Margaret R. Feucht and Mij Byram

Recorded April 16, 2006 Archived June 7, 2006 01:01:35
0:00 / 0:00
Id: SCK000279

Description

daughter interviews mother

Participants

  • Margaret R. Feucht
  • Mij Byram

Venue / Recording Kit


Transcript

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00:03 1 2 I think we're rolling.

00:06 My name is Mitch byrom.

00:10 Also born is Margaret and fight and I am 53 currently in Boca Raton sitting here with my mother and her name is

00:26 Margaret feucht

00:29 80 years old

00:33 Boca Raton

00:36 On Easter Sunday

00:39 12:40 p.m.

00:44 Trevor think you'd live in Boca Raton when you grew up in, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

00:50 No, I didn't.

00:52 I used to know girls who came to Florida spring brakes or something. I thought that wow.

01:01 I didn't think I'd ever live here.

01:05 Would you talk for just a little bit about Milwaukee growing up there and your cousins?

01:13 The Farms the cities

01:18 I knew all four of my grandparents. I knew all my cousins.

01:23 In that way. I was very fortunate very blessed new my aunts and uncles had a loving extended family.

01:36 Lived in Milwaukee all my life

01:40 Went to school there.

01:44 No, I lived in Sheboygan for a while.

01:48 And after I was married I lived in Plymouth in Sheboygan Falls.

01:54 What Milwaukee area Racine?

01:59 Went to school in Milwaukee.

02:02 To high school

02:06 And my high school folded went to college in my college folded. So if anybody wanted any records of me that have a hard time finding them in the academic records.

02:19 I went to Catholic schools through high school went to Catholic College.

02:32 I don't know.

02:35 Had friends all the time.

02:42 What do you what do you want to know?

02:46 When you were growing up your born in 1925.

02:51 Sol the Depression era

02:56 How did that affect your growing yours and your life today who you are?

03:07 Well, I've been always been very frugal.

03:10 Throughout my life at there hasn't been a lot of money.

03:14 And now it seems I have it easier than I ever did and all my life.

03:20 I can remember wearing boys shoes to school.

03:24 Because they were heavier or better.

03:29 Remember my mother cementing.

03:33 Rubber soles to my shoes when they were holes in and they used to wear holes in your shoes.

03:43 Then they become loose knit flap when you every step you took.

03:50 Didn't have a lot of clothes. I had two pairs of shoes one for Sunday and one for every day.

03:58 Didn't have an overabundance of clothes like that many of the children have nowadays.

04:06 But basically I had things that were necessary. I had love and

04:13 Security

04:15 My mom and dad

04:17 Loved us.

04:20 Have two brothers.

04:23 Remember when my brother Howard was born? I was up.

04:27 I was thinking this morning. I was less than 5 years old and I went up was taking up to my grandma's house and stayed there for a couple of days.

04:37 And I knew my parents were moving while I was gone.

04:43 And they had written to me up there at Grandma's house and said we have a surprise for you when you come home. I told my grandma or words the house in the backyard that seem to be very important to me that we have a nice backyard.

04:59 And then when I got home there was little brother.

05:04 But you know, that wasn't that's one of my earliest memories I guess.

05:13 I had an older brother, but I don't remember when he was born. He got older than me but older than Howard.

05:23 Anna

05:25 Amber Howard having whooping cough. I need who played who but night. He's coughing cause you don't hear of whooping cough anymore.

05:36 But it was scary when he would start to cough cuz he would just just about turn inside out her turn blue with this coughing.

05:49 Later on. I remember I taking my brother's to the movie house on Sunday afternoon.

05:55 Always had to take my brother so long.

06:00 They were okay. They love me now.

06:07 I don't know.

06:13 You've told me that you lived in a lot of different houses.

06:17 In Milwaukee that there were a lot of different addresses.

06:24 You talk about some of them or what you remember and why you move from place to place.

06:33 Well, the earliest one that I can remember is.

06:38 The church at the house that we lived in when I went started school.

06:44 Going to kindergarten from there and first grade second grade.

06:51 Remember if it was in second grade or third grade we moved to

06:56 Sheboygan, I think we were renting at that house in Milwaukee.

07:01 Then we rented a house in Sheboygan.

07:05 And we bought a house in Sheboygan.

07:09 And we moved back to Milwaukee and rented a house and we bought a house.

07:16 And my dad got sick and we went to my parents ran a rooming house.

