Diane Williams and Katie Setterberg

Recorded February 25, 2020 Archived February 25, 2020 40:36 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: atl004258

Description

Katie Setterberg (35) interviews her mother Diane Williams (71) about Diane's life, primarily focusing on the time from Diane's childhood up through her having children.

Subject Log / Time Code

Katie (K) asks Diane (D) to give some background on her parents.
K asks D to talk about where and when she was born and about her early life.
D talks about moving to Decatur, Georgia when she was in 2nd grade.
D talks about not going to school from 2nd through 7th grade and attending Grady High School.
D talks about meeting her husband while attending Georgia State University and graduating in three years.
D talks about her first job at the Veterans' Adminstration and then moving to a job at the National Labor Relations Board, where she worked for 40+ years.
D talks about buying her first house at 25 in Ansley Park.
D and K talk about D's first-born child and her other children.
K asks D to talk about her grandchildren.

Participants

  • Diane Williams
  • Katie Setterberg

Recording Locations

Atlanta History Center

Venue / Recording Kit


Transcript

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00:02 My name is Katie setterberg. I'm 35 years old. Today's date is Tuesday, February 25th, 2020 at storycorps Atlanta and I am interviewing my mom Diane.

00:16 And I'm Diane Williams. I am 71 as of a couple of weeks ago. Today is Tuesday, February 25th, 2020. We're at storycorps. Atlanta. Maya partner is my daughter Katie setterberg.

00:35 All right, Well, here we go for coming to do this while I'm excited me to so why don't we start you can just tell us a little bit about your parents. So tell us about where they're from and just a little bit about their history. Okay. Well, my mother was born in Syracuse New York. And what's her full name Yvonne Beatrice Louise by Laura when she was born was actually crying named after my grandfather, but that was the Irish pronunciation and my grandmother who was French like to the French pronunciation and she grew up and she had one sister her father died when she was nine and she and her sister and my grandmother like a mother remarried and they lived with

01:35 A watchmaker and then my and she was educated in Syracuse my father Edward B. They never knew what the V stood for. My grandmother's maiden name was button. So it might have been button if his birth certificate actually said Edward B, and he grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York. And the when he was younger he wanted to be a Forester. So he went to the Syracuse University and that's where he met my mother through being both of them being at Syracuse University to a dance class. They were having their my mother. I was a librarian and he was still in school, but they met at the dance class and then the rest is kind of History. Did he ever talk about what it was like on the Dairy Farmer?

02:35 Oh, yeah, I mean he was very he didn't romanticize anything but it sounded pretty interesting to me a day actually raised all their own food and they had a farm but the dairy part is it was they delivered cream and butter to people in the little community and I actually have that's the thing that's holding the plant on the TV stand and deliver that they delivered cream in in he had a horse that lived to be like 40 years old old Jesse and obviously they had cows and it was a it was a narrow long-ago people would come by that we're Travelers and would stay with them from time to time people. They didn't know well and he always speculated that one of those Travelers probably had so I park cuz he actually has MA.

03:35 Well when he was about 5 and survived it, well, it's good news. Everybody else. Then he moved to Wyoming. Is that right? Well, he and my mother had a romantic relationship is Syracuse, but he got a job in Wyoming. It was called the CCC camps. It was something where he was overseeing people, but they called him swe's they were a lot of people men from Sweden who came and clear cutting the forest out there and my mother missed him and they they communicated via letters. So one day she just to sit decided to go out there and I've got a little suitcase and went and left three jobs a librarian and went out to Wyoming. He wasn't actually expecting her but they got married out there and

04:33 I didn't the red says he has a very brave of her to do that. Yeah, pretty adventurous Ray J. And so then tell tell me if so for let's when you were born and sort of those early years of where you guys lived and y'all know y'all moved out of tile places. Well, I was born in Little Rock because my grandmother lived there but my family lived in Nacogdoches Texas at the time it was as his job was associated with for service. But Stephen F Austin College, and I think my earliest memories were at a house on East College Street in Nacogdoches Nacogdoches. Yeah. I remember a particular Christmas when I got the doll that I had restored this in my playroom and I remembered it Easter when I got a little bunny that didn't they decided it was too small to be away from its mother so they took it back at Easter. Am I

