Interviewer:
Schmitigal, Kathryn
Copyright Note:
Author/Interviewee:
Steib, Gertrude
Publication Date:
2004-04-02
Description:
Born in the logging mill town of Raber in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1918, Gertrude Stefanski Steib recalled living in a log cabin on a farm in North Raber for parts of her childhood. Her family moved Detroit when she was five, but she frequently visited her grandparent’s farm. “When I came to visit my grandmother in the summer I just ran wild,” says Gertrude. She recalls the food her grandmother used to make, like chicken soup. “Gurtie” later moved back to the area when she was twelve and told stories about the one room school house she attended. She recalled playing cards with her family and listening to country music on her uncle’s radio.
Descriptive Note:
Documenting childhood in the rural Eastern Upper Peninsula, the Goetzville Oral History Collection Project, recorded thirteen stories of individuals who grew up in the region during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The project, which took place in the spring of 2004, was funded by the Michigan Humanities Council and Raber Township, and was performed by Kathryn Schmitigal, with Barbara Schmitigal.
Title:
Interview with Gertrude Steib