Tamra Coates and Leslie Kleinshammer

Recorded March 2, 2020 Archived March 2, 2020 38:18 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: mby019715

Description

Tamra Coates (59) talks to her uncle Leslie "Keith" Kleinshammer (84) about his memories of the air force and growing up, as well as what he remembers of Tamra's father, who died when Tamra was 9 years old.

Subject Log / Time Code

LK talks about his experience in the military.
LK discusses when and why he joined the air force.
Lk remembers Danny, his brother and TC's father, who passed away when TC was 9 years old.
LK talks about being on the diving team in high school and later on diving while in the service in Japan.
LK discusses his two marriages and remembers his second wife, who passed away 7 years ago.
LK talks about taking care of his second wife's children after she died.
LK explains his nickname, "Fuzzy."
LK compares life now to life when he was growing up.
LK talks about his current girlfriend and what they like to do together when they go on dates.
LK reflects on what he has learned in life.
LK talks about his political views.

Participants

  • Tamra Coates
  • Leslie Kleinshammer

Recording Locations

CMAC

Transcript

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00:04 My name is Leslie kleinshammer. They call me Keith. My mother didn't like the name Leslie why she need me less me. I don't know. I'm 84 years old. Today is Monday, March 2nd 2024 in Fresno, California.

00:21 What else you want to know? I don't know, sweetheart.

00:24 A relationship to partner. This is my what are you honey? And she's my niece her poor father was a wonderful wonderful man died in 1969 at the age of 39. And anyway, it's a sad story.

00:43 Hi, my name is Tamra Coates. I'm 59. Today's date is March 2nd, 2024 in Fresno, California, and I will be interviewing Keith kleinhammer my uncle and I am his niece.

01:03 Hi, Uncle Keith. How are you? Good, and thank you for coming this really means a lot to me. I have always been curious about our family history. I missed out a lot when like you mentioned are my father passed when he was 39. I was 9 years old. So for you coming in and having this interview with me, I'm really excited to tell me on the way over here. You are discussing your ethnic background. What is your your background? Well, my name is German. But the truth of the matter is I'm more Welsh and English than I am German. And even though there is a little town or Village named kleinshammer in Germany, and I've been fortunate to be able to travel a lot of places in the world that was in the service in Japan and South Korea in an ice station on an island for a while to do.

02:03 North Korea three miles from the 38th parallel and back to Japan and then 10 months in a why when a why was a beautiful place to be when there were so darn many people over there. But what was else did you want? Why did you enlist in the military dad then it was born in 1970 and then I take when he was about 17, his sister had married the fellow from Tennessee and but lived in Los Angeles somewhere and he went down there and then he came back to Lemoore and well he met my mother down there, Grandpa Kline.

02:53 Reborn, but my dad do you mean he was born in San Luis Obispo and 19 7 your mother in Southern California. Anyway, they married and moved to Lemoore. That would have been a 19.

03:16 Will your dad was born down there in 1930? So is 1931. I believe that they move to Lemoore and then he got in the turkey business because of their their names were Hunter Brothers. They were his hits his aunt married to Hunter in in the Caruthers. And anyway that they started my dad out and he raised his first year 100 turkeys. They gave him a he worked out a hundred poltz raise the hundred turkeys and he made more money that year selling that hundred turkeys than he did all year in labor and at that $0.50 an hour $0.20 an hour or whatever that he was making but anyway made enough money to buy 40 acres in Selma mini but another 80 and so they had a hundred and twenty acres and then my parents divorce though, and then, you know split all things up a lot in

04:17 Things kind of went downhill from there. I understand there was a in the more I believe it was there was a his own personal airplane course. Can you tell me more about that?

04:34 I don't remember exactly how my dad got started but he had a Fairchild c-119. I think it was it was the name of it was a buy winged airplane that they used as a trainer in World War II and then in 1949. I believe it was and he put in an airport then on our hundred and twenty acres and he had that are playing in and flew all over the all over the place.

05:06 I started the training and I got a log book and I only had a couple hours I think of training and and my parents divorced and so I never was able to go on from there.

05:20 Tell me some more about your military and I know we're bouncing around as far as my notes, but you mentioned living in Japan and South Korea and that you are enlisted. How did you choose your branch? Petrie's been dead for 12 years now. But anyway. We got out of high school and went one year to Reedley junior college and and he wanted to join the Airforce and I went to said the hell why not? So I went and I joined with him and I scored very well on my test scores and so they put me in the Air Force intelligence and add a background investigation by the FBI right in the local town to get top secret clearance and served four years in the Air Force work.

