Interviewee: Yvonne Huval Tape 4854 Interviewer: Allison Huval Session 1
Transcriber: Erin Segura Unknown (probably Spring 2018 semester) Translator: Jackson Butterbaugh
Editor: Jonathan Mayers
[Begin Tape 4854. Begin Session I.]
ALLISON HUVAL: Hello. My name is Allison Huval, here in Cecilia, Louisiana, interviewing my grandmother, Yvonne Huval for my French 2202, Intermediate Cajun French class. Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself ?
YVONNE HUVAL: Okay. I’m Yvonne Huval, married to Paul Huval and I grew up here in Cecilia in a wonderful little Catholic community, and I was an only child and my mother was very protective of me. And I got married and moved away, but now I’m back at home since my husband passed away.
ALLISON: Okay. Dis-moi pour quand Pape te courtisait.
YVONNE: On était à l’école. J’étais dans le neuvième et lui, il était dans le dixième. Et j’ai vu un joueur jouer à football. Il était très beau et il était à peu près six … six foot et son frère, c’était en dedans ma chambre. Et ça fait, j’ai demandé un petit … des questions. Et je commençais à le voir à l’école et il arrêtait à parler avec moi et là, l’année après ça, il était jouer à football. Ça fait, il a demandé si je voulais d'être dans le homecoming. Et, of course, j’étais trop excitée !Et là, il a gradué et eu pour kouri dans le service et il allait à Japan. Il restait là, oh, je crois, à peu près deux, trois ans. Et là, à l’école, il tout le temps était bon dans tous les sports. Il
… jusqu’à … a eu un team de Japan et il aimait ça, bien sûr. Mais là, quand le conflict de Korea a venu dans North Korea, que, il était … il allait à South Korea et restait là pour, je crois, à peu près un an. Et là, vini back à, je crois c’était à Mississippi … et ça fait, li té là à Mississippi un
bout du [2:55] temps et li té vini sur les weekends. Ça fait, on allait à des différentes places, mais il faulait ça d'être avec mes amis. On … tu peux pas courir avec juste lui, parce que c’était la direction de ma maman. [laughs]
ALLISON: [laughs] Quoi-ce que t’aimais le plus dans [lui] ?
YVONNE: Il té fun. Il té gin un bon sense of humor. Il prendait pas trop, quelque chose trop sérieux et linmé kouri à les movies et danser et linmé parlé é rir. Et ça, c’était fun.
ALLISON: [laughs] Quand vous-autres a connu que vous-autres était amoureux ? YVONNE: Je te dis, à peu près équand il vini back de le service. On a été sur d’autres dates et je croyais que … je parlais avec ma mère et ma mère dit que c’était okay … elle aimait toute sa famille. Il est … il a … il était frère qu’était [inaudible] [drette] après. Ça fait, ça c’était all right avec ma mère.
ALLISON: C’est le … quand vous-autres … il a proposed.
YVONNE: On était, lui, il était toujours à Mississippi. Ça fait, j’ai allé avec mes amis à New Orleans et lui a venu à New Orleans, parce ce que je croyais qu’on était [juste pour ramasser lui]. Équand on a arrivé à Pontchartrain, mes amis dit que yé té gin pou kouri quelque part. Ça fait, lui et moi, on marchait et c’est là que, il a mandé si … il voulait marier, lui.
ALLISON: Dis-moi pour l’alliance.
YVONNE: Well, dans ces temps-là, on était pas … bien sûr, on était pauvre ! Toute la famille met ensemble pour le reception pou fé des chicken salad sandwiches, fé des différentes affaires pour mettre sur les tables pour tout quelqu’un mange et juste comme ça on [5:58] était fait des mariages dans ces temps. Nous-autres a dit qu’il était, ils sont … ils voulaient fé le punch.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Et ça fait, tout quelqu’un dans la famille fait quelque chose pou gin un bon mariage avec du bon manger.
ALLISON: Est-ce que vous … marié à l’église des Catholiques ?
YVONNE: Oh, oui. Oh, oui. C’était Father Labbaye qui a marié les deux de nous-autres et
… quand j’étais plus jeune, il était là pour un [jour de temps] et bien sûr, j’ai chanté en dedans le
choir et ça fait, il connaît moi très bien. Et c’est lui qui a marié Paul et moi.
ALLISON: Est-ce que tu as marié dans une grande robe ?
