Sally Hultquist and Judy Hultquist

00:11 Hi, my name is Judy hultquist. I am 61 years old today is September 2nd 2006. We're located in Kansas City and the person I'm interviewing somebody very dear to me my mother-in-law.

00:28 Spell I'm selling Holquist age 93 today is September 2nd 06 and we're in a trailer in the

00:43 In Kansas City and the my partner is my daughter-in-law's Judy.

00:52 Sally now, I've heard a lot of stories over the years about your family and where you came from, but I never Tire of it and I'd like you to give me some details about how your family came over from Sweden and what they did when they got here, but my family is that both the terrorist groups and Helen's are the Pioneer families today at 7 in the area of Lindsborg, Kansas. It's in McPherson County.

01:25 My grandma came over with two daughters and we know very little about her. In fact, one of the reasons for that is that she spoke Swedish and it was and none of the children of us children ever learn to speak Swedish now and my dad's side his his father came over when he was 28 years old and that was in 76.

02:00 I am that he went to Lindsborg Kansas and there he met apps Grandma Christina for Christina was a widow with a with one son. I have the have been living in The Dugout with her husband. He the past winter he had decided to go to Salina to work to make some money to buy o sugar and Necessities such as that and he never came back. So she was left in The Dugout with this small child and it was said that if the neighbors and Indians that were in the area haven't helped her she very likely wouldn't survive the the winter while she was in Lindsborg and my grandpa was in Lindsborg. So he married her.

02:58 And they moved into her Dugout and there wasn't but he was a Mason and sweet and so us the long after that that that he build a log cabin and then find me but bought the farm that they moved to

03:15 The

03:18 How old is the winters were cold and and?

03:24 And it was his real tough living for all of them.

03:31 Christine and her son had just been subsiding just getting along one little or nothing where that were. Well they will they prospered on this Farm they made money and the but Grandpa was kind of a

03:52 Restless sort of a person he decided that after if things got good and going that he's like to go back to Sweden. So he packed up that by that time there were eight children and they packed up everything and sold their farm and went back to Sweden.

04:16 Now that's passed told that.

04:21 He was 8 years old when they when they hit they landed in Goteborg Sweden were there a year?

04:33 And thinks she thinks we're just like they have thought they were they and one one of the

04:42 Amyl one of the older boys somes decided. He was going back to America. Well, then leave one of the girls the girls dead and find me the whole family decided to move back to Kansas. But this time it wasn't as easy going because they had used up their money coming movie coming over. So they they went on they had to go steerage going back or lower lower class cabin and they thought the one daughter cell mostly. I thought she was going to die. She was extremely sick.

05:29 I have that but I did survive. But anyway after several weeks they finally got back to to America and and a cross-country to to Salina, Kansas and later to Lynchburg. Well things weren't

05:51 Work like they are there had been Oaks just a verbal commitment in the selling of his property have sold it with the idea that if he should come back he could buy the same Farm but when they got back there wasn't as much land for sale or that they could take over so that it took a while before they settled and incidentally for they they settled then bus in the house where I was born.

06:22 I am now that takes back that's takes most of us of a family coming to settle in America. They live there for a while and then they move to to Lindsborg built a house there and live there now. I can remember Grandpa's van very very clearly. But now I know my grandmother I don't remember cuz she she died while when I was 2 years old. There's a picture some place that shows me she was in the picture where I was just a tiny, baby.

07:09 But all I can remember hearing about her was the fact that she was very sickly.

07:16 And somewhere rather I can kind of Imagine That 8 girls and three boys with Levin children it it was quite sure.

07:31 Charter out Tire Direct just played her Ava and she died at 55 years old having lived lived through all of that.

07:42 All right.

07:44 What do you remember about your childhood? I had a very happy childhood. The the folks were well, very good and I would say

08:01 Possibly lenient with us now when I try to think and come up with what I remember from lap time now, I remember when

08:17 That was during this first world war why I had a pick some blackberries and I wanted to push sugar on them and my sister Martha wouldn't let me go get any sugar to put on my blackberries and my you know wonder why I couldn't do that. Well, she said that there were Bells Belgium children starving and that I shouldn't have sugar I never did 500, but that's the way it was and then there is another time when during that time during the flu everybody in our family had flu, but the hard man and myself

09:10 And the amount they were the red Martha and dad then and mother were all in bed. And the only thing I could cook was lima beans.

