Interview with Audrey Reiss Crews, October 20, 1982

Partial Transcript: Interviewer: Andrea McElderry with Jerry Shelton.Ms. Crews, born October 24, 1920. The number of her residence was also 1920 Strathmoor Blvd.

Partial Transcript: Lived on Bishop's Lane after married. Property condemned. Built "that TV" station [for channel 15?]. Van Heusen Education Center built on site of a school. Just 3 houses on Bishop's Lane. Rest was all country. Because of the tile factory there. Then REA came in and that's when we left.

Partial Transcript: Lived on Edenside at Quadrant. Felt like she was moving to the country. "My mother almost died when I moved out there." Said "Why are you moving out to the country?" I wanted to get out. You know when you're young you can take the big lawns, now you want the concrete.

Partial Transcript: Moved there when she was about 4 1/2. She and brother "went all through St. James" ]school]. Names her neighbors, first on her side of street, then across street. and where they lived. "That was our little clan." Everybody helped.

Keywords: Bradfelters [?]; Dr. Guy Ald; Embankman [?} boys; Julian, drama critic for Courier Journal; Mary Ann Nofsinger; Mr. & Mrs. Palmer; Mr. &I Mrs. Kohl [?]; Mr. &Mrs. Lee; Mr. Teddy; Mr.& Mrs. Kerner; Reed Miller & family; the Dubroads [sp?]; the Duffys; the Schneiders; the Toldans; the Woods

Partial Transcript: Had spent out time [July 4th?] at Lakeland Villa. Father gave up the camp. Put bunting on the house; put card tables up; everybody bought food; American flags all over; every come with their chairs. Then fireworks at Tyler Park.

Partial Transcript: I knew a number of families across from the park. Maria Burke's grandmother lived on Windsor at the at the alley from Edgeland [closed in 2018].

Keywords: Fitzdriband [?]; Millets [?]; the Bywaters

Partial Transcript: I went to school with. Gives names of schoolmates from her street. Her group included the Horrigons and Riddles on Eastern Parkway. Burkes lived next door to Riddles; on E. Pwy; After Burkes left, the Hardins "came in there."

Keywords: Burkes; Mary Ann Nofsinger; Rambennaker [?]; Riddles; the Dubroads [?]; the Fritchs; the Horrigons

Partial Transcript: Not much traffic. Went from Mr. Tobins to Mr. Teddy's. Would just sit around. Mrs. Wood, a widow came. Her husband, a "big shot" with LG&E

Partial Transcript: Mr.Wood, a "big shot" with LG&E; Mr. Lee with office equipment; Boyd Martin, a critic[drama critic for CJ, see ?]; Reed Miller, coach for Highland Jr. High.

Partial Transcript: [Lived at Lake Lavalla} After we left Lake Lavalla, he started a summer camp at KMI [Ky Military Institute] on Lyndon Lane. Ms. Crews brother worked at the camp. Discussion of KMI site. Millers only here in spring; winter went to Florida where had a school, think it was Venice.

Partial Transcript: At KMI [Kentucky Military Institute], the boys went to school Tuesday through Saturday. Mr. Miller rented it on Sunday & Monday for the camp.

Partial Transcript: Mavery Johnson taught us tennis. Winter time, went sleigh [sledding?] riding. Mavery built big log fire. "Parents never bothered ... They knew we were taken care of.

Partial Transcript: Must have been in high school. Born in 1920; graduated high school in 1938. Discontinued the fireworks during the Depression. "It was before the flood [1937].

Partial Transcript: Had the concerts "even after I was married. Went every Sunday. On top of restrooms [then abutting bridge on east side of park]. People watched from [Baxter Av bridge]. Children played. "And you could hear the beautiful music."

Partial Transcript: Dickersons lived at [1707 Edenside]; had a "waterhead" boy, always sitting on porch. Only new house was built by Catsons [?] at [1700 Edenside]. Built house behind them on Quadrant where their daughter lived. Married name, McCracklin.

Partial Transcript: Went to Presentation at 4th & Breckinbridge. Mr. Tobbin took neighbors who went to school or worked downtown in his car. She took bus home. Brother went to St. Xavier at 2nd & Broadway. Describes route. Mr. Teddy, a tailor, had shop in Hayward Bldg. Made beautiful clothes. Mr. Tobbin worked for Tafel Electric.

Partial Transcript: Streetcars. Returning from school and boys' antics. First Presentation students got on, then St. X, then Male. At Cave Hill where boys would pull trolley off the track.

Partial Transcript: Sometimes 4 tables of cards going. Names people.

Keywords: Al Hapeck [?]; Gil Kellerman; Montgomery Shircliff

Partial Transcript: More on boys' antics; trolley came "all the way down Bardstown Road." To Douglass Loop.

Partial Transcript: Lakeside [Swim Club]; talks about Lakeside.Had to get there on a bus, not allowed to have cars. Did a lot of walking. [Lakeside?] was in the country then; don't really know how we got to Trevillian unless we got a ride." , unintelligible [? memorial]. "If someone went, we all left." Went to Crescent Hill on bus; someone would pick us up.

