Hortense Pinedo, Debra Erven, and Danielle Seaberg

00:04 Hi, I'm Debra erven. I'm 63 years old. Today's date is Monday, March 9th 2024 in Fresno, California. I am here with Danielle seaberg and Hortense Pinedo. Danielle is my daughter and her tense is my mother.

00:30 I'm Danielle seaberg, my age is 40 today's date is Monday, March 9th 2020. We are in Fresno, California. I am here with my grandmother Hortense Pinedo and my mother never been

00:51 Good morning.

00:53 This is Hortense Pinedo, and I'm 60.

00:58 Sorry, I'm 84.

01:01 Today is Monday, March 9th 2024 in Fresno, California.

01:10 I am in relationship to Partners is my daughter Debra erven and my granddaughter Danielle.

01:21 Seaberg

01:27 Okay.

01:31 This is Deborah and I was wanting to have this interview because my mom is going through some health changes right now and we had done my father's interview earlier just as a family unit and I'd like to at least record my mom's thoughts before they escaped us for any reason. I know that but it's really important to get these down. And so we're ready to get these down. I'm a very excited when I heard storycorps coming in and then we're ready to go here. So Mom, can I first start out with

02:14 Where were you born? I was born in Highway City, California and May 27th. 1935. Okay. And is Highway City still exists? Yes, it does. I have no idea if it's going or stayed the same and my mother had me at home.

02:39 Grandma why did you move to find out my dad used to work for the gentleman that had a lot of fig orchards in my father was like a

02:54 Like a supervisor. He took care of all the Mexican people that came to work there and then one day he wasn't working for Simone anymore. And I did not know that they had bought some property in Pinedale. So when we move there they had set up two tents.

03:16 Because that was during the Depression and lumber was really difficult to get ahold of some but I can't remember. I was 12 years old when we moved. So you first started Living in a tent and then until the house was built when you first moved there. It was very friendly and I remember part of was like a soldier's camp.

03:49 And the soldiers would Mike's of the street.

03:53 And no matter where you walked you got to know the people that live there.

04:00 And it would ask you who you know, how's your mom? How's your dad? You know cuz they sit out in the front and their porches at that time. How old were you when you first started babysitting I'm probably was like features. So when my my sister I was 7 with my sister was born and then we got to start babysitting his both my mom and dad worked but you are more responsibilities like at that time at 8 years old. Yes. Yes, I think at imagine my grandkids right now babysitting someone their siblings and this day and age so you worked in the fields when you were young. What was your favorite thing to pick and what was the worst?

04:54 I was like about 5 or 6 years old at the time and my favorite thing to pick was blackberries.

05:08 And my worst thing was picking green tomatoes because the Rose had water.

05:17 And you just I know it was little and I then you had to check your green tomatoes to make sure that they didn't have scars on their or anything because they were going to the market that they had to look clean and then sometimes when my bucket was a little too full.

05:36 I would slip into the mud with a in the Rose for the water.

05:41 And how old are you but I don't know about five or six years old and I loved working and when my mom said you couldn't work I would cry because I wanted to go work. I'm just going to kind of elaborate on what was the season like what were you picking during the season season? Like it was the spring of the blackberries were in the spring in me, and then I don't recall the tomatoes, but it had to be warm before the tomatoes got right because before I get too hot

06:22 And I'm so what else did you pick figs? I picked cotton I picked.

06:33 Right tomatoes I cut apricots and peaches.

06:40 So I pretty much spend from Spring to December when you pick the cotton at that time.

06:49 And that was cold and it was way more from the master, and I'd have to pay you more. So, how did you get your job at Martin's Variety Store?

07:17 My mother worked at this grocery store

07:20 And I would go in to just to visit and the Martins asked if they were thinking about doing a variety store next door. They were going to open up the door where you could go back and forth and so they asked my mother if I would be interested in working in there and my mother of course said, yes, so they asked me if I wanted to you know to work.

07:54 I was 16 at the time and they were so nice to me. I had no problem catching on to whatever they told me to do and that Variety Store.

08:08 Yeah, so, can you tell us how you met Dad when I I didn't drive so I would when I was done with my job in the evening at 8, I would walk home.

