Saint Paul and Surrounding Area

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  Timothy Tracy

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Timothy Tracy is a white male born on December 12th, 1966. He lived with his mother, father, and younger brother and sister around Como Lake. Tracy’s father had his own family business, Tracy Oil Company. His mother was a nursing assistant at the St Luke's Hospital. Tracy is Roman Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Tracy describes his family life, including extended family, the pets they kept, and chores. Tracy talks about waking up early for his duties as an altar boy. He talks about what his faith means to him now. Tracy goes on to describe the various fun activities there were to do in Como Lake growing up. He tells a story of exploring the sewers. Tracy talks about the music that he enjoys and the concerts that he’s been to. He discusses his experience with schooling and a couple of stories from that time. Lastly, Tracy talks about racial relations and how he was socialized within a diverse area.

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  Tom Barrett

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Tom Barrett, Caucasian male born on February 28th, 1957. He is one of 5 children. Two older sisters, one older brother and one younger brother. His father worked and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. They grew up in the Mac-Groveland area. He is Cathotic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Barrett recounts his upbringing, his paper route, household chores. He expresses that he was amazed how his family was able to get by on a limited income, but he never felt the pinch of a limited income growing up. He felt like he was able to participate in everything. Barrett shares his time as an alter boy. He tells a story of how the school kids figured out a way of signaling to warn others if the priest hearing the confessions was in a good mood or not. As an adult, Barrett tells about how he prayed for his friend with cancer, promising to be a better Catholic. Barrett shares his memories of the neighborhood and playing sports. He goes on to share the values held by the close knit community, where everyone knows each other. He mentions values held by his father and how his father was respected in the community. Barrett recounts the John F Kennedy assassination, and how that affected him in first grade. Lastly, Barrett makes note of things he remembers from his childhood that are not longer around today.

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  Tom O'Connell

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Tom O'Connell is a white male born on January 7, 1947. He is the second out of 10 children. His father was a city attorney. They grew up in the Mac Groveland area, 1497 Fairmount. He grew up Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: O'Connell discussed his upbringing in the Quonset huts as well as the neighborhood they later moved to. With a family of 11 or 12 heads, money was a little limited, so O'Connell and his siblings would spend their days playing outside, and he ended up developing a habit of watching his spending money pretty closely. He goes on to describe his religious upbringing and its effect on the neighborhood, noting how the kids in the neighborhood were either Catholic or Protestant, and that the two groups didn't interact with each other. O'Connell briefly mentions how school was for him. He goes on to explain how his house looked - as well as the Quonset Huts - and what it was like to live in the neighborhood, which was peaceful. He notes how kids his age played a lot of sports, and goes on to describe how sports influenced his and his siblings' lives as they were growing up, especially in the summertime. O'Connell explains how the Vietnam War had a considerable effect on the community, and connects it to his own experiences as he was active in the Navy. He ends the interview discussing the issues that exist in that neighborhood in the present day, especially noting how there was a rivalry between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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  Warren Hegstrom

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Warren Joseph Hegstrom is a Caucasian male born on July 27, 1949. His father was a cook and a butcher, and his mother was a waitress and a cook. He grew up Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Hegstrom starts by describing some of his memories whilst growing up in the area; recounting stories about the different people that lived in the area, as well as the events that would happen in the neighborhood. He mentions how his relationship with his parents weren't great because they struggled with addiction. He briefly discusses the work that his parents did, as well as their religious upbringing. He goes on to describe the multiple accounts that they had to move, explaining a traumatic experience that broke the family. Hegstrom talks about how he got placed into a foster home, and explains how both of his parents went into AA, improved themselves, and bought a grocery store. He mentions the value of sharing food: more specifically, inviting people home for supper, as well as giving kindness towards people that don't look like him because he was raised and showed kindness by people who weren't white. Afterwards, he touches on the activities that were done for leisure time, as well as his schooling. He ends the interview by describing the local issues affecting the neighborhood, mostly talking about the effect Gypsies would have one the town, as well as mentioning how there wasn't any racism in school.

