Brunson, Willis 2023-05-12
This interview features Willis Brunson (born in 1923) as he discusses his family history in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. He describes growing up during the Great Depression in Garden City (outside Midland), working as a cowboy before being drafted in the Army during World War II. After working with the special services in Europe (in a ski resort in Austria, for example), he returned to Crosbyton with his wife where they ran a cattle ranch and rodeoed. They raised three children, moving to Roswell and later Corona New Mexico. He discusses changes to ranching and farming in this region as well as generational differences between his grandparents, parents, him, and his children.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Willis Brunson
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: May 12, 2023
Location: Artesia, New Mexico
Interviewer: Elissa Stroman
Length: 02:28:43 (2 hours 28 minutes)
Abstract
Introduction and background information; growing up during the Great Depression; Farming during the 1930s; meeting his wife; cowboying; Food and cooking; entertainment; His mother; Military service during World War II; Arriving to Europe and returning to the States during his service; Seeing Hitler’s home; feeding troops; the prisoner of war camp; Being stationed in the Alps; communicating with those back home; Returning back to the States and rodeoing; The drought of the 1950s; living on the ranch; Moving to and living in New Mexico; Changes in the cattle industry over time; Some hardships of cattle ranching and farming; Closing remarks
Access Information
Original Recording Format: born digital
Recording Format Notes: patrons may listen to audio in our reading room
Transcript: transcript available on dspace
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