09:24 So anyway, I cook the lima beans and Ironman did the chores and finally after a few days. When a mother cyst. When am I allowed to Amber sisters came down, and now the family they were surviving but the story was that they they needed their faces washed in a few things life because of what they had gone through the same Hardman that we always put flowers Nails greatest us another one this was before

09:59 This is just for Oscar been being he he came into the picture when we lived on a ranch and dad and his brother were in the cattle business.

10:15 And Oscar bendy was just a kindly soul that time and I can't remember that accept when mother baked why she would give me give me a little doe God and I would roll out a little little buns and things like that possibly on bus seat of a chair on the floor or something like that happen and he was the only one that would and then add bacon and he was the only one that would be them. So I have a lasting affection for him.

10:58 Again, why we do the flowers every find a grave so he's the only one that's because I remember the story about Uncle Vernon Oscar brand then we're going in to Lindsborg for something in there that night time and their lights went out and they've got dark and the it was hard or foggy or something hard to see so Uncle Brenner was going to be drive the car and Oscar Oscar was going to run ahead of him and show him the way to the path where the road was so that he wouldn't run off the road. Well as you can guess Uncle bernerd drove faster than Oscar could run. So

11:58 Oscar had to pick to the ditch and across a field of a few things and Uncle burner just followed him in the car and and they have a hard time getting fill-ins word.

12:12 What about take you a little bit further high school years College.

12:20 You didn't go too far from home. No, I stayed in Lindsborg. Although it was just seven or eight my butt in those days the roads weren't they weren't even gravel. They were muddy. So you can depend to get to school very regular. I say this my I'm told this and that and went to high school.

12:48 And and that was a very present experience. I like music. I had that taken Fionna music all my life. And so I was in the Glee clubs and things like that.

13:05 How did you meet your husband? I was Jimmy Julius. Well, we were like I said that I was interested in music. And so when I was old enough, I started singing in the church choir and he was singing in the church choir and then we just started doing things together and

13:27 When I finished high school before I start dating your butt after after I went out then when I went to call h y r i start bathing a and then after I talked a few years and then we were married.

13:47 Okay, what was married life like in the this would be the thirties?

13:53 In Kansas and well the they'd rather difficult because

14:01 No, I was I had been teaching and you were not allowed to teach in the same school system that your husband was teaching or or it was really considered very wise for the wife to be working somewhere. It wasn't a popular popular thing to do if sort of demoted the husbands.

14:30 In his mind or in other people's mind about while working why unless her status. Yeah, I am I learn to cook wish I hadn't done by mother was a very good cook and really didn't include this in her her cooking. So that was the first years of marriage life what I have to do and sorry just say it.

15:06 I didn't do it very well. I had a reputation as an offer. I couldn't divide or what I could cuz I had the reputation like the name of my neighbors and friends would tell about when I maybe Spanish rice and made enough to practically feed the whole neighborhood.

15:31 And then there were soups and a few things. I've been I think some of my friends or neighbors kind of turned off the light and close the door when they saw me coming with us container because there would be food that I have took too much at 4 at Penn for us. You know, what who that explains your son away. He cooks for I've heard so many stories about all the sisters your mother and her sisters and thecla and how good you have some stories to share about them. Not not as many as you would think I lived with us and that off and on.

16:21 And that wasn't quite that and took care of me. I was I was very fond of her but the end there there were some stories early stories goes there is a story about twin the text. I have the mumps you can think of that. We're almost at that time 8 girls living at home and it will either way out text. I had the months since she there was a party and she wasn't supposed to go to the party. So but the girls

17:00 Found a big hat for her and a big scarf in a bowl and tied it so that's kind of hit her face stopped that so I went to a party and I had a very nice time the only problem was when she got home that night and was climbing in the bed through the bedroom with no don't know why there's no she'd been gone. She stepped in the slop pail and aroused the family taking care of.

17:35 That would probably wake people up. That's right.

