What year were you born?
I was born in 1930

Where did you live growing up?
I lived at 1519 W. Erie street in Chicago

What was your family income like?
My family was on the poor side, in fact there were many poor people at the time due to the Great Depression, it hit my family especially hard since my mother died. And since we also had such a large family all the money we made went towards bills and food, there was no money left over. But i didn't mind, i was extremely happy to have a roof over my head and food on the table.

How many siblings did you have?
I had 11 brothers and sisters, 2 sisters and 9 brothers.

How were your relationships with your siblings?
Mary and I didn't get along, and my brothers, I hated them…except for johnny. They were very demanding they didn't want me to go out or do nothing.

Was this when you were a young child you didn't get along?
no, when i was a little girl at around 10 or 11 we were all okay we all got along and were nice to each other.

What did your father do for a living?
He worked for burt and dixie

what is it?
a mattress company.

so did he work in a factory?
Yea

did you and your family have frequent family gatherings?
when i was older and had my own family i had gatherings almost every week with the whole family.

How about when you were little?
no when i was little my family stayed together on holidays since we were such a big family, even after my mother died.

was your father strict with you?
oh no he was good as long as i paid board i was good. i quit school at age 14 so i got a job and paid board. after my mother died my father had to work more in order to keep up the family income.

How did you feel when your mother died?
Well i was only 8 years old. my mother died at the age of 46. I cried all day and night. In fact my mother was laid out, or had the funeral in our house so me and Anna slept in her room the night we found out. It was very hard growing up without a mother and only 2 sisters and 9 brothers. I only had 2 female figures in my life and one one them I didnt even get along with

I remember you telling me Anna was the one you were close to, did that change when your mother died?
No! in fact anna and i became closer after my mom died. She was basically my new mom, she raised all of us. my dad was working most of the time and she was the one who would raise us and cook for us.

what did you play with as a child?
i played with the neighbor kids.

you didn't have any toys in the house?
very very little. nobody bought us toys. i remember receiving 5 cents from my uncle for my communion but that was it.

Was your family religious?
My dad was very religious, most of my brothers were religious, I remember I’d walk to church every Sunday with my father, my brothers and sisters.

What was your education like?
I went to grade school, but one month after high school started i quit, my family was poor so I left high school at the age of 15 to go work.

Did you leave the house early then, since you worked earley?
No, i left two years after i got married. I married edward in 1953, so I left the house in 1955. I was 23 when I became married and I left the house when I was 25.