Delphia Kemnitz and Rochelle"Rocky" Langer

00:01 Here we go.

00:03 My name is Rochelle Langer. I'm 48 years old born on August 18th 1956 in Aberdeen South Dakota. And I am interviewing my mother Delphia f chemnitz.

00:21 My name is Delphia kemnitz.

00:25 I'm a 88.

00:29 And I was born on the 7th of September.

00:34 1916 in Wetumpka, South Dakota. I am the mother to Rochelle.

00:45 What do you remember most about your parents?

00:51 They were good. They were hard-working.

00:57 I did everything that you could for me.

01:01 What kind of jobs did did they do?

01:05 My dad work for

01:10 A lot of people when he moved from Wetumpka where he had been a farmer I guess.

01:18 To Aberdeen he worked at a Creamery. He drove a city bus.

01:28 He worked at a laundry.

01:31 And he ended up.

01:35 Taking over the

01:38 A yellow cab and added the city cabin to rent.

01:45 Work at that for years

01:49 Grandma answered phones Forum Grandma answered phones and I still got a big pot that he used for drinking water. I put plants in it.

02:05 What was it like growing up in Aberdeen South Dakota? What kind of things did you do for fun?

02:12 As far as I'm concerned.

02:16 Girls didn't get out alive.

02:20 And we had one car so the girls didn't get the ride very often.

02:28 If you had any girls in the neighborhood you play the house.

02:34 And I ice skated love to ice skate.

02:41 You were telling me about that Grandma had a method to keep you from wandering away or when I was a little weight Bridge moved into town.

02:53 I kept running away.

02:56 So is she with tie me to the

03:01 Clothesline

03:03 And I could run the length.

03:06 Of the clothesline, but I couldn't get away.

03:10 And I learn to walk.

03:13 But pulling myself up to a dog we had.

03:18 And he'd walk away.

03:21 And I wouldn't hang on and walk.

03:25 My grandpa didn't like me tied to the

03:29 But

03:32 You had kind of a family dwelling too, didn't you?

03:37 Yeah, my grandfather lived with it.

03:42 And don't

03:45 It wouldn't time.

03:48 Unknown Cold War ended the upstairs in their house grandpa had the bedroom and my sister and I and folks slept in the living room.

04:03 What do you remember it was your grandfather benscoter, correct? But what do you remember about him?

04:10 He was

04:12 Very old crippled walked with a cane

04:18 And we lived over six seven blocks from the library.

04:24 He went to the library. You read a lot. That's the way he passed this time. Remember about how old you were when he passed away?

04:36 I was probably in South Warren High School.

04:43 You meant Ralph kemnitz better known as boots on a blind date. Can you tell me a little bit about that and what kinds of things you did on a date?

04:53 Well him being an ass laid we went to a lot of games.

05:00 Either he was in them or wanted to see him.

05:04 And

05:06 The best thing we could do together was dance.

05:12 And they were cheap to go to who set up the blind date for you girl friend of mine. Her boyfriend was also in high school and then athlete song.

05:28 First impression

05:31 Flashlight

05:34 What would you like a handgun with a lot of boys?

05:39 Didn't have a brother so I didn't know too much about.

05:44 What did you like about him specifically, do you remember it was fun?

05:50 Relaxed

05:56 What did it cost to go to a dance then $0.25?

06:04 Where did you go to the dances?

06:06 Well at one time.

06:10 My folks lived

06:16 About a half a block

06:18 Behind this

06:21 Car garage

06:24 And above it they had a hall and they had a lot of dances up there. So it wasn't far from home then down on Main Street, which was about four blocks.

06:39 They had a ball and we went there quite often.

06:48 Then them in high school.

06:51 We

06:54 Each class would have a

06:58 A combined class of

07:02 Add a new deal and they dance to the front or back.

07:08 And then the Catholic church. I had a room.

07:14 Like a gym

07:17 In their school that was a ways from us and them off and they do have dances on Friday nights pretty young pic.