YVONNE: Non. Ma mère té… oh, elle pourrait faire n’importe … des robes, des suits. Et je voulais elle [premier] une robe. Ça fait, li té très excitée. Mais là, il faulait to gin un going away suit. Ça fait, on allait à [inaudible]. Et c’était … oh, c’était un shop. C’était très beau, le linge, là. Ça fait, j’ai … avoir un joli petit suit et … avec du fur et ma mère a dit, “Oh, mais c’était trop cher!” Ça fait, elle a dit, “Tu peux marier dans une robe ou le suit, mais je peux pas acheter les deux.” Ça fait, j’ai décidé d’avoir le suit puisque je pourrais garder le suit plus long, même si le suit que j’ai revenu back en dedans quand j’ai venu back après on mariait parce que j’étais malade. Et … mais, c’était un beau suit et je suis contente que j’étais une mariée dans le suit.
ALLISON: Dis-moi pour sa ring.
YVONNE: Quand il m’a donné une bague, bien sûr, il était pas après travailler. Il était dans le service. Ça fait, il était pas … avoir un tas … il pouvait pas acheter une grande bague. Ça fait, c’était juste un petit diamant et il a dit, “Un de ces jours, je vas acheter un plus grand diamant.” Ça fait, [9:16] oh, j’étais contente. C’était … c’était joli. J’étais contente que j’étais après
marier. C’est ça qui té eksité moi. Et … mais, après des années, il m’a acheté six autres diamants, le même size que mon diamant. Ça fait, là, j’ai sept diamants, comme il a promis. [laughs] ALLISON: [agrees] Où t’as allé après les noces ?
YVONNE: Well, il était toujours dans le service. Ça fait, on allait à Atlanta, Georgia. Et qui qu’était farce, c’est bien sûr, yé té mettre des … toute qualité des affaires sur notre char. Équand on est … quand on était passer quelque part, tout quelqu’un … yé té apé di nous-autres “bye”] et corner après nous-autres. Et je té di … j’ai dit à mon mari, “Mé, kofær y’apé …” Ça fait, cil-là, il m’a dit, “Mais, yé gin tout quelque chose parce que c’est tout sur le char.”
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: Ça fait, on a arrêté pour laver le char. Ça fait, le monde té pa koné que nous, on était des newlyweds. [laughs]
ALLISON: [laughs] Dis-moi pour Charivari ?
YVONNE: Charivari, c’est quand un homme perd sa femme et là, il remarie … et là, tous les amis, ils viennent et ils ... fé un tas de train. Et il faut le couple ouvre la porte et donner un petit quelque chose pour manger. Et c’est soit l’homme qui perd sa femme ou la femme qui perd son mari et ils remarient.
ALLISON: Oui. Would you like to tell us anything else about your Cajun culture or any kind of other traditions that you want to share with everyone ?
YVONNE: Well, it’s just … the main thing is a family-oriented … Cajuns are very
family-oriented and it’s not just the children, it’s the grandchildren, the grand childrens’ friends or boyfriends or girlfriends. And to this day, when we have a gathering, like this year, we all [12:00] went to Jude’s. I have six children and my oldest one is usually the one that has all of us
over at his house at Christmas time and all the boyfriends and the girlfriends come over and we have 14 grandchildren. And then, when they all bring their dates over and all of my children, my six children … and so it makes a big family gathering, but we try to get together at least two or three times a year and I’m just so proud of every one of them.
ALLISON: So, what is your favorite thing about being Catholic?
YVONNE: Oh, especially in this time of my life, first of all, you know, getting married, leaving home, an only child … and then coming back and moving from one end of Louisiana to the next, having six children, moving … oh, at least every two years because of my husband’s work. I have to clean the houses from top to bottom and make new friends and also, like, my children had to move from one school to the other, but I really think that that is what made them adjust to life as they got older, because they always … especially my boys, they’d always play sports … they always had to prove themselves everywhere we went because they were not, you know, from that little community and so they had to prove themselves to play football or baseball or basketball … and my boys played all sports.
ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: Even golf ! ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: And so, I think that built character.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And I hope that I was an example to them, because I always wanted to be a teacher. And after we first got married, I went a while … of course, I had gone to college before [14:12] we got married for a while, and then every little community we went until finally, we
ended up in Lake Charles and I … we lived right next to McNeese. And so, my youngest one, Ben, was going to kindergarten and so, I would arrange my classes with his classes at the time I could go, and I wouldn’t need a babysitter. And as he got older, I continued my college and I was able to get my degree at 35, better late than never. And I was able to do the one thing that I wanted to do the most.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: I started in regular ed, but went back to school for special ed, because I had a special love for special ed children and … just so glad that I did that. In fact, just the other day, when Greg went to the hospital, this little nurse went and she says, “Huval?” And this was in a big … this was in Lake Charles, and this little girl said, “Do you know a Miss Yvonne Huval ?” And he said, “That’s my mother !” And she said, “She was my third grade teacher.” And so, she remembered me, so I was impressed. [laughs] And I got to meet her at the hospital.
ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: So that was fun. ALLISON: En français -- YVONNE: [agrees]
ALLISON: … dis-moi pour ton père quand les gens mourraient. Ils parlaient d’un joke
parce qu’il a pas allé à le funeral ? Do you know what story I’m talking about ?
YVONNE: [disagrees]
ALLISON: [16:17] Tell the story about what your dad used to say whenever he didn’t want to go to somebody’s funeral. Remember how he would say … remember how, whenever people had died and you’d say --
YVONNE: [agrees]
ALLISON: … you know, “Oh, well he --” YVONNE: He won’t be able to come to my funeral ? ALLISON: Yeah ! [laughs]
YVONNE: [laughs]
ALLISON: Tell that. Can you tell that one in French ?
YVONNE: [agrees] [laughs]
ALLISON: Okay.
YVONNE: Oui, mon père linmé pa kouri à l’église trop. Ça fait, quand quelqu’un té mouri, la famille té di, “Mais, allons à le funeral.” Et il dit, “Mais, c’est pas la peine. Il va pas venir à môchin. Ça fait, je crois pas je vas aller.” [laughs]
ALLISON: [laughs] So, tell me about [Mom Snook] and your dad.
YVONNE: Okay, well … Mom Snook was … I mean, she was a perfectionist. Stayed home while she was in high school for two year so she could help her mother, because my grandmother had nine children.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And like, one of them was very sick for a while and so she stayed out for a year to help my grandmother. And … but when she … but she did graduate and because she graduated, and not too many people around here had graduated from high school, then, they needed substitute teachers --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [18:03] … and remembered that she had graduated. And so, actually, she started substituting and so whenever one of the teachers got sick, then they would call her to go substitute.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And she was very excited and she was, oh my God! Everything had to be perfect.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: She had to write whatever they did, how they did it, had all the papers lined up on the desks to make sure that the teacher would see all the material that the children did. And, so that was good. And then, do you know that after I left and her mother and father got sick in Lafayette, because my grandfather had a meat market in Lafayette, right near the underpass.
And so, she went to live there. Well, my grandmother passed away and my grandfather was, oh, up in his eighties and … but still strong, and so she went to UL and took some classes after she was 35.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And … because she knew that after my grandfather would pass away, that she would need to support herself --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … because, you see, my mom and my dad separated when they were young.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And she did. And she did go to UL, and she did take some classes and then she ended up working for Tom’s Peanuts --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [19:34] … in the office --
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: … until she, you know, was old enough to retire.
ALLISON: [agrees] And did they ever tell you why they didn’t get a divorce, or why they separated or …
YVONNE: Oh ! My mother believed in her religion --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … so much, and that, to her … I mean, like, back then … like, divorce was kind of frowned-on.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And so, that’s why she never divorced.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: She just separated.
ALLISON: [agrees] How was it like growing up as an only child back in the day? I mean, now it’s kind of a little bit … it’s more common now to be an only child or to have only one brother or sister. How was it back then?
YVONNE: Oh my gosh. Well, to tell you the truth, because of my mother being my mother --
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: I would go play outside in my yard. Well, if she would see my hands were dirty, she would come and wipe my hands.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: [20:28] And if I went to my friend’s house, I had to make sure that the mom was there and also, when we went to the dances, like I told you --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … we would go to the dances. Well, she let me go with my best friend because all the ladies … well, I mean, that’s the way it was ! All the moms would sit in one area and it would give them a chance to get out and watch their children. And I remember my best friend’s mother told me if she’d ever see me walk out that door, either me or my friend, she would come outside and get us.
ALLISON: [laughs] YVONNE: So, no. It was like -- ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: That was just the way things were in those days.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: We just never went, you know, just kind of go by ourselves.
