Leon Casteel and Mia Raquel

00:02 Hi, my name is Mia Raquel. I am 24 years old. Today is Thursday, July 23rd. 2020. I am in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I am here with Leon Casteel and they are my new friend.

00:16 Hi, I am Leon Casteel. I am almost 20 and I am in Clarkston Washington. I am here with Mia Raquel and she is my new friend through storycorps.

00:28 So we on I want to know a little bit about your family. So tell me a little bit about your family. Well, I come from like a mixed family. You know, my family is very various backgrounds. I had a there's police officers one of my grandparents actually did the autopsy on Ted Bundy.

00:50 Yeah, I've had law enforcement. Some of my liked. I've traced it back. One of my ancestors was a king. So I've had an uncle who is an FBI narc.

01:06 So it's all a different background. Yeah, so, you know, I think in the United States was kind of this tendency for people to not be that interested in their family history, but it seems like you really have that strong interest. Can you tell me a little bit about how that started for you my grandpa? Actually, you know, he was my most influential person grow. I actually lived with him for about a year my grandma. He has he grew up poor and after his mom died his dad actually sent him to the Otterbein Home For Boys in Ohio.

01:46 And he was there till he was about 11. Wow. He went so one day he told us to younger brothers. I'm gone and packed his bags and hitchhiked. You went all the way to Florida ended up in this town called Lake City and met his aunt and uncle are like, what are you doing here kind of confused on what he was doing. He's like I left the orphanage. Wow. So then after that he went to Sarasota, Florida Diner one day and this man bought him breakfast.

02:25 That man happened to be one of the Ringling Brothers.

02:30 From there he went and he kind of got talking and the man offered him a job and he took care of the animals. So the Tigers and stuff for about two days. And then after that my grandpa was told to give an elephant in enema.

02:51 The way my grandpa tells it is so funny. He goes the man looked at his boss looked at and he goes Junior. You see that bucket of Grease. You see that ladder. You're going to climb up it.

03:05 Our grandpa looked at him. He goes I quit.

03:11 So he's he's as he's walking away people's running after him. Stop. Stop. Come back to work come back to work is like, nope. I'm leaving, you know.

03:22 So he left and you stayed in Sarasota.

03:27 And from there, he began auto body work that actually became his career.

03:33 So I guess I don't know how old he was but one of the stories he told me was he was doing auto body work and also his dad. I think this is around the same time. His dad came back in the picture was a trucker. He had these bikes.

03:52 And he said he tells him he goes Junior don't touch them bikes. So my grandpa goes and he opens up the truck. It takes one of the bikes.

04:02 What's his old bike in it and just close it back up?

04:07 He got in trouble.

04:09 You know my grandpa's like I said, he did auto body work. He still does auto body work and he's in his 80s now he's starting to do, you know?

04:21 He's starting to get beginning stage of Alzheimer's and it's just sad to see him but I still got to call him up everyday and I get to hear all of his stories. But my favorite story is how he met my grandma. He was working with my uncle Chuck, which is my grandma's brother Charles. So this is I think it might have been like the forties of the 50s and Charles goes well Russ. I'm going up to Pennsylvania for a couple weeks. I'm going to go visit my little sister.

04:56 So my grandpa looks at him a grandpa was about 22. My grandma was 16 at the time. He looks at her brother. He goes. Well you bring her down here and I'll marry her.

05:07 So she she came down for a few years, you know, my grandpa and her the kind of became friends and stuff. And then she joined the United States Navy and I don't know if you know anything about the Vietnam War there. That was the very beginning of women being allowed into the armed services. Do you know anything about what compelled her to join her brother her little brother joined?

05:38 So my Uncle Gary

05:41 You joined so she joined they actually enlisted together. I do believe so my grandma went through boot camp and all that and she just she couldn't handle it. She had never been away from home before she grew up on a farm issue is the only girl if that there her dad was a farmer and he was also a carpenter. We actually still have a whole bunch of his stuff that he made like a rocking chair. That's so old.

06:14 He she lived in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. So it says you about how far her my grandpa had to go to get to Florida which is where I grew up, but she couldn't handle being in the Navy because she had never been away from home and then she started having some health issues. So they told her, you know go home and if in six months you want to come back come back and you'll just start where you left off.

06:41 Well, my grandma was not able to return so they gave her an honorable discharge.

06:49 And after that, you know

06:52 She was about 18 or 19.

06:56 My grandpa comes

06:59 Comes to like a diner when day and she's working in the diner.

