BerthaMaeLacy.txt

-n -n -n Unknown Speaker 0:02 We are in. Today is theUnknown Speaker 0:10 day is March 18 1994. I'm interviewing Bertha Mae Lacey. rotherfield, West Virginia. That's our D E or F r e LD.Unknown Speaker 0:32 Doing this tape for the Kentucky Historical Society, women of coal project, if you want, I'll just let you hold it. You feel comfortable with it. And I guess the first thing we need to do is get some of this biographical stuff out of the way. Just tell us who your your grandparents on both sides of the family where and when they moved in here and your parents and when they moved in here and what their occupations were and everything. Where did your grandparents where they from here or move in here.Unknown Speaker 1:03 My grandmother was from north and she came here, leaving her husband. And she worked as a cook here for years. She mostly did her hardest work in Big Sandy, West Virginia. At that time she was cooking. I don't know whether it was the railroad or the company. But she would do transportation. If they called me. She would go down in North Carolina and bring back people to work. And she had this boarding house done in Big Sandy. And at that time, they were getting rid of the crap that turning beach sand in there. Or was finished in 19. And she ran this transportation for years. And she had two children that lived she was murder man, but most of them died as babies. And my mother was bail. And my uncle was mouth. And he worked in at nine to 16 and he got Q two weeks before Christmas. I was born July the fourth 1950 And he got killed at Christmas just before Christmas. That was your your father. My uncle, your uncle? Yes. My grandmother was known as going she left for her went back and got her children. After he got here, she continued to work there. And my mother worked for better house. Or lower your house used to be here. We're not going over. But my mother was still working for him when she was 12. And I was born when she was 13 and she nailed that demand. That's his term. Aren't you kidding me away. His mother died he was born and she raised me she was but my father who hears it was really tough. You he only worked at or he only knew he didn't only when he came in he had alarm here. And then he left here. burger at that time my mother steers kg until she died. And then I got married in 19 134. And I have three children from my first marriage. And our last one.Unknown Speaker 3:55 What was your first What was your first husband's name?Unknown Speaker 3:57 Rufus Ritchie. Rufus MIT, your MIT students golUnknown Speaker 4:01 Mitchell, and your children's names were the firstUnknown Speaker 4:04 one was mainly the most mature. And your second was Gloria Ramage. And the board was made after his data room for ultimate mission.Unknown Speaker 4:15 And which one of the children die? The firstUnknown Speaker 4:18 turn back and then are the other in juvie, that car accident. I don't know what it was called what but he picked up a lot more. And he was they were drinking and the more shadow enemy and he bled to death. And at that time, I would murder Lewis Lacey.Unknown Speaker 4:46 So all three of your children from your first marriage, Dad, no, justUnknown Speaker 4:50 one. So he was going to finish raising kids. My oldest kid was five years old. We got married and what happened to your first husband now he came down with tuberculosis.Unknown Speaker 5:05 Okay. And then how many children did you have with your second husband? 1111 Do you remember all their names?Unknown Speaker 5:17 Yes, sir.Unknown Speaker 5:18 Could you name it for us andUnknown Speaker 5:20 we're on the first list. Do you know do you know? And the second was, would it be named after my mother? The third reverse Lords James Jr. is there was clarityUnknown Speaker 5:47 next words. She works out to substitute Amanda now. And the next song What's your quantum she teach you to be intuitive and the next one is Eugene Lacey. He's working to resign.Unknown Speaker 6:15 He works up here. He go around to the mat. Oh man inspecting the first down call. And the baby girl she's in Texas. She's a computer operator. She works for non Federal ExpressUnknown Speaker 6:38 ups. Yeah.Unknown Speaker 6:40 She works. She has four children. She has three boys. And one girl. Go ahead.Unknown Speaker 6:51 Two boys. They're both Charles and Calvin. And she has her daughter. She teaches school here and whenUnknown Speaker 7:05 one has one more. She's a longer parent. His name is Tom's legacy. And Glen Jane. She's, she's married. She's a divorce. She has two boys. Edward TUnknown Speaker 7:28 and it's hard to keep up with. My daughter New York has a daughter.Unknown Speaker 7:35 How many grandchildren have you got all together?Unknown Speaker 7:38 I got 16 grandchildren. Right. And I lost a great friend. And my older sibling who was out there. And my girl in New York. You know, she has one daughter. She's divorced. And she is off. But you can't cure cats. She is she just she finished school for 10 