06:20 The Chinese problem really most of the time and

06:26 Do you have any fun memories of your time in the service? I have you understand. My father was in the service to can you tell me something about let's go back tell me about your childhood with with the aunt Marla and and Danny is older than me or almost 6 years older. Is that her father? And he was a very very good man intelligent man, and he went to Reedley College connect for 1 year, and then the Army was after him and I think he lucked out because

07:09 He was in Monterey and was going to shipping to Korea where I think most of his platoon was killed. Yeah, but he came home and he got the measles and somewhat by the time he got back to Fort Ord again. He he was in a different troop and they sent him to Germany. And anyway, so that was it now that that's not the word story is it?

07:37 Can't remember. I'm sorry right now. That's okay. That's okay. I didn't even know he'd been in Germany. That's awesome. Do you know what he did in the service?

07:48 No, I don't ya just curious. What is your your best memory of him while you were growing up?

07:57 No, I don't know you. I thought it was a wonderful brother. And anyway, and he had to put up with me that I was a pain in the butt. And anyway, we had the milk cows. We had a Grade B Dairy for crying out loud and it cuz he had that 120 Acres Yetta an old barn that he can bird part of it into the dairy barn and I remembered such a long time ago. But all we had was 110 gallon can of milk that we put out every day in and of course in those days, you know, we drank unpasteurized milk milk cows all the kids around had a milk cow. And of course we had one to start with I started milk and a cow when I was like six years old and your dad milked in the morning and they kept that milk for the family and mine.

08:57 Give to the dogs because the cow usually put her foot in the back. Anyway, things were different at that time with the boys had to work the add to work on the Refuge just mess around and you have horses. We had a horse's name was Chico had him for a long time and you or your dad loved that horse and he was in a really great, but then it got to the point where all we did was feeding a all the time and nobody ever wrote him and so my dad sold him and I heard that he had that was running it out some place in and put a foot in a squirrel hole or something and tripped and fell and broke his neck and killed himself, but

09:49 You mentioned that you had been in the service and on the way over here. You mentioned that you were on the diving team. Can you tell me a little bit more about that in any way? I'd like to our diving 32 feet and so forth, but when I went in the service and then when I was in Japan, I went to them all for Eastern air force swimming meet and Tokyo and I thought it was interesting because the the guy that one was I can't remember his name right now, but I think he was 8 in the Olympic trials. So he was pretty good from the University of Texas in the second-place guy was from the University of Washington and in he was perfect diver to it when the Pacific Coast Conference or something and I was from Selma High School and how it was terrible and I very very distant third.

10:49 I want to tell you I think that's awesome. You represented the Air Force in Japan in the diving competition in Tokyo. That is awesome. After you got out of the service. What did you do for a living?

11:04 Well

11:07 Can't remember everything for crying out loud, but I went to work for the assessor's office in 19 1958 to 1966. I worked at Arden Farms loading trucks at night from 11 at night till 8 in the morning, and I went to Fresno State in the daytime and I got my degree then and 19.

11:29 Vat19 1954 1958 1960

11:34 6 something like that. I can't remember 6363 agriculture who was General agriculture?

11:44 Then I went to work for the assessor's office. I know that and work for them for 21 years taxes. Anyway, I made enough money and I learned enough to

12:03 To retire it means I've been retired for like 50 years or something. I don't know 1967. I think it was what did you like about that job?

12:15 It was wonderful of being able to go out into the country and see the all the different aspects of Agriculture and learn more about incomes. And anyway, such a change that we have in our agriculture, but the greatest agricultural County in the world so pretty and I worked on derry's for crying out loud. I mean another fella praised every dairy in Fresno County and that was an experience. I want to tell you and

12:45 Some of these guys, you know, I mean they had hundreds of cows and

12:51 Very interesting interacting with the the Dairy Farmers and the changes in our Valley. I know that we have some large dairy industry here as well as agriculture.

13:08 Let's talk about your marriage is in your children. Have you been married so well in but I had three kids and

13:25 Twins live in Northern California and Michelle's lives when she's in Northern California to and I talked to her probably two or three times a week. She calls me and anyway.

