A Gift of Memories
A Gift that will be a Family Treasure for
Edward Joseph Rolenc, Sr.
Childhood
Full Name: Edward Joseph John Rolenc
Birthplace: Bruno, Nebraska
Born: February 22, 1909
Died: December 10, 1996
Father’s Name: Jan'
(John) Rolenc
Birthplace: Chotibudich, Moravia
Born: June 20, 1872
Died: July 15, 1913
Mother’s Name: Josephine Mary Codr
Birthplace: Linwood, Nebraska
Born: August 8, 1879
Died: May 5, 1962
“Were you
named after someone, and why did they give you that name?”
It was a name used a lot in
my generation.
“How old
was your mom when you were born, and were you the youngest of her children?”
“Did you
have any brothers or sisters, and what are their names and birth dates?
Mother was 34 years old when
I was born. There was Gabriella,
Emanuel, Anthony, and Marie who all died.
Then John born February 29, 1907, myself and Clement born November 1,
1911.
“Who did
they say you looked like?”
Looked like Grandpa Codr
(Mothers side).
“Did you
ever have a nickname?”
"Fatso",
"Toughie", "Eddie".
“Where were
you born?”
Date: February 22, 1909
Place: On the farm
Hour: Not sure
Town: Between Bruno and Appleton
State: Nebraska
Weight: Big "Fat" baby
Length: Not sure.
Eye color: Blue
Hair color: Blond hair
Temperament:
Stubborn
“Did you
ever fight with your brothers and sisters?
Who treated you the nicest, and who the worst?”
Yes. John was the worst and Clement was the
nicest.
“Did you
have to share your room and things?”
Oh, yes. One bedroom for all of us. No heat.
Growing Up:
“What was
the best birthday you ever had? Why?”
1989 - (80 Years). All neighbors, friends and some family
had a surprise party for me.
“Can you
remember your favorite birthday present?”
Lucie bought me a wristwatch
before we got married. I still
have it.
“How much
did the tooth fairy leave you for a tooth?”
No money at all.
“How old
were you when you got an allowance and how much was it?”
Never did get an allowance.
“How did
your parents punish you? Did
they spank you? Who was more
strict?”
Yes they spanked and beat me
with a belt. Don't remember
Father. Mother was strict!
“What was
the naughtiest thing you ever did?”
There was a kid who always
took a drink of our beer. So we
peed in the bottle and he never took our beer again.
“What were
your favorite games and toys?”
No toys. Played Sheenie (old can, hit with a
club, which one would get it over line) and football.
“What games
or sports did your mom and dad play with you?”
None.
“Did you
ever go sledding, skiing or skating?
What sports did you like?”
Yes sledding, really liked
football the best. Did play
baseball.
“Did you
get to stay up as late as you wanted to, and watch TV or listen to the radio
or records?”
No radio, records or TV. No telephone. Did home work and chores and went to bed.
“Did you
ever argue about your bedtime?”
No.
“Did you
ever go to the hospital? Did
you have stitches or break any bones?”
Back surgery in 1945. Hernia surgery 1964. Nervous problems in 1963. Total hip repair in 1981 and Tarp
surgery on prostate in 1987.
“Were you
scared of doctors or shots?”
No.
“What kind
of transportation did you have? Did
you ever ride in a plane, bus, train, or boat? What else?”
I had a truck before I was
married. Went to Washington DC in
1974 on a plane. Took train when I
was young a lot. Went on a motor
boat when I was a kid a few times.
“Did you
ever run away from home, or just hide from your mom and dad? Why?”
When I was 17 years old I
left home on a train. I was going
to join the Army. Thought I'd find
something else to do.
“Where was
your favorite place to go when you were angry?”
Went out rabbit or squirrel
hunting.
“What chores
did you have to do?”
Milk the cows, fed hogs and
cattle. Worked the fields
“When you
were given money, what did you spend it on...toys, candy, etc.? What could you buy for a quarter?”
Chewing tobacco was my
favorite. For a quarter you could
buy a hamburger and Root Beer.
“Did you
have a pet, and what was its name?”
I raised rabbits. "Blackie" was one.
“Why was
it special to you?”
I used the money from raising
rabbit to buy stuff.
