This morning we went to Mampaw and Amigo's house in Tomball. (They live in the same house where Buddy's family lived in the 1960s.)
Gabe had about 4 pages of questions to ask, so it's no wonder that we didn't get to interview Amigo yet!
Mampaw is Gabe's great grandmother. Here she is, looking up some family history in response to a question.
Mampaw was born on a 120 acre farm with no running water (they used buckets from a well, and a cistern) and no electricity (they used oil lamps). They didn't have electricity or running water till she was in the 6th grade and they moved to a house in the city when her mother Irene got a job. (These are Mampaw's parents, Irene and John.)
This is Mampaw's mother, Irene. She was a hard-working lady whose only joy was going to dance once a month at the American Legion in Smithville with her husband. When Mampaw was in 11th grade, Irene had to have a hysterectomy. They drove to pick her up from the hospital, but found when they got there that she had died of a blood clot.
More stories followed. Mampaw's father's first cousin was kidnapped by Apache Indians when he was 11 and lived with them for 9 years. (She has a book about this.)
Mampaw met Amigo working as a waitress at a restaurant called the Cactus Cafe in Smithville. All the railroad men came to eat there, and that's how they first met.
Lots of good, interesting stories and information. I need to write up everything from my notes!
Not the first time I've seen this sign, but I thought I'd document it ... Guess there's going to be a VA clinic where Klein's used to be ...?
We'll have to go back in a week or two and interview Amigo. Max couldn't hold out any longer, and we had to go home!
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