08:24 And at that time you were not scared to walk in the dark, but my father-in-law.

08:30 Would be working in a garden that his daughter had and I would stop and talk with him and he he told.

08:42 Your dad you got to meet this girl? He's just don't set me up with anybody. He told his dad and he said no you got to meet this girl. She's really nice.

08:53 Where would I go to meet her she works in this Variety Store?

08:59 So

09:01 Your dad went and he said I didn't need anything, but I went to see what your attitude was like what kind of person you were. So he said I would buy little tickets from the variety store that I didn't need.

09:20 But at the same time I got to talk to you and see how you were. We take treated everyone that came in the door. The same Farmers dead couldn't come in the daytime. They would come in the evening with their families cuz there's a variety store was a variety store miso shoes clothing dishware anything that that was needed was a makeup like Covergirl stuff like that.

09:55 In the end we had regular people that would come in the daytime. I have one. I had this lady I will never forget she came in here into the variety store, and she said I like to speak to your boss.

10:15 And so I said, okay. So when next door I said mrs. Mine. There's this lady that like to speak to you.

10:22 And she went on when she says, how can I help you? And she's the lady said I want you to wait on me. And she said well my girl can wait on you. She was I don't want to Mexican waiting at me and so mrs. Martinson, and I don't want you in my store either get out of here.

10:42 So I like wow, that's the first encounter of prejudice that I when you never had. So anyway.

10:59 How long was a grandma before you got married?

11:03 Six months, I guess he liked what he saw. Yeah, so it was 6 months, but I thought it was too too soon and but my mom and dad got married sooner than that, you know. So anyway, how old were you 20? How did he propose?

11:38 He hit when he first decided that you wanted to ask me to marry him then you find out was too young yet.

11:50 So he just kind of kept away.

11:53 I didn't know that until you know, then he figured out that I would be older.

12:04 Can you tell us about your wedding day? I understand my grandmother was crying at the church. Okay the wedding day your dad was always Immaculate and his best man of your dad was having trouble buttoning his shirt for tuxedo. So he asked his specimen to help him with it will his hands were not very clean. So it's dirty to the shirt. Luckily your dad had gotten an extra shirt when you rented the tuxedo.

12:47 So it took time to take the shirt off and then put the new shirt on the new shirt on and in so that made him half an hour late and my mother did not like for him to be late. And so anyway, she could sing. Let's go. Let's go home. Let's go home for you. And I said no Mom. I'm not leaving cuz I knew your dad.

13:12 So when you got there to the church, the priest asked him have you changed your mind and I was the time to do it because you're running late and he goes no explained why he was running late.

13:27 And then so my mother was so embarrassed that my dad was walking me down the aisle and my mother was just bawling cuz she was so embarrassed at the people that were there with thinking I was being stood up.

13:42 So that's why she cried I thought I thought that she's crying like she's at her funeral waiting.

13:55 What was your honeymoon like and a Grandpa's family like you my honeymoon? We can have a honeymoon right away because they were finishing the house and we could leave and so his family we didn't go until everything was all set up for you at the house and his quest his dad and his mom like me.

14:21 The his sisters and his brother were little judging.

14:30 And neither did you marry her too soon and maybe she's not going to be a good wife. So I know I have a good wife and we did go cuz he was he's from Arizona and so until everything was situated with the house. That's when we went to Arizona and I was very nervous because they put us in the same room with my mother-in-law.

15:09 That's on a honeymoon skip down to this tell the story about the house you live in right now.

15:30 I didn't know about this house that Dad was having built his sister lived next door, and she told him by the property.

15:43 Instead of going to drink on the weekends with your friends.

15:47 So by the property you might need it sometime and he finally said okay cuz he really when his sister. Sally said something he knew that you meant, you know, and so he went ahead and then started to look to have a house built there, but I didn't know who that was going to be my house.

16:16 In the end. So anyway until the end when the colors for the inside had to be chosen and that's when he took me over there to that house and he said this is going to be our house like a what?

