Growing Up In San Antonio-Oral History Index

Growing Up In San Antonio Narratives
PALO ALTO COLLEGE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Brothers Charlie and Bobby Joe Fisher in San Antonio (1942)

Bobby Joe Fisher was born in Breckenridge, Texas at home on December, 14, 1935. He grew up in San Antonio. We lived off of St.Marys Street. and Flores; it has changed quite a bit, it is mostly run down now. My dad had his own used auto parts store off of St.Marys and we had all sorts of people come in. We rigged up a old couch that some of the springs were showing, and were able to shock all kinds of buddies. One time I shocked this boy, he had the hardest time getting off that couch just a bouncing, it was so funny. When he finally made it off the couch, he looked at me and said I'd whup you if I thought I could.
(Interviewer: Charlene Fisher, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)

Marina Gamboa (nee Fuentes) was born on May 28, 1929 in Laredo, Texas and was raised in San Antonio. My mom used to be a pecan sheller... Where we lived there was almost not even half a block, this big pecan factory. And the ladies would go there. My mom would even take me and put me in a tamale can with blankets all around it. They would pay separate prices for halves and wholes. A lot of home workers worked there. Anybody could do it, because they would pay by the can. And you could eat as much as you wanted. But it was more like a get together for the women. It allowed my mom to work and then come home to wait for my brothers and sister to come from school and do housework. (Interviewer: Arlene Gamboa, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)

Lois Kosub was born on the eastside of San Antonio. When I was younger I worked at Joske's and on our lunch hour we would go down Houston Street, which was the only street in San Antonio to buy clothes. If you didn't go down Houston Street, you had nothing to wear. We went to Mode-O-Day, I don't think they are in business today, and put a lot of things in lay-a-way. We only made fifty cents an hour at Joske's and we had to put every thing on lay-a-away get them out later. Most of the suits back then were corduroy and only cost about $10.00. It took forever to pay them off. (Interviewer: Lindsey Urban, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2002)

Oralia R. Olivo (nee Ruiz) was born on November 5, 1945 in San Antonio. She grew up on the westside of town as an only child. Besides Coke, there wasn't Big Red. There was red but practically there was more like what they used to call them Hippo's, Coke, 7-Up. They were in glass bottles, not cans. (Interviewer: Monica L. Herrera, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)

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