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  Angie Devaney

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Angela Devaney is a Caucasian female born on February 25, 1968. She is the youngest of four children. Her mother worked as a cue puncher for a railroad, and her father had various jobs: including being a mover and a grounds mechanic. She grew up Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Devaney starts by sharing some of her memories with her extended memory, such as large family gatherings and get-togethers. She mentions how she had a dog named Sparky. She briefly goes on about how she felt like a maid in her family because her older brothers didn't have household responsibilities, and since her mother suffered from anxiety and depression, Devaney fell into the mom role. She goes on to describe her family's economic status and her parent's jobs, stating how they had enough money for the family, but that money was always a topic of anxiety. She talks about her experience with Catholicism, and how she felt that it wasn't a kind religion because it seemed punishment-based. Devaney shares that there was an unspoken rule in her family about not dating outside of her race. She describes what her neighborhood looked like when she grew up, mentioning how it was a lot of fun, and how she was able to play with other kids in the community. She goes on to say how her neighborhood felt safe until she was about 8 years old, mentioning how some of her friends got into prostitution or drugs. She briefly talks about how her dad built a house, and how long that took. She mentions how leisure time consisted of playing on the playground, and how they would play around the capital, and they would watch from the balcony: she also talks about how they she could get a good meal from White Castle with one dollar, as well as having fun at the science museum. Devaney talks about how school was a very safe place for her because of the structure, and how it provided her with involvement and a love for furthering her education: stating how she was the first in the family to go to college and how she was always hungry for knowledge. She ends the interview by describing the local issues affecting the neighborhood, such as lack of food and abuse in the home.

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  Christine Kaess

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Christine Kaess is a Caucasian female born on October 25, 1959. She is the youngest out of five siblings, with a 12-year difference between her and the oldest child. Her dad was a pipefitter who worked with insulation, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom, who wasn't allowed to work even when money was tight. She grew up Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Kaess starts by describing the differences between her upbringing as the youngest versus the rest of her siblings. She mentions the impact that her siblings and their significant others had on her life as she was growing up. She discusses the area that she grew up in, touching on how her house looked like and how the neighbors interacted with each other, as well as the safety of that neighborhood. Kaess briefly mentions the values that she grew up with, which weren't profound in her upbringing, but centered around the concepts of kindness and cordiality. Afterwards, she discusses the books that she grew up reading. This topic helps segue into the conversation about schooling, in which she touches on a couple experiences she had at St. Matthews. She ends the interview by describing the local and global issues that were happening during the time, talking about the Vietnam War, assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the death of Bobby (Robert) Kennedy, as well as the campaign of Walter Mondale.

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  Gregg Anderson

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Gregg Anderson is a white male born on September 7, 1954. He is one of four children. His father was an accountant, and his mother was a homemaker. He grew up Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Anderson starts by describing his immediate and extended family, going into detail about his grandparents as well as his family's ethnic background, as well as telling a story on how his family got their first dog. He mentions how the household chores were mostly divided by gender, but everyone had the general task of cleaning up after themselves. He goes on to describe how his family's economic status influenced his family, as how there were not a lot of issues; going more into noticing how there was ethical segregation at the country club where Anderson worked at, and how there wasn't a lot of economic segregation with him and the community as he was growing up. He briefly discusses the neighborhood that he grew up in, noting how they were able to play sports, and how his neighborhood was slightly higher in economic status than the typical St. Paul neighborhood. Anderson talks about what the interior of his home looked like, and how his neighborhood was incredibly safe. He talks about how the best part of growing up in his neighborhood was that there were a lot of things to do. He mentions the value of Catholicism was prominent because St. Paul was a very Catholic town, which was reflected in how he grew up by his father teaching him to be an honest individual. Afterwards, he touches on the activities that were done for leisure time, mentioning how there was a lot of unstructured play, and how they would watch movies at the theatre a lot, as well as how going and sitting down at a restaurant was a rare occurrence. He continues by describing a vacation that his family once took, as well as the toys that they'd play with, such as fake guns, in order to play army. He mentions what schooling looked like for him, and how he had a really good education. He ends the interview by describing the local issues affecting the neighborhood, such as how some of the zip codes in the area got affected because of the Vietnam war, as well as how there was a little bit of segregation between the kids.