16:34 And can you see us a reason I brought you here is because I want you to choose the colors for the room scene on the go. Wow. I'm having a house built and my mother didn't want me to marry him. I thought that was I remember that the house no, no, no. No, I walked in front of that house from work. No, he didn't you didn't know that that house building but I didn't know if I would walk from the store here and then just go behind I had no idea that he was building that for us. How is Pinedale changed in those years?

17:19 And in the end now if I was to walk I wouldn't walk at night. I wouldn't walk in the daytime and I don't know anyone anymore. Even if I've lived and still lived there all those years. I don't know. I don't know the people a lot of people have passed away and new people have moved into the homes of the people that I that I know I know so well as a child, I remember just being able to see the Sierra mountains. Exactly and now it's over Belterra Casino can't see anything. Nope. Not at all cuz we didn't have River Park and we can have the post office in front of the house. And you know, it was a lot of things that were not built with all clear at the time. That's part of imagine. What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

18:20 A wife and mother

18:23 You know because lack of Education, I thought that was going to be the only thing that would be capable of doing.

18:32 And I thought I should have to wait. I thought I should have been more positive but myself but you know, that's agent maturity. When you when you can look back and go, you know, I should have should have would have would have done that. So when did you decide to be a cosmetologist?

18:53 I didn't have a choice your dad chose for me. Yes because his niece was going to beauty college at the time in so when he come home from work, he would go to visit his sister and I'm looking at her at and Irene's book of Cosmetology. And so anyway when evening came back and he's for dinner and he said to try at night and on Saturdays and I said, okay, so he started looking two years.

19:40 To get his diploma for that and and then in the meantime I was working for.

19:49 My sister-in-law is in the cafeteria in Pineville school because she had been in an accident and she didn't want to lose her position is so she called and asked if they would hire me at which they did and so then I got pregnant from Patty and so she was like maybe 6 months old and your dad said, you know why you should go to beauty college to I said, I don't know if your butt doing hair is as I didn't either.

20:26 And so I said, okay. My mom said she would take care of Patty. So I started going to school at that time.

20:36 But I enjoyed it as you can tell what was your favorite part of Beauty School?

20:43 Talking to the ladies special time. Yes. Yes. I loved talking when they were not regulars, but when they came I was all of made conversation and if they didn't answer I knew they didn't want to talk myself feel. So what made you and Dad open your own business?

21:10 He was kind of tired of.

21:13 Not cuz he worked for North American when we got married and in that closed down and then he work for another airline company that came in and then that closed down then he worked at another company that he thought was dangerous and he didn't want to work there because somebody did die in that company there and then he works for Fresno State and then is there a gardener?

21:48 And then he had trouble with the the lead man there and he got him to work. So I'm going to get a regular time. You made him go at 4:00 in the morning.

22:02 And so you just got tired of losing jobs and being told what to do and women did done with you anyway, and so that's when you got his license and I got my license for to be a cosmetologist. That's when he decided that he wanted to find a place where he could you know, it wasn't his it wasn't his Building A Mystery by Julian Space by mr. Big June and told him he said I will build it whatever size you want the building to be

22:39 And so has right there on Fresno and Shaw Fashion Fair and then doing the years we were able to accomplish another salon on 1st and Ashland and we were there for 46 years. No we okay us the Cristiano.

23:05 When we started in 1963 and we sold in 2009 was 46 years think I figured that okay.

23:21 How what was the hardest part about owning your own business the hardest part because we didn't rent we really didn't rental. I mean up to the hairdresser. And so we weren't everybody with some commission and I would have a list and say could you write down what we need? Can you write down what we need which they didn't even trying to keep up with the products to make sure that everything was needed as they needed it.

23:57 Yeah, that was the hardest part right there. Anyways, so then I had to run out and buy whatever it was that they that that one hairdresser needed. I'm out of this color. You don't have this color. You don't have the sperm, you know, and yeah, so that was that was difficult. That's hard to keep track of all of that. Even if I like on Sundays as you know, are we going to look but still in the meantime doing the week?

