Fannie Martin, Eugenia Scott, and Raja Hayat

00:05 My name is Rodger Hyatt. I'm 66 years old today is October 5th, 2016. And where in Buffalo New York. My relationship is I'm here with my sister and my mom.

00:26 Hi, my name is Eugenia Scott. I am 65 years old and today is October 5th, 2016 on in Buffalo New York and my relationship to the partners at the table is that I am here with my sister Rodger from California and my mother Fanny that lives in Buffalo.

00:51 Hello.

00:53 My name is Spanish.

00:56 Dean Martin

01:00 I'm here with my daughter and my two daughters.

01:07 Oprah I got to get my age.

01:15 88 mile

01:18 Hello. Hey there. Are you going to be my birthday. 88 years ago? I made it years of age.

01:31 Today's date is October 5th.

01:38 20 2016

01:42 I'm lovely in Buffalo, New York.

01:48 Relationship to Partners

01:51 Both of my daughters are my tulip here are my daughters daughters you is Russia.

02:00 Alamein and Eugenia Scott

02:15 Okay mother now. We are aware that I'm here in Buffalo.

02:22 Because you were

02:25 Eel

02:26 And I came here to take care of you, right?

02:30 So yes, I suppose.

02:33 What is a good company you need a company in and what did the doctor say that you're suffering from that he's your do you remember what he said you have dementia dementia right? Very good. So

02:47 How is that changed you?

02:52 How is getting older being 88 how is that affected what you would have normally been doing?

03:01 Use a goal without that. I'm not as active as I was.

03:11 That's all I can say about your memory.

03:15 X is fat or is not what it used to be ride, okay.

03:26 So

03:28 What would you like for?

03:30 All of us to remember about you. Is there something that you would really like for us to?

03:37 Think of you have some you know, when you go to the great beyond the river in the Sky the high mountain passes. What is it that you would like for us to remember about you?

03:51 That you were

04:03 Caught you off-guard with that one didn't I?

04:10 YouTube when when we talked to her

04:13 Grandkids and

04:16 Great grand niece. They hear this recording. What is it something that you would like?

04:22 Can you pass down?

04:31 Stitch we got our sarcasm from you, but we can truly say that I don't know where in Eugene. Can you maybe ticket started? Tell your mother how what kind of things do you think that you will remember most?

04:53 I will remember the way she used to whistle now. She's a very very very good whistler. I don't think she whistles anymore though, but I can remember that my mom and I were the only two in the family that could whistle so well and we used to harmonize with our whistles. But none of my kids none of my children inherit to that and none of my siblings got it either. It was a strapping special with my mom and me is that we could whistle and my mother always did sing and so our entire family would our our singers and she and her sisters actually had a little group the Williams sisters and they would sing and they were pretty good. They were fantastic weren't you guys would you say so mother?

05:44 I don't want to brag on myself. What do please do this is an opportunity that you can brag.

05:52 I think we did a good job.

05:55 Where's your dick? How many?

05:59 Speaking of sisters. How many is 8 sisters and 2 Brothers?

06:05 And your sisters and two brothers of us girls. And how many of you are left now do you recall?

06:14 Thank you.

06:17 I think it's fabulous and she

06:21 Play Francis and Jack and your brother Joe.

06:31 So is you Francis?

06:34 And friends and then your brother.

06:47 Write your now be eldest.

06:56 In Vermont, wonderful, how and where did you grow up in West Virginia? What part of West Virginia?

07:06 Brandon Rogers, so you were born in Glen Rogers morning Glen Rogers, West Virginia, and then you guys move to where

07:15 Lockout, but in between WhatsApp if you drove through what you miss it.

07:28 I don't know about your family new Bill Withers failure. How far did y'all live from each other? You didn't go to school with Bill Withers that time your sisters did right?

07:45 I don't know Korean and Julia. I think that's the story. But anyway.

07:59 Nickname

08:11 How can I know I had to do like it. The other?

08:23 The meaning of the older

08:27 Nieces and nephews some still call you Tootsie.

08:33 I think everybody has resorted to go to Miami.

08:40 So, how did you get to Buffalo from West Virginia? Because my sister Kevin Elders of the family and she lived in Buffalo, New York workers, right?

08:55 And she gave my sister Frances in May.

09:00 Vacation fun summer

09:05 To spend some time with her.

09:13 And then we'd like to so well that next summer. I was old enough.

09:21 Hurricane visit stay with her

09:27 After I graduated from high school

09:32 I just went to college for when I chew.

09:37 Then I came back. I didn't want to stay in school.

09:42 So I came up here and stay with cat.

09:47 I got a job I worked.

09:51 So here I am. Here you are so you graduated from DuBois High School Dubois high school that was located where West Virginia went to school when did went to Bluefield state for about a month or two? I did not get school.