years she she books where she books keep for a big company. Right? Oh, put your tax account. Account Tax Account.Unknown Speaker 8:26 When you were growing up, did you what kind of schooling did you have?Unknown Speaker 8:30 I'm pretty sure you did. DidUnknown Speaker 8:32 you graduate from high schoolUnknown Speaker 8:33 graduated from Kimball in the upper group,Unknown Speaker 8:37 the upper group and that was 1934 and that was when it was it was the black school right? Yeah. And what was Kim did you have to did you have to walk up to you? How far was it from? From where you were to?Unknown Speaker 8:54 Oh honestly I was living in Pune at the time. And Hempfield is Belkin ma bus over there and here we take a bus to downtown and then walk up to you and then push the bus up to here so when we're sleep going upUnknown Speaker 9:14 I was I was impressed over a blue fields where they had this huge look like a high school up on top of the hill.Unknown Speaker 9:19 That's where you know when you come to camp. That school is right there. I'm fighting man trying to get our perfect tearing the building up you can see the building. But I am finding that when I go to their reunion this guy, I'm bringing it up again. I want a monument. Right. I met he'll it was like in BMC when you come down 50 today, it would always be a beautiful red light. I would like to have something that will chat when a night hit him and let him know that Kim will extendUnknown Speaker 9:56 this Okay, so you're saying the spirit of Campbell then is Hear meters. Yeah. And it was the it was the last black high school. And what was the last class to graduate from there? Do you remember the coffee here if you don't, if it's been sitting there forUnknown Speaker 10:17 two or I don't remember the last Claire'sUnknown Speaker 10:21 65 or 68 or something like that. No, it was oh, so they had started integrating before.Unknown Speaker 10:30 Yeah, but our friend here wasn't going to read chapter I'm not sure. Because nobody knew he was ready to go and kill were high in the busting they didn't never stop it, but they didn't run a bursts. So I call Mr. Bison and I actually listened to British German. He said with the medicine you put him on any bus? You see really going after really don't worry, I want to go on camera for a moment, and they're matching started going away. Nokia was the first one to deliver a calculator.Unknown Speaker 11:07 Did they have any problems? There's not a problemUnknown Speaker 11:11 that's great that you can have an apartment for anybody at all. Because my husband and I sit down and talk to him. And we lived in a white community we lived there 20 years and 11 months and most of my life span all my life so I was born there. And William he was a writer well man live in a way we never had a lot of my friends told me evolve for people with like we were married I used to go to school with and we never He neverUnknown Speaker 11:45 and your your husband worked for the railroad. Yeah, what did he do on the railroad?Unknown Speaker 11:49 Where do we just are Trent Walker for one run about 10 years before he died you know for his cameras up he got to be the system ballsUnknown Speaker 12:03 which helped his pitch at allUnknown Speaker 12:05 Oh wow.Unknown Speaker 12:07 What when he retired men think about things like that.Unknown Speaker 12:13 You worked all the time till during almost two or three timesUnknown Speaker 12:19 then he'd come in and sleep all day to get caught back to work oh,Unknown Speaker 12:24 he used to work seven days a week he won't three arrowsUnknown Speaker 12:33 when you say walk track that means he was out looking for stuff all theUnknown Speaker 12:37 way up check chip and the bumps and see if it's out of line.Unknown Speaker 12:41 I'll make sure that it was the train was gonna run okay. Yeah, cuz they carried some heavy loads, I guess didUnknown Speaker 12:49 not like they do. Well, they got some cars on my mouth. Twice.Unknown Speaker 12:58 So did all your kids graduate from high school, all from Wales.Unknown Speaker 13:04 Now my boyfriend got here he graduated from Chem.Unknown Speaker 13:11 Yeah, what was his name Croesus the one that got killed was a year old. And you're all sports in your second marriage right first first marriage graduated and Rufus this thing where he got shot was Was he with was he was white kids, black kids orUnknown Speaker 13:34 she was going to take some children across the mountain can walk up on the main line. And hitting the shot here is just getting out of the car. And the boy didn't want to get out he wanted to go across the mountain. And he don't know about the homes of course, I have to be home by prayer for one club. And he said bar or bar was written said that he called them to step around the column. And he went around the car. She went away and he didn't want a knife on that main Audrey he was drunk on my board. And they burned down in the small was in the car with Iran Dr. Sanford Richard on a ticker shot and he had bled to