ALLISON: Yeah. So how was your relationship with Pop’s parents and also, what was his relationship with your parents ?
YVONNE: Well, actually, the thing was this: my dad … you see, my mom was the strong one in the family. My dad, I would say, was a good person, but it was hard for him to just get things together.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And in fact, when we moved to Opelousas and we had three children at the time, he moved in with us.
ALLISON: [21:58] [agrees]
YVONNE: And he was a good man, but you had to work with him.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And he would do our yard, and of course, you know, we had only three bedrooms. So he would sleep in a single bed and the three boys would sleep in the big bed. ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And then I had my two girls, and then my husband and I … but then we moved, and he had a … we had a farm, and he had a garden and so, he loved his garden and actually, it was very helpful --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … because then, you know, we had all our fresh vegetables.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And he was, you know, we made it work out and it was good.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And when my mother would come to visit, you know, with the character that my husband had, he would go and he’d take a shower. He had his little room behind our house, and my husband would tease him and say, “You smell good ! Is it because the lady’s coming over ?” ALLISON: [laughs] Oh my goodness.
YVONNE: But that was his character. Everything was funny !
ALLISON: Oh, yeah ! Oh, yeah !
YVONNE: Fun and jokes.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [23:11] And they would talk, you know --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and she would ask about, you know, the people in Cecilia and they would just have a big conversation --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and it was good.
ALLISON: Good. So, how was Pop’s parents towards you ? Did they act like they were your parents, too ? Did they spoil you a lot ?
YVONNE: Well, actually … well, they had six children of their own.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And so, they didn’t have time. And they --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Pop worked on a farm, you know, his farm.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Had several acres, plus he would work on the tractor at other people’s land because he could. And he would. He worked so hard.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And he was the type that wanted to have the best sugar cane --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … or beans or cotton and in fact, I remember Paul telling me that when they would pick cotton, they would have to come and put the cotton up in the barn and fluff it.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [24:27] And then put it back in the … I don’t know how you … like, put it back so that they could take it to the cotton gin --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … just so the man there would say his cotton was the prettiest and fluffiest --
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: … of all the cotton that came in.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: He was … he was very proud of his work and took, you know, a lot of patience and time to make it look always better.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And he had a beautiful white fence in front of his farm, and my husband would say, “Oh my God!” Paint was too expensive, so they would get … oh, shoot! I forgot how you call that … some white --
ALLISON: White wash ?
YVONNE: White wash. And he says, “We would start from one end of the fence and have to white wash all of it and then within a month, we had to start all over again --”
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: “... just so people would pass and say, ‘Look at [Bala]’s pretty white fence !’”
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: So he was … you see, in those days, whatever people did … maybe they didn’t have education, you know, and all of this … but whatever they did --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [25:47] … they often took pride --
ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: … in what they had. ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And I mean, like, they didn’t have a big, beautiful house, but the little white house was always white.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: The white fence was always white.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: Whatever, you know, crop he raised had to be the prettiest --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and the best.
ALLISON: [agrees] So what was … what did y’all usually eat whenever you were growing up? I know that, you know, Dad knows how to cook a gumbo and all, you know, all of the uncles know how to cook rice and gravy and stuff like that. Did you guys ever cook like that back then ? Or was that more whenever you became an adult ?
YVONNE: Oh, no! They cooked, you know --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … back then, I mean … actually, back then they raised their own chickens.
ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: Like, Mom [Bala]. ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [26:38] Every year, she would order from Sears Roebuck --
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: … a little box of little chickens.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And she always had the chicken coop and she would clean that almost, you know, every other day --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … because she wanted to make sure that her chickens would be clean --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and everything would, you know, for her to go pick up the eggs --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … it had to be clean and … but you see, they all cooked and … no, we all … everybody in the community kind of cooked more or less the same way, and took pride in it -- ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and it was to see who made the best gumbo --
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: … crawfish stew, or whatever. And you see, while I was teaching, sometimes when Pop would come back from his work, he loved to cook.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: So while I was washing all the clothes, then Pop would cook --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [27:31] … drink a beer, cook and … so, my boys saw him come in after work and cook, drink his beer, and it wasn’t as a chore, but it was something that he just enjoyed doing.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And all of my boys cook, the same thing.
ALLISON: [agrees] Yeah. YVONNE: I mean they [crosstalk] ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: [agrees]
ALLISON: Also … tell me about, a little bit about your time in DeQuincy in the house and everything about the house.
