Interview with Great-Grandma

Interview with Great Grandma
March 4, 2007
By JJ, great-granddaughter


Jessica: What were your chores?

Grandma: I had to do the vacuuming. We had a carpet in the living room and the dining room and I had to do the vacuuming and the dusting.

Jessica: At what age did you start doing that?

Grandma: Oh, and I always had to do the dishes with my two brothers. Oh, that was aweful. What age did I start doing it? I know I was doing it when my baby sister was born because I had to stand on a chair up to the sink in order to do the dishes. That was when Marge was born. I was probably about 7 or 8 years older than she was. I was about 7 years old when I stood up on a chair to do the dishes.

Jessica: When were you born?

Grandma: I was born on October 4

Jessica: Where were you born?

Grandma: I was born in Utah

Jessica: Where did you grow up?

Grandma: I grew up in Utah. One mile from Liberty Park.
Jessica; How many brothers and sisters did you have?

Grandma: I had four brothers and sisters. I was the oldest.

Jessica: How many times did you move?

Grandma: How many times did I move? About 5 times that I remember. This was while I was a little kid that we moved that many times.

Jessica: What was your house like?

Grandma: Well, I can remember three houses that we had. We moved from one to the other to the other. The last one I was in and I was there until I got married. We moved there when my baby sister was born, that was Aunt Audrey. And she’s ten years younger than I. And we lived in this same house. I lived in the sleeping porch. We had two bedrooms in the house and then they built on two rooms on the outside of the house. We called them sleeping porches. They had windows on them, but they didn’t have any heat. They sure got cold in the winter time. I’ll tell you what my mother did. Every Christmas she made chocolate candy. Chocolates. And she’d put them in shoeboxes and stack them out in my bedroom. Before Christmas ever came, every one of those shoeboxes had broken ends on them where the kids would get in them and eat the chocolates. But they kept them out on my bedroom because it was cool out there. I didn’t have any heat out there. It was pretty cold.

Jessica: How long have you been married?

Grandma: I was married 62 years before my husband passed away. Grandpa passed away. We had been married 62 years. So I’ve been married…he passed away in 70’ didn’t he?....I mean in 2000. He passed away in 2000. I was married in 1938, I think.

Jessica: How much school did you go to?

Grandma: I graduated from High School. That’s as far as I went. You know why? Because I had two brothers I had to get a job and help put them in the University. Because my dad and mother couldn’t afford all of that. So I got a job instead to help pay for their way in the University. So I didn’t ever go to the University. I went to the University of hard knocks. Good ole life. (laughter)

Jessica: What was your profession?

Grandma: Well, let’s see. You know, I was in a lot of plays for a long time. And I loved to do acting. At my High School, I was always in all the plays and the musicals and I loved that. While I was in High School I had a job at Keith O’Briens, up in the office. I worked in the office there after school. That was a department store in Salt Lake City. And I didn’t make a lot of money. I think the going wage then…President Roosevelt was President…and I think it was $65/month. I think that was the minimum wage that I started at. I worked at Sears first, before I worked with Keith O’Briens. And then I got a job with the associated oil company, in their office, and I was making $85/month. I had a really good job.

Aunt Leslie: Tell her about your debate

Grandma: I’ll have to show you. I’ve got a lot of medals. I’m going to put them out. You guys haven’t seem them… that I’ve won for debating and oratory. I just about got to Washington D.C. I was the runner-up in that contest. It was a oratory contest. It was held in the assembly hall. That was the first time Ralph ever heard me. I saw him come in, Ralph was my boyfriend then…I had just been out with him 2 or 3 times. And he came in there and sat up in the window upstairs, he and his friend. They sat up there in the window right facing where I had to talk, you know. I was “oh no!” Made me a little nervous, yes.

Heckler from the crowd (Harold): Did you ever debate Grandpa?

Grandma: No, no. No, no. Not until after we were married. (laughter)

Jessica: How many children do you have?

Grandma: I had 2 children. And that’s my baby (pointing to Uncle Bry) and Carolyn. You know that. Grandma Carolyn. Your grandma. Was my only daughter. But we did have a foster daughter, Lois. And she stayed with us for quite a number of years. And I just talked to Lois the other day. She lives down in Reno. She is 68 years old. 69 nearly. All of her children live in Reno. She had 4 children. And a crazy husband.
Grandma: Is that it? Do you know enough about me now? Is there anything else you’d like to know?

Jessica: No.

Susan: How about your testimony?

Grandma: My testimony. I guess the most precious thing I have is my testimony of the gospel. Because that made it possible for me to have an eternal marriage for time and all eternity. And I know that my husband is waiting for me. So, that’s why the gospel is really important to me too. And because you love it, too. The fact that all my family are part of the gospel of Jesus Christ makes me happy. That all of you are active in the church, doing the things you’re supposed to do. That makes me really happy.