07:31 My husband's class had several musicians and they started the band and quite often. They go there.

07:42 But that was something to do.

07:47 Didn't they have dances like at The Parks at Mel Mel. Gordon was more of a kids ski park but at Wylie Park open air Pavilion even danced on Lawrence Welk.

08:11 A lot of times you went to these sporting activities who who would take you to those? Well, my mother-in-law again when it went football games. She said never again. So my father-in-law took me.

08:30 In the winter with heat come and get me and take me and then.

08:36 My husband wasn't my husband my friend am with getting ready.

08:45 And dressed in one minute.

08:48 He'd let me take him home and drive the car back and then I asked you at the car.

08:57 What did Grandma say about that?

09:00 Well one time she said which one am I to guys are you going with?

09:09 My husband was an only child he had for adopted sisters and adopted brother.

09:19 But this is the one I went with.

09:23 How did you earn a living then?

09:29 I started out.

09:32 In high school, I was a half years student. So I worked half days cleaning houses for other people.

09:41 And then I started that it was an honor of mine who run a beauty shop and she taught me to be a beauty operator and then I got my license and I worked at that for quite a few years. What did you charge for a permanent $5 and what did you pay the other day for your permanent 55?

10:09 What did they gave haircuts for nothing with a permanent? I paid $15 for my

10:20 You know what the pay more for it and what did boots do?

10:28 To earn a living

10:30 He finally got his.

10:35 Denise Durbin College

10:39 And Deb belong to the National Guard which paid him $1 a week.

10:47 That's what we were unknown.

10:50 And then

10:55 He was called in.

10:58 Into the service

11:01 And dumb

11:05 Then he was let out and he came home.

11:10 And he had got his graduation deal and he applied for teaching and coaching job.

11:22 And the one you applied for

11:25 There's already taken.

11:28 So they sent his application to Lemmon, South Dakota.

11:34 Any took that?

11:38 Can I ask you about a you said your husband's family was was five adopted children.

11:44 That was that unusual. And what was that like and how did how was it perceived? Well, he was an only child but he he was she run them like Trinity hogmanay just felt he was so small when he was born.

12:04 That she fed him with a medicine dropper.

12:10 And when they put booties on him his dad said he looks more like boots.

12:18 And that's what they called him for his name and thinking they never going to have any other children.

12:27 It's why they adopted what was the relationship was the family Dynamic like with having so many adopted children.

12:38 Whelmed

12:40 If they wanted to eat his mother could cook. Can he worked at a session door and they all had to do their hair?

12:51 They were good parents.

12:58 Tell me a little bit about how dad proposed.

13:07 He always told me.

13:10 If you find that song it had to be you.

13:18 Take me to here.

13:22 Apt Republic

13:25 There was a place up on the North side. We went to one time when he was home on leave.

13:33 And I said There It Is

13:36 That's when it started, but we went together for five years before we were married.

13:46 What kind of an engagement ring? Did he give you?

13:50 A blue sapphire

13:54 But it was married to two years before I ever got my

13:59 My diamond ring

14:03 Why was it that you were married in Webster South Dakota instead of an Aberdeen that was on June 8th 1941, I think.

14:15 Anyway, he was home on leave.

14:20 And dumb

14:22 Two of my friends, but girl is who had been as a friend of his for since he was a little kid and all through high school. He and his wife had been married two years and they happen to be home on leave at the same time.

14:46 And they only had 10 day leaves.

14:51 And one night. My husband said we're going to Webster tomorrow.

14:59 I said what for if you got married in Aberdeen you had to wait 10 days for your license to be okay in Webster, you could go to the hospital and have your test and it would be given to you within few hours.

15:21 So we went to Webster with bud in the rain.

15:26 And an AR test

15:30 Wilde Lake we were waiting for them. We went to find a minister which we did. So when we got our test, we went to The Minister's office and we were married to

15:45 And how long did you have for a honeymoon?