17:40 Wasn't there a story about Tecla and her hair chicken? Well, yes, there was that was homeless version of it now.

17:51 It's among all the sisters. There was a lot of competition as far as what they could do, or if they're how they're cooking was those in that family there were many more Indians and there were I mean many more Chiefs and they were Indians and so they were they were very active people and I have to say about a dinner one time why somebody has to be marking about the food and I'll tell him I have said well she knew this chicken that Lily had brought this chicken because only Lily's chicken would have developed the muscle from walking up and down the hill that the chicken hat.

18:48 Aricept kind of competition between them

18:54 And you said your mother was a good cook so I guess they were all good Cooks. Yeah, they were all good Cooks. They just naturally were I don't hear too much about the brothers what happened to them? I don't know but they really don't have any other than episodes. I'm here with the Oscar why I don't text much I have to say about him.

19:31 But you all you all lived close to each other. Didn't you burner was City Clerk in Lynchburg?

19:39 Well tell practice until he died and that that for years and years and years and then like us after he had passed away than my cousin Leroy Peterson took over.

19:54 Him, I remember that.

19:58 And Carl Peterson. How does he fit into the family though? He's he was my cousin mother adamo's was her oldest daughter.

20:16 And none of the sisters ever left lens working. Yes.

20:23 Aunt Jeffrey de and the Myrtle move to Chicago

20:29 And the app free map of them timely death. She was working for a sort of a missionary in the church and her husband had taken her over to or her to go up and see a family to urge them to attend services and the file he was waiting there. You noticed an ambulance pull up.

21:02 Aetna so he sort of curiosity got out to see what had happened and after.

21:10 Free that I have been was lying at the foot of a Stairway dead.

21:18 And they do it was fast off the she have slipped on the stairway or something like that, but they but they some they have a feeling that she been pushed down the stairs and then later.

21:35 He married her husband job.

21:38 You've never met them cuz they're at in Hayward and of his children cuz they just haven't been around for many years why he married Myrtle?

21:54 And that's about all I know about that at that family well to bring you forward a little bit further. How about the birth of your children will go to have an interest in one of them. The we first we lived in Kingman Jewish was in charge of music and I I was struggling with cooking and things like that. Then we moved to Pratt and the we just we were hoping to have children but we we just didn't have any so about that time the eye doctor decided that

22:44 That maybe we never would have any that my accounts was lower. That was something like that and we were we were considering adopting the orb wondering about that aspect when all of a sudden why I was pregnant and the them Larry was born. We never knew exactly what they say. They are months that he was coming. But that's just the way it happened in the course. Everybody was real happy about it. Especially having a boy.

23:28 But and then later on what why I had them.

23:35 And Larry never Larry just went to court in everything but his birth for his arrival. He went just like he got up with the get up at 6 or something like that. You could put him on the schedule and he's stay do it without it without any problem. And then Tim came along who never who did that go along with any

24:10 Any schedule or any it was just just entirely different, you know, people would say something about oh, you have to both boys and Orrin sort of imply that there would be a sameness but there wasn't there wasn't anything I like they were entirely different.

24:30 And the

24:34 I have I have sort of gotten a reputation when I was little I guess I didn't always.

24:42 Always go along with the thoughts. I think you've heard a story of my red hair.

24:50 That when the when the papers were taking a break and nobody was around I painted my hair red with barn paint.

25:03 And there is MM in the course all the trials trying to to give out and then something I remember was mother was going to get mother had fixed up the bowl at that time you girls were they have a little hair in a knot on your head top of your head when you have a big bowl that they bought quite a bit of ribbon and they put it in the clasp. It's stuck up there you bitches look great and thanks heptagon login.

25:43 My mother had gotten me one the next Sunday. I wish to wear to Sunday school.

25:51 And for some reason I'll never know. I went I was in The Hired man's room where I know I shouldn't have been and there on his history best cigar with scissors and I held up that little lot of hair that was to hold my bulb. So elegantly on my head the next Sunday and cut it off.

26:20 Am I I can remember to this day how how it was handed in my hand and thought if I quickly put it up there maybe it would stay and overall back real quick, but it didn't and I have to go down and face my family with my mother with and what was her reaction. Well nothing too drastic.