05:33 Play memories they are just kind of those two memories. And also I remember my mother had one of those washing machines where you actually put it through rollers to dry it out as much as possible squeeze out the water and I remember helping her do that. Okay, when I was little there. Wow, so then from Nacogdoches, where did y'all went from Nacogdoches to Parksville, Tennessee where we were on the Ocoee near the Ocoee National Forest Park still and this was one of the things I mentioned to you earlier. I remembered when we were when I was little there was a lake we would go to and I looked it up and there's a Parksville Lake and the reason I remembered it as I was watching The Walking in a nature center. Not far from where I live now and I saw these rocks along the water and I just suddenly Flash in my memory of our Rock cuz we would go there every weekend even brought Teresa the dog and we would swim around that little bathing suit.

06:33 Yeah, that was from their swim in the river. I would just glad he has a lake and we would do that and then on Saturday night, we would go to the drive-in movie in Benton, Tennessee. Okay, cuz there wasn't a lot else to do in Parksville. My brother was in school there, but I haven't started school yet and then we went from there to Forest Mississippi first. We lived on the forest to Bienville national forest for you. And I where we went and saw the house yet, right and then after about a year, my mother thought it might be good to move in town because I was going to start school. So we moved to a neighborhood called Christian subdivision and my memories of the house on the forest. I just remember playing in the forest and climbing trees and that we had a hand in getting that from her and it was an idyllic childhood. I thought and then when we moved in town, then of course I met some kids I didn't have any

07:33 Is the play was really up till then and I started first grade and said then you are in for us just a few years right before the first grade and half a second grade and then my grandmother passed away Vincent Donald f e c i remember visiting her and she always she was not super well the times I remember visiting but she always had a little treat for me. So when I would come she would be sitting in bed sheet full a little treat and she lived in a Inn in Hot Springs Arkansas when we would go visit her. But anyway, my father's saw an opportunity in Atlanta that he wanted to take and he was going to take that anyway, but then Becky passed away and we all went there was a very sad time for my mother, but she was leaving the house. She wasn't that crazy about coming to Atlanta, although and so

08:33 Play she thought it would be better for all of us cuz it was a bigger city. Yeah. Yeah, so the second half of second grade I went to st. Thomas More in the first indicator indicator of the first half of the third grade I went to st. Thomas More but I hated that school. Yeah, and so my mother put me in public school and I love the second part of the third grade and I love the fourth grade, but then my mother decided we needed to move again. So we didn't sell the house. We moved to what's near Broadview Plaza is Colin. Marasco is what it was called there for about a year and I went to 5th grade for about 3 months through Halloween cuz I remember I met a little girl and we could go trick-or-treating together. My mother thought that was important and then I didn't go back to school again and I don't quite know why there was some decision somebody made but the next time I went to schools when I went to the

09:33 And I was younger than everybody. Yeah, I mean, I stayed out of school for over a year doing whatever we did the trade and got him. Used to being a kid in school again mean while my brother was going to college and where was he again? He was at George when then did you guys move to Maddox Drive was that? Well, I believe it was a Summer. I Turned ten and so

10:10 So you were living at Maddux drive when you went to middle school started 7th grade that was it wasn't called Middle School elementary school high school began in the 8th grade in school. And so I didn't start till I was 11, but we were there and I love the park across the street and then it said my hardest part McClatchy Park the big thing about the park across the street is one day. We had a rainstorm and the I guess the drainage plugged up and water got all like 3 feet up in our basement a while. And so all this stuff you think I keep a lot of stuff by father kept a lot of stuff dried it out in the back area there and some stuff had to be thrown away, but it was like a big event is when that happened. Anyway, when we first moved Maddox Drive, one of the things we got was they had just started the princess phone the phone I have in the house now to turquoise.

11:10 Wish when they first came out with a princess no 1959 with a long cord, but we're at a party line and those days everybody had a party behind you save money. I remember my friend Kathy Hines and I would talk for 2 or 3 hours. We tear this click and a man would come out and say I really need to use my phone so I can get on a whole different USA really well in school and you know overachiever academically. Well, I mean what I was kind of interesting that I did well in 7th grade 5th grade or 6th grade, but I mean the expectation was you going to be fine and I guess they are I was but yeah when I started Grady I was you know half of your younger than most people.