Partial Transcript: Not allowed to play tennis after 4 because Mavery [Johnson] left the courts for working people. Signed up players. Discussion about Mavery; probably worked for the parks. "He was always there." Had a lot of tolerance. Told us when it was time to let someone else play tennis. Would come out and help us, like with our swing. Courts were clay. 3 courts

Partial Transcript: The Lees are gone; Tobbins gone; Woods gone; Mr. & Mrs. Schneider still live there. Right? Martins are both dead; Reed Miller's dead; names more people but inaudible. My mom & dad still living; Dad, 89; Mom, 85. Remodeled house on Edenside; been gone from there about 20 years.

Partial Transcript: John Hennessy in insurance then became Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County. Think he served 3 six year terms. Mildred & my older brother Ralph, Jack, Doris, Kathleen Martha, Jimmy were the Hennessy children. We all went to school together.

Partial Transcript: Frank Burke, a mayor; Philip Horrigon, [Monsignor of St. James Church at time of interview]; lived on Eastern Pwy. John Mlliken, a judge.Thinks they lived on Willow. E.J. O'Brien lived in an "estate" on Newburg Road next to where Atherton was built. St. Agnes had been built but "it just seemed like St. James was the school most of them came to."

Keywords: E.J. O'Brien; Frank Burke; John Milliken; Philip Horrigon

Partial Transcript: Remember when the Uptown [movie theater] opened. "That was just great!" Called the Model Drugstore "Club Model." Went after 11 o'clock mass. We'd take over the place. Mary had the cokes lined up. "They never bothered us. We'd get a little loud." Mr. Sidney would tell us to quiet down. "They had a lot of patience with us."

Partial Transcript: Kohl's next to [east of] the gas station Try to recall name of man who ran the gas station: "Mackson? Macklin? Also a little grocery store "in there."

Keywords: Kohl's Drugstore

Partial Transcript: It was the hardest thing for me to get used to going to a store because" our food was delivered every day. Lee Short called every morning and my mother gave the order and then delivered our food. On Saturday, had to order for Sunday too. Sent a bill. Bread: We had a Doloson [sp?]man and he had a horse. Rang the doorbell; had a tray.

Partial Transcript: Went to Ehrmann's for ice cream. [On Bardstown Rd] at Longest Ave across from Neubeuer Drug. "It's torn down now." "Oh and it was the best bakery!" Had the most delicious ice cream. Brother had tonsils out and received ice cream shaped like a little boy. Ice cream would stick to the roof of your mouth. Made "great big angel food cakes." Every Sunday, dad went to Ehrmann's and got an angel food cake and a quart of ice cream. "And it was hand packed" And they made the most delicious charlotte russe you ever put your mouth on." Ehrmann's delivered the charlotte russe in a crystal bowl and picked the bowl up. Cookies with air holes, crisp with ginger

Partial Transcript: Remember our first Kelvinator refrigator. Motor so big, it had to stand in the basement. "These men came and built this think." "And we didn't have to chip [ice], People would come over the hear the ice tinkle. Refrigerator was in kitchen; motor in the basement.

Partial Transcript: Not wealthy but had a good life. "I never knew when we had Depression."

Partial Transcript: Mr. Bickel came and left his card. Everyone came "just to acknowledge the announcement of my wedding." Everyone pitched in. We got liquor. Had a swinging reception at our house. Describes the party. She worked at Liberty Bank. Men in basement got all the liquor and the meat.

Partial Transcript: Met her husband "through the war." He worked at Bowman Field. Didn't marry until after the war. Her brother Ralph killed in the war; age 25, a marine. Brother's girlfriend lived on Norris Place. Names neighbors killed in the war: Jimmy Biddenback; Ray Duffy; Jack Hennessy; and Bill Carill [?] from Edenside & Eastern Pwy

Partial Transcript: Mildred Hennessy is dead. And Jack [Hennessy]. Doris lives in California. Martha lives here. Thinks Kathleen lives in St. Louis. And Jim Hennessy lives here. He has the insurance company. Thinks he lives on Hill Road. Father [Jack] could have arranged the fireworks because he was a Circuit Clerk. Tobbin children: Eddie & Margaret. She lives in Ohio; thinks Ed does too.

Partial Transcript: Natalie Gladfelter went to public school [not St. James]. Don't know where. "They were of the Jewish faith." Didn't make any difference. She was part of our crowd. Parents never brought "that" [religion] up. Alice Ann, Dr. Aud [?], originally from Cecilia, KY, and his nieces would come in and we'd have a ball.

Partial Transcript: "We thought [the Uptown] was great" because it was close. The only we got to go to a movie was when my daddy took us to Rialto on 4th St. Had a stage show. Went for a family on Sunday evening. Every week, a different show. The Uptown we could walk there. And all those serials, Tarzan. Oh my! .... We all went there on Saturday & Sunday.

Partial Transcript: Took dancing from Francis Brewer on the top floor of the building. Thinks there was a beauty shop. Had to go to dancing school.

Partial Transcript: Had dyslexia. Couldn't coordinate left & right hands. The nun called my mother and say "the child is wasting your money ... and my time." Everyone took piano lessons from the nuns; went to Francis Barrett's dancing school; the cotillion. Crowd went to cotillion just as friends. One of the men would take us to the cotillion. Parents told them whom to go with.