07:23 Which we didn't buy it was we ran today. I believe I'm not sure about that.

07:30 Then after that

07:33 I bought a house again.

07:38 And that's that that's the house that I was married out of.

07:43 And then it my married life I lived in an apartment in Milwaukee.

07:52 And we moved to Sheboygan.

07:57 And we rented out a relived out on the farm in Plymouth.

08:04 And then we bought a house in Sheboygan Falls.

08:10 On York Street

08:12 That's right.

08:14 And then from there we moved to back to Racine.

08:19 We rented a house and then we bought a house.

08:25 And that's where I really raised the family.

08:30 The one on Park Avenue, New Mike was born there.

08:35 And Mike was born on College Avenue where we were renting and then we bought.

08:41 And I sold that house and moved to Florida.

08:45 Bought a house down here sold. That bought a condo here in Boca.

08:52 Those are the houses I've lived in that's a lot.

08:56 Why do you think I'm sure when you're young you don't know of all the reasons why but that seems like a lot of moving around Milwaukee. Do you have any well, my dad was working for the t m e r and l company the Milwaukee electric Railway and Transport company.

09:18 And he had a hero. He drove drove. I don't think that's the right word. He ran the electric train.

09:29 Milwaukee to Sheboygan

09:32 His run started in Milwaukee will then every on know how often they pick new runs and then he got to run out of Sheboygan into Milwaukee. So I guess it seemed sensible to them for us to live in Sheboygan and we read first then we bought

09:53 And then he got to run out of Milwaukee again. So we move back to Milwaukee granted and bought.

10:01 And then he got sick and couldn't work anymore and they had the rooming house.

10:08 Sol is job-related

10:12 Very much.

10:15 And yet when I remember you talking about childhood memories you talk about a lot of farm experiences, is that where you spent your Summers and how did the farm the farm country the farms in Wisconsin and then two cousins had how did that play into your growing-up years

10:36 My mother's mother and father's brothers and sisters all lived on farms. My grandparents lived on a farm.

10:45 And I'd go there for two weeks in the summer go to Aunt Philomena sort of Grandma and Grandpa and I'd spend

10:54 Time with my cousins there and just have fun. That was my vacation.

11:01 So that's how I knew about farming.

11:06 Did you have to work on the farm or was it just play and do you have any memories or stories that you can share about the farm play? I was just having fun with my cousins.

11:17 Rose Marion

11:21 Just having a good time.

11:28 What kind of food do you remember?

11:31 Having as a child that perhaps was unique to your family to your heritage or maybe something that was just around then that's not around now.

11:46 Can you talk a little bit about the food that you ate as a child and that you eat now?

11:53 I don't know.

11:56 I know that for a long time we had roast on Sunday and hash on Monday and I didn't like hash I didn't like oatmeal we had oatmeal a lot.

12:06 Cook cereal a lot and I didn't like cook cereal. Wait a minute. You fed us cook cereal 5 days a week growing up. You seem to like it. You didn't see me eating any of it. Did you?

12:24 You didn't see me eat it.

12:28 Now I eat oatmeal.

12:35 The way we change

12:38 Let's talk about Bread soup you brought that up recently being soupy soup. Did you eat those things as a kid or did that something you just dreamed up for us to eat? No, we had them. That was a good way to use up the dried bread.

13:00 Put a little bit of milk and sugar in it. Maybe some raisins if you were lucky.

13:05 And have that for lunch.

13:09 I don't know that we had bean soup. We had a lot of soups, though.

13:14 It was an economical dinner.

13:16 You didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up.

13:21 Not much money.

13:25 Did your friends the people in your neighborhood send it school? Did they seem to have a lot more than you did or were they in the same situation? They were probably in the same situation, but to me it seemed that everybody had more than what I had. I just was that kind of a

13:44 Was discontented child, I guess really?

13:51 You did well academically though in schools my understanding from stories that you've told me and you got to walk along well with the the nuns and people that talk to you and that you learned a lot more from them than just the Reading Writing in math. Can you talk a little bit about your crafts that you learn from them and the summer programs in the snow days that bring to mind any stories?

14:17 I learned how to Tad in school when I was in fourth grade fifth grade something like that was a very snowy winter the winter of 1936. I think 35 36 in the year that Lake Michigan froze over from one side to the other.

14:37 And I went to school every day that you're remember my mother pulling my long underwear down falling it over and then pulling my stockings up over the long underwear fasting them to a little garter waste that I wore.