12:10 Or at least half a year younger, but it started in 8th grade, and I didn't really like school that much so they had to limit. You can be absent 12 days every quarter of school and I would just take days off and my mother was okay with that. She would write these notes without a date on them saying Deanne wasn't feeling very well today, and then I would put the date on it and if you needed a 12 Days Every, so anyway, but I did that all through High School performances School.

12:50 And so then

12:53 I guess off to Georgia State. Right right. My mother was determined that I not turn out like my brother and getting distracted. So I graduated in 17th of February. I graduated first week in June and I started college that August sometime and I went all year round for 3 years and graduated in August of 69 and I didn't it was so funny because I majored in English and journalism, and then I minored in sociology psychology and drama and when I went to graduation

13:38 I was looking and I couldn't find my name cuz of course I would be at the bottom with Williams and I was so disappointed. I thought they left my name off. So I was kind of feeling kind of sad because a big deal for all of them and they were there my mother and your father and my brother your father was there too because I've met him by then and then I looked at the front and there was like this with all the intersection and that's where my name was cuz I had the second highest grade of everybody who graduated. Of time. So why are you okay, so it was like a quarter point difference. I never liked school at all until I went to college because it was just it just was more stimulating. It was more relevant to me and how I saw it and what I was interested in I didn't like high school. I never like grammar school except second half of the 3rd and the 4th grade.

14:38 I think those were just better teachers. Yeah, and you can explore what you know, really what is interesting to you. And it's funny that you majored in your minors were sociology and drama or two of them and then I ended up doing sociology and Kimmy so it tell me about when you met dad at Georgia State and okay. Well, that would be Jim Hamilton and I didn't get all the first day and then the next day I went in and I actually one of my sorority sisters was sitting next to me in that class on this side. I was here and then to my left side needs a boy was sitting next to me that I've never seen before and I mean it was clear that he was interested, but we kind of talked a little bit but it was

15:35 The big thing that they had was a field trip, it was journalism and television. Okay, and we went and tore WSB white columns on Peachtree, which is you know, right up here at the end of Beverly bro. Yeah, then teach to write up a right on the edge of Ansley Park. So we went to that and when we went it was his birthday was May 20th, and there was we had to climb up something and then we were coming down the stairs needed this big dramatic thing. He ran down his business for the stairs. He made his intentions known as well. And then we had our first date that Memorial Day weekend. There was a major Barbara was being shown for through Georgia State add to that Friday night and then Sunday, he called me and he said did you hear anything at all about my happiness? You'll go out with me, but go to Stone Mountain. We did that.

16:35 On Sunday and a flair for the dramatic. I saw you in class or he told his friend. I'm going to sit next to the prettiest girl in class and then he saw you and and that's why he sat beside you graduated college and then you continued education right in terms of Masters work, right? I I I graduated and in August and by October I had gotten a job and I was thinking okay. I have a degree. I can't get a job my aspirations were simply to be quote secretary because in those days that's got my being the second highest GPA and and my mother had heard that you could get the favor of doing an experiment with civil service that instead of

17:35 Taking the civil service test which was known to be very difficult that if you had enough grade point average, which I clearly did they would hire you in ways that s cuz they needed hire people. So there was a part-time job available with the VA and I took the bus number 10 down to the VA and

17:59 After they talked to me about 3 minutes I said we're going to turn this into a full-time job. So I got hired full time and I started in October 69 two weeks after my father retired from the forest service. Wow in 69, and I was a contact rep which meant I explain benefits may need belt was the widows of World War II veterans from Vietnam veterans and they didn't have benefits through missing an action wives and children in those days, but I would talk to them sometime and then there was an opportunity to go higher in that agency or go with the labor board. And because labor board went to higher grades, I went with them even though I had

