Recollections and Connections Transcript

[Transcript of interview with Mary Grant, 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.]

JR: My name is John Rutherford. I am the host of the Recollections and Connections project and today is March 2, 2010, and today we’re meeting with Mary Grant. Mary, what would you like to discuss today?

MG: I want to tell about the time when I was a young girl living in the country. And my father was a farmer and I had to ride a horse to school, about 2 miles all the way. My horse was real nice and lame, I mean it wasn’t lame, it was a good riding horse. I went two miles to school every day, five days a week. As I went to school I rode up to the front porch of the school and the teacher would take me off and put me, let me go in the school house and she’d tie my horse in the back of the school and then I would stay there until it was out and go home and then I would have to help my mother, because she, I was the family of three, two boys and a girl, and I had to help her with the work. And they were very good, and very poor people but we managed to get by all right. I had to play, I learned to play a guitar and sing at churches. And my brother, my oldest brother would help me and we would sing at churches and play songs that were very good Christian songs. And we began to grow up and love music and then I married and was very happy thereafter, and that’s all.

JR: Where did you grow up Mary?

MG: I grew up in Wichita, Kansas. We finally moved to Wichita, Kansas and that’s where I worked in a restaurant and made money for my own clothes and everything. And then I got married to a gentleman from Waverly, Missouri and was happy thereafter.

JR: Fabulous.

MG: Is that all?

JR: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

MG: No, that’s all.

JR: Ok.

MG: Thank you.

JR: Thank you.