14:54 And then snow pants and boots and scarves and got to school everyday. I had a long very long walk to school.

15:04 But I got there and so sister taught us out at at

15:10 The other crafts I think my mother taught me to crochet knitting. I picked up on my own or I went down to Boston Store in Milwaukee in.

15:20 They showed me how to do it.

15:25 But that I I always enjoyed.

15:30 Doing crocheting and tatting.

15:33 Knitting

15:35 Sewing my mother did was a great seamstress. She did a lot of soy, so do most of my clothes as I was growing up.

15:47 And even after I was working she was making my dress as yet.

15:52 Mac learn how to sew then

15:59 You mentioned earlier about your father getting sick. I know he died when you were pretty young and that have a significant effect on your family life than at home. I know you also need a very strong mother.

16:15 I don't know the how it affected us, but

16:18 He died the year I graduated from.

16:22 High School, I think it was I graduated in June and he died in fall.

16:29 Are you here later or something like that? I don't know but he was sick for a long time before he died. My mother took care of him and

16:39 It was hard for her.

16:47 And just for the record, what did he die from?

16:52 Who knows?

16:55 High blood pressure and

16:59 These two colored arteriosclerosis

17:04 I don't know if it was a stroke or what. I don't know what the death certificate says.

17:10 Have no idea

17:14 That sounds familiar to you or to your life to taking care of your husband for a long time. I'm dying at a young age.

17:26 Well, it was it was life repeating itself. My mother was 40.

17:33 In her forties when she was widowed. I was in my forties when I was widowed.

17:40 She had

17:42 The two boys were still at home. I was working I was living at home, but I was working.

17:49 When Daddy died

17:52 I had 3/4 if you at home.

17:55 Four of you, I guess it was.

17:58 So you just pick up and go do

18:05 What's the worst trouble you ever got into as a kid?

18:11 I didn't get into any trouble. Right.

18:16 I don't remember.

18:18 Alright, then. What's the worst trouble your brother's got into?

18:23 Lighting matches

18:27 Then my brother had a sit on the curb and light a whole box of matches.

18:34 Vitamin blow-up slide in the whole big box of the farmer matches

18:41 What's a reasonable consequence where did you get direction to discipline your children?

18:51 Seat of my pants. I think I was a powerful a power.

18:58 I like the power.

19:02 And I think I was very

19:04 Tough with your kids

19:07 It was

19:10 Did I rule by power or by love? I don't know there was love there, but there was also power.

19:17 Feeling of power

19:23 What's what's the story about?

19:28 When we were growing up, and I know that you were you and Daddy would pretty strict with us.

19:34 But

19:36 You said before that we or you set some standards for other children in the neighborhood and our friends?

19:45 Tulsa well, the remark was passed and I heard it that if the fourth children can go you can go if not, you can't go either.

19:57 So peep neighbors felt. Well, we were pretty strict with the children and if we let them do something that would be okay for their children to do at 2. That's

20:15 That's what it is.

20:23 Do you remember any punishing punishing us ever?

20:27 I can remember chasing you around the house with the

20:31 Not ping pong paddle better one of those battles with the Rubber Ball.

20:37 Fastened to it

20:39 I don't know that I ever used it.

20:43 That hard on you might have swatted you one.

20:49 I don't think I did too much damage.

20:55 Do you have a best memory from childhood?

21:02 I can't think of anything. Okay, this one you'll think of nicknames your nicknames. Hold on.

21:11 My nickname was muggy.

21:13 And to this day, my brother still calls me muggy.

21:18 This was the boys called me.

21:21 I know I told it's cool. I was Margaret.

21:27 Is Margaret?

21:29 When I got married, I was Marg.

21:32 After I was widowed I went back to Margaret.

21:36 I like the Name Margaret.

21:42 I do too.

21:46 Just friends from when you were growing up to keep in touch with them as you moved. I think of it sometimes that I didn't keep in touch with any kids from great School from High School.

22:00 Neighborhoods or anything like that. I don't have any.

22:04 Old old friends like that

22:08 What about the friends that you had when you and daddy. We're raising kids you still keep in touch with some of them, right?

22:15 Most of them are gone.

22:17 Most of America on the cremains Securities Janoski's

22:24 All the neighborhood people are gone.

22:29 Weber's

22:38 All right. I know you say that. There's nothing to the story, but just for the record tell us how you met Daddy.