10:11 Can I name you put scooter and Bluefield state is one of the historical black colleges or I should have stayed in there to be an English teacher, So are speaking was very clear because you make sure we spoke proper English. That's for sure.

10:37 When you were coming up?

10:40 I remember that song by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

10:50 16 times what did you get another day older and deeper in debt? Think they call me cuz I can't go to the top of the store. So what is the company store owners wanted money eagle?

11:11 Is Thor there number in news?

11:16 It was owned by a company and

11:20 And you could get cash.

11:23 If you needed money app.

11:27 If we're going to get any money out or whatever.

11:35 So they would do I charge it, right?

11:41 So that's why people go there sold in because you can never pay the charge off, but your family didn't really do that. Right Honest people. No, no, no, no. No, I mean your family didn't really owe a lot of money to buy coffee store in a country or rural community.

12:11 They did Egyptian farming.

12:14 Can we do farming sure that we are?

12:26 You say Garden, but it was really fun. It was farming. What was the where was some of the things that you grew on the phone? Whatever you whatever is that?

12:37 Cohen Orthopedics

12:44 Tomatoes

12:47 Potatoes

12:49 Sweet potatoes and white potatoes that you could manage

12:58 And you had animals. Oh, yeah, we had Pete's house.

13:05 A chicken that's a chick is lots of chickens. Nice fresh eggs and everything. They had a horse that horse. Do you have a name?

13:26 Oh my goodness. Did you ever fall off the horse know who's going to walk you walk to grammar school where we were that far from grams. How big was the school in high school? We took a bus.

13:50 Prevent ear pain when sitting in high school

13:56 So your grammar school was a one-room schoolhouse?

14:03 I think so. You know, how many, do you remember? How many grades were in there was a birthday to Ray from kindergarten to 8th grade of your brothers and sisters in class with you two.

14:19 Was Francis in the same one-room schoolhouse that you were into him behind in the same class?

14:26 Oh.

14:27 But not in the same class 00 K. Okay. What kind of a student were you?

14:38 My memory don't take me back at 4.

14:43 So once you moved to Buffalo one of the things I like about driving is that I remember

14:54 You putting

14:57 Me and Jeannie and the car early in the morning at the crack of dawn. You put us in the car and drive to West Virginia. And I remember sitting in the front seat of the car and you would teach us how to read a map and and you'd say or you get behind a truck and you would say I'm off this truck and then you said oh he's switching off and he's letting a truck up of ahead know that that I'm traveling down the road with with these kids in the car.

15:32 And that is one of the things whenever I'm driving somewhere and someone says I so I can read a mad because when I was little my mom she taught me how to read how to read a math.

15:46 And I still like having an atlas in my car to this day. I want a map in my car GPS is nice, but sometimes it's wrong, but give me a map and I taught my children how to read the map because you taught us how to read a map. So do you remember having this?

16:04 Switch off in the car and having box lunches in the in the in the back seat of the car so that we could stop. I mean you wouldn't have to stop only stop for.

16:17 To go to the you know, get some gas and go to the restroom.

16:22 I've often thought about that because whenever we traveled to West Virginia that was about what a 8 or 9 hour drive back then and that was in the 50s and 60s.

16:37 So there probably weren't a lot of places where African-Americans could stop and eat at a restaurant anyway, right?

16:46 So you always had like fried chicken and sandwiches in the car for us to eat and things to drink.

16:55 Was that one of the reasons or was it just because it was more convenient. I guess it was more convenient cuz I don't think we need when you were going up there. Did you have to deal with any what they call a geisha?

17:16 West Virginia win so bad with that.

17:21 But there was a lot of places set aside for the black or the white. I don't know if you remember, but I remember when we went to

17:32 Granddaddy's funeral and we're at a wolves near

17:38 And you don't know if it was you and Aunt Lena.

17:42 Look in your round and

17:46 I sat at the counter and I was waiting for something to eat and everybody kept ignoring me and then the lady said you have to go on their back and I couldn't understand that and I ran over to you. I said Mom want something to eat and lady said I had to go to the back. Do you remember that? Yeah.

18:07 He said that's okay. Come on. We're going to go to the house and get something to eat something. That was my my

18:14 That was my experience with 7 p.m. Lip coming from the from the north.

18:30 I'm not a favor, Cyrus. I don't even have to do that one of it you can think of.

18:40 Not right now. So many what about a poem you like poetry. Do you have what was that one that you were saying in the house something about it? Something couldn't be done. If a task is once begun never leave it till it's done.

19:00 I need the labor great or small never leave it till it's done.

19:10 I survived much as I can remember it was thank you. Okay.

19:17 And was there something about somebody said it couldn't be done by the said it couldn't be done but he was a chuckle replied that maybe it could but he would be one who wouldn't say so until you try.