13:41 Are you a grandfather? I guess I am and then you married again, right seven years ago. Tell me about Mary. She was a very intelligent lady and she became the city clerk for the city of Fowler and work there for many years and

14:08 Anyway, I came down with cancer and didn't last very long.

14:15 And how long has she been gone?

14:22 I don't I don't know exactly the year now. I can type. I know that the exact dates in fact, but don't come to me right now 724

14:34 7878 I'm a recent Widow myself, and it's only been 6 months since my husband passed. Can you tell me what got you through grief and how were you able to recover from? I think that's one of the most horrible losses we can face and I don't know took care of her children in Melanie and Steve and Steve is now coholic and I guess he's recovery now he lives in a halfway house with about six other guys, and he doesn't drink because if he did they join that but that's probably the only thing that's kept him sober and he had a terrible terrible life and Melanie and I had to help her out a lot. She

15:28 Got a divorce from her husband. They didn't do very well. He was alcoholic 2 and drug addict with although he's sober now. But anyway,

15:40 I helped her through school.

15:44 She became a medical assistant it cost me number thousands of dollars, but first of all to buy him a mobile home in Dinuba. We couldn't find one any closer for a person that that time that lived under the age of 62 or whatever. It was and found a place for them and then she kicked Robert out but then

16:08 Hill through school and cost thousands of dollars for her to get through cos and become a medical assistant, but now she's doing very very well and she's very involved in your life. It sounds like she helped you out a lot.

16:31 I don't have to worry about her doing any cleaning house or anything. I can tell you for sure. But anyway, yeah, she's

16:39 I'm glad you have something I'm glad you have somebody I understand you had a medical crisis recently and we talked about your healing. You want to talk about that a little bit CyberKnife Radiology. I have a cancer. That's right. Beside my heart. Anyway, I luckily I don't know how they even how they found it, but it was founded at an early stage. And so I had to make four trips to above sacrum Sacramento to Roseville where they did CyberKnife Radiology on me and anyway, but the last report that I heard was that it's very tiny and it's not affecting anyting. I have no problems breathing. I have no problems in my speech and and so I've been very lucky and thankful that they have the technology that they have today.

17:39 I bet I imagine that was scary. It seems to me looking at death. Do you have any thoughts about the afterlife in but I am not fearful at all. And what do you think it's going to be like Uncle I have no idea. I mean, I'm not a religious person. And so I fear that when you look at the technology of man that we've been around for 60,000 years and when you look at our age at 2020 that they come up with that figure because of religion and because 2020 ad after death, but really we're sixty thousand years old and come out of the trees and so forth. And so I have I have difficulty with religion.

18:37 I I just have to ask you do you think that you may see Merle in the afterlife or anybody after I say these prayers sometimes and then I say to myself I don't know why I'm saying anything. You know, it's just to me. Yeah, you know, I would hope that if there's a heaven that she's there I bet I am so that suspect about all of this.

19:06 Do you regret anything?

19:11 Do I regret anything while probably million things but I just can't bring him to mind anything bad about myself, I guess.

19:24 I understand. You have a nickname and do you know how you got that? Nickname when I was for 5 years old that I guess my head was Fuzzy. I don't know one of my neighbors called me fuzzy and it just stuck in.

19:46 Suck my whole life. I was born with the nickname and I'm wondering if you remember that joke.

19:54 I understand my my parents had three boys and they my father was certain if I was going to be another boy. So he made a bet with somebody. Do you know who he made that bet with? No, he made a bet with somebody bet a six-pack of Coors beer. And when I popped out of girl, I was called Little Miss six-pack and I was kind of thinking it might have been between you and him, okay.

20:33 Oh, I know your dad died 1969 at the age of 39 and it was so terrible 1969 age 39. He had so much to live with his Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, and I'm certain he would have been a Fresno County Commissioner of Agriculture. He had so much going for him and that it was terrible malady.

21:00 Rose lot smarter than me then a lot better person and people really liked him and respected him. And anyway, well thought of Southside of what did he look like 6 and I don't know I think was he losing a little bit of his hair in the back of a little bald spot on the back. I can't remember for certain I think so probably I don't remember very much about him at all. And I am a product of a divorce my parents were divorced when I was too and I had a weekend daddy and my dad married a woman who had three children and he had four already.