22:48 I was working at Marquette University in the office.

22:53 I don't remember if I'd seen him around on campus. They're not but

22:58 We went to the same church and we sang on the same choir.

23:04 And after choir practice one night

23:09 It was late. Late, but 8:30 or so, and we started walking toward home. And I knew he lived across the street from me, and I said you going my way.

23:20 Said I was the first one to talk and that's the way it went.

23:26 We walked home from church from choir practice together.

23:31 And then we dated fell in love.

23:35 Married and oh my

23:42 Was that a first boyfriend?

23:46 Really all yeah. I didn't really have a steady boyfriend and I think that was one of the things that bothered me in high school. I went to an all-girls High School.

23:57 Anda

24:00 The other girls would talk about boyfriends and I didn't have any.

24:06 Butter

24:09 It's the way it was.

24:14 It was pretty much my first yeah.

24:18 And then all my moving out of your parents house into a house of your own.

24:28 We're just a little apartment.

24:35 Bedroom and bath kitchen, I guess it wasn't much but we enjoyed ourselves Erin.

24:44 And he got a job at in Sheboygan Falls and

24:49 We moved up there for a while. We lived above my mother.

24:54 Come to think of it when Kathy was born.

24:58 She had a little.

25:01 Little flat up there with a again a bedroom bath kitchen and living room.

25:09 And then Kathy was born there.

25:12 Then he got a job up in Sheboygan Falls.

25:17 And we moved up there.

25:19 What kind of a child what was Daddy doing when you when you met him? He was a student to my phone, correct? And then and then what did he do after that? He was a student at Marquette.

25:31 When we got married, and he finished his degree after we were married.

25:37 And you got a job with an accounting firm in Milwaukee in Milwaukee first.

25:43 But then he

25:45 Got a job for Chris tjoa in Sheboygan Falls as controller.

25:52 And he worked there for

25:55 I know how many years five children.

25:59 Four children were born up there.

26:02 Panda

26:05 Then he got a job teaching at Dominican.

26:09 Worked out and got his master's degree.

26:14 And

26:16 We moved to Racine so he could teach at Dominican College.

26:23 Sol from a student

26:27 Into having a family sounds like there wasn't a lot of money there either and then as a teacher

26:35 I had to present some challenges. So it was it was hard we

26:42 I can remember he got paid.

26:45 9 months a year

26:49 And every month we would take a certain amount out of the check put it into the bank.

26:56 So that in June July and August we could take money out to live on.

27:01 So we live on

27:04 Two-thirds of his salary

27:08 I know how it worked out, but

27:12 Something like that, and then we had money in June July and August when he wasn't working.

27:19 To live on

27:22 So some of that soup making that you learned came in real Handy and the sewing

27:31 He didn't want me to work.

27:35 Outside the house. I didn't finally at the end get a job and pennies part-time in the fabric Department.

27:44 But that was after all the children were grown and

27:48 I think I was through college to then Ur going to college.

27:55 Cuz I wasn't able to go to college after I graduated from high school and was no money.

28:02 So then when he taught at Dominican I could go there and get my college degree.

28:07 Without paying tuition

28:10 So that's what I did.

28:12 All the children were doing homework, and he was doing homework. So I had a drawing them and we all did homework at night.

28:21 You are a good student. I remember that I remember all the nuns loving you today. I think I don't remember.

28:29 Cum laude, I think I graduated from Dominican. Yeah.

28:33 Can your degree Bachelor of Arts?

28:41 Sociology major psychology minor

28:45 And I went to University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

28:50 Evenings working toward a master's but then

28:55 I got to the my head 27 hours already, but I needed three more and that last course was either a thesis.

29:04 Or

29:06 Directed readings or something like that and then an 8 Hour exam and I said, oh no, no, I quit then.

29:16 I didn't need that you don't like to be told what to do. Do, you know? I don't not anymore. Once I realize that I could rule my life my own way.

29:29 Not ask anybody I don't eat vegetables.

29:33 Anymore, I don't particularly like them.

29:38 I don't have to eat them anymore.

29:42 Go to bed when I want to get up when I want to hun.

29:47 Do what I want to.

29:49 I think you waited a long time for that. I did I did.

29:56 Took a long time to get that.

29:59 At first I didn't realize I could do that.