19:33 Sorry pocket right in with the traits of a grin on his face if he were already here. So he started to say as he tackled that thing that couldn't be done and he did it.

19:49 My dad used to say that I think it's more to it. I got it from the beginning to the end. But the name was Samuel Wilson Williams Senior and he was a what was his occupation?

20:09 While he worked in a coal mine, but he was a Baptist Minister all my life. I remember him being a Baptist minister.

20:19 I love you. I'm working in a coal mine also, and his mother's name was Sarah Frances Sarah Frances probably about play and your mom to your Marianne Marianne and her mother and father's name to recall that Martha yourself Martha and John Redd Redd John Uncle John, okay.

20:59 And then you have that he had an aunt also my aunt Kristen Christina. She has to be 100 years old didn't you? I don't remember what y'all was. She was she was she was in Father like what kind of parents were they good?

21:29 My dad was a Baptist minister.

21:33 Who did the disappointing?

21:37 Obama did Miley Cyrus.

21:40 Mom and dad's house and that he did he have a you didn't really have 130 was what what type of Minister was in the bathroom and it wasn't me one of those traveling Minister has invited somewhere.

22:01 Hey are you kept hanging up on a girl?

22:06 But he was also a coal miner after church.

22:13 Couldn't agree more. Suppose and coal miners.

22:20 Your mom said she would fix his lunch.

22:27 They had when they called buckets.

22:31 Put water in the bottom. Then you got the Stray movie about the bottom are water in it.

22:39 And this has a tray up here.

22:43 That you could put your lunch in it.

22:46 Haven't you seen whatever?

22:54 Take your bucket to the and the kids were supposed to drink when dad come home.

22:59 It's a who get the bucket.

23:02 Baby to death over the always with say something in there for somebody to eat because they wanted.

23:13 There are very close with your younger siblings. That would that would have been Jack Julia and Corinne, right? The youngest ones that were June.

23:25 Oh and you and the water was why what why was it water in the bucket in the bucket? So they have something to drink.

23:33 Oh, okay drinking water. Okay, because there were underground in the coal mine. What did you did your family ever?

23:45 Experienced a frightful situation like I didn't mind he might have

23:52 Here's something that he would be late coming home.

23:56 You think you know where something was wrong down there?

24:00 Cut this way down.

24:04 Are the laws we sit around with?

24:08 Tears in your eyes or whatever. You don't know what's going on waiting for me to show up.

24:21 Interesting

24:25 What would your mother do when he was late was she she was very hard as you was but I think she would try not to let the kids know that she wasn't upset if she was.

24:42 You know quite sure she starts singing right when she always do that anyway.

24:48 And what was it when I know those nights when you are maybe worried about him. What was it? Like when he came home when he came to the door?

24:58 My name is Jubal.

25:02 Jubilant

25:06 Cuz the kids was always has always in a hurry, but he always left something in it bucket are the warriors in right and then this project you was here and you got your lunch in it and he always left something in there footage of those.

25:30 American Furniture

25:43 Hear it sounded like you had a lot of fresh vegetables and here we had a great big card erase love everything and you had a Apple Tree Preschool. We did our way to walk around and pick up diapers, but very loud house does not talk about the outhouse.

26:16 You know what? I'll talk to us.

26:21 At night you couldn't go out.

26:24 In use the Outhouse so had these buckets buckets.

26:31 Oh, I just slept nice white buckets. I mean containers.

26:48 They were little town fun and we had to wait outside.

26:57 When did when we first was more than half price at Target outside if you don't want to go to the dark side and night.

27:06 Did you see?

27:09 Which is interesting cuz sometimes when I'm watching shows like people in Alaska, they talked about having a flashlight to go out and to the Outhouse and I'm thinking

27:21 Wow, you go. You worried about going out at night to the Outhouse where I remember growing up. We didn't worry about that. We just had the bucket to you knowing I would say from Buffalo raised in the city and we are going down to West Virginia and if you want to go you got to go use that and I'm just going over my gosh. I was never so happy when my grandmother finally got indoor plumbing. That was like

27:55 Borgata indoor bathroom. Wow

27:59 So anyway, but that was fun. It was fun. There was Joy because now I can reflect back on those things. And when you guys took a bath would you have to take a bathroom in a tub? And you guys all use the same water the galvanized tub set the kitchen with the coal stove?

28:23 Right

28:29 Is it just a man or did the women answer did you and your sisters have to also help chop wood.

28:38 I don't know you don't remember.

28:46 How are you feeling right now? How many feeling?

28:52 Why you feel do you feel funny?

29:00 How does it feel to be sitting here with your two daughters? One of them came in from out of town?

29:06 You get to see them very often.

29:10 Are you happy to have her here?

