Browse Items (1534 total)
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Andreas Matoesian Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Andreas Matoesian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Mr. Matoesian is a first-generation American. His father emigrated from Armenia in 1920 and settled in Lincoln Place Granite city. He related a story about his father’s experience coming through Ellis Island. His mother emigrated a little earlier and first lived in Davenport Iowa and then Lincoln Place after they were married. Mr. Matoesian was born in Lincoln Place in 1937 and lived there for 21 years. Mr. Matoesian is a Judge in Madison County Illinois. He worked his way through school as a barber in his father’s barbershop in Lincoln Place. Mr. Matoesian voiced memories about going to the community center in somewhat of a pre-school or day school setting during his pre-school years. He further related, during his grade school years that all of the teachers were very nice. He states that as an adult he found that they, the teachers, had been handpicked due to their sensitivity to the diverse ethnic group. Mr. Matoesian states that he feels that sports is the great levelizer. Being active in sports allowed people to break through other barriers. Mr. Matoesian states that he feels the exposure to multiple ethnic groups made him a more tolerant person, a person more accepting and appreciative of differences. Mr. Matoesian and I spoke briefly about the Armenian Genocide and his thoughts on the lack of publicity and acknowledgement of this horrific event. |
October 11, 2001 | March 15, 2018 |
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Dena Lovacheff Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Dena Lovacheff was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Though Dena Lovacheff did not grow up in Lincoln Place, she moved there in 1951 when she married her husband, William Lovacheff, and resided there until 1988. In this interview, she describes her childhood, the family-run business called Louie’s Market, and living with her in-laws in the Lincon Place community. |
November 29, 2001 | March 15, 2018 |
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Anne Kovach Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Anne Kovach was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Anne Kovach was born in Macedonia in 1907 and immigrated to the United States with her father as a young child and has lived in Lincoln Place for most of her life. In this interview, she talks about her father’s career as an American Steel employee and saloon owner, the grocery store she owned with her husband, the education of girls learning English as a second language, the sowing girls did for the war effort during World War II, the Bulgarian-Macedonian Ladies Aid Society, and the Cyril and Methody Bulgarian-Macedonian Church in Lincoln Place. |
October 29, 2001 | March 14, 2018 |
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Tomea Kirchoff Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Tomea Kirchoff was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Tomea Loman Kirchoff speaks about her childhood, particularly her education, learning English, and her father’s employment at American Steel in Granite City. She discusses the Community Center as well as the Bulgarian-Macedonian Church located in Lincoln Place, as well as other aspects of Macedonian culture that she had experience with. Mrs. Kirchoff additionally speaks to World War II and contributions that women in Lincoln Place made to the war effort. |
October 29, 2001 | March 14, 2018 |
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Vartan Kassabian Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Vartan Kassabian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. In this interview, Father Kassabian talks about his calling to Christ, the role of the Church, the resilience of the Armenian people, the Armenian Genocide, and Armenian history. |
October 29, 2001 | March 14, 2018 |
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Andrew Hagopian Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Andrew Hagopian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Andrew Hagopian was born in 1923 to immigrant parents from Armenia. In this interview, he talks about his family history, his experience on the 1940 Granite City basketball state champion team, the diversity of the Lincon Place community, and his activism in lobbying the United States government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. |
November 21, 2001 | March 4, 2018 |
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Linda Garcia Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Linda Garcia was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History Though Linda Garcia was born in St. Louis, she only lived there for three years and spent the rest of her life in Lincoln Place. In this interview, she describes her childhood, the diversity of the community, the different jobs her and her sisters had to do to help her widowed mom, her Mexican heritage, and religious experiences. |
October 31, 2001 | March 4, 2018 |
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Edward Fetzer Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Edward Fetzer was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Edward J.F. Fetzer, Jr. was born on April 21, 1921. This interview focuses on his experience as a B-26 “Marauder” in World War II. The interview also includes other phases of his life, such as growing up on a farm in Illinois, moving to California to work in commercial aviation and then joining the air service in September of 1941, completing military training, and flying 75 bombing missions in occupied western Europe. He mentions his insurance career in the Midwest until his retirement in 1985 followed by retirement living in northern Wisconsin. |
October 6, 2001 | March 4, 2018 |
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Nazareth Donjoian Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Nazareth Donjoian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Naz, as he is better known by, was bom November 22, 1924. His father was a chef and ran a tavern and boarding house for many years. Naz also owned and ran a tavern for a number of years. While in high school, Naz got a job at the U.S. Army depot just down the street and worked there for part of his senior year. After graduation, he worked there a short period of time at the depot before being drafted, he entered the U.S. Army in June 1943 and was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corps. He received training as a airplane and engine mechanic and spent a total of32 months in the military. The war ended before he was shipped overseas and upon discharge he returned to Granite City. He had return rights to his former job at the depot. After being home for two weeks and listening to his dad constantly asking him when he was going to get a job, Naz returned to work a the depot. He held a number of jobs and over the years suffered a number of Reduction In Force (RIF) realignments of personnel. However, after each RIF he was fortunate enough to move up in pay grade and after forty two years of combined military and civilian service, retired as a GS-12. |
November 3, 2001 | February 20, 2018 |
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Richard and Susan Depigian Oral History Interview | This oral history interview with Richard and Susan Depigian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Richard and Susan Depigian discuss life in Lincoln Place and their Armenian heritage. They share information about the customs and traditions, as well as the “clans” that developed out of, their heritage. The ethnic diversity of Lincoln Place is addressed. Both Richard and Susan discuss their parents experienced during the Armenian genocide. |
November 17, 2001 | February 20, 2018 |