Martha Thomas and K. Davette See

00:05 My name is davette see I'm I'm 56 years old today's date is October 15th 2015 at this is Los Angeles, California, and I'm the daughter. I'm worthless daughter.

00:35 What's your name? And okay, so my mom is here with me also, Mom.

00:45 Today's date and she says October 15th 2015 and we're in Los Angeles, California.

01:02 And what's your name? My name is Martha, How old are you? And I am 88 years of Rage.

01:17 And who are you to me?

01:19 And I'm the bed smother.

01:24 She's my second.

01:27 Child

01:30 I have two boys.

01:33 Keith and Marty Leeds and Maria and I'm sandwiched right in the middle. So okay. So I just I want to talk to Mom and find out a little more about you. I've known you as my mom and I wanted to know a little more about you, before I was I was around when you were really small. What's your what's the first thing you remember that you can remember her as a little girl.

02:11 Actually, I remember.

02:17 Coming from moving from the state of Texas to the state of Oklahoma.

02:27 I'm sorry. How old were you?

02:32 I was

02:35 Quiet you

02:37 I was I must have been about.

02:45 2 years old. Wow, and you remember that and I remember? Yes barely. What do you remember about it? Well, I remember we came my mother and my father and coming with my grandfather had gotten Iowa cousin to he hired him to bring us to Oklahoma and I remember coming with them. I remember we sat in the back seat of the car. I remember the card game are real, but I know I know how much you like to ride in car. So

03:37 I guess that makes sense that you would remember that. So do you remember anything about the car anything at all? I just remember it was black and it was

03:49 It had a I remember the wheel on the back.

03:58 I liked it very much. Okay. Alright, and I remember I know you were born in Texas and you moved when your baby to Oklahoma. Do you remember where you lived like the first place you remember living in, Oklahoma?

04:17 We lived with us when we moved here. My grandfather my grandmother.

04:25 My father and my mother

04:29 When we move to Oklahoma, we move to Taft Oklahoma and

04:41 That we stayed with them and say what the grandfather is all of us stayed with my my grandfather's grandfather's brother. My grandfather's brother. Uncle Willie is his name was Willis Jones. My grandfather was Joe Henry Jones.

05:04 Okay.

05:06 Do you remember I remember you telling me?

05:12 When you guys moved to Muskogee?

05:17 Before before big mama had her house that you lived in a boxcar house.

05:27 Well, we got a house and a pair and tell her there for a while. I don't remember how long it was a very long live there for a while and then we moved.

05:47 To another place that I can't remember very well.

05:52 All this is just sort of memory sort of.

05:58 Little memories little flashes. I remember my childhood. Anyway, it was like that.

06:08 So then we moved to Muskogee after we left that house and lived in a house. That was a boxcar.

06:18 Dentists, that's so interesting to me. I like you like this. What was it like inside? I remember my mother took this paper.

06:32 And paper the wall and my grandmother came out they came from Tav and helped her paper the walls with newspaper lived with newspaper headed night my brother and I used to read.

06:52 I was Lucy. I must have been.

06:59 I must have been four or five cuz I started school when I was four and I could read so I would teach him to save I said not best the sand so and he was very pleased to finally in my foot scab.

07:26 That's so cute. But it was fun to look at the paper on the wall. See the pictures on the newspaper course, they couldn't afford to buy wallpaper. So they use newspaper.

07:43 Okay, and you said you started school at 4?

07:50 You must have been smart.

07:52 Well, I remember the people saying that I was saying that I was smart.

08:03 I don't know about bad, but I remember people saying that I was smart.

08:13 What about

08:16 Well, when you got to be a little older you got to be like a teenager and I know you had you had two younger siblings. And then you had two younger siblings later on after that, but you were young woman by then when Big Mama married again after your father passed away.

08:37 What about your father mean? I he was gone by the time I came around, but I don't remember a lot about big mama course.

08:47 But what about your dad? What do you remember most about your dad?

08:52 I remember him.

08:55 He loved to dress.

09:00 Okay, go to church you get ready to go to church and I remember he always had a suit and sometimes he wear his shirt and fans. Sometimes he would wear his overalls and a cold and but he love dress.

09:26 Get ready to go we go to church and the most the thing that I remember most about my father.

09:36 Wow.