death when he got there. By the time he got turned on or take a shot bond economics to number one hospitalUnknown Speaker 14:43 okay, just push that down. And tell me what it was. You were talking about the about the aprons you said that you did? What was it you did for extra spending money tell me that about the extra spin moneyUnknown Speaker 15:01 while we buy Christmas presents withUnknown Speaker 15:08 a frantic payment always take their money out and go shopping. And when we got a little bigger in order to say Christmas Grove everybody would have a bottle of Christmas characters up there and have to be if they would have any extra money after they've got to their 50 BB adoptees came in that was retention. And we would go to Virginia Ocean Spray Virginia direct grammars from Virginia we would travel around CentralUnknown Speaker 15:48 Oregon, and what was you said the kids sold newspapers and some newspapers or magazine What was the name of the newspaper? Again the Wilson we'reUnknown Speaker 15:57 using booths here and the magazine versus every record. I have noticed so to read newspapers to onUnknown Speaker 16:11 our show Okay, all right. Always workUnknown Speaker 16:14 and your your other and you said you sold aprons? Yeah. How did you What was you? SoUnknown Speaker 16:21 you know, when I go see dresses at church from her from infection proxy, I had two books, and I would always carry some rifles with me in the baby. And now I will get more into the morning and while much would you get for the aprons are dollar to $3.Unknown Speaker 16:45 And that was money used for Christmas and for me. Yeah, for vacationUnknown Speaker 16:50 was always natural.Unknown Speaker 16:53 And you said that the you said that the the train company would give you what what was the name of the train company in a derby? In NW? National. National Northfolk. And no, MattUnknown Speaker 17:09 is no fourth and so but it was in a WUnknown Speaker 17:13 and W and he had a past to take the whole family anywhere you want to go for vacation? Yeah.Unknown Speaker 17:22 Not comfortable, no problem. Some I can get discounts on.Unknown Speaker 17:33 I've been on the train to put on a crutch. Last year when I live here and work in New York, from New York to Dallas.Unknown Speaker 17:51 And I didn't use customers Kirk's chair. Perfect. Of course, we are 100 the roundtrip ticket from Seattle left here and went to New York, New York to Dallas and from Dallas back. And I think it was 100. Well, you all raised because I stopped in New York. But Andre was just too hard. Working.Unknown Speaker 18:21 Well, you've had Tell me about your white shirts inUnknown Speaker 18:24 Java to be able to Baptists in Big Sandy downer is there now? Still there? Now? Well, it wasn't that we started church in. I believe it was 1900 I believe at church was started the same year that my grandmother, that tone was finished when the black school said Oh, you're right beside the railroad. And then the company gave us three room house and took the petitioner and that was at church killing it for unbelievers for Green was for to share when we finish his church and that's where we goUnknown Speaker 19:19 view back andUnknown Speaker 19:29 I have you names have your eye on the issue that you talked to him?Unknown Speaker 19:37 Well, it's it would be nice to have but in terms of the interview, that's, you know, that's not what we're what we're trying to focus on is you rather than it, you know, your your activities rather than the activities of that. But that's okay. We've got I'm trying to think of a good way to your observations about being a housewife and you've it sounds like you've been a thrifty money manager, and everything and everything. You've doneUnknown Speaker 20:15 start mapping. When they came back those tickets, you know, where we rented food and clothes and shoesUnknown Speaker 20:22 during the war. You mean, I signedUnknown Speaker 20:25 up people for us? How do you get our jobs where you don't get no pay off, so you can get so many shoes one.Unknown Speaker 20:41 And like that, you know, when I was selling those dresses, shirts, or when it was, you know, $6 and C bra for beauty, certain pair of them were sold from the current era. And I would like to appeal to people that can. But it was loud joy. And you know, we raised our own house and chickens and our own lawn and I can sometimes I can have strong opinions of food sharing from the garden and then rubbers to leave your mountain bike sharing. And we came out on how to have our own meeting on where you know barbers ranch. We had our own on the weekend bear that Northern Alabama, you know, people hate average for me, and my husband too, because we we thought it was your steel. That in July, we thought we'd be hitting somebody yelling here. And I said, What are you doing that day? And I was like, they haven't asked for that man is in his 50s and you're in your 70s and heUnknown Speaker 21:57 sounds like you had a good marriage. Oh, it was. Was he was he? Was he a