18:45 I had no background in labor law or anyting but I was in the price. I'd started there in May and I got my Master's in English. I was awarded that that August so I was working on my Master's and 1/2 hours while I was working because of Georgia state's again, you can take him Saturday classes and night classes. So that's what I mean. Yeah. And so you started at the labor board at what age I was 22 92 and then obviously we know you were there for 42 years for that was okay, but I started when was the Federal Government when I was 20, okay. So about 40 years out that late Edward McKay and

19:33 . The labor board was not remotely like the VA most of the people there were two categories lawyers and field examiner. So obviously I was a field examiner or the right contemplated going to college but then after I dealt with enough labor lawyers, I realize that I'm a lost lost go. Yeah that going to law school wasn't going to get me what I thought I was always interested in helping people. Yeah, which is why we're also got a master's in counseling but

20:09 The labor board allowed me to see in those days. You had all kinds of jobs that you don't have any more than country and never will again, but I realize it every single thing you touch or any single thing. That's a service is produced by people. I just hadn't really thought about that before all the hands that cost exactly and the kind of dedicated honorable kind of employee that work really really hard but not a tremendous weighed. So being the South and those days it was a fertile field for organized labor to try to come in and represent these people. So mainly what I did was investigate unfair labor practices, and that was a lot of working people, but I also conducted election and I remember the first time I went to see how to conduct an election. It was some big textile plant in south, Georgia Valdosta to Waycross and

21:09 Can I count the ballots and the attorney for the company and attorney for the union? They started rolling up their fleas or going to have a big sister. They were I take it was a y for show for their constituents, right? But and there in a little meat. Okay, this is what I was I was only one of two women that was doing this. Oh, yeah, it was very different but they everybody was very nice to me. I mean of the people that I met the people I interviewed the company attorneys and that union rep. They were all very always very nice to me. They just thought it most of them thought of me is like their daughters so and so they kind of were protected by three male-dominated not is true that people actually worked with so yes, those men were not as pleasant. No, definitely not.

22:11 So you're working at the labor board at this point had you bought your house in Ansley Park the Montgomery Ferry. I bought that house when I was twenty-five. So what did you do that why I started in Thornton, right, but prior to that you were in that sweet little apartment right in the corner right after after I started working mother died that next February when you're 21, right and that's also started going to graduate school then and then a year or so later my father met another lady. That was lovely lady and I was still living at home. Yeah, but and I just felt like, you know, I'm working I'm making money. I want to get an apartment now, so I left a lot of different apartments and then I found this wonderful right across from where the botanical gardens is now and as you know their condos in and we got to go see that we went

23:11 About unit for sale. I love that place. I just loved it and every Saturday I would walk my laundry down to 98 Maddox Drive, my father suggested that I think so he got to visit me in and do the laundry down there and then I'd walk it back up fold it up to three Park Lane Apartment K. But anyway, your father and I continued to see each other obviously and then he he was

23:49 His number was solo on the lottery that he was going to get drafted. This is during the Vietnam war. So he decided just go in the army for three years. So you wouldn't have to go to Vietnam and he became a language specialist ended up going to Korea which was much better for him and obviously, but anyway while he was there, I started thinking about wanting to buy how and when he when I did buy the house he ended up going to the apartment. I managed it. I was paying $99 a month for that apartment hand of God raised at $10 from your father. He starts but you seem like a very right across from the Ansley Park Golf Course now and of course all the hazards around there, unfortunately, you've been totally redone my embryo that little kid looking.

24:49 Kelly stays that way I hope so. I hope so is it was a nice little house? I appreciated that house and I feel like you've always capture or been able to communicate how the status of a special Dynamic that was when your dad was close by and you were you know, living in the apartment and then in your house and that's community in that neighborhood was just such a kind of it. It sounds to me as I look back on most romantic space, but you know that that kind of sweet walkable neighborhood with the park and well it was it was it was steady. It was Secure and move a lot when I was little and obviously your mom had passed right and and I felt I felt home. Yeah, they're in fact after I had Jennifer and I will probably get more into that but my friend of mine won't let me this big old fashioned English looking carriage and every Sunday I would roll

25:49 Turn down that big driveway right around the corner to where daddy lives and you know it by then he didn't bet he remarried and so forth, but I was at the neighborhood. How old were you and Jenny was born and I was 28, okay.