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  Jared Aswegan

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Jared Aswegan is a white male born August 11th, 1954. Aswegan grew up in Highland Park with his mother, father, and older brothers. His father worked for the State Highway Department. His mother held various jobs as he grew up. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Aswegan describes the close relationship he had with his mother and how she would take on roles to be involved in her children's lives, working as a Sunday school teacher, and working as a teaching assistant in the music department of Aswegan’s high school. Aswegan talks about the many pets he had growing up. He describes the religious practices of his relatives and his fond memories but had a falling out with the Church during his time working with the Minnesota Aids Project. Aswegan goes into detail about his love of music and theater. Aswegan talks about his time in school, the teachers that inspired him, his struggles with algebra, and the complex dynamics of high school lunch seating. Lastly, Aswegan reflects on the big moments growing up: describing nuclear drills, the Kennedy assassination, desegregation, the assassination of MLK Jr, and the Vietnam War.

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  Jeffry Werner

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Jeffry Werner is a Caucasian male born on February 10, 1943. He is one of two siblings. His father worked for 60 years at the same company, starting as a newspaper boy, to becoming the VP of that company; his mother initially started as a stay-at-home parent, but eventually started working part-time in retail. He grew up Lutheran. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Werner starts by recalling some of his memories whilst growing up, touching on what sports he played and what kind of income his family had. He mentions how the household chores were fairly divided, and how they even received allowance. He briefly continues to discuss how his family's economic status influenced his childhood, and how he never felt that they were in a bad financial position. Werner goes on to describe how religion affected his upbringing. He talks about how both neighborhoods he lived in felt quite safe. He continues by describing what his house and neighborhood looked like, and how it was easy to participate in outside activities such as riding bikes and swimming at the pool. He mentions the value of learning self-efficacy and independence, as well as there being a strong religious influence in the Catholic community. Afterwards, he touches on how he spends his leisure time, by playing sports like baseball and going on drives throughout the neighborhood, as well as going on vacation. Werner mentions what schooling looked like, recalling memories of gym class. He ends the interview by describing the local issues affecting the neighborhood, mostly talking about the Cold War, and practicing safety drills at school, as well as touching on race.

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  Stacie Schubring

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Stacie Schubring is a Caucasian and female born on July 28th, 1961. She lived with her mom, dad and six siblings on the east side of Saint Paul. Schubring's father was a carpet layer. Her mother was a stay-at-home-mom. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Schubring describes her upbringing in a big family. She touches on family members she was closest to growing up, memorable activities such as camping and backyard ice rinks. Schubring talks about her family’s engagement with religion growing up and the importance of religion to her to this day. She describes what it was like to grow up in a neighborhood of big families and lots of children to play with. Schubring tells a story of how she was hit by a car. Lastly, she talks about values she learned from her mother and reflects on changes in the neighborhood in which she grew up.

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  William (Bill) Otte

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: William Otte is a white male born in 1946. He grew up with his father, mother, and younger brother. His father worked at Concordia University. His mother was a stay-at-home mom. Later, she picked up a part time job at a bookstore. He is Lutheran. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Otte discussed his father’s career at Concordia and long hours spent there. Otte described living in faculty housing and close friendships he had with some of the professors’ kids. He fondly recalls dogs he had growing up and the less fondly mentions a cat his family had that he was allergic to. Otte discusses how his parents managed money well and how that has influenced his own spending habits. He describes the importance of religious practices growing up and how his faith is still important to him today. Otte describes more of his neighborhood games and activities that happened in Dunning field. He goes on to talk about the trip they went on and how they discovered they love to camp. Otte recalls his time in school and teachers that had an impact on him. Otte describes some fears at the time around the Cuban Missile Crisis. Lastly, Otte reflects on modern concerns compared to when he grew up: vaccination, racial and economic inequality, and extra responsibilities taken on by teachers.