Recollections and Connections Transcript

[Transcript of interview with Fred Zinnert, recorded as part of the Springfield-Greene County Library District's 2010 Big Read. For more information contact the Library at 417-883-5366 or visit us on the web.]

John: “My name is John Rutherford. I am the host of the Recollections and Connections project. Today we are talking with Fred Zinnert. Today Fred is here with us and he is going to share a memory with us. Fred take it away.”

Fred: “Well this comes out of a book that I have been compiling all my lifetime. It tells a story that has a lot of meaning to it as far as I am concerned. It is about this delightful old African American couple; lived on a farm all their life, and had worked hard and diligently and had raised a family and educated them and so forth. And decided that it was time to turn over the farm to the son and let them go to town. So, they went to town to look for property but they soon found out that the housing market was way out of their reach and they were about to go home and they ran on to a ramble rundown place that hadn’t been lived in for many years. So, they decided they would try and buy it, the price was right. So, they set in and the first thing was to cut the weeds and the brush, put on a new roof, repair/replace the windows, and so on and so forth. Finally they had us a place where they thought they could sit out on their front porch and enjoy a little of their efforts. So, they were sitting out there rocking away and the minister came up the road, walking up the road. Said “Evenin Mr. and Mrs. Jones, sure is a nice place you all got here. Said “Sure is.” Says “You all just got it all fixed up so nice.” and Mr. Jones says “Yesa preacher man it sure is but you ought to seen it when the Lord had it all by himself.”

J: “That is wonderful. Thank you ever so much.”

F: “That’s the first story in my book.”

J: “All right, all right.”

F: “They get dirty after this.”

J: “Ok.”

F: “I’ll have to do a little laundry work on some of them.”

J: “Ok.”