West Saint Paul

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  Richard Brynteson

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Richard Brynteson is a white male. He grew up with his father, mother, brother, and sister. Brynteson’s father was the president of his company. His mother worked as an office manager. He grew up Episcopalian. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Brynteson discusses fond memories of playing various sports in their large backyard, watching football games, and his mother's gardening skills. Brynteson discusses how his father emphasized the importance of education. He reflects on his father’s own childhood, which included growing up impoverished and overcoming that through education. Brynteson discusses his upbringing in the Episcopal Church, his active involvement as an acolyte, and his continued connection to the church throughout childhood. Brynteson talks about how religion has remained an important part of his life and how spirituality informs his decisions. Brynteson goes deeper into the key values that were important to his family, including education, family time, and hard work. He touches on the importance of athletics in his family and talks about some other activities they did for leisure. Lastly, Brynteson reflects on some of the issues at the time like the Cold War, the Vietnam War, civil rights, and drugs.

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  Timothy Blaeser

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Timothy Blaeser is a German-Norwegian male born on April 7, 1960. His family consists of his father, mother, and three younger siblings, a sister and two brothers. His father owned five beauty shops, and his mother worked part-time in a factory called Brown and Bigelow, then later became a beautician. Blaeser grew up in West Saint Paul, specifically between Oakdale and Robert on Haskell. He was raised in a Catholic household and continues to practice the religion. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Blaeser speaks about his time attending the University of Minnesota and needing to pay $350 per semester. He notes how the tuition rose yearly and eventually reached $1500 once he graduated. The neighborhood he grew up in was described as serene and a storybook. He recalls playing sports with the neighborhood kids, forts in trees, and building go carts. He mentions spending time at his cabin and having lake days with his neighbors. Blaeser concludes his interview by discussing how the Vietnam War impacted him at a young age, losing a neighbor during the war, and his love for The Beatles.

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  Cora Wheeler

  Julie M. Luker

  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Cora Repke Wheeler is a white female born on February 14, 1950. Her father was a bus driver and her mother worked in sales. She was the oldest of four children. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Wheeler starts by sharing a couple memories that she had of her family whilst growing up; recalling how her father would take the children out to do outdoor activities, as well as remembering family pets and household chores that were shared amongst the children. She briefly discusses how religion was a touchy subject for her and her family, and still remains a sore spot for her. She mentions how her house looked, as well as the relationships neighbors within the community had. Wheeler talks about the values of looking out for each other. Afterwards, she touches on the activities that were done for leisure time, such as sports, painting, watching tv, and listening to music. She briefly touches on what school was like, mentioning how the teachers were very old-school. She ends the interview by describing the local issues that affected the neighborhood, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the election and assassination of John Kennedy, as well as getting tested for tuberculosis and receiving a polio shot.

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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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  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.