26:50 Now we just I don't think that they race this pretty had a pretty we had a pretty long string we were on at maybe she's just sorta yet, Bop, but later see Martha died. I had one sister older than I was and she died when I was 8 years old, and she was 13.

27:19 I haven't asked at that time. I overheard heard somebody talking about its course mother was just beside herself with the breeze then and was sick and it was so hard to suppose that that the author Smith have caused better and I heard somebody make the remark that wasn't too bad that it was Martha who died she had so much talent and by such a help to mother while you see that sort of inferred that well maybe that I should have it should have been I who have died and that wouldn't have made so much difference. I never ever wants to bald.

28:16 I think I have thought about that at but never I never asked mother about it never brought it up to anybody. But just it was just something you gift in in your mind. So you never talked to Julius about it now tour setlist.

28:42 It was an unkind thing to say, but but

28:48 I don't think I have ever I don't think it's ever deter deter me from doing what I wanted to know because I've seen the evidence of your musical talent in your artistic talent, and I've just always push the head.

29:08 Education wise what changes have you seen in education that have really impressed you since you were a teacher and talked for so many years you seen so many changes that made me change yourself and good ones. I talked I went to college for two years and at that time and you could you have a life certificate.

29:36 If you if you could have taken so many hours in 2 years and that I applied for and received. So after I've gone 2 years I decided I'd teach.

29:53 Well, I ended up with this school.

29:56 And that Western campuses

29:59 And one room School

30:04 With 8th grade. However, I think I put five remember right there. That was just six braids in it. But although I had taken practice teaching at all. I was not prepared for anything like that. I never so was so deep in water in my life as trying to to do that. Imagine having that that be six classes and everything and there was a new a new for a first grader would never been to school before and there was one eighth grader that was going to graduate and hear all of a sudden. I was supposed to teach them. Well, I've got through the year.

30:56 And I did innovate.

31:00 What they called social studies and that I did well enough on that the that the kind of stupid method wanted me to write a curriculum for him for the them, which I never I didn't have time to hardly write lesson plans for what I was doing let alone anything like that. So I never went ahead to it, but it did get to be standard practice. But that was the only way I got through that year.

31:30 And this so I'm more last one. I went back into teaching. I wanted to be prepared. And and and so I have two boys got them after 20 minutes ready to go to college. Then I went back to teaching again first, I to talk kindergarten.

31:52 And the witch a very pleasant experience and and them whether fun. Move down here.

32:08 Do the Kansas City area that went to school at Lawrence and finished at KU? In fact, I kept it went beyond that and got to have a schools a reading specialist beside the side of the well, I went to a breathing Institute One Summer spent the whole summer teaching learning about reading and I thought there was that much to learn about every subject. I wasn't going to live in long enough to go through math them signs at all. You might be teaching in your class.

32:45 Now the I don't think there is enough.

32:51 It in Reading. I don't think they'd have done enough Mandy and enough studies about just why.

33:03 One child can't breathe in five the other Canton.

33:07 Ghost out you go into lowest MB classroom and you'll see a third of their children read 2/3 who who read well and the third who aren't reading hardly at all. Now, they've had the same teacher. Why aren't they all doing more? So there's a lot more that needs to be done. Maybe studying the physical aspect start getting cuz I'm sure we all go see things just the same. I don't suppose we hear things just exactly like either.

33:40 But we expect we've got a a little form we expect all of them to make sure up the regimen No, Child Left Behind fright know I liked kindergarten was I taught kindergarten in the late fifties before the children have started. There was no preschool for them. They were

34:09 They were so individual.

34:12 I could tell what was The Happening a home by the what the thing saved their pictures and the colors that used?

34:23 The address for Ensign Services. I remember one day if when we opened the bathroom door and it was flooded with water course all the kids where we were all standing looking in there and one little boy came up with. Well, we know it wasn't any of us that that did this cuz nobody could be that much. Well, that was good luck chick it was right.

34:55 An app to the appointment and now that's it. That's way maybe of them or there was a little boy that had the reputation of the using very foul words and one day we got along with I never caught him doing any saying any bad words till like one day when he was taking a nap for

35:21 Harp for December. I heard some of it looked over at see what's going on and Billy had been swatting a fly and he said I didn't kill him but I sure scared.