07:05 And her roommate I had actually ran off with this guy and moved to Texas. So my grandma was very sick and my grandpa.

07:16 Took her to the doctor and was like cuz he was worried about her and come to find out she's malnourished.

07:24 So my grandpa pretty much saved her life.

07:30 It was very, you know.

07:34 Like awesome how he did that? Well, they started dating they dated for about a year or two. And then when you talk to your grandparents about the story do they talk about what it was like for him to have saved her life like what that shape their relationship. My grandma was very thankful. She was too they argued like an old couple with actually one of my grandma saying that your dishes was named dagnabbit jr. Castro because that's what she was always telling them.

08:12 Was dagnabbit Junior so we have dagnabbit Junior casserole.

08:20 And it's just you know, but so they dated for a few beers and then my grandpa goes well, I guess we've been dating long enough you want to marry me?

08:32 So they got engaged.

08:35 As if

08:37 My girl my grandpa was actually engaged to another woman who showed up at my grandma's house.

08:46 It was crazy.

08:59 They're going to that fix it.

09:04 Okay, where was the last place? I left off?

09:08 Your grandfather was engaged to another woman that showed up. Yeah, but I do want to ask a question of what was your grandmother and grandfather's name?

09:21 Call Twila and Russ.

09:28 So when my grandma her maiden name was fryso her full name was Twila Mae fry. So it's always been like a family joke, you know.

09:39 Actually my cousin Chuck his daughter is named after my grandma.

09:46 So when my grow so this woman Beverly cop showed up to my grandma's house.

09:55 And finally, they got rid of it, Beverly moved out of town and said they got married.

10:02 Now my grandma got pregnant with Rodger.

10:08 And Rodger passed away a few days after being born.

10:12 Because at the time if the mother's blood type is not compatible with the father's I'm out with the fathers with their babies. There was pretty much a slim chance of the baby surviving. So after Sriracha passed away and then she got pregnant with Judith and unfortunately Judith was still bored. So then finally she had the miracle baby my Uncle Raymond

10:38 He's the oldest out of three boys.

10:42 So

10:44 He was born and they spoiled him and then Along Came weight, which is my dad my dad. So he kind of you know, he was the middle and then the baby which is my Uncle Terry.

11:01 And they had the three boys, but I don't know how my grandma put up with them one time. They were up in Pennsylvania visiting family and my Dad decided to put a firecracker down a mineshaft.

11:15 And my grandma she was a Swedish Woman except for when people got on her nerves. So they my dad and my Uncle Terry were playing around they put the fire truck on The Mineshaft in blue the side of the mountain.

11:35 So my grandpa cops come knock on the door. My grandpa goes boys, you know anything about this to go do

11:45 It went and head up until like a few years ago. They knew nothing about it.

11:54 Finally, they told him yeah, we blow up the side of the mountain.

11:59 What can you describe to me? What your grandparents look like? I know that you said your grandma recently passed away, but you describe what they look like and kind of how you felt when you were around them. My grandma was this little short old lady black short hair, you know and blush actually looks like my sister.

12:23 I saw this picture of my sister and she's not my biological grandmother, but she raised me because her son married my mom my parents divorced when I was sick. My mom my biological father divorce.

12:39 Hurt my grandma son raced me.

12:42 But so I felt like like I had family when I was around them. I they were my family. They took me in as their own and they they they had a choice they didn't they could take her to shows not to you know, so but my grandma's ass little short old lady. She worked at Walmart for 25 years has a little short Walmart Lady black hair glasses and my grandpa a little bit taller than her gray hair and he has a typical Grandpa look.

13:17 Pants all the way up to stomach the suspenders the strap shoes glasses and the socks all the way up to his niece and my grandma always were never failed her shirts always had a cat on them.

13:40 As she loved her cats you really good image.

13:46 You think that your interest in kind of getting to know your family's history has to do with what you mentioned just a couple months ago about the fact that you feel that they had the choice to either bring bring you into their family to think that's part of it. I really do think it is because like I said, they could have just turned me away and not accepted me as family because I was a stepchild but instead they took me in as their own. In fact, I was removed from the home for about a year when I was a child due to some stuff going on that I don't talk about but

14:23 They took me in and they've stepped up to the plate and they raised me during that time as their own me and my grandpa would actually go every morning before school cuz he would drive me to school every morning. You don't want me to ride the bus in the mornings just so we can go get McDonald's together.

