They also lent them money, and to her surprise he paid it all back one day. 494 They had a glass milk bottle that they'd take down to the drug store to fill with coca-cola. That was their entertainment. 500 Nelda and her friend would walk down to West Seattle with their big baby buggies. 528 Every weekend they would go dancing, to the music of the big bands. The sheriff had to notice all the paper sacks with liquor in them. That's why Prohibition never worked, everybody ignored it. 545 They had potluck picnics, Mac would play golf. They had parties every weekend, before Anne. They had a lot of friends and fun. 560 When Anne was in college, Mac developed prostrate problems, was restless at night, and they started to sleep in separate bedrooms. 584 Mac was Nelda's best friend. During the war Mac was gone a lot. People at work would 6 suggest that he go out for drinks. That's when Mac started to drink, and he gdhooked. 606 Nelda was distressed about his drinking and would scold him about it. She now realizes that doesn't work. He would go for days without, then his friends would suggest it. 620 He never touched her except once. He was a gentle considerate man. Anne was eleven years old and Bill was nine, at the time. When they came out to Seattle he didn't drink. 647 They went back to Wichita, and he didn't drink for eight years. Then Boeing hired a younger man in Mac's place,someone Mac had trained, and their friend. Nelda never saw a man so broken, she was afraid he would commit suicide. He started drinking again. Then he got a job with Boeing in Seattle. 690 When Anne was twenty years old, her, Nelda, and Bill were very concerned that Mac would combine drugs and alcohol. He was always sweet the next morning. 700 Mac worked for Boeing until 1962, when he retired. They moved to Dungeness Bay. This was not a happy time for Neld~ 732 Nelda has always been a walker. She loved Mac and wanted to see him change. 758 The wind in Dungeness Bay got them down so they moved to Bellevue. Mac never drank much after that. 770 Nelda has knitted and sewed for a number of years. Tape 3--Side 1 000 There was one black man in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He worked on the telephone lines. Mac would play the saxophone, the black man played Mac's clarinet. Nelda couldn't under_JStand why everyone hated the blacks here in the u.s. She never saw any Indians, but the towns had Indian names. 020 The government gave the land to her family. 030 When Nelda first started her period, it just happened. She used rags. 043 Menopause caused her no trouble. She took estrogen and it kept down the hot flashe,. She was very happy to go into menopause. 053 When she had her babies, she was in the hospital for twelve days, and it cost her about a $100 dollars each, with her RN discount. Her mother told her she was pretty when she was pregnant. 069 Her second baby was not as glamorous as the first, and she had induced labor. When her mother had her last baby, she later realized that what they put at the foot of the bed was the placenta. 090 Men weren't allowed in the delivery room in her generation, so she had them by herself. 101 It's hard for Nelda to be growing older, she's not as strong physically, but she keeps her mind alert. 115 She is proud to be a democrat, republicans are so narrow-minded. Her father was political and paid attention to what was going on. 137 She doesn't talk politics, to avoid arguments, including her sisters, three of whom are Republican. 7 160 Her happiest time was when she married her husband, and had Anne. 168 Her unhappiest moments were when Mac was having his problems. Their last ten to fifteen years together were happy and content. 199 If she could do anything different, she would have more knowledge in bringing up her children, and given them more attention. 217 Nelda had all the freedom she wanted when she was young, and also while married. 233 Her mother had too much responsibility. Nelda's husband helped and never got angry. 241 She believes it's been a man's world for too long, and men should give women the privilege to do what they want to do. Nelda felt like she could do what she wanted. 257 She is surprised there are so many woman doctors. Men are better scholars than women. She feels more secure with men doctors. She grew up with the idea that men protect women. 343 WWI was a very bad time. There were some English girls who taunted her and her sister Because they had a German name. They threw the English girls in a ditch and they were never taunted again. 369 Canada was one of the first countries to go into the war to help England. 387 A flu-epidemic broke out and the morgues couldn't handle so many of them, so they were put into people's garages. Tape 3--Side 2 400 One member out of five families died. Her family was lucky, they have good genes, all her sisters are still living. 418 Mac was working for Boeing in Wichita during WWII. There was a lot of rationing. The woman who owned the store would put items into paper sacks for her faithful customers. Nelda never suffered from the loss of anything. She was a careful shopper and never wasted anything. 431 Nelda would have felt bad had the U.S. not gone to war. 442 Nelda never thought about the Japanese being sent to the intern camps, at the time, not knowing who may have been a spy for Japan. 449 Nelda's Gulf War thoughts. 468 Her thoughts on going into Panama to take Noriega out. 473 Nelda came out to Seattle in 1932, it's a changed city. 494 She used to be able to take a walk every night, whereas now she wouldn't think of it. 515 Her world is pretty little now. She would rather live in town, than in the country. 533 She believes the world will get worse. 556 Her mother wore a corset. She made all their pants and petticoats. Today women have more freedom in their clothing. 8 570 She believes rock and roll started the decline of this country. Music of the 20's and 30's was calming. Now, on T.V. they call it slow dancing. Music, now, is out of control, with the craziest performers, jumping up and down. 640 The Civil Rights movement was very proper. Nat King Cole used to have to enter through the back door. 656 She is afraid of black people today, they have so much anger. They need to make up their minds to make their lives work. 715 The problem with this generation is money obsessions. 734 Further thoughts on blacks, especially concerning positive role models. |
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