22:00 So at that time men typically did were not involved in the raising of children. So when I was at my father's house on weekend every other weekend, maybe one weekend a month there were seven children and he typically wasn't there. I do recall going to the movies in the back of a truck. He would pile all the kids in the back of a truck and we went to a outdoor movies. I would call his backyard a little bit about he liked growing things, but I don't really have any memories at all of of my father.

22:45 Which is as a as a girl father's roles are incredibly important and I miss that I miss that and it's good to hear that. He was a good man. And it did you still remember him because that's what brings our loved ones to life is The Memories We Carry

23:09 Okay, we talked about the marriages and Merle Uncle now that you've gone through several periods in life from you know, start looking towards reflection. What would you tell the Next Generation the people that might listen to our story about maybe my grandchildren's grandchildren or your grandchildren's what would you like to tell them where we had to have chores and we had to work you don't see that now you there in gangs and so forth and there might have been some enrie kids when you when I was in school and so forth but not games like you say today. Nobody got shot and might be a fist fight once in awhile or something, but it's a different world.

24:11 Until what? Would you advise them on like a hundred? Twenty Acres? Like my folks had the when land now selling at $30,000 an acre. How are you going to do? You know, it's difficult enough to make a living for crying out loud without buying property even houses you three for $100,000. I don't know how our young people can even get started when my first house was $13,750 and I bought several houses for rental houses after that but I might mistake was was managing in myself. So I should have put them out under management. Although it cost a lot of money. I would have been way farther ahead in the long run.

25:03 Volume Institute on the price of gas when you first started pumping gas. How much was that? I don't know what it is. I don't pay much attention. I have plenty of money and I'm able to get along just fine. I mean, I'm worth several hundred thousand dollars. So why wouldn't you know, I don't worry about it. I was just a comparison pricing the you know, the price of $0.22. I think I'm through 89 now or something outrageous. I understand you have a girlfriend or do you like to talk about it? She's older than I am only 80 for the house. You going to listen to this still be recorded and you can play it for her.

26:03 Do something like that. I met her at the senior center in.

26:09 What we had a date, I don't know and we now we go out every Thursday night because Denny's in Kingsburg says second Entre free. They have had until recently and so take her to that. I have plenty of money, but I'm going to go for the buy one get one from somebody, you know anywhere we can on Sundays when we make a drive and so forth and and go around and you mentioned last week and you went dancing go dancing every Saturday night. They got Prix Ran So they got it the Chestnut in the freeway. They have a dancing we go for dinner at 5, and I pick her up at 5. And so we're there before 5:30 eaten in 6 the band starts and it plays until 10, but we usually just now and a half or so that we dance Jitterbug like we did in the old days. She's a good dancer.

27:09 And we enjoyed some of the people that are there. There's a college professor from Fresno State is usually there and him and his wife and they they weren't there this week that the anyway and there's a gal named Francis. That's her. Excuse me every every week and she wasn't there Saturday night. But anyway, yeah every Saturday night.

27:35 That sounds good. What about her that makes you smile.

27:42 I don't know. Sometimes he's a little crazy if it's going personality to last night. I don't know how she got off on a tangent somehow was what was it goes about coming over here coming here. She said I would not do that. I wouldn't go I wouldn't they're going to ask you about blah blah blah what was wrong with this woman? You know, she was a little worried that the questions might be something that could harm. You sounds like I don't know what it was. But if you were to give advice to me or my children and children of yours again, what would it be? I don't know save your money don't spend all of your money for crying out loud and

28:38 It seems like Mike is if she's just spending money. Like if you don't like there's no tomorrow even Melanie's the same way. She wouldn't even have a home if it wasn't for us or buying it that the mobile home and how long that thing is going to be around. I do not know that I asked her a couple weeks ago. I said how much money do you have? I mean, you've worked all these years now and do you have any savings? Yeah, I have $5,000. I said $5,000 after all of this. Of time. I mean, that's not enough. If you paid your your rent on the the space rent for your mobile home and so forth. What are you at? Do you know if three months? I can't believe you only got Lionel 3 months behind you or something.

29:27 Yeah, it money money is very tight and some people live paycheck-to-paycheck and that's reality of today. And there's a lot of people who are homeless in our San Joaquin Valley, even though we are the country's breadbasket. What do you what is your thoughts about the homeless situation again going back to the price of real estate? How can you buy a home out? I don't know how you can rent a home when the apartments. I see starting at over $1,000 a month. I mean, I would have trouble for crying out loud even knew this is well off as I am if I had to live just on my income if this is what I had to do and I think it's very very unfair to argue are young people? I don't know if what you can do about it, though.