26:06 And any I don't know this is where it gets tricky I guess too. Well, how much to share but okay, so I'll just talk about I wasn't expecting her I had as you know, I've been told that was never going to happen to me and then

26:25 I found out I would have been told that well, I don't guess he knew what I was doing. I mean I had a certain condition that might have but doctors thought that would not have children and I never want to have children anyway, so it didn't matter. I was never Randall children and then when I found out I was going to have her in my whole mindset about that chain saying it was a blessing is just doesn't do it justice, but the day that the well and I was so inexperienced. I had all these names in mind and then like a week before she was do I change the name to Jennifer and I guess I just collectively all the women in America named their children Jennifer their girl children Jennifer that year I think but I was supposed to have her on June 2nd. And so I just took off work.

27:20 Figured but she didn't come for two more weeks and first children often her leg that I used two of those weaks up that I had on leave. So when she did come I only had six weeks before I had to go back to work but there again I was very close to the office so I could come back and forth and I found a little lady who was a retired schoolteacher to come look after her and this is Coates. Nah. Nah. Nah. Nah, that's okay and that was very lucky the the night that she came. I hadn't slept at all. It was a Saturday. I had to shut it off.

27:56 Thursday night Friday Friday night Saturday your father and I were watching Flash Gordon to just pass the time and I started having sort of feelings, but they weren't dramatic ones and

28:13 Finally about 8. It was actually your father said maybe go to call the doctor, but I thought you were supposed to have these since this taken so many minutes apart. So I called they said come on in. So we got there about 8:15 and she was born at 11:10 on my father put up his beautiful Azalea and her little nursery and it was wonderful and she was she was probably the best. I told you this she was just she cried occasionally when she was just very sweet and good-natured always always has a baby incident. When did y'all move to Reeder Circle?

29:04 Well, I was interested. I mean on I was still looking after her but I was interested in her having more socialization cuz none of my friends were married much less with children and I wanted her around other children. So we decided that it would be best if I would keep the house and a friend of my brothers.

29:30 Wanted to rent it. So and your father had the GI Bill. Okay, so we looked at several houses and

29:41 We were originally thinking about Candler Park OK and the woman that your father knew that was a realtor said all know. You'll never be able to get cancer pain. Well, then we got in Morningside. It just seemed really the ride house and my father came and looked at it. You said it was a solid house yellow fourth one of these reasons and so

30:08 Okay, so then obviously that's for him, and I were right when it when Jennifer was for I decided it would be great if we could have more children and in fact, we do although three weeks before we found out we were having too and I could have one and it's so we came up and I didn't want to know whether we were having boys girls or what a d so we came up, you know, which set a series of names that would work and the labor we got your grandfather and he stayed with Jennifer in the hospital room and got to the hospital that 10:30 and 121 and 126. You was just amazing. Jennifer had said when we told her.

30:59 I hope it's too little girl. Yeah. Yeah, and I was so lucky that as you know, my father looked after you one day a week and your grandmother and your father's mother came on Marta two days a week and look after you and I only work 3 days a week for the first two years and then there was one of the little children's groups I was there and they talked about this one fabulous preschool at Rich's downtown and y'all went there and I could see you through my binoculars at my window in my office. That was hilarious and then you went to George Baptist and then you went to Morningside and then I wanted a different kind of situation. So we moved to Gwinnett County thought that house first time you saw it. I remember y'all.

32:00 Pick out your rooms right away Jennifer wanted the one in between Kimmy one one with the big closet. Just wanted the one with the view of the backyard and so much of our life after that was governed by all the stuff that y'all did in high school and

32:21 All activities all the things ya and I'll tell me you know, obviously this is fast-forwarding a good bit. But tell me about each of your grandkids the oldest as you know, it's the way your and you remember when he came he could be all went to the hospital and waited and waited and waited cuz Jennifer we thought he was going to come by a certain time that he didn't answer but then when he came we all went in just such a beautiful child, he might need me of Jennifer. What do you look like as a baby and we were all indicators. So we were all there all the time. It was great and and I remembered I think the first time I babysat was Saint Patrick's Day because they went out and you and Colin came over to see in can I hang out with and you were so seems so especially exuberant about it?