35:35 So they were they were they were fun in that respect, but I thought I taught it to tell I wrote a curriculum for teaching kindergarten and I felt like I've done all I could there wasn't anything more to do as far as I was concerned. So then I went on to something else. I think I've always kind of done that.

35:59 Don't you get back to your to your son's now growing up? Of course, you know, they they do things that are kind of maybe mischievious at times. Do you remember anything in particular Larry or

36:13 Tim did that you had to be mad at them, but you really weren't cuz you were laughing inside.

36:20 Well, there was a time when with Larry and I think of that I really

36:30 I didn't know quite what to do. We lived in the neighborhood at that and there were some children that lived across the street while I have had we'd have some have come home. Once since I have it that the Johnson house was wonderful cause you could lie in the bed and put things on your and cook things on your stove. Well, that's a sort of gave me a I got a metal picture what things were like so so I did I never let Larry go over there and play after that but the but I do think I left the children came to come over and play with him. But then the one day and not Larry was small little blond blue-eyed just a little kid.

37:27 And so bad that he asked me my love come back Johnson children come over and play.

37:34 And I just have to pay babe a little bit. You said I'll ask them if they'll be nice.

37:43 And not called you a goddamn son of a bitch if they can come over and and play well that just that just upset me so much here this here. I looked at this darling little child of mine saying those foul words to where nobody swear words with her and the way they are.

38:10 Oh babe, they were just normal boys cuz I have been invited.

38:20 Teachers wives were included in and lots of things especially the music teacher's wife because they are people often ask favors of the person who send music to provide program. So so I think we were treated better than somewhere and then I was going to buy the to the out to the country club to play bridge one day and the new purse

38:57 New red versus very pretty and I'm taking it out before I left then I went on it was playing bridge and with my purse beside me and I reach them to UPS going to pull out my handkerchief and it was full of little potatoes. I had Tim have been playing at in the kitchen before I left and filled it with little potatoes. I was partners with one of my friends after when she had the chance to she's since all of a sudden you had the funniest look on your face that is there. Something is something the matter.

39:47 And I said, well not really the matter unless she called you when you find your purse full of potatoes and don't want to say goodbye this didn't you go ahead and play the rest of your game.

40:07 I'll just we're getting to the finish up point now and the one thing that I remember from Tim talking and you is spending time at the farm with their grandparents.

40:20 Do you remember any stories about that? Well, it said that the folks.

40:27 We're just almost they were so pleased with the boys as soon as I heard about it while anyway he like he buy a calf leather it take Larry to an auction and they buy a calf and then he'd see that that winter and then laid they've go and and slept in and Larry Wood and the bank but they made on it and they did so many things that it's just hard to

41:07 Hard to say that I think we're the boys to visit. There was always a pleasant experience and and they never if I M anyway way criticized the boys that was to the place that he think maybe they should be taken away from me. But I was I was I should be there mother that yeah.

41:32 Well, it was a little competition with the other grandparents to on the Holquist side. Well bath really didn't play fair about that. You see we've come up to Lynchburg to spend the vacation or weekend. Well, Dad would make it a point one time. He got them kittens. We were on our way to Kansas City and stop there and when we got the list for dad had a kitten for him and one for Larry.

42:10 The boys didn't want to leave. They practically ruined our visit to his sister in Kansas City because all the time that they were wanting to leave and get back to list Lynchburg to their cat.

42:27 At one time he brought home boxes so that they could build a treehouse.

42:36 And like a rainy day he went down to the jewelry store and got the old clocks.

42:48 At in a box that he brought home and gave the boys each a screwdriver and have them take them apart and things like that. So, of course, they didn't the mother couldn't have to go then leave their her going to have tooth out to the listen to the office and I wouldn't have wanted to leave either. I don't think so. This is fan the fastest 40 minutes I've ever spent in my entire life. Thank you Sally.

43:24 It was a place is sort of hard digging up some of those memories.

43:33 But they're good ones to him.

43:36 And thank you for sharing with me.