14:41 And then another thing like I mentioned earlier my grandpa dead body work. So he'd be working on a project and I had this little box of just random stuff. I'd be helping him is what he said, but now that I'm older realize it was just so that he can keep an eye on me, but I was in also getting in his way.

15:01 They really stepped up, you know during that time and that's something I'm very thankful for.

15:10 Can you describe besides like going to McDonald's and other fun things you did with your grandparents? Can you describe like there a different dealer date at 6 out to you that you could describe with your grandparents?

15:23 There's a lot of them. I'm trying to think of the best one. Okay, this is going to be funny. So we my mom was making deer Burgers on my grandma's stuff. My grandpa was over there ready to eat deer Burgers. My grandma was no cooking.

15:41 Cambio by stove just upset because my mom was cooking deer meat on the stove.

15:48 Every time my mom would leave the kitchen. My grandma would go in to turn off the stove.

15:54 Because that's your my grandma was she loved animals.

16:01 You know where that love for Animals comes from and also you say you have a lot of cats. Does that influence Your Love of Animals to I have I have two cats two dogs a hamster a bird in a run.

16:16 So I guess my love from animals does come from her her love Came From. So she grew up on a farm.

16:27 And you know stayed have to butcher the animals and I guess she wanted a better life for herself after she left the farm. She wanted to give a better life for animals. They had they had different animals grown up at one point. They had fish remember it briefly and then they had cats one of their cats are in. This is a funny story. So my grandma had this really old man Coon in muffin.

16:55 And we had a toy box of her at my grandma's.

16:59 Head so we put muffin in our toy box.

17:03 My grandma went crazy because she thought muffin got outside.

17:08 And wasn't coming back home.

17:11 Finally be told Grandma muffin was in the toy box.

17:17 And we got in so much trouble for that cuz we put the cat in the toy box.

17:24 It's just

17:25 They also had a Christmas tradition every year they had what they called the do not enter room.

17:32 Is every year we gather as a family over at my Grandma's on Christmas Eve? One of us grandkids would read the Christmas story out of the Bible. Another one would wear a Santa hat and pass out all the gifts cuz everybody would bring gifts for everybody that kind of thing and

17:49 If we we would get our butts, we're up. If we went in the Christmas room, you know the do not enter room. She had to have a sign on the every year do not open until Christmas. So we all need to stay out of that room because that was off-limits. That's where all the Christmas presents were. So all of us kids are try to lick look under the door and pecan.

18:14 Stuff like that

18:16 Sometimes my crap out would help.

18:24 That is such a wonderful tradition. Do you know y'all still do that? Even at your grandma's house? We've all moved I moved out of Florida about a year ago. And you know, we all went our separate ways after my grandma passed we all got together one last time before I left, Florida.

18:46 And that was right. We are going through my grandma's stuff.

18:51 Cuz I left shortly after she passed away. I moved up here for my fiance and they really set make my standards for loves. They said that because they were married for 54 years.

19:07 And I have never seen my grandpa cry until that day.

19:13 Never once have I seen him cry.

19:17 But that man he bought his eyes out.

19:23 Sounds like they had a really really special relationship. They did and it all started as a joke is what I tell people cuz she's like I said, he told her brother. Well you bring it down here I'll merrier.

19:38 They were just you know a unique couple.

19:45 What are some of the kind of lessons that they've taught you about? You just said about love their kind of your role model. So and you say your fiance so what are some of the lessons you don't one of the main ones was don't take at other for granted.

20:02 That is one of the main ones because they have had a lot of close calls before my grandma passed away. Like my grandpa broke his hip and had to have a total hip replacement know is a knee replacement my Grandma had a couple open heart surgeries.

20:20 She ended up having to have a colostomy bag.

20:24 They never once they never took at other for granted and then never went to bed angry.

20:30 You know, I laugh often.

20:35 You know, it's okay to argue, but don't get too heated because in the end you have to live with each other for the rest of your lives cuz you're two people that have become one.

20:51 You think that they kind of imparted these lessons by showing you or by telling you or kind of a mix of both? They showed me. They never came out and said if they showed me they showed me what a healthy relationship is.

21:07 And that's what I want to live by is the standards that they set for love is the standards. I want to live by

21:18 Do you know anything about their respective childhoods and kind of could you fill in some information about that? So my grandpa's mother died, very young. She was only like 19 years old.

21:36 And his dad was an alcoholic.

