South Saint Paul

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  Natalie Gonzalez

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Natalie Gonzalez is a Hispanic female born on September 8th, 2003. She lived with her father, mother, and older brother in South Saint Paul growing up. Her father worked multiple jobs and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Gonzalez identifies as Catholic. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Gonzalez provides a vivid account of their upbringing and family life in two different neighborhoods. Gonzalez fondly recalls their loving family, with a stay-at-home mom and a hardworking dad who made time for them despite a demanding job. Their older brother played a significant role in their childhood, despite the six-year age gap, creating a close and loving immediate family. Gonzalez shares the importance of pets to her upbringing and talks about her beloved dog, Sasha. Gonzalez shares her religious upbringing. She doesn’t attend church but talks about her continued faith. Gonzalez also shares some of her favorite shows and bands growing up. Gonzalez talks about her experience with schooling, memories of her first school and the acceptance she felt there, and having to adapt after transferring schools. She talks about her high school experience which was marked by forming a close friend group and the impact of the pandemic disrupting social connections. Gonzalez highlights the values of acceptance and community prevalent in both their family and neighborhoods, shaping their outlook on treating others with kindness and empathy. Lastly, Gonzalez touches on some local concerns she has around school shoots and substance abuse issues.

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  Susan Schmidt

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Susan Schmidt is a Caucasian female born on April 30, 1958. She is the youngest of six siblings. Her father worked in the water department of South St. Paul, as a deputy sheriff, and as an aide on the psychiatric ward of a veteran's home. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom. They lived on the North end of South St Paul. She grew up with a unique religious background. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Schmidt discusses growing up in her family home near a memorial site for the remains of the last group of Kaposia Indians. She recalls living with crows, which her mother loved. Schmidt tells the story of her childhood home being haunted by the previous owner's son. Later in the interview, she recalls the influential teachers throughout her elementary to high school career. Lastly, Schimdt discusses the prejudice in her neighborhood.

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  Charles (Charlie) Stoerzinger

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Charles (Charlie) Stoerzinger is a white male born on September 23, 1941. His father was a tradesman in the printing industry, and his mother was an at-home parent. He is the middle child of three kids. He grew up Lutheran. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Stoerzinger starts by describing his family life, centering around how he grew up with a tight family relationship, as well as his mother's experience with tuberculosis and their family pets. He mentions some of the household chores that were divided by the members of the family, as well as the economic status that his family had due to his father's work. He briefly discusses his religious upbringing. He goes on to describe what his neighborhood looked like, going into extensive detail about the physical surroundings of the neighborhood and homes, as well as a couple of the families that lived there. Stoerzinger mentions the values of honesty. Afterwards, he touches on the activities that were done for leisure time, such as playing neighborhood games, and traveling for vacation. He goes on to give a short story of a memory he has of schooling. He ends the interview by describing the local issues affecting the neighborhood, such as the racial divide and minority labor.

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  Sandra Kelly

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Sandra Kelly is a Caucasian female born on July 12, 1947. She was one of the older siblings out of five. Her father was a mail carrier, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom, who would occasionally work at the packing plant when the family needed extra money. She grew up Methodist. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Kelly starts by describing the kind of work that her parents would do. She mentions how both of her parents had different upbringings from her, with her father being a hobo and both of her parents not finishing high school. She discusses how her and her dad would walk together for miles and would pass the packing plants: as a result of this, she once saw workers wading in blood and started refusing to eat meat, which continues to the present day. She describes her religious upbringings and how it didn't really shape her adult life. Kelly talks about the neighborhood she grew up in, describing what her house looked like, the families that lived next to them, as well as the safety of that neighborhood. She mentions some of the values that her parents taught them, touching on having a hard-working ethic and cleanliness. Afterwards, she gives an example of how her family would spend their free time together, and talks about her experience with school and how the lunch system worked. She ends the interview by describing the local and global issues that were happening during the time, mostly talking about race relations and her personal experiences with it, as well as the Vietnam War.