33:15 And I don't know exactly when decisions were made her what happened? But of course you you let me know that you were going to have a baby yet. And so on December 30th, baby number two came from what I remember about about that is calling calling me am I coming there? And there was nobody in the hospital as far as I can tell. Nobody was William and I I came and nobody was there and then Colin comes out holding William. I thought how can I be so lucky I was taking the taichi class at the time and the same people in the class were they are for saw your ad for widows grandson.

34:07 And then I guess I think I'm going to talk about Anna and ottoman and I'm going to talk about my first impressions and special memories if that's okay. Yes, please.

34:22 You know you wanted to have some of your own and you found this great neighborhood and you bought a house there and then Jennifer and Ryan decided they were going to move in once we could all walked each other's places and then suddenly my children and my grandchildren were living so far away I decided I wanted to do house to so kind of in between y'all and I was much closer. I didn't know at the time that and a mile and making it okay, and you know, that was wonderful when she came I got to look after William and then get to see her for the first time and then several moves later.

35:08 Beautiful dear sweet wonderful Autumn came, so I'm very lucky to have the three children and five grandchildren. I have and the four grandchildren I have when is that? However

35:24 Sawyer was deer from the time. He was born he was happy. He was playful. He was just joyful. That's what I remember about him. And now I still see him is as joyful and very very smart and he can read as well as I could when I was much older than he and she he knows math. He can do math much more quickly than I can now William

35:51 Just like his mother out there. It doesn't matter how big the other kids are he's going to go play with them and do whatever and explore as love of Nature. And and I was just putting her to sleep when she was a baby was a joy and she's turned into the most beautiful child. She would do everything with him would do when he was playing she would just I'm going to do what with him and of course dear little Autumn is just occasionally look surprised is something not too Pleasant happen, but the rest of the time she just so happy and she just she just is joyful all I think about the way you are with all of them and you know Anna Stern lady time, but she likes to have that special one-on-one time with you and they all want they all love that. You know, they all want their Grammy time and that's just really special for me to see how much they love you and this how special you are in the special role you have in their life.

36:51 Well for somebody who didn't even want children, I have the children. I do grandchildren I do to you. You didn't know you wanted children until you have them and you learn from them you learn from everybody. Yes a lady time is very special and I think about you and just all the ways that you make each of them know how special they are to you and always will be so well, I hope so.

37:26 I know there's a lot more that we didn't talk about. It's obviously your volunteer work at the fox and you you know time at the unit work at the symphony and just the way you've contributed to well with city of Atlanta doing working action Head Start kids and all that but those are just a little grateful for all the things that have happened to me in the experiences I have because I wouldn't be sitting here who I am today. Not that I think I'm so wonderful, but I think my life has been 3 enriched by the combination of things that I've experienced in all my life.

38:09 Well, I agree.

38:14 So I think I guess we have a couple more minutes. But all right. Well, let me just talk about you. If I measure you were they used to call you a little peanut when you were first born cuz you lost a lot of weight 25 pants to begin with.

38:29 And then you turned it into this beautiful strong. Caring and super athletic person and I didn't see your Devotion to God and Tammy when he care about I didn't see that coming but it's a joy to see when I get around. Thanks Mama and just like, you know, I think about the way in your early adulthood you got that kind of have Granddaddy around and you know him to be a part of those daily experiences. I've got to have that with you and hopefully you'll have a lot longer exactly. I totally agree. I'm aiming for the bottom eunos wedding day after that that go I have that says yes, many many many more

39:22 Years ahead but I'm so grateful for just these early years with the little ones and just have to have have you nearby that were in the same city. And I know I know many grandmothers that have to get on an airplane and they don't get to see their children grandchildren or had that one-on-one pretty regularly the way I do so, I'm most fortunate and I would have been able to do my accounting work and get licensed. If you hadn't been watching William and you know, I'll and Anna and and Autumn so

39:53 Play I didn't get to be a counselor myself. I thought I wanted to be so it's nice to be supportive of you and doing that cuz I know you're good at that then yes, it's good for all of us. All right. Well, I guess that's it for now. Thank you for doing this. Thank you so much have a darling. I love you Mama. I love you, baby. Pretty pie.