“What did
you like most about your best friend?
Did you have fights and secrets?”
George Burish and Frank
Verbal were my best friends. No
fights. George was a school
teacher in Omaha and I lost contact with Frank.
“Did kids
ever tease you? Was there a bully
who picked on you?”
Yes. They teased me about girls and how fat
I was. No bully's.
Home When You Were Small:
“What did
your house look like?” “How many rooms did it have? Did it have an attic or a creepy room that scared you?”
Very clean. Good food. No running water.
No lights and no bathroom.
Farm had 4 bedrooms. It had
a place above to store things. It
was a very old clean house.
“How big
was your yard?’
2 lots size. Farm was 200 acres.
“What kind of appliances did you have to cook with, wash
clothes and light the house?”
No lights. We used kerosene lamps. Wood stove, ringer washer, hand washer.
“How big
was your room and what did it look like?”
It was big enough for all
three boys to sleep in. On the
farm I had a bedroom.
“Could you
keep it messy if you wanted?”
Very clean. Grandma would not stand for it.
“How many
people lived at your house?”
Grandma, John, Clem and
myself.
“How did
you keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer?”
Wood stove. No way to keep it cool.
“What was
your favorite thing in the whole house?
Do you still have it?”
Farm, my writing desk and
newspaper rack.
Celebrations:
“What did
you usually do on Thanksgiving?”
We had a big duck or geese dinner.
“Was your
mom a good cook? What did she
make best?”
Mother was a very good
cook. She made great apple
strudel.
“Did you
live where they had snow? Did
you make snowmen?”
Yes. Many of them.
“Did you
chop wood or help with Christmas preparations?”
Yes - Many times.
“Do you remember
a special gift you made for someone?
Made wheat baskets. Magazine racks, tables, animals.
“Did Santa
come to your house?”
Never. We had Jesus come to our house.
“Did you
ever see or talk to him?”
No. I thought they were phony.
“Did you
hang your stockings, and what did Santa leave in them?”
No. Never hung stockings.
“Did you
have a tree? How did you decorate
it?”
Yes. Old time one, 18" high - not
real. Little wax candles on
it. When Lucie and I got married
our first tree we cut down together.
“What did
you usually do on Christmas?”
Went to Mass, all day. Jesus sent us cloths, no toys. We never had money for toys. We spent most of our day in Church.
“Did you
make cards to give on Valentines Day?”
Yes, made cards with love
messages on them.
“Did you
ever give flowers or candy to a boy or girl friend?”
No, not really. I picked flowers out of a field and
gave them to Lucie (my wife).
“Did the
Easter Bunny ever leave you a basket?
Did you have an egg hunt?”
No. Again we went to Church. We did color eggs.
No candy eggs. No Easter egg
hunts.
“Did your
family have a picnic on the fourth of July?” “Did you have firecrackers
or sparklers?”
No. When we could buy them ourselves. My Mother would not have wasted the money on that.
“Did you dress up on Halloween? Did you ever make your own costume?”
Yes. Dressed up like a dirty old man,
scaring old people. They gave us
cookies.
“Did you
have a party or play tricks on anyone?”
Yes. We'd go to houses and scare them. They would give us cookies.
“Were you
ever scared of ghosts or witches?”
No.
“What traditions
did your family have? Did you
have any ethnic celebrations?”
Just at Church or
bazaars. No real family
celebrations. Lots of games.
“Did you
ever have a big family reunion?”
No. Can't remember having one as a child.
School Years:
“What schools
did you attend?”
Country school. 1 1/2 miles from home. 1St to 8th
grade. We walked, sometimes we'd
get a wagon ride.
“High School?”
Brainard High 9th
to 10th. Had to quit we
moved out of town.
“Other?”
No.
“Did you
get good grades?”
No. Got C's and D's.
I didn't have a good start in reading.
“What subjects
did you like?”
Math and Arithmetic.
“Which ones
did you hate?”
Didn't like History.
“Did you
walk to school, or ride a bus?”
We walked. Only when it was really bad outside did
Mother take us in a wagon and horses.
“Did you
ever tease your teachers, or play jokes on them?”
Yes. I got a lot of rulers on the hands for
not being good from the Nuns.