09:40 Right now, I think I'm kind of getting this mix done. I have to thank you play the guitar. Did he play the guitar? And then my my husband play to get your daddy didn't play the guitar. So had to be your daddy.

10:03 And we kept the guitar for years.

10:07 And

10:09 Here we go to church and he said over there by the lady that played the piano and he plays guitar. So that's where you got music from cuz I know you see we're very pretty and used to play the piano. I remember I remember Strother trying to get you to play piano a little bit and can you do the still? I mean not too long ago just like a couple years ago when we were still in Oklahoma for a little bit. You played the piano tunes together. Yeah, and I didn't I wouldn't call it now. I wouldn't call it playing the piano, but I could kind of weather.

11:01 Okay, so then your father passed away when you were fairly young, is that right?

11:14 I remember.

11:16 I mean cuz Big Mama remarried when

11:22 You were in your you were 20 or so cuz cardi enjoyed you were born when you were like 20.

11:30 21 I think right so your father must have passed away when you were in your teens at least.

11:40 Yeah, he did and then after I can't remember exactly how old I was I guess if I really had time I could put it together, but I don't remember exactly what we got to take southern events and put them together until exactly about how I only bar but

12:03 DS

12:06 We were I was glad young and then after after we married after we he he passed away mom remarried Georgia and Cardenas Daddy go to the grocery store mom work for him. And he's a little girl had a little girl. Oh, yeah. Yeah and Mom work for him in the store. And so that's how big they got together. Okay.

12:49 I know I know I know.

12:53 Some things I know a lot of things in there how you met Daddy and I could say but before you met dad and you've had your young woman and you were dating and then say so, but you told me about Camp Gruber.

13:10 And that was the most during World War II, right? So tell me again about Camp Gruber what could be real?

13:23 I got a job your daddy was.

13:29 Had he was a barber by the way, I don't think I had ever mentioned that he was a barber and but that was

13:43 Camp Gruber was before Daddy.

13:45 Wasn't it?

13:48 Lucy

13:50 Yeah, yeah. I remember her Camp covers during World War II when they had a prisoner-of-war camp there and used to go out dancing. Yeah. We had a quite very calm down Uso Club.

14:10 And I worked at a I had a job and I worked it a Jim young to barbecue place on Saturday. I made $0.50 a day.

14:26 Ignite and so I would meet these different guys in there.

14:33 Sell my my Miss mr. Young told me.

14:38 I'm watching you. I'm keeping my eye on you. Don't you dare be given them any of your money.

14:52 So I had people watching me taking care of me.

14:58 Yes, we did a we belong to this club and this these ladies would take care of us take get a bus and take us out to Camp Google and we could go out there and dance with the with Saudi. I didn't do too much dancing cuz I never was a real good dancer, but I did reply played cards be used to like to play for play friends and bid whist and we played that's order. That was my thing. Did you do when you're out there? Did you hear any bands or any?

15:42 I mean, I don't know did you mean did they have bands come out and play for the years? They have lunch special band they came and I don't know it wasn't he was heard. He was born.

16:00 At that time is it was Ernie feels fan. He wasn't just real famous or anyting but around Oklahoma. He was he was famous in Oklahoma is that the guy used to play in the clubs in Tulsa play in Tulsa. That's where he was from. He was from Tulsa. Okay. Yeah. I remember you telling me about going to the club life in Tulsa. I had no idea that you

16:41 Okay, and then they used to hire him to go out to Camp Google to play we go out there.

16:53 And then after awhile you I know you worked as a nurse's aide at the hospital while you were going to school to be a teacher, but you met daddy before that or after before I met him.

17:16 Actually, I met your daddy while I was working at Jim young because his Barber Shop was right across the street, but it was on 2nd Street right across the street from Jim young and so I had an opportunity to meet him there cuz I go over there and get my get my ID and my Edge up and my art eyebrows Arch and he did that. Okay, that's cute after he Arts your eyebrows. I guess you got to like you and how did he propose member how he proposed?

18:07 No, I don't remember that. I think I think you told me that he just said it was about time for you guys to get married.

18:19 Yeah.

18:24 So

18:26 It was something very subtle likes night. So.

18:32 Anyting where you get on your knees and propose so you got married and you went to school and you became a teacher.

18:53 And you had us at the same time and you taught for how many years before?

19:05 I talked for.