30:06 Is there anything else that you'd like to do now that you realize that you can do that or anything that you'd like to stop doing now that you've had a few years of experience in know? I'm content now.

30:22 Content

30:26 Talk to me for a little bit about some of the trips that you took and the travels cuz I know that

30:32 As a comparing what we did as a child and perhaps your vacation as a child at the farm to some of the really cool things that you've done as a retired woman on your own. Let's talk about that.

30:51 Remember what the first trip was? Oh, yes. I went to Mallorca.

30:59 Which brand berdych from Shoop?

31:03 In Racine

31:06 That was the first time I

31:09 Went very far I guess.

31:13 That I went to England one time with leisure.

31:20 And I went down.

31:24 New Orleans trip with

31:29 Lane bird LaLanne

31:32 Red Red Lion

31:36 And no.

31:39 Those were fun trips.

31:42 Anything stand out any stories any situations or fun things? That happened? No.

31:55 Not really.

31:59 These were nice ladies to travel with but

32:03 Tran verdict is gone.

32:06 Please

32:08 Not able to travel anymore and Elaine and I have just kind of drifted apart.

32:16 I don't think I'd want to travel anymore. Anyway, I can't get around well enough anymore.

32:25 Alright, let's talk about our family vacations getting in that car in the station wagon and singing.

32:37 Also songs from Mitch Miller and who knows Girl Scout songs? No seat belts if I have to stop this car. Oh, yeah you never did.

32:53 He never stopped it but

32:57 There were six of you in the back there.

33:00 We had a big station wagon. Sometimes we have the seats up and then we put the seats down and you'd sleep in the back there.

33:09 We did a lot of driving with your kids. I have to say that we drove out west.

33:15 Drive to Niagara Falls.

33:22 I don't know what your memories of them are but

33:29 Been a long for the ride. Did you do most of the riding or the driving? Did you get to drive to drive somewhat, but I can remember one time when I was driving. I was really dangerous. I was falling asleep.

33:44 We were coming home from out west.

33:48 Daddy was tired and I was tired.

33:51 I should never have been driving. We were very very fortunate. Very blessed. Somebody was watching out for us.

33:59 That nothing happened on the road.

34:03 But we share the driving.

34:08 Cuz it's too much for one person.

34:12 And then after

34:14 I was down here in Florida drove up to Wisconsin every summer for almost have been 10 years or more.

34:23 Tell eventually it was too much for that, too.

34:31 I don't drive much anymore.

34:37 Sol Outlast you set out west where out west did we go?

34:43 Idaho

34:46 Spokane, South Dakota

34:50 Daddy's sister was out in South Dakota.

34:54 The Indian Reservation out there

34:57 Daddy's family was in Idaho.

35:02 I didn't meet his foot his parents until.

35:08 After he graduated from college

35:12 That summer after we were married. We took the train out there.

35:20 And that's when I met his family.

35:26 Then we went out another time by train.

35:30 Went out at least once by car.

35:38 With kids

35:41 How about kids I was pregnant the first time we went out there on the train. So always had kids.

35:51 Had to be a big part of life then if your married life. Oh, yeah.

35:58 For how many years

36:00 Six of them within 10 years by the time they're grown up.

36:05 B

36:07 18 and 1028 years of kids

36:13 Salat

36:17 You did a great job. Look at your kids, you know, you're proud of who I am. I'm very proud of all my children. I think they're great people.

36:27 And I love to be with each and every one of them.

36:32 When they come

36:35 Okay, so I won't ask you which one is your favorite?

36:40 The one that needs me the most at the moment is the one I love best way to go back from it at system vacations going. I remember very clearly going to Pennsylvania to visit and seeing more kids and then also going into Upper, Michigan.

36:59 Do you remember any stories or incidents about them and your brothers and the family events?

37:07 I remember once when we had all six of you Howard Head.

37:15 He had sex my brother Howard had six or more.

37:19 He came to Wisconsin and we all went up to the

37:23 Cabin

37:25 Jean my brother who was a priest and my mother came up there.

37:34 It was too big a crowd. Can you tell tell us what the cabin was like up there? Where where where were you and what was that? Like what were the facilities in the accommodations?

37:48 Well, we always talked about it. Just the cabin.

37:52 Belong to one of the nuns at Dominican

37:56 And there was a little house in the back where the sum of you kids slept there was a house in the front.