21:39 And I do remember when story is my grandpa growing up. This is the funniest story ever. So my grandpa his dad Russell senior went, you know gave my grandpa so many Heroes wrestle. You need to get a haircut. My grandpa went and got a mohawk.

21:59 So he comes home and he's showing off his Mohawk and he goes no you take that you take hear some you tell him to go cut it off because but he won't do it that he goes you better tell him to do it, but

22:12 This is so my grandpa goes back and he gets shaved bald. Well, he got sent home because he was a distract from school because he was a distraction.

22:24 So he had to wear a sailor hat for a few weeks until his back and they can go back to school and actually never finish school.

22:39 But I do I think I'm pretty sure my grandma did my grandma was a Methodist, you know in the Methodist Faith, but you know, she told me one of the most powerful things about religion I have ever learned somewhere could be a Christian it could be hateful.

23:02 In another person could be an atheist and be loving as could be her Christian grandmother would be would beat her and tell her she was worthless. But her grandma I forget her name is some French name. She thought she would she was my Grandma's favorite person in the whole world because she was so sweet wine because you cut out for one second. So my grandma told me that you know, somebody could be a Christian and be extremely hateful and then somebody could be an atheist and be the polar opposite. They can be sweet as can be, you know, somebody off their religion.

23:44 Because they can prove you wrong.

23:48 My grandma was hyper. She didn't care what religion you were as long as you treated her, right? And as long as you treated people.

23:58 Sounds like you've been extremely fortunate to have these incredible role models in your life. Do you think about you knowing your own future? I don't know if you plan on having a family of your own but just you think at all about what that might look like given this role model ship that you've had Beyonce have talked about having kids.

24:20 When we do I really want a daughter and I want to name her loose till May after my grandmother's their middle names. My mom's mom her middle name is Lucille and my grandma's middle name was May. So after the two.

24:43 And my grandma she was such a sweet lady, you know.

24:50 I miss her a lot. And I do know she's proud of me, you know.

24:56 Yeah, I'm sure that she is you remember do you feel like sharing a little bit what your last conversation was like with your grandma last I do remember the last conversation on my grandma trying to think cuz we had so many I do know the very last words. I told my grandma was Grandma. I met somebody and I think I'm in love and then as I'm walking out the door of her hospital room. I told her I'm like, I love you Grandma. I'll see you again soon.

25:30 And she passed away a few days later.

25:34 So

25:36 I do believe the last conversation with me and my grandma had was

25:41 We were we're talking about my mom's cat.

25:46 About about him jumping in the tub with me.

25:51 Cuz I was taking an Epsom salt bath.

25:54 And this big 30 pound cat?

25:58 Decided to dive into the bathtub.

26:00 Full of water

26:05 He got water everywhere.

26:09 What sounds like the last conversation you shared together with full of humor and love and kind of all these things that Encompass your relationship with with her it really did. You know that suit my grandma was my last conversation with my grandpa before, you know, getting the story on everything was telling him about my work and he told me he goes, well, you got to work any harder seems like you're working a lot.

26:41 What is it you do I'm a garden center associate at Walmart stores. And the funny thing is as she actually worked in the garden center.

27:02 She started off and Garden right there for about 20 years and then our last couple years working at Walmart. She did was a door greeter.

27:12 Everybody never has a sweet little garden center lady who became a door greeter.

27:19 Sounds like she was known throughout the community. She really was.

27:26 And shortly before my grandma passed away one of her really close friends Joyce passed away and I imagine it to this day. I'm like, okay you're up there with Miss Joyce. Who knows what's going on up there with you to yotsuba? Probably having a party.

27:46 Because last time I talked to Miss Joyce is actually at my Uncle Raymond's wife's Kindle that didn't go to the funeral cuz I don't do funerals.

27:56 But we sat at the house prepared everything like the food and stuff.

28:03 I miss Joyce had me laugh in the whole entire time.

28:09 Sounds like laughter and humor very important to you as well. And it really is and it's just how I grew up, you know, my grandparents. They were a very important part of my life. I was getting bullied. I got bullied throughout school. And all I have to do is call up my grandma and I just talked to her and my grandpa not tell him I was going on and I guess I kind of figured that I was upset because they'd always make me laugh.

28:39 Really beautiful. It's beautiful that even though they didn't know it was going on. They knew how to make you feel better. Exactly one Christmas art is like the year after my aunt Tina passed away. I think so, it's still really down about it. We ask my grandpa Arf Arf she wanted a dog, so he barks answer the phone.

