Thursday, December 13, 2007
Chapter 2 Depression Girls Sound Portrait
Susan: Welcome back to the story about Treva, Mae, and Bea, and how growing up in the depression has effected their lives.
Mae continues with stories about her father’s ice business.
Mae: Card in the window, if they wanted 25 pounds they would put the 25 sign out, 50, 75, 100 – whatever they wanted. Depended how big their ice box was. And uh, most people bought either 25 or 50 pounds. But, the groceries they would buy like the 100 pounds, 300 pounds. And then they would chip it up and for the meat.
Susan: Mae’s family works the ice business alone.
Mae: Oh workers, no just my dad and my mom sometimes my sister if she happened to be there, but mostly my mom or my dad.
Susan: Mae’s dad would cut the ice for the children of the neighborhood on very hot days.
Mae: on ice runs, you know, and I would go with him. And like I said he used to cut up 25 lbs of ice, and the children would come running. And, dad would cut up pieces and give them chunks of ice.
Susan: With winter in the air and Christmas around the corner, we will hear Mae, Treva, and Bea talk about Christmases past.
Mae: I have a lot of good memories, uh, I wanted a sled and my mom and dad couldn’t afford to buy one, so my dad made me one out of wood that he had. And, he put used two by fours for the runners and it made it so heavy I couldn’t use it. So, he would tie it on the back of the car and pull me, because there was no traffic then, and he would pull me out in the country on my sled.
And, one time I wanted a bicycle, and we couldn’t afford that either. So, they traveled to different used bicycle stores and uh shops, and finally they found a $.26 small tired bike. And that time they were the balloon tires, but I didn’t care as long as I could ride the bicycle and I did and I loved that bicycle. So, I think they only gave like $2 or $3 for it.
So it was something that I really enjoyed.
So, My sister worked at the underwear factory were Dolly Toy is now, and uh, of course when they made the underwear there was a lot of scraps pieces. And, Mr. Leeheart was the cutter he cut big stacks of material. And, I used to go over and watch him do it. And, my sister would gather up pieces. And, one year for Christmas they went together and I got a wicker baby cab for Christmas, and the next year I got a doll baby doll. And, she had made a whole little trunk full of clothes for my doll out of those scrapes from the underwear factory, and uh, my sisters where always doing for me as, well as my parents, and actually I had three mothers and two dads.
Susan: Bea tells her story
Bea: Oh yea, roller skates I wanted and I didn’t have any. And, uh a friend of ours went down and got the man go down and open the store. So, I went and my roller skates.
Susan: Treva’s favorite Christmas
Treva: I remember one Christmas, my grandma and grandpa lived up the road from us about a block and I went over. And, she had borders and I could help her once in a while. And, she had a border with red hair his name was Ray Wispy. And, he bought me a doll baby with red hair and I had that for a long time and I don’t know what happened to it. I liked that doll baby. That was the best Christmas I had.
Susan: In 1932, Treva has a son Don who is 2 years old and she talks about a good Christmas for him.
Treva: Oh well when Don was about 2 years old, I think he was. The family got together, Jackie and the rest of them bought him a car to ride in, and that was something that was a good Christmas for him.
Susan: The stories will continue of Treva, Mae and Bea living during the depression.
Mae continues with stories about her father’s ice business.
Mae: Card in the window, if they wanted 25 pounds they would put the 25 sign out, 50, 75, 100 – whatever they wanted. Depended how big their ice box was. And uh, most people bought either 25 or 50 pounds. But, the groceries they would buy like the 100 pounds, 300 pounds. And then they would chip it up and for the meat.
Susan: Mae’s family works the ice business alone.
Mae: Oh workers, no just my dad and my mom sometimes my sister if she happened to be there, but mostly my mom or my dad.
Susan: Mae’s dad would cut the ice for the children of the neighborhood on very hot days.
Mae: on ice runs, you know, and I would go with him. And like I said he used to cut up 25 lbs of ice, and the children would come running. And, dad would cut up pieces and give them chunks of ice.
Susan: With winter in the air and Christmas around the corner, we will hear Mae, Treva, and Bea talk about Christmases past.
Mae: I have a lot of good memories, uh, I wanted a sled and my mom and dad couldn’t afford to buy one, so my dad made me one out of wood that he had. And, he put used two by fours for the runners and it made it so heavy I couldn’t use it. So, he would tie it on the back of the car and pull me, because there was no traffic then, and he would pull me out in the country on my sled.
And, one time I wanted a bicycle, and we couldn’t afford that either. So, they traveled to different used bicycle stores and uh shops, and finally they found a $.26 small tired bike. And that time they were the balloon tires, but I didn’t care as long as I could ride the bicycle and I did and I loved that bicycle. So, I think they only gave like $2 or $3 for it.
So it was something that I really enjoyed.
So, My sister worked at the underwear factory were Dolly Toy is now, and uh, of course when they made the underwear there was a lot of scraps pieces. And, Mr. Leeheart was the cutter he cut big stacks of material. And, I used to go over and watch him do it. And, my sister would gather up pieces. And, one year for Christmas they went together and I got a wicker baby cab for Christmas, and the next year I got a doll baby doll. And, she had made a whole little trunk full of clothes for my doll out of those scrapes from the underwear factory, and uh, my sisters where always doing for me as, well as my parents, and actually I had three mothers and two dads.
Susan: Bea tells her story
Bea: Oh yea, roller skates I wanted and I didn’t have any. And, uh a friend of ours went down and got the man go down and open the store. So, I went and my roller skates.
Susan: Treva’s favorite Christmas
Treva: I remember one Christmas, my grandma and grandpa lived up the road from us about a block and I went over. And, she had borders and I could help her once in a while. And, she had a border with red hair his name was Ray Wispy. And, he bought me a doll baby with red hair and I had that for a long time and I don’t know what happened to it. I liked that doll baby. That was the best Christmas I had.
Susan: In 1932, Treva has a son Don who is 2 years old and she talks about a good Christmas for him.
Treva: Oh well when Don was about 2 years old, I think he was. The family got together, Jackie and the rest of them bought him a car to ride in, and that was something that was a good Christmas for him.
Susan: The stories will continue of Treva, Mae and Bea living during the depression.
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