38:05 And it had a disappearing staircase stairway that went up to the second floor disappearing staircase. Hold it down. You pulled it down with the rope. And then you had steps it would go up it open ceiling opened up. Are you pull the ceiling? I don't know how it worked anymore.

38:26 But

38:30 Is very primitive living?

38:34 Out Houston

38:38 Bath in the wash tub

38:43 But it was fun. It was we didn't have anything we didn't miss anything because we didn't ever had anything more.

38:51 Can you do you have any recollection of where about in the upper? Peninsula? This is just a little Bay De NOC Club to Gladstone and then come back down.

39:08 I don't really know if I saw a map. I could probably tell you how to find it again.

39:15 But time

39:17 To tell you how you got there. I don't know.

39:21 It was

39:23 Might have been in Michigan. I don't know if it was in, Michigan or Wisconsin.

39:29 What time the Webers came up there to visit us while we were there?

39:34 I don't know how many children they brought with them. They had a they had 8 to R6.

39:40 Howard Head 11 to r600

39:44 Weaver pikers

39:49 It's a lot of kids. So this cabin this vacation no indoor plumbing. I don't think there was.

40:03 Cuz I know we read up what kind of a shower thing outside.

40:08 And I don't know how we react that up. But I have pictures of grandma giving the boys a bath in a wash tub.

40:16 And I don't know what happened to you girl time.

40:20 I guess those things I don't want to remember.

40:24 We had a great time. We just got dirty.

40:28 So how is this vacation for a mother it isn't in camping was never a vacation for me. I didn't like camping to begin with and you know have to cook outside wash your dishes outside and all of that stuff. I'd rather be home in my own kitchen where I have running water and

40:54 Anyway camping was not not not my bag.

40:58 So it had to be daddy's Choice then.

41:02 Well, it was all we could afford couldn't afford a way vacation in a motel or anyting it was camping or no vacation at also.

41:13 You kids each had a used to pick up a box space corrugated box and each of you had a box.

41:22 With your name on it and that was your suitcase.

41:26 And you had to take care of your own clothes and your own.

41:31 They all went up in top in the car top carrier.

41:35 That was big enough to sleep in Surprise. We didn't put any kids up there to sleep, but I don't think we ever did.

41:44 But we did a lot of camping.

41:51 It's a tough vacation for the woman. I know women who love it.

41:59 This lady did not but you did it. And as far as we know you never resisted or complained it was just the way it was. That's right. That was all we could afford to do we couldn't.

42:18 It kept us together we were together and I think that was a

42:23 A blessing cuz I think I look at families now. I don't know that that's what kept us together, but I see families now wear. This one doesn't talk to that one. And this one's mad at another one and I don't have that in my children there.

42:43 They all love each other at least they show that to me. I trust that they're honest.

42:50 And I

42:52 They all talk to each other.

42:58 The good good thought to have

43:02 When you reach my age.

43:09 Times for tough growing up times are tough raising kids, and I know that things are different now, but did you ever think I can't do this. I've got to get out. Who is that even an option?

43:26 I thought of getting out.

43:30 I thought of

43:33 Holding it all in and going out completely.

43:39 But somehow

43:42 The spirit moved it was in me, and I didn't do it.

43:50 There was one time that I remember that I don't care to talk about any further than to say that it did happen that I almost.

43:59 I want it out.

44:05 I totally respect that.

44:13 Growing up Faith

44:16 Is really strong and we had to go to church and pray the rosary a lot.

44:25 When I think back on that I think will the world were we ever thinking about but I was raised a little bit like that.

44:36 And I think they're again the power.

44:39 That Daddy and I felt over you children.

44:43 You do the way we want you to do it.

44:47 There was no question.

44:52 It had some good results.

44:55 Oh, I'm very proud of all my children there.

45:03 I couldn't want any better children that I have.

45:07 When you look back at your childhood and your growing up yours, is there any moment that stands out that you would love to relive exactly as it happened anything that stands out is that was the perfect daytime moment gift.

45:31 I don't recall any no. I really don't and as far as reliving anything.

45:39 I got this far and I'm not going back.

45:42 I'm on the way.

45:46 So even raising your children in that segment in your married life to to look back and say to hold onto a memory and return to it. So it was fun having you can't send.

46:02 But

46:04 There were it was a hard life.

46:08 It was hard and

46:15 I think it's wonderful having little children, but they do grow up and

46:22 I don't want to take them back either.