15:53 What was marriage like during World War II and what are some of the hardships that you faced then well with my husband in the service, it was here gone leaves.

16:08 It was hard because

16:13 I don't know. It's

16:16 On again off again. I guess he was in the service 27 years 7 months and 6 days.

16:28 I was married 10 years and only so I'm about 6 months.

16:35 Lost Lake

16:39 On one of those leaves you must have gotten pregnant because wouldn't that be surprises Dad wasn't Missouri at that time and came home. He had come home and

16:54 I told him I was expecting him so he wanted me to come down to Missouri Fort Leonard Wood.

17:04 And stay and had a one-room Cottage. Yeah, the bed a 3 burner gas stove.

17:16 Rent in backdoor.

17:19 Sync

17:21 In the dresser, that's just about what kind of a pull out table.

17:27 And dumb

17:30 He said now their last summer that was in here. His wife couldn't take it.

17:37 So she is left.

17:40 And he said now if you think you can take it forget it, I'm not going to get the plates.

17:49 So I went down nine was just a dream for months.

17:54 I got back.

17:57 Didn't he come home one time to see you when you were pregnant didn't recognize. How did he get home hittite?

18:11 Did you have rationing then?

18:15 Even with our little boy on a Praying you were raising for milk for little ones and that their store. There was a male chicken meat a lot of things were rationed.

18:33 And then you went home alone to have your first son. Yes.

18:40 And

18:44 My mother-in-law horrendous maternity home, so

18:48 I had him there.

18:52 And father-in-law came home for lunch that day and he came in and he said

19:00 That boy is the funniest looking girl I ever saw.

19:06 His Brave Girls

19:10 And then you shared an apartment with your parents for a Time by he was gone and and

19:21 So I

19:24 They run the cab company, but they run it at night.

19:29 So my son and I slept in their bed then during the day they slept it.

19:36 So we got along pretty good, but I used to go either to my mother-in-law's or out to this friend's place. She was pregnant also.

19:49 And stay with her and our sons were born.

19:56 Three weeks apart

20:00 And they're both lawyers now anyway.

20:07 We used to go to the same church and every time we went we sat in this pew.

20:14 Nobody else has both pregnant. They called us the Gold Dust twins.

20:24 And then about a year after.

20:27 Chip was born then you were pregnant again and a son.

20:37 And them

20:40 After a visit out in, California

20:44 With my husband for a short time. I came home and lost.

20:52 Doing that the visit out in California. What did you do?

20:58 I

21:00 He had an adopted sister that lived in Long Beach.

21:06 And she had a daughter about 11 12 years old and asked us to come there and stay for a while.

21:18 And

21:21 So we stayed there and

21:25 When I came home, that's when I lost that other PP.

21:29 But them

21:32 On another leaves

21:35 I'm just expecting a

21:40 When you were visiting your sister-in-law, oh, that's when the Japs were about to.

21:47 They wanted it may be expected to

21:52 Hit the United States everything you heard is be careful and do this and they had lights out all the time.

22:02 And one night. I took the nice to

22:06 A movie

22:08 They took care of the baby and I

22:13 Drove her to the movie.

22:16 Come out Guardian.

22:19 Car drove home and all of a sudden I have the lights on I stopped in front of the garage. They all come out.

22:33 They were expecting.

22:35 Then I had dreamt.

22:39 That they were going to attacked.

22:43 And that I took this baby almost a year old and crawled under the bed.

22:51 And when I got up the next morning.

22:56 I looked under the bed. There was no room for even the baby much less me and or keeping him quiet, but we got through it.

23:09 Was Ruth called overseas before or after that third?

23:14 3rd pregnancy, that would be Larry

23:23 After

23:25 Because them

23:33 Who was it before anyway, he got over there.

23:39 About 8 days before the war was declared.

23:44 And while he was over there, she

23:49 Took care of prisoners of War

23:54 And down.

