Fall 2001 Granite City Oral History Interviews (43 total)

These oral histories were conducted for the History 447: Approaches to Oral History course taught by Anne Valk in the fall 2001 semester at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The majority of the interviews are with residents of Granite City, many of them residents of the Lincoln Place immigrant community.

Thumbnail	Title	Description	Date	Date Added
	Margaret Nonn Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Margaret Nonn was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Margaret Nonn was born in Lincoln Place to German immigrant parents and lived in the area for over eighty years. In this interview, she talks about the rivalry between Lincoln Place and West Granite, her life growing up in the Lincoln Place community, the diversity of the community and the struggles it experienced due to it, working in a ‘rag shop’ in St. Louis, becoming a bailiff at Madison County Jail, and religious aspects of her life.	November 6, 2001	March 17, 2018
	John Percy Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with John Percy was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. In this interview, John Percy describes his experience as a P-47 Fighter-Bomber Pilot in the European theater of World War II, his childhood in rural Illinois, learning to fly, his career after the military as a corporate pilot for State Farm Insurance, and his involvement on the board of the Prairie Aviation Museum.	October 6, 2001	March 17, 2018
	Theresa and Ronald Petras Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Theresa and Ronald Petras was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. She recalled several childhood memories of life in Lincoln Place (e.g., taking a bath in a barrel, changing the way she wore her long underwear on the way to school), as well as some of the business people who traveled around the community (e.g., the rag man, the vegetable and fruit vendor, and the Iceman) and regular visits to her cousins' house. She also described several holiday traditions, particularly Easter.	October 25, 2001	March 17, 2018
	Betty Siemer Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Betty Siemer was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Born in the 1940s, Betty Siemer talks about growing up in Alton, IL and witnessing the transformation of a small rural town to a budding suburban environment. She describes not only her life but also the changes to the downtown business district, movie theatres, and her experience working in funeral homes throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.	October 16, 2001	March 17, 2018
	Vicky Siers Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Vicky Siers was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Vicky Siers has lived most of her life in Lincoln Place and was born to Hungarian immigrant parents in the 1940s. In this interview, she describes her childhood, family history, the pride people from Lincoln Place have in their community and its diversity, and special community organizations such as the community center at Lincoln Place.	November 5, 2001	March 17, 2018
	Annette Simpkins Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Annette Simpkins was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Annette Simpkins was born to Armenian immigrant parents and lived her whole life in Lincoln Place. In this interview, she describes her childhood, her parent's emigration from Armenia before the genocide, her father's job at American Steel, her employment at the Army Depot, the diversity of the Lincoln Place community, and her time at the local theater.	November 26, 2001	March 18, 2018
	Eleanor Todoroff Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Eleanor Todoroff was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Eleanor Todoroff was born and raised in the Lincoln Place community. In this interview, she talks about her father's emigration from Armenia and involvement in World War I, the role of the Macedonian Church in Lincoln Place, and the “Macedonian Bulgarian Ladies Aid Society.	December 5, 2001	March 18, 2018
	Michael Torosian Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Michael Torosian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Mr. Torosian is a first-generation American. His father emigrated from Armenia in 1913. His mother was a refugee; she emigrated sometime after the genocide of the Armenians in 1915. Mr. Torosian was born in Lincoln Place and describes growing up there as the most wonderful childhood anyone could have. He lived there for the first twenty-nine years of his life, excluding the time he was in the service. Mr. Torosian indicated that the community center played a major part in his life as a child. He states that from the age of eight or nine, he was there almost every night. He stated that the Community Center was the envy of the surrounding area. The combination of caring people, citizenship classes, sewing classes and a beautiful basketball gymnasium made the center a wonderful place. Additionally, the fact that it was paid for by Mr. Howard and constructed with local labor provided employment for many families in Lincoln Place during the depression. Mr. Torosian described the mix of different ethnic groups as educational. Lincoln Place provided the structure for education about many different cultures. Everyone learned from each other. The sense of community was very evident in Lincoln Place. Mr. Torosian and I also discussed the Armenian Genocide and issues surrounding its lack of acknowledgment and publicity. He graciously states that genocide was the responsibility of the regime in charge at the time, and not all the Turks.	November 15, 2001	March 18, 2018
	Sandor Toth Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Sandor Toth was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Sandor (Alexander) Toth is the son of Hungarian immigrants and has been a lifelong resident of the Lincoln Place neighborhood. In this interview, he talks about his childhood at Lincoln Place, the diversity of the community, and his career at the Commonwealth Steel Mill.	October 27, 2001	March 18, 2018
	Hagop Varadian Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Hagop Varadian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Hagop (Jake) Varadian was born on April 12, 1938 to Armenian immigrants and has been a lifelong resident of the Lincoln Place neighborhood. In this interview, he talks about his parent's life in Armenia during World War One and his mother’s experience in the Armenian Genocide which resulted in her having to live in the desert where her sister was born. He also touches on aspects of his own life that include being in the Army and teaching school for the Granite City School District.	November 6, 2001	March 18, 2018