29:11 So you went to the shelter and we adopted their the dog that he actually still has her. Her name is Charlie.

29:20 And she is very smart just actually taking our dog at the time taking his toys and hiding them in the couch four of them.

29:29 And we got Charlie from the same shelter. We got that dog from

29:37 No, like I said, they loved their animals.

29:44 It was animals have always been a big part of my family. I showed rabbits.

29:51 And you know my grandma and grandpa went to every single one of my shows. What is that mean showing rabbits? So I did rather I had Blue Ribbon rabbits. Wow.

30:05 What what entails are rabbit show pretty much they look at so therefore each breed. There's a certain set of standards for how they look how their fur feels have their weight and everything else and based on those standards are how you're judged.

30:22 I always came runner-up to Grand Champion.

30:29 And one of my rabbit's had actually won. I think it was a state competition before I like with his previous owners.

30:39 Wow in the window his owners really well, so they gave him to us.

30:45 Because they were getting out of the showing and they're like, you know, we believe you'll take good care of him. So they just gave him to us free of charge.

30:55 What marry me I've never heard of rabbit showing before it's really common in the South. Okay. It's like I don't know if you've heard of FFA.

31:07 It's a Future Farmers of America. It's an organization. A lot of people show animals and stuff like that.

31:16 Be cool, but you have a rabbit now. I do not have a hamster and a rat from my rodents.

31:27 Have you ever seen those giant rabbits like the I don't remember exactly what they're called, but they're like the size of dogs my friend. Actually one of my good friends growing up actually had one. I've always wanted one. They had to get a special made cage for it. Wow, that he was huge.

31:47 They're very me animals that are sweet and one on my route. It's my grandma. Just love how she look cuz she even had a little man around her head.

31:59 So sweet and funny story about that rabbits. So the first year I showed that rabbit that we were told she was a boy take her to the fair and when you register your rabbits for a show, they always flip the rabbit over to make sure it is the appropriate gender of what you say it is. Well, they look at me look back at the rabbit like this isn't a boy.

32:27 So her name was Alfalfa because she had little hair between her ears and stuck straight up.

32:33 So we just changed it off Ali.

32:36 Supai Ali for sure

32:41 And that rabbit was trained.

32:45 Wow, and now I actually had a leash train a cat.

32:53 That's very unique. I've only seen that a couple of times. So do you take your cat for walks? He likes going to Walmart.

33:03 That is like his favorite thing. We take him in the car. And if he's good he gets to go to the Walmart. That's so cute. One of those cards like that baby carriages on it and we'll Buckle him and he'll just sit up and look around.

33:19 Be right here.

33:23 His name is Lucifer.

33:25 Lucifer

33:28 Well, so we only have a few minutes left, but I just want to ask if there's anything else that you want to make sure that we talked about today. I can't think of anything I want to do. I do want to say thank you for you guys letting me share the story of my grandparents.

33:46 You know, they loved each other up something with the very end.

33:50 And my grandma and grandpa they were very much so in love, you know.

33:57 And now you're in love and you're engaged and I love for yourself, and I'm not such a very special very special thing. I actually proposed to her for a couple of days before our one year anniversary.

34:13 Very lucky to have you very and she's been with me through a lot. I lost two grandparents in one year my grandma passed away and then my papa passed away. So my mom's dad.

34:29 Well my mom step dad. That was that pretty much raised her. You know, it was very hard on me and I'm thankful to have had my fiance Maddie with me throughout it all.

34:45 And you know, we're getting married in January wedding planning is hectic.

34:53 Imagine but I'm sure that it'll just be a beautiful day. It will be I'm definitely going to wear something. You know, I'm at socks or whatever to honor my grandma.

35:05 So

35:07 Thank you so much for talking with us and for sharing and I just I love the way that you describe your grandparents. It's really a very special thing and it really is having a relationship with your grandparents has.

35:24 It's just so important I think for us to really have that connection with our elders because whether were blood-related or not, we can learn so much from them and it sounds like you haven't and they been a really wonderful job with you they really have

35:42 Yeah, so thank you. Thank you guys for letting me share. This is with something. I've been wanting to do. I want people to know that blood doesn't mean anything.

35:53 And you know what? It does exist Love is Real. You just got to find your your person be a boy or girl or even if someone non-binary there is love for everybody.

36:09 And it's very meaningful when you find it.

36:15 Thank you. You're welcome.

36:18 Thank you guys.