“Did you
ever play hooky?”
Yes. Once in a while we'd go fishing.
“Were you
ever on a school team?”
Yes. Played football in 8th grade
for Brainard.
“What Sports
did you participate in or watch?”
Football until I dropped out
of school.
“Did you get lots of homework
from your teachers?”
Yes a little, not like we
have now. We had a lot of chores
to do and the teachers knew this.
Places You’ve
Visited:
“Did you
ever travel by train or airplane?”
Yes a lot by train when we
were younger. My first airplane
flight was in 1974.
“What was
your favorite trip?”
It was when I went out East
in 1974 to visit my daughters Jean, Joan and Anita. I didn't think I would ever fly in a plane. Also went on a vacation trip on June
10, 1989 to Colorado with my daughter Bridget's family.
“Did you
ever go on family vacations when you were young?”
No.
“Did you
go fishing or swimming?”
We'd go to ponds and go to
some streams to fish. The Blue
River. I went fishing a lot more
after we moved to Ulysses.
“What was
the longest distance you went on a trip?”
New York in 1974. Didn't get to see the Statue of
Liberty, but did get to see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA.
“Did you
ever take a trip by yourself? Did
you get lonesome?”
Yes. Almost all my trips after Lucie died
and no, I didn't get lonesome because everyone talked to me.
“Did you
go to the State Fir or amusement park?”
Yes. We'd go to State fairs and county
fairs. I was in the 7th
grade the first time.
Teenage Years:
“How old
were you when you learned to drive?”
13 or 14 years old in a Old
Model T Ford.
“Did you
have your own car?”
No. 1924 we bought a car.
20 years old when I bought my first truck.
“Did your
parents ever ground you? What
for?”
No. We didn’t have grounding back them. You got a good
spanking.
“What did
you and your friends do on weekends?”
Play ball, mostly football.
“Did you
ever get into trouble with your friends?
What happened?”
Sure, we got mad at each
other, but we got over it fast!
“What did
you think about most as a teenager?”
Leaving home and making a
living for myself.
“What time
did you have to be home at night?”
About 9:00, we went to bed
when it got dark and we got chores done.
“How old
were you when you started dating? Did
you ever have a girl turn you down when you asked her for a date? How did you react and feel?”
When I was 13 - 14 years old,
a lot of girls liked me, but when they found out I was poor they left me alone.
“How did
you feel when you met your date’s parents?
We all knew each other in a
small town.
“Who is the
person you dated that you remember the most?”
Lucie Farmer.
When You Were Dating:
“Where did
you first met your spouse? How
old were you both?”
She was working for a
neighbor by me, cleaning and cooking.
I was about 20 years old, she was 17 years old.
“Were you
serious from the start, or did you still date others?”
She dated around for
awhile. We just clicked, we were
made for each other right away.
“Where did
you take your spouse on your first date?
What was she like?”
We went to Prague for a wedding
dace, no, we went to Dwight on a back road to a wedding dance. She was a lot of fun.
“What was
your favorite place to take her on a date?”
We went to shows in York and
Gresham. Show were .25 cents
then. We'd go out for $1.00 to
eat.
“Did your
parents like him/her right away?”
No, Mother did not like her
because she wasn't a Bohemian. She
wanted me to marry only a Bohemian.
“Did you
ever have a big fight with him/her while you were dating?”
Yes, we had some small
spats. Usually about when and
where we were going to get married.
“When did
you ask him/her to marry you? Where
were you?”
We were engaged 2 years. I bought her a ring and gave it to her
in York.
“What was
his/her first answer to your proposal?”
She said, "Well when are
we going to get married?"
“What was
your wedding like? When and where
was it?”
We got married on November
28, 1933 at St. Patrick’s in Beaver Crossing. It wasn't big, jest the family. Clem (my brother) was best man and Catty (Lucie's sister) was
maid of honor.
“Did anything
funny happen that day?”
No. We had a dinner at Lucie's parent's house.
“Did you
have a honeymoon? Where did you
go?”
We went to McCloud motel in
York, Nebraska for the night.
“Where did
you first live? Where was your
first job?”
We lived on a farm west of
the Rolenc home place. Then moved
to a farm North of that for 5 years.