46:25 How to switch up here a little bit

46:29 At 80 do your doctor keeps giving you the thumbs up and you're in relatively good health. I mean

46:40 Everything's working.

46:43 What do you attribute that to? I mean you couple of broken arms wrists, but that's only cuz you're hiking out in the Cliffs of the Atlantic.

46:56 How do you look upon your health and your physical well-being and you have anything that you attribute it to?

47:03 The only thing I can think of is that I have aunts and uncles who had long lives into their eighties and nineties and I must have gotten there long jeans. I don't know that I did anything in my earlier Life 2.

47:19 Produce a long life

47:22 Cuz I didn't necessarily take care of myself. I ate what I wanted and what we could afford and now I eat what I want what I can't afford afford it now.

47:37 And know if it's good for me. That's fine. If it's not good for me tough. I want to eat it. All eat it.

47:46 I'm not.

47:48 Looking in I'm not trying to live. I don't want to live.

47:52 Time 90 or a hundred

47:55 God forbid that oh my

47:59 No, I've I've had it.

48:03 Do you must feel pretty comfortable with death and there's not a lot of or is there a fear there of death? No, not any fear at all?

48:15 The other night when my heart started beating I just laid back and I thought well if this is it, this is it

48:23 Hard, maybe I'm coming to see you.

48:26 But I didn't it didn't Panic me or anything like that. So this is when your heart started for bulating and over beating. Just so is beating fast and anywhere you were comfortable with that turbo. I tried to stop it tried to slow it down. Nothing seemed to work, but that was okay to I wasn't going to wake Jerry. I wasn't going to call you.

48:53 I just thought well, it'll keep eating as long as you can and if it can't anymore it won't.

49:01 So this is got to have some tie into your thoughts about life and death and afterlife. I believe I believe that the next life is going to be a lot better than this one. Not that I'm you know, I'm uncomfortable now.

49:17 And I'm

49:21 You know probably to happiness.

49:26 I don't know what else I'd want besides what I have.

49:30 But

49:33 And I have it good.

49:37 I just think that going to see Jesus.

49:43 Is going to be

49:46 So much better than anything I've ever had.

49:50 And I believe this.

49:54 And it doesn't bother me to face death I've got

49:58 Funeral arrangements made in

50:02 That wasn't a problem for me.

50:06 It's got to be comforting.

50:09 I'm glad it's all taken care of ice. I've always organized everything orchestrated everything. So I thought the last thing I can orchestrate is my funeral. So I've done it.

50:23 I guess you were an orchestrator.

50:27 Sol

50:28 What did you think you'd be when you were growing up to do was there any ideas of I wanted to do this or I want to be there or I'm going to retire in Florida? No, I don't even know.

50:43 What I wanted to be growing up.

50:49 You know is a youngster. I don't know when I went to HighSchool. I took all the things for a secretarial work and that's what I want up doing and that's what I want up doing.

51:00 After I was widowed and

51:05 I just never set a course for myself.

51:09 To seek this

51:12 No, I just

51:15 I just happened.

51:17 She kind of lived in the now one moment. Like who is it Leiva?

51:26 I just happened to her.

51:29 Just happened.

51:31 Get married all of a sudden I had six children.

51:34 All of a sudden mom almost 10 years. That's all of a sudden after 80 years 10 years is of all of a sudden.

51:45 Anything you'd like your

51:48 Great grandchildren to know or any advice you'd like to pass along anything that you learned.

51:55 That would help future Generations love.

52:03 Love each other

52:06 And love truly and strongly.

52:18 I couldn't ask for anything more for them. I don't think

52:26 Great advice

52:28 Advice

52:34 Can you tell me a little bit about your parents ethnic background and where they came from what you know about?

52:42 Your ancestors mostly German. I have one grandmother who came from Holland?

52:51 When she was 18, she came over from Holland.

52:55 But otherwise, it's Luxembourg, which is pretty much German and German background.

53:05 I knew my cousin's one-family the children couldn't talk English when they started school. They talk to Herman at home all the time.

53:16 They learned English after Weiland.

53:20 It's a very German night picked up a few phrases, but I and I could understand some things that they said but I couldn't speak at all never learned it.

53:32 So was this

53:35 My grandma your mother's parents from Germany and your father had to explain it just a little bit further. So I Kevin little understanding my father's parents were his father was from Luxembourg his mother if it was from pressure. It's all German. My mother's mother was from Holland. My mother's father was from Germany.