YVONNE: Yes. I would say that DeQuincy was the place that we stayed the longest.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And what it was, was a beautiful, old home that was built in, I think, around 1935. And, you know, it … my mother, in fact, said, “Oh, no! You don’t want to live in that house!” And I said, “Oh yes, I do!” And the ceilings were like four feet high and I just could see what we could do with that house.
ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: It was cheap! ALLISON: [agrees] YVONNE: So, you know. ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [28:39] Why not ? And it was 13 steps going to the front porch.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And so, we did buy the house and started painting and Mom Snook came over. She gave in. And I mean, like, they had the old carpets and it was beautiful pine floors, so we just ripped all the carpets out and that was what I did in the one, in my summers. For two summers, I just took all the stain out, sand papered the floors and we did all the floors.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And then it was the time that they had the big, wide borders --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … around the top of the rooms.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And Mom Snook said, “Okay! I will come and help you.” And she made the curtains to match the border.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And so … and we had three fireplaces: one in the bedroom, one in the dining room and one in the living room.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And we fixed those up and, you know, bought pretty pictures to put on the wall.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And I do … this is where we lived the longest and where all of you all --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … were the youngest.
ALLISON: [30:03] Yeah.
YVONNE: And y’all would come at Easter time with your little Easter baskets --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and your cute little dresses and the little boys would come in their little suits and it was so beautiful. And we’d have the Easter egg hunt.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And then, of course, you remember. We had one Huval tradition.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And that was at Christmas time.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: I just wanted all of you all to know how important religion is in your life.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And, can I show a picture ?
ALLISON: Yeah, go ahead !
YVONNE: Oops.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: And this was when we all finished the house. It says, “Huval family Christmas tradition: in honor of Christ’s birthday, each year one of us gently places in the manger precious Baby Jesus.” And we started with Garret --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … who was the first-born, and then we went to the next one. Every year, we’d have a new one that was born and so, then it was Stevie. And then it was Baby Grant and then it
[31:37] was Raylea and Taylor and Kelsie and Mason and Raegan and Colette and Ian and Peyton and Abby and Allison !
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: [laughs] And then the last one was Parish.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: [laughs] And then the last one was [Parish].
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And I treasure this picture, I think, more than any other picture ever, besides my own children. And I hope that all of you can love and have Christ in your life --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … as I did, because it’s so rewarding. Now, the only thing I can do is help the chapel, because I can’t run --
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: … and do too much. But I can go to the chapel and if somebody can’t make it then they call me and I’ll go take their place.
ALLISON: [laughs] Awesome. I’ll take that for you, so you can sit back and relax. So, whenever you guys first moved to, moved from Cecilia, y’all first moved in Georgia, right ? YVONNE: Yes.
ALLISON: So, tell me, go through each place after Georgia that y’all moved from.
YVONNE: Okay, from Georgia, then we moved back here.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Then we moved to Opelousas.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And my children went to A.I.C.
ALLISON: [33:00] [agrees]
YVONNE: And then from Opelousas, that is when I think that we went to … we did go to Lake Charles and then we went to Morgan City. That’s where Uncle Jude was born. And then we went to Houma and then from Houma, we came back. We lived in Baton Rouge and then DeQuincy was there and … oh my gosh. Yeah.
ALLISON: [agrees] What was your favorite city that you guys lived in ? YVONNE: I think each one has a certain something that I can think of that was fun. ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And, because … well, in DeQuincy is where I started teaching and --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … you know, y’all were all small and y’all would come and visit me and have to climb those 14 steps.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: That was awesome. And I think in each little town, there was some really nice people and neighbors that we made friends with, and so I really … Baton Rouge was fun.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Yes. And … but, no, I can’t say there was one that I really didn’t like, because we were friendly people --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and we had so many children that people would all come and play at my house --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [34:53] … and I always had snacks for them.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: And it was a fun place to be, because we had so many children.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: All ages could come.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: And even Paul would go outside --
ALLISON: [laughs] Yeah.