They foreclosed on us. Then
in 1939 moved to Powers place (5 years) until 1943. Then moved to Ulysses to Rolenc place.
“What was
the worst job you ever held? Did
you ever help around the house?”
I farmed and loved it. No, I can't say it was the worse
job. Yes I cleaned many a diaper
and did many a wash.
“What is
your favorite funny story about the first year you were married?”
Lucie made bread and it
raised so high that she threw it in the out side toilet and it raised up
through the hole. The dog (Pal)
kept getting in to it and dragging it out.
“When and
where were your children born?”
Rita was born on the lst home
place. Mary Jo and the twins were
born on the second place. Anita
was first baby born in a hospital.
Eddie, Danny, Michaelene and Bridget were all born in Seward Hospital.
Note: Bridget did this interview. The following questions were asked about
her.
Tell Me About Me:
“What was
I like as baby?”
You were cute. You were our baby and all knew it. The Doctor saved both Mom and you.
“Did I get
into any mischief and get spanked?”
One day she jumped into a
hill of shelled corn and spread it all over the whole barn. I chased her to the house and around
the dinning room table with a switch.
When I caught her (I had to climb over the table) didn't even spank her.
“What kinds
of chores did I have to do? Did
you give an allowance?”
Cleaning, cooking, help
outside with the dogs and garden.
Went out to get the cows, but we had a electric milker. NO allowance.
“Did I behave
in school and get good grades?”
Average in school. She was a good kid, didn't get into
trouble. When we told her to do
something, she did.
“What things
did I like to do best?”
She was outside a lot. Liked to fish with me.
“Did I keep
a clean room?”
Yes. She had to keep her room clean. Mom would check on it.
“Did I ever
do something special or surprise you to make you happy or proud?”
After Mom died, we were all
worried about you and I was proud you made it. You were a nurse and Mom would have been so proud too.
“What will
you always remember most about me?”
About when you got out of
nurses training and stuck at what you were doing.
Your Best Ideas:
“If you could
spend a week doing anything you wanted, what would it be?”
See all my kids and hear them
say, "Dad, I love you".
“If you could,
which age of your life would you most like to re-visit, and why?”
Raising my family all over
again and know that they would be raised a lot different than before.
“If you were
elected President, what two things would you do for our county?”
Get rid of the dope and
gunslingers.
“What do
you feel is the most significant industrial change to happen in your life-time?”
Chemicals. I am against all the new chemicals that
are out. I'd like to see them
banded! Seed down to clover to
build ground up.
Favorites:
Color: Blue
Season: Summer
Book: None
Movie: None
Holiday: Christmas
Pie: Apple with Ice Cream
Candy: Chocolate
Cookie: Chocolate Chips
Ice Cream: Nepolean
Sport:
Football
Hobby: Working
Vacation: To Colorado - June 1989
Song: Two eyes that shine so bright,
Two lips that kiss good night, Two arms that love so tight. That favorite little girl of mine.
Favorite Tales:
“Can you
remember any funny stories about family members?”
Went out after the cows and
the bull was charging us. I put
Eddie up in a tree and then I was going to shoot the bull, but the bull stopped
and went away. We walked home
afterwards and I then went back out and pinned him up by the barn. Eddie was really scared, but so was I.
“Is there
a family trait?”
Blue eyes. Not to hold grudges and forgive each
other. (He laughed)
As Time Goes By...
“What fads
do you remember best?”
Mini skirts. (Again he
laughed)
“What did
you want to be when you grew up?”
I wanted to be a farmer. Also I wanted to be a truck driver.
“Is there
anything you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t?”
No. I just wanted to have a good home.
“Who are
the people who influenced you most?
Why?
Uncle Frank Rolenc and Uncle
John Parolek. They always listened
to me and gave me a right answer.
“How did
you feel when you first learned you were a Grandparent?”
I didn't feel any different
then when my own kids were born.
“What did
you think when you first saw them?”
Same. Didn't feel "old". I was proud. Their my kids.
“What advice
do you have for them?”
I can't hardly give them
advise. They are not going to have
it as easy as your parents did.
You'll suffer if you get into dope or gangs.
NOTES: