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
	Isabella Vartan and Helen Abbott Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Isabella Vartan and Helen Abbott was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Isabella Vartan and Helen Abbott are the daughters of Armenian immigrants who have been lifelong residents of the Lincoln Place neighborhood. In this interview, they talk about their parent's experience in Armenia during World War I and immigration to the United States, their participation in the Armenian Orthodox Church, growing up as the children of immigrants, involvement in the local community center, and the diversity of the Lincoln Place neighborhood.	October 10, 2001	March 18, 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
	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