Klinke, Esther 1979-07-29
Esther Klinke, longtime St. Francis resident, discusses her life in that community.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Esther Klinke
Additional Parties Recorded: None
Date: July 29, 1979
Location: St. Francis, Texas
Interviewer: Bobby Weaver
Length: 45 minutes
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1: Parents married in Beatrice, Nebraska (April 16, 1907),
Maternal grandfather interested in St. Francis, Texas,
Father, Frederick Christopher Klinke,
Farmer,
Other activities,
First meeting of her parents,
Mother’s father (again),
Father with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders (1898),
Father’s parents died (c. 1900),
Parents moved to Pampa, Texas (1907),
Mother’s father had bought land,
Reasons for moving to St. Francis,
One reason was the church there,
Father bought Arthur Acton place,
Father primarily raised cattle,
Did farm some,
Fence cutting,
Store in St. Francis,
Elevator run by Boon,
Esther was born in St. Francis,
Families in the area when she was a child,
Not all families were German or Catholic,
Church in St. Francis drew some Catholics,
Majority of families recruited by land agents,
Selling land,
People involved in selling land,
Families purchased land in area early,
Father quit cattle business (late 1930s),
Father raised sheep for a time,
St. Francis more of a community than a town,
Contract harvesters,
Crops,
Primarily wheat,
Entertainment,
Dances,
Locations held at,
Music,
Families interrelated,
Land confiscated by Pantex,
Many old homes destroyed,
Many families had to move,
Effect on parochial school.
Tape 1, Side 2: Effect on the children of the families,
Many had to leave to farm,
Church entertainment,
Picnics,
Parish hall,
She attended public school,
Location of schools,
St. Mary’s school in Amarillo,
Most girls in St. Francis went there,
Boarding school for a period,
Many attended from the Catholic communities,
People in St. Francis have relatives in the other Catholic communities,
Many hands working for various families stayed at her father’s farm,
Houses described,
Many the same style,
World War I,
Effect on German-Americans,
Discrimination against,
No major trouble in their area.
Range Dates: 1900-1979
Bulk Dates: 1900-1925
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