23:59 His father got hurt.

24:03 And they called nerve ask doctor me to see if you couldn't come home because he did pass away and done.

24:16 At that time if you were in the service so long that you made points and he had enough.

24:26 To come home

24:29 So they flew him home and he was able to go to his father's.

24:37 Layaway

24:39 But it was after that then that

24:43 We

24:45 Went through all this coaching him.

24:50 Understand things were kind of tight financially what were some of the things you did to to make ends meet.

25:05 Didn't Grandpa help you out with a refrigerator one? It is produce department.

25:13 It was no fridge in it.

25:16 And so Grandpa Kim came over and wired a triangle piece on the window for so we can cool things off outside.

25:31 I vaguely remember a story that dad used to tell about when you're in the service and these fellows came by and stole some change off your dresser. We were in Missouri and we were 3/4 miles out of camp.

25:49 And

25:51 A cup from came and stopped

25:55 And when I'm laying up against

26:00 The dresser and it was close to Payday. And I think we had a dollar left laying on the dresser.

26:11 When they were gone, it was gone. They took.

26:17 Another story about that place

26:21 Down the road with the gal that entertainment.

26:29 And all you had for a

26:33 A lock on your door was the screen door hook.

26:37 And I had the bed place so that the foot because right when you open the door.

26:45 It came back to the foot and every time every time he was home, he would vote we had a wood store. He would fill the woodbox and I had one old couple of feet long kind of Fort.

27:05 And he threw it out cuz he didn't think it would fit in the stove.

27:11 So one day he said why do you keep bringing that piece of wood in the house? I said you better announce yourself when you come through that screen door hook cuz I can stand right on the bed and hit you on that.

27:32 Who were some of your best friends?

27:37 Wellborn Lorain weather

27:40 Always I became acquainted with her through butt and Boots.

27:48 And then we may I had another friend in Aberdeen through High School.

27:54 She moved away.

28:01 I suppose some of the best friends were classmates and then when we moved to lemon and Bowman, I made a lot of friends in Bow and Dickinson when we moved there.

28:17 What did you do as couples for entertainment?

28:22 Well

28:24 We all had the kids so we went to a lot of athletic.

28:30 Bealls

28:32 And there was a Legion Hall so we used to get together there.

28:40 And I wasn't much for playing cards, but my husband learn how to play golf.

28:47 Granite Golf Course for a while and Bowman the evening lot of friends there.

28:55 I'm backing up a little bit boots was a coach and a history teacher in Lemmon South Dakota. When you first got married tell me a little about about the decision to leave education and start the clothing store business in Bowman North Dakota this friend a has but work for a clothing store in Aberdeen for years, and he always wanted to open his door of his own.

29:25 And

29:26 New we lived in lemon. Wanted to know how we liked it. Two of them. Got to talk in the next thing you knew.

29:42 Bunny comes out to Lyman and starts looking around and of course.

29:49 Teacher didn't relent with the superintendent because we couldn't afford to live them up Motel which was the only place other place to live.

30:00 Especially with two little kids three little kids. Anyway, he found another fellow that had building and always wanted to go into the business. So they went in as partners and after the name of the lemon.

30:22 So we were friends there.

30:25 And then numb

30:33 Which would help him out once in awhile?

30:37 And

30:40 I don't know just why he quit the coaching but

30:45 He decided to go into partnership with the Schneider in Bud, and they wanted to open his door and heading her but it was too close to the Limit.

31:00 So they open this winning Bowman and we moved to Bowman.

31:06 Where have the happiest years of your life been and why well?

31:12 The lemon was all right with eating like the service. He was gone a lot with his Athletics butt.

31:26 Enrollment

31:29 It seemed like we could.

31:33 Be in a community where there was people like us with young children and and they were friendly.

31:44 It come in the store and it was dumb. We made a lot of good friends and broken.

31:53 Raised your kids there tell me a little bit about that. Well.