29:15 B18c the first of my kids

29:19 Do you want to talk about your kids a little bit cuz we left out one. You have a son right? And his name is Kevin. And where does he live?

29:32 You don't remember he's in Texas now has been various in Texas. He was in the Air Force for a while and then finally settled in Texas cuz he said it was too cold for him.

29:48 Yeah.

29:50 You have how many grandchildren?

29:56 You have how many kids?

29:59 I have five children.

30:01 And I have

30:04 So you have eight grandchildren?

30:07 And Grant and Grant great-grandchildren. Okay. I have five great-grandchildren you have one so that means you have six great-grandchildren.

30:21 So that's pretty good.

30:27 Verizon Eugene you genius?

30:30 Said that she

30:32 I'm wondering if their songs and from your memories that like you always think of when you think of your mom.

30:43 Yeah, I guess so there are several like she said there are several because not only does did she sing.

30:51 Christian songs from the church and whatnot. She also knew a lot of jazzy songs also, so she was a very good jazz singer to and

31:07 Let me think of this song.

31:12 I said goodnight Mister Saturday.

31:17 Eden Prairie. You Don't Get Around Much Anymore

31:25 Who is singer Rodger?

31:33 I'm sorry what you say?

31:36 Going to let one. Okay, let's see if I can think of another one.

31:48 Think of Word Church

31:53 Set a reminder very good. You can name that tune in 3 note. We can play name that too. I just started humming and she knows it too. Well was trying to think of something.

32:08 I want to sing that one. No.

32:20 What are you all looking forward to doing this afternoon?

32:24 Well, I think what I'm going to do is walk mom closer to the Shoreline and let her slip in the river.

32:35 Let me jump in.

32:37 Grease live and I can jump you can jump all by yourself, right, but you don't know how to swear I can do it myself. You can do it yourself. If I try to help her do something. I can do it myself, but let me help you with your blouse. I can put it on myself. Let me help you with your shoes. I can do it myself and that's why I want to keep and maintain a sense of some Independence. Right, right.

33:10 The day will come when I won't be able to do it.

33:14 That's right.

33:17 And that's one reason why we wanted to do this.

33:21 So that we would have those memories and

33:28 Lebec

33:31 Okay.

33:34 Have you ever have you tried to whistle lately?

33:37 No, no, I haven't done it in.

33:42 Daddy used to be something I could do very well pretty or a block away.

33:49 We still whistle yellow bird.

33:52 I don't know if I can risk with my phone to you.

33:56 I bet you could.

34:02 Can you try to whistle?

34:10 On the floor and I couldn't stand back in that I have to walk around with a bat.

34:21 What kind of work did you do growing up? I mean, I know you when you moved to Buffalo Road, what were their different type of jobs that you had?

34:31 I work in a couple factory work to Westinghouse. I don't work at all, Trico products, right and Westinghouse used to be over by the airport. And I think you told us a story once that you were doing some cleaning for a hotel and they fired you because you were cleaning so well or you took so long because you wanted to make sure everything was nice and clean and they said Fanny we got to move faster or something like that. You don't remember that. Yeah. That was cool. Can I say well, that's the person you want in your hotel room cleaning?

35:13 I guess that was just something you did part time.

35:18 So you worked in a candy factory?

35:23 No sender email.

35:26 Okay.

35:30 I remember.

35:33 Sitting in the car, we will sit in the car and all the people with becoming the whistle with blowing all the people that would be coming out and we'd be waiting for.

35:42 Your dad coming.

35:45 And get us and we watch the planes take off.

35:52 Word for my dad to come out we were with either you or Dad to come out from work. I can pick you up from work, right and we still watch the planes take off and it was an ice cream place that we used to go to and get ice cream cones.

36:13 Whether if you remember where y'all remember is much older than a stronger than that. I don't remember that. Okay.

36:30 Is that about 5 minutes left? Is there anything you want to say to your daughter's maybe something that you've never told them or something? You want to ask them you can ask them questions to?

36:56 Now we know trying to run outside.

37:06 I don't want to see in the bed.

37:09 He knows how long I stay in the bed. That's what I could do, right?

37:20 Why does my phone go to bed? I sing You Are My Sunshine?

37:27 We got A Sneak one song together.

37:30 That might be out easy one.

37:33 You are my sunshine. My only sunshine you guys are crazy.

37:48 You'll never know. Please don't care. I know.

38:09 Hoop dreams

38:21 I was mistaken.

38:38 You are my sunshine. You make me happy.

38:49 When skies are gray. You never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.

39:11 Please don't say it. Don't worry.

39:14 Very good. That was fun. I was trying to get the right song. We can have really great Harmony. So that was good. Thank you mother. You're welcome. Thank you.

39:30 There's something in my area by. Yes, ma'am.