30:22 Uncle what have you learned from Life what have you learned? What's the main thing that keeps you going internally? What have you learned or don't know about that. I mean, I don't know about that.

30:39 I love life, but I know that it's terminal minute. You know that I won't be here too much longer at 84 for crying out loud.

30:49 But I don't worry about it.

30:53 It it comes maybe across your mind on occasion because life is so short. Who's who's Kayne?

31:10 I would imagine if I was to say what I remember about. You would be your your happy personality. And I'd like to think that I have a similar trait like that did optimistic view on life, you know, it's terminal but yet you say you love life and you're still joyous and I know you've been hit some some hard knocks in life and yet you keep getting up with Ethel. I mean, she's lost her husband and I lost my wife and yet we're able to enjoy life and we go dancing and I talked to her at least twice a day and usually three times because she volunteers every day at the senior center and sound like and me and Raymond was my my friend for Godly.

31:58 I remember Raymond winner in 1951. I think it was that we went to the coast together that he had gotten the driver's license. And we we have sleeping bags and we slept out on the damn Beach because we didn't have any money to stay at a motel. And anyway, I not still I call him my walking partner because there was a time 20 years ago when we walk 5 miles a day and now we just got to pick him up when we go to the senior center and we get free whatever goodies that they have and then and then I take him home a while ago uncle and I'm backtracking cuz our time's almost up you had mentioned taking me to various locations in the valley of people that have passed away that were related to you. Can you talk about some of the ancestors and their locations?

32:58 More in the 1910s and in San Luis Obispo and in 1910 the family moved to Lemoore and he was raised there and I think went to the eighth grade was all at the his education was but I'd I remember where my great-grandparents my grandparents live not great-grandparents is great-great-grandparents was Charles kleinshammer was in Monee Monee, Illinois, and then they move to Marion Kansas and then like I said in 1910, they moved to San Luis Obispo and I think that was because of my grandmother's

33:42 Grandmother kleinshammer, her name was Holmes Mabel Holmes. It was because of her family that had moved to the coast in San Luis. And I think that's why they moved there is it came clear across the United States you have an affinity for your mother's side of the family Williams. Tell me why you identify more with the Welch Irish family. You mean rather than the Germans will the Germans do actual sure more English and Welsh that mean I have the German name, but I'm more English and Welsh

34:18 Well, because my grandfather.

34:24 Rinehart Hugo was his name where they got that. I don't know Rinehart you go climb him or his parents is mother was English C. And his dad was German. And so thin when you passed down to the Next Generation, then my dad was with less than a quarter German and then by the time it gets to me with the with the William side of the family that Welsh in the English will I'm badly Disturbed.

34:57 Let's see. I've asked you a lot of questions. Do you have anything you would like to add to our conversation? I don't know except I'm just sad that the time. Anyway, I'm sad that your father passed. So so young. I don't understand that. I don't understand life but died at 16 in 1969 at age 39. I mean he had so much to live for but I'll look at it this way Uncle you did get to live and it sounds like you've had a joyous life and I imagine if he was in your life. He be very proud of the man that you have become.

35:57 Is coming up in November that your dad passed away why you know, I mean why I don't know understand these things.

36:06 But it's there and we've had lots of losses since for your great-great-grandchildren listening to this years from now. Is there any wisdom you'd want to pass on to them? What would you want them to know life is so so different today. I would say get your education work hard, you know be honest.

36:35 That's all I could say live life love life and love your love your people.

36:41 And where

36:43 Almost done with this, right?

36:47 Well

36:49 Thank you, Uncle Uncle Keith Klein Hammer. Thank you very much. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you. I hope that we could continue our relationship Beyond this interview and a laugh. But who are you voting for for the 2020 election Republican? I don't like the president we have and I sure don't like the Communists that are running for the office and I worry about the United States of America.

37:20 2 minutes give us your last two minutes of your political views on what's going on with the United States political race for 2020 LSAT mean about then.

37:47 What's your views? Are you voting for? Let's see. Is it Joe Biden or are you going for Bernie Sanders? It's just difficult for me to to that part is not difficult for me. I'm here, sweetheart.

38:12 Thank you.

38:15 Boy, I saved the best for