good guy? Or was he uh,Unknown Speaker 22:04 he was he didn't drink we were we were planning on extending.Unknown Speaker 22:10 Was he interested in the church toUnknown Speaker 22:12 he was church. He was a deacon we'reUnknown Speaker 22:16 not married. Oh, okay.Unknown Speaker 22:17 And I was a Christian when I first met him. He was a nice man. I couldn'tUnknown Speaker 22:26 so you went the other way the next time to be a somebody that didn't make it off.Unknown Speaker 22:33 And you know, seemed like well, maybe Monday. But he was always there. So I'm fine. today.Unknown Speaker 22:44 Yeah. And how long have y'all stay married?Unknown Speaker 22:47 Well, we would so we're blues together 52 years but we were merged 46 years because when we got together he had a bad divorce and I ended the bad divorce so therefore we leave here IUnknown Speaker 23:08 mean you you couldn't you couldn't didn't have to pay for a lawyer and allUnknown Speaker 23:13 that now football for both divorces. HowUnknown Speaker 23:16 much did that cost?Unknown Speaker 23:19 75Unknown Speaker 23:21 That's a lot of money. He didn't care heUnknown Speaker 23:31 and his mother was in Virginia.Unknown Speaker 23:34 He was born in Tonga three brothers Joel and Seamus GoldbergUnknown Speaker 23:54 he was very smart smell Peter. He's got to leave me here. We'reUnknown Speaker 23:59 able to get this here because sometimes it messes with thatUnknown Speaker 24:03 thing never got in the father.Unknown Speaker 24:08 Who was this man? And yet he held out a good job all during the depression andUnknown Speaker 24:16 one big job because it came right off from your jobUnknown Speaker 24:21 and went right to that job. Came here Sunday and went to work Monday morning.Unknown Speaker 24:32 Do your due date or somebody which were grabbed? That they could bring your mainUnknown Speaker 24:38 they met right then?Unknown Speaker 24:45 Well as you've looked over all your laugh, everything that's happened here. What do you see happening in the future? Do you see good things bad things were confusion?Unknown Speaker 24:56 absolutely not true. are not great be but my opinion I wouldn't be right now for all the pieces are not on the series because I am well known and when I go out I don't care what kind of fix me you're nice to me my family is the same way we have tried to live as people we look at people as people we don't look for and we have round representative cars everywhere I've been the facts are respected and my kids are the same way and I've never had Jr has any or no more than my oldest boy it's big they're always called for Trevor and be oh my god I am in all my cases are supposed to be Christians that say they are and if they don't know the Lord daily to keep marching and bless them and if you have any page if you do they will be wearing brace because we have been wearing brace to me and they are beautiful too we're not calling I have no word about me getting straight in the water the church right memo was noted or she's had on our third marriage she'd gone back to his church I'll get her fair hereUnknown Speaker 27:08 cannot just sit at home and he's having a good time because he really blessed me and my family can mature and I'm worried that we're looking around the ranch you knowUnknown Speaker 27:30 I gotta I gotta do you got to where are you know I've been alone for years too small whatever this makes me feel because I'm here to helpUnknown Speaker 27:54 you in the marketUnknown Speaker 27:58 what some people fallUnknown Speaker 28:01 trying to do those young boys wereUnknown Speaker 28:12 just starting to say those really in a way you've really been blessed because you had you had nobody when you were growing up but but you've ended up with 14 kids and 13 I've lived in which is all together 1111 living and doing what got you nice yeah soUnknown Speaker 28:38 pretty. Damn chill and I wouldn't mess up in this song. You have to know but they have to consider everything new all the bear you're always a respect that appearance have to do for children. That a few experiences you just don't know You don't know when life reallyUnknown Speaker 29:04 I'm sorry. I didn't realize how that you grew up the second time to yourself with the kids. There were things you didn't do. Yeah,Unknown Speaker 29:13 my kids and you know are really I was 20 years old. Or just wrapping but she I wasn't growing my husband was turning traces and so we were just really weren't at least he just read you're not listening. But my second merge. You have more when you get somebody reading and you believe they do the same things you do we go to church together cocido day, but if I wanted to go he will Kirby and he was sitting maybe in the car. But you see when you go together like it's a beautiful thing. And you really missUnknown Speaker 30:03 We'll call it quits this a great interview and I thank you so much. We, I believe we didn't lose that much and the stuff we got after we got it straightened back out.Transcribed by https://otter.ai