24:28 They were working just going to the back and getting what they needed in the way of profiting from now that you're retired. What do you miss the most about it the ladies I really miss the ladies because that it was really nice to talk with him. And even if they were not my clients the rest of the hairdresser's that work at hair in motion and will you know they got to to I got to talk with him. And so that when they come in they always come and talk to me first say Hi, how are you? How's your day? And I really miss that if you could start something new a new a new business, what would it be?

25:17 I'm to health

25:22 Right now to even think of think of that and yeah, yeah, so I like okay. Yeah, I can't think of anybody has to be when you were little girl.

25:34 I really didn't think about what I wanted to do other than make a little bit of money and that's why I like going to work cuz my parents would give you a little bit of money to when they went to the store and then my sister my second sister Becky, I'd forgotten and she told me that I would take her.

26:02 To town on the bus and and buy her clothes.

26:07 Excuse me in an I still like to sell and she always wanted her dresses to fit.

26:18 Don't like what I sewed for her. But you know that that was my thing right there. I just to to have some money.

26:32 Did you get the family? Not that I had to but you wanted to know what family traditions would you like to see passed down through the generations? What would I like I would like everyone in the family and Beyond to be happy in this world.

26:54 For the family to love their mom and dad and four.

26:59 The children that are all going up to love each other and be good to each other.

27:07 Because that's the most important thing in life. I believe is there any Traditions that we do yearly that we love getting together for for the holidays and everybody contributes isn't just my job to feed everyone everybody brings everybody brings something and the Wyndham the most wonderful thing is is that everybody cleans and they made me sit down clean up everything do the dishes do the cleanup. And yes, which I just love well at some point. We're going to get that chili recipe that you put on the tamales and we can do and that's really important. I know I'm a daughter that lives in New Zealand and so this

28:08 Past year, we make tamales ahead of time and send them home with the son-in-law that sales a yacht for an American Hearing in California. So he took him.

28:24 And I don't think you were supposed to say that because I'm sorry. I think you smuggled them in cuz it I understand that you put them in the freezer. So.

28:40 Getting him through through customs.

28:55 Are there any words of wisdom you want to pass on your great great great grandchildren when they hear a long time from now, what do you want to know about you? Why do I wanted to know if I did I loved working and that I loved my daughter's my grandchildren my great-grandchildren and that they should always be happy with each other and which I feel that your dad and I have been really blessed in that in that situation that that is the one that doesn't talk to each other.

29:34 We all get along. So well, you know, I'm going to cry. Anyway, I'm trying to think of something else.

29:59 There's so much going on in my head right now. So you didn't know Dad's like 10 years older than you are to that ever that the generational difference ever cause any you know, I know right now it's very hard because Dad is is home and you know when he has memory issues, but it was earlier on was there a kind of a separation in that in that 10 years. Not at all. I always felt like we were the same age.

30:41 You know and it just like we always like doing things together. We love to dance we like to go to the dances all the time. And we especially New Years. That was a real special had time for us to go in at the convention center and go dancing. And yeah, and we just we love to go eat all the time.

31:05 And when I wasn't making food, yeah, but no I never felt that there was such a age difference between the two of us because you're going to be married 60.

31:21 5 year 65 year in July and that's that's a long time to be married to someone you go through a whole growing-up stage, you know getting raising family is in and growing old together and it's it's really sweet that he still wants you there at the dinner table when it's time to it when it's time to eat and that the app and that he's lost without you when you've had your illnesses. So yeah, I commend you on a long journey know it's it's I just can't believe that we're going to be married that long that was many years, you know, and and when I hear somebody say okay to be married 30 years ago, that's nothing that's good. Thank you in

32:17 And in one of the things that Dad and I said to each other before we got married was that I was not going to put up with any cheating any any going out with your friends. And the one thing that your dad said to me was if you ever want another man more than me, let me know cuz I don't want to be cheated on you too. And that was that was a roof before we got married.

32:55 You never know what's going to happen in life as you go along. And so we said what we said we wanted to before.

33:05 And if you didn't want to go with that then don't get married. So cuz you've learned a lot of new things and learn my daughter's my granddaughter's my grandson. My great grandson's my great-granddaughter life. Anyway, okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everything grab enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy my family and do and now there is

34:04 And now it's even more because you're taking good care of me now, really really really well.