54:00 I think he said no, I don't think they were immigrants I think.

54:06 My mother's father was born here.

54:10 A mother's mother came from Holland when she was 18.

54:15 My father's parents. I think we're born here. I don't know.

54:22 That I don't know and is it all pretty centralized in the Midwest and in the Wisconsin area? Yeah. It was pretty much in Wisconsin. They settled.

54:35 Supposedly one part of the Myers family went down to

54:41 Kansas I guess.

54:43 But we never got to know them at all. That was

54:47 Generation or two before

54:53 How do you think that that do you think that Heritage the German Heritage? Is there anything that we still carry with us? And how did it influence your your upbringing as far as food or arts or music or whatever?

55:10 I don't know. I have never thought wondered, you know, never gave it a thought.

55:17 That I do this because I'm German or eat this because I'm German.

55:23 I know that when you talk about sauerkraut sauerbraten, I know those are German dishes but

55:37 I eat Irish dishes to

55:41 All right, we're going to talk about a couple of your current day hobbies and crafts and puzzle making jigsaw puzzles. What are we looking at here Mom on the table? Jigsaw puzzle. I almost always have one out that I do I live alone.

56:03 And it passes a lot of time. I can hear the TV and work on the puzzle at the same time.

56:11 And

56:14 I do a lot of knitting and crocheting.

56:18 What are you needing in crocheting?

56:21 Whatever scarves mittens scrubbies dish Clause you name it? I don't like to knit large items like sweaters cuz you have to put them together and that's where I slow down. I like the knitting part, but then when you have to do this evening and putting it together, forget it so I knit booties.

56:44 Make them all in one piece mittens you can make in one piece scrub is just one piece of

56:50 Anyway, that's what I like to do and Afghans. Yeah Afghans, but not ones that you make a little squares and you have to throw them all together want to make one that's all in one piece.

57:05 So you don't want to do anything you don't want to do I don't.

57:11 Well, I started your sweater, but I haven't it's needs some seeming needs to be seen together and it's sitting there for months now or more waiting to be sewn together.

57:22 Well, it'll be cold again in another six months here in Florida.

57:30 Adult books that you like to read and you talk about some of your favorite books of your life and what you're reading now and read novels.

57:42 I like to read deeper books, but

57:47 I don't get into them that much.

57:51 Just finished a novel I've started another one. So

57:56 I do a lot of reading don't read magazines. Don't read the newspaper get my news from TV.

58:10 Sol

58:13 You don't read magazines. You don't get newspapers.

58:17 You get to hear news from the TV?

58:22 Can I ask about your political views?

58:25 Sure.

58:27 Democratic I think in most so we were talking about your politics.

58:36 Oh, yes. Basically, I think I'm a Democrat.

58:41 There's some things about the Democrats that I don't agree with.

58:45 Roe v. Wade is 1

58:50 Sol

58:53 Let's talk politics.

59:00 Basically, I'm a Democrat but I don't agree with everything the Democrats but I don't agree with the Republicans at all in most of their views. I know that Republicans are against Roe v Wade.

59:18 And for that I command them.

59:26 And I don't know why I'm a Democrat.

59:30 I know that when Kennedy ran I voted for Nixon him daddy voted for Kennedy. So we canceled each other's votes. I never got to vote for Kennedy.

59:42 Can I do my vote the first time?

59:49 Okay, we had to replace that Mike. So I'm hoping I mean a battery so I'm hoping that this works, okay.

59:59 I think we're going to wrap it up, but I got one more question to ask you.

01:00:04 Do you like your hair Mom? I hate my hair. That's from

01:00:11 Childhood. I've always hated my hair.

01:00:15 Thought enough to say about it by tell us about you hear what you hear. Would you like to have?

01:00:24 I would like to have more hair.

01:00:27 Coarser hair

01:00:29 Hair with a little body that is wimpy stuff like this.

01:00:38 So if you could change anything else besides you hear anything, did you change something and I'm so far gone, even my hair. I'm not going to change at this point. Keep it at other people who have to look at it. I don't have to

01:00:56 I comment in the morning and

01:00:59 That's it.

01:01:02 That's it.

01:01:04 That's it.

01:01:06 That's it for Mitch by room.

01:01:09 On Easter Sunday 2006

01:01:14 In Boca Raton, Florida and Margaret voiced her mother

01:01:21 On Easter Sunday

01:01:23 In Boca