YVONNE: … you know, in the backyard --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … play baseball with them or football or baseball and we … in Lake Charles, when we were living in Lake Charles, next to McNeese, we would let the boys, when it would rain and they were older then, and they said, “Mama, can we go play football in the mud?” because it was raining.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And so I said, “Okay.” So they would go play football, all four of them, and then when they were ready to come in, I would go take the hose, hose them out. They’d have to put all the wet clothes down on the porch and then run in to go take a shower and wash their heads and whatever. [laughs]
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Yeah, it was fun. I always … because, I guess, I was an only child --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [35:55] … I always wanted a large family --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and I’m so thankful that God blessed me with six children --
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: … and six wonderful children. I just lost one son, Tim, two years ago.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: But … yeah. Everybody’s good.
ALLISON: Yeah. So, looking back on your life now, is there anything you would want to change or anything that maybe you regret ?
YVONNE: No. All I can say is you have to take … and we went through some hard times.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Believe me. We went through some hard times … moving and, you know, when you have to start from your dishes to the bathroom towels --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and then, you know ? But you have to always accept with a happy heart --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … as long as, you know ? The kids would help me pick up --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … put their little towels together and … always had to make it fun.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: Because I always had a lot of clothes to, you know --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [37:02] … fold, wash and fold when I’d come back from school. I’d have like five batches of clothes or … in the mornings, you would hear, “Where’s my belt ?” And then when I would go by … it was the socks.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: Now that was the funniest thing in a large family.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: It’s … you go buy socks and for some reason, I learned to buy just white socks.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: I used to get the ones with the little stripes in different colors, but then that didn’t work because white socks, if you can get one and you don’t have to pair them all up, then you’re okay.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: But if you have to start pairing them … so you learn that soon enough.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: And it’s always to be happy --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and to make it fun.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: I always had a snack for the kids.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: In fact, I remember one doctor telling me, you know how Aunt Lisa was kind of overweight ?
ALLISON: [37:54] [agrees]
YVONNE: And he says, “What are you feeding her when she comes back from school ?” Well, I said, “I always have some cookies or, you know ?” He said, “Well, you’re the one getting her fat !”
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: He says, “Get fruits! You know ?”
ALLISON: Oh my God.
YVONNE: “Or vegetables or, you know” And so, I kind of learned that, but my boys, no. They wanted cookies --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … or something good to eat, peanut butter sandwiches --
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: … with a glass of milk.
ALLISON: [agrees] So, I know that everyone of … Pop is know for all of his nicknames.
YVONNE: [agrees]
ALLISON: Did he ever call you by a nickname or anything, like --
YVONNE: Brown.
ALLISON: Brown ?
YVONNE: Brown.
ALLISON: Brown ? YVONNE: B-R-O-W-N. ALLISON: Why ?
YVONNE: [38:37] I have no idea.
ALLISON: [laughs] YVONNE: [laughs] ALLISON: Oh my goodness. YVONNE: Yeah.
ALLISON: So --
YVONNE: Yes, and had a nickname for every one of y’all.
ALLISON: Yeah! No, I remember.
YVONNE: And what was yours ?
ALLISON: Allison [Kenderson] from Henderson.
YVONNE: [laughs]
ALLISON: So, I know Aunt Lisa’s was … what was her nickname for Pop ?
YVONNE: I don’t know if Lisa had … I don’t remember what her …
ALLISON: Or maybe it’s just … I mean, her name is Anna Lisa, so maybe it was just Lisa.
YVONNE: Yeah, because Tina is Baby Girl.
ALLISON: Baby Girl. [agrees] How did … how did he come up with the nickname Baby Girl ?
YVONNE: Well, because she was our, you know, when Lisa was born --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … and, I mean, poor little old Tina. She came, you know, 10 months later.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And she was the little baby.
ALLISON: [39:28] Oh.
YVONNE: And so it was Lisa and then Baby Girl.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: You know, the little baby of the family.
ALLISON: I got ya. I got ya.
YVONNE: And then, they just kept coming.
ALLISON: Yeah. [laughs] So, and then Uncle Jude … did Uncle Jude have a nickname ?
YVONNE: Yes, he did. It was a funny name, but I forgot.
ALLISON: Okay.
YVONNE: Yeah.
ALLISON: And then after that is Parrain, Uncle Greg.
YVONNE: [agrees]
ALLISON: Did he have a nickname, or he was just Greg ?
YVONNE: They all had nicknames.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: [crosstalk] … right now, you see. I can’t think of them --
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: … because I never used them.
ALLISON: Yeah. [laughs]
YVONNE: You know, he did.
ALLISON: [laughs] Yeah. YVONNE: But, no. Well, I mean -- ALