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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	Arthur Bedian Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Arthur Bedian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Author Bedian lived his whole life in Lincoln Place and was born to an immigrant father from Armenia. In this interview, he talks about his father’s experience immigrating through Ellis Island, growing up in Lincoln Place, the community center, and his time and service in the Armenian Orthodox Church. There was no audio recording of this interview in the original archive, but there is a transcript and biographical summary.	November 18, 2001	September 2, 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
	Carmen Cook Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Carmen Cook was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Carmen Cook was born at Lincoln Place in 1943, where she spent most of her life, to Mexican immigrant parents. In this interview, she talks about her childhood and life, the ethnic diversity of the community, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the legacy of Ruben Mendoza (the Olympic soccer player), and the scholarship that was set-up in the name of Joe Gonzalez.	November 18, 2001	February 20, 2018
	Charles Merzian Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Charles Merzian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Mr. Charles Merzian is a second generation American. His father emigrated from Armenia in 1910, and his mother emigrated from Armenia shortly later. They were married in 1925 and became naturalized American citizens in 1945 and 1946 respectively. They had two children, Charles (born in 1928) and Nell (born in 1933). In this interview, Mr. Merzian describes life while growing up in Lincoln Place in two primary locations for socialization, the community center (the clubhouse) and Sim’s place (later honored as Sim’s college), and how they impacted the lives of virtually everyone living at Lincoln Place. Mr. Merzian stresses that the multi-ethnic relationships established when growing up were a definite asset in preparing him for his working career.	November 1, 2001	March 16, 2018
	Charles Woodford Oral History Interview	This oral history interview with Charles Woodford was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History. Charles A. Woodford talks at length about his experience as a B-17 tail-gunner in World War II. He also discusses his childhood in Iowa, a career as an air force employee, and life in the Lincoln Place neighborhood.	November 8, 2001	March 18, 2018
	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