19:08 28 years

19:11 And you had that 28 years I retire from teaching I retired 3rd and 4th grade 3rd and 4th.

19:27 So there are things that I

19:31 The same as the

19:33 I know you for the things it's it's odd to me. Actually when you were talking to me about these things since I started thinking about me growing up and I think a lot more about me.

19:55 Is like you the night then I thought when I was growing up course, I didn't think I was anything like you growing up because I look like Daddy and but then as I as I've gotten older everybody says I look like you that I live and I looked at my pictures and I see I look a lot like you and

20:18 And I feel a lot of times when you're telling me things like

20:24 Reading the newspaper on the ceiling and liking to be no driving car being in the car and going places and seeing things.

20:35 I love this even going out.

20:38 Reading guy is in the singing and that kind of thing reminds me more of me than I probably thought when I was younger, but the things

20:52 That

20:53 When I look at you and when I think about you.

20:57 Your voice your beautiful voice which I love so much and everybody does and

21:07 People used to ask me these tell me all your mother has such a beautiful voice. Can you sing like your mother know? I cannot say the weather, but that boys I remember thinking I might be a star she you know, if anybody heard her voice, you know, like your voice was so much better to me than so many other people. I heard recording and decide how my mom should have been a star.

21:39 There's that and then just

21:43 I used to worry that you wouldn't be there.

21:47 That you would pass away. I used to worry about that all the time and you worry about me all the time, and I think I got that from you because any time that you were late coming home from church or any time that you were late like, you know from work. I would get so scared. I would start calling the hospitals. I don't know if I told you that I would like psychology hospitals and see if it just coming. I think it I think I inherited that worried chain from you, but it's happy makes me happy.

22:26 That you've been around so long for me cuz you know Daddy passed away when I was in college and Big Mama passed away shortly after that they hungry and I also I

22:42 I worried a lot, you know, but it makes me happy that you're still kicking you're still here and you're going to fix Crystal kitchen and then you're doing really great. So I know sometimes that stuff especially since we brought you from, Oklahoma.

23:08 That's your that's where you been since you were two or three but

23:16 Well, anyway, I'm I'm proud that.

23:20 I'm proud that I had you all of Marty and keys that I had you good. Well, I know they love you, too.

23:39 I just wish I could make it better for you here.

23:42 And I'm trying.

23:45 I'm just happy to be here.

23:48 A good

23:51 Get me

23:54 Okay, I'm going to tell you my favorite memory of you. Okay? Alright.

24:03 My favorite memory of you is you putting me on a chair to wash dishes the sounds weird, but you're putting me on the chair to wash dishes and let him me wash the little tiny teacups and little tea saucers and stuff. They were up on the shelves on either side of the sink when I was little I wanted to touch those so bad and when you put me on the chair when I was little so I could do the dishes and he let me wash those awesome small and you letting me do that. Let me feel kind of grown up.

24:44 Do you have a favorite memory of me? What?

24:53 When you went to Albuquerque

24:57 And you're

25:00 When I went there for your wedding.

25:05 That was my favorite memory View.

25:10 And then you know you came you had to wedding. Do you have a wedding in Albuquerque and then we brought you we came home?

25:22 And that's where you had your wedding and you had another wedding in Muskogee. That was very good. I did that for you, you know because I would have just but I knew you wanted me to come home and be married at the church have all your friends and you know, my brothers and everybody there. You got a nice husband. I want to tell you that to thank you. I like him Robert yet. He likes.

26:03 You had a good husband to I like Daddy he work so hard and he would have loved Rob.

26:12 I wish you'd had a chance to read them.

26:15 He was you picked a good one.

26:20 Daddy work so hard

26:25 Animism

26:29 And I'm sorry you wasn't with us longer.

26:32 I am too.

26:40 I guess if I was going to ask you anything else it would be what?

26:48 What would you change right now if you could it to make?

26:53 Make things better for you. If so, if you wanted to make the chick make a change and how things are right now, what would you do?

27:07 I'm happy with things just they are and as they are I'm not I wouldn't change anything. I don't want to be a burden on you. I don't want to be a burden on you. That's the only thing I've got to try to be careful about things that I would like to do. Make sure that I don't do anything that burdensome to you.

27:39 You're not a burden.

27:41 And I don't get to go to church as much as I would like.

27:49 I know. I wish I could change that. I would try.

27:57 Okay.