31:57 They didn't have a baseball field. They built one of them in my husband through this door help them get suits and then the Larry became a

32:11 More of a baseball player than a lot of the chip in my butt.

32:23 Was a bad boy.

32:26 And we had a parking spot and

32:33 We didn't write the team over to the house afterwards and it was just a place to mix and be happy and Mike born while you were living in lemon or after you move to Bowman.

32:51 I think he was.

32:55 Born in Limon they were all born in.

33:04 The only doctor I know.

33:08 Your mother-in-law Lena kemnitz was South Dakota mother of the year in 1959. You company. Her on a trip to New York City. Can you tell me a little bit about that experience? Well, we were running this door and none of the adopted kids could go.

33:28 My husband couldn't go said he couldn't go on he said but they cannot send that lady to New York by herself. So you're going.

33:42 Neither one of us had ever flown before.

33:47 But I went she went long but going into Minneapolis on her way into New York.

33:57 We were late getting in because they're at storm had come up.

34:03 And that pilot had flown around this cloud or we get into Minneapolis.

34:12 And she had an 8 appointment the next morning.

34:18 And

34:21 I didn't even know if we're going to get there or not, but finally.

34:26 I left her sitting in the restroom, and I went and asked questions at different depths.

34:35 What I should do or could be.

34:39 One of them said we have an opening at 11 to short time. We could do that. So we did and we made a tax appointment.

34:54 But during the days we were there.

35:01 We went to the United Nations building. They were entertaining them a lot and had a lot of meetings.

35:11 And her niece came from

35:15 New Jersey over and visited one day she had meetings all day.

35:23 Where were the meetings at in?

35:28 You know.

35:30 Wednesday at the Waldorf

35:35 I think so.

35:38 That's where we stayed and that's where most of it was.

35:43 Do that needs took me.

35:46 Shopping

35:48 And yep on the way home.

35:53 We could she thought and I didn't get you to a ball game boots would have loved it. And you see the Yankees.

36:04 Banana way we got into the Deep Ellum.

36:09 Airport and dumb

36:15 Got checked in and pretty soon. We are having lunch and I could hear the name kemnitz around someplace.

36:23 And I told her I think we're being paged.

36:27 So we went back to the desk and they said they had known earlier flight out if we'd like to take it and both of us ever will be closer to home. Let's go so

36:44 The pilot takes his Iron Man arm in March is is out to the plane.

36:50 And you can tell by the way. He talked. He wasn't a New Yorker.

36:56 And I said, you're not a New Yorker. Are you and you said no, I'm from Nebraska.

37:03 You can just tell him by the way. But we had a great trip.

37:11 Can you spent a number of years in Bowman and a short time in Jamestown when Boots change careers to Blue Cross and he always believed that people were friendly or west of the, Missouri.

37:28 And you move back to

37:31 And spent a number of years there till

37:36 Well, we he became acquainted with all the coaches and in Jamestown. We didn't have an office but in Dickinson need ID.

37:51 And

37:55 So it was a little easier. Otherwise, I was answering the phone all the time.

38:01 But dumb

38:04 Lean really Blended in with the people in Dickinson. They had a lot of friends in a few years of retirement. They're 27 years. And why did you move to Bismarck?

38:21 Well, my husband passed away.

38:25 In February 2000

38:30 And I have one son in California one in South Dakota.

38:37 And now I have a son in Bismarck and a daughter.

38:41 And I thought the house is too big too much take care of.

38:47 I might as well go to Bismarck and be between them. So that's why I'm

38:55 In Bismarck

38:57 How would you summarize your life so far?

39:02 Well, I've been had a good life.

39:05 Now it's just

39:08 Don't

39:11 Hard dick

39:15 Not busy.

39:18 But it's been great. How would you like to be remembered?

39:26 A God loving

39:28 Mom

39:31 Grandma great-grandma, and I hope my family loves me like I love them.