27:59 Now, this is something what's your favorite?

28:03 You seem used to sing all the time. I mean churches church and music and your singing is all wrapped up for me. What's your favorite hymn? What's your favorite song?

28:19 What do you think?

28:26 It is well.

28:29 Who who is that your favorite song you sing for me?

28:40 When peace like a river.

28:55 Wynnsong like C

29:09 Weather

29:12 Dial has talk.

29:26 It is Well it Is Well with My Soul

29:41 YouTube

29:47 With My Soul

30:05 Mars

30:20 Thank you.

30:23 I do wish I could sing like that.

30:26 You have a beautiful you have a beautiful voice. I have a nice little voice.

30:39 I wish I could mm.

30:45 I wish I could tell you.

30:50 Everything that

30:56 Everything that you mean to me, but I can tell you.

31:02 What I got from you.

31:06 You're so classy.

31:09 I remember.

31:16 Will watching you and Dad get ready for church and it was great being a

31:27 What you know when Daddy was had a chance to preach.

31:34 But you are always upfront.

31:38 He would charge secretary for as long as I know for whatever Church's we attended and you always got a friend who did the announcements and you're so you spoke so well.

31:54 So clearly so

31:58 Beautifully

32:01 And thank you for giving me that by the way. I got teased about it a lot, but I

32:09 I'm so proud of the fact that

32:15 That my mother was educated and that she

32:24 She made me understand the importance of that. I feel like I'm

32:31 I wanted to go to college because you went to college. I wanted to go to the college that you went to I wanted to be an educated woman and carry myself that way because of you and going to church and seeing you up there free Sunday during announcements.

32:49 And then usually singing a solo and everybody.

32:55 Knew that you were probably the smartest woman in the room that made me so proud and honestly mom.

33:07 You

33:08 You ran with the circle if extremely smart extremely classy. Well put together and just amazing women. I loved those women. I loved watching you with them. You guys dressed smart. You were smart you I mean, they're just as it was something to admire into a Spire to answer. I got the clothes since I'm just happy in jeans and a t-shirt, but you I mean, I always loved watching you get ready with the hats and gloves and everything. So well put together and it wasn't just surface is all the way through.

33:51 Thank you.

33:53 Thank you. I love that. I'm proud that I had you.

34:01 She said well.

34:06 Oh, it was relaxing when I was born. What was what was special about that? Remember you told me about what dr. Chandler did before I was born.

34:20 What was I supposed to tell my doctor Chandler said that I was going to have a boy cuz that's all he had was boys.

34:34 And

34:36 I don't even know I was going to have a girl.

34:40 And so we had a bed.

34:44 That iron

34:46 It's going to have this this boy.

34:52 I had no so when he came after the baby was born.

34:58 And he came in to see me came in and gave me a buffalo nickel. You want to let me know that I had had a girl.

35:14 The one thing that I didn't get to do that I wanted to do I wanted I wanted to name my girl.

35:22 Which I didn't get to do.

35:25 Your dad's name was mother's name was Cora.

35:32 C o r a

35:36 And I told the guy I told everybody that I was going to name you at for me, which would have been Marthia Janelle. Nope. That's right. That's what that baby is going to be named Martha Janelle. So then when the after the baby was born they came in and said you better hurry up name that baby. It's a girl.

36:07 And Reverend Thomas has already said he's naming that baby after his mother. What was their name? I said his name her name was Cora. He's getting to know you going to be that baby's going to be named Cora.

36:27 Yeah, he got his way, but you got your spelling dead and you gave him my middle name and that's the name I go by.

36:52 Because you told me that that was before I went to school. You said you make sure you tell the teachers that your name is devet. That's the name. Is she going to go by and I stuck not too many people calling know you buy Coeur d'Alene. I think Rob started calling me quora just for fun. And I was like now there's not gay. But daddy is the only person I knew ever called you by your middle name called U2 net Daddy.

37:33 Okay. Well, okay. This is good. I'm glad that I learned some stuff. I love that thing. I love the fact that you remember that you were two.

37:46 Coming in a car from Texas and I tell you all the time. I remember being too when Marty was born and you sending me to get diapers for him sending me up the stairs. And you said I was too young to remember, so I'm not too young through it. If you can't I can so but thank you for telling me your story.

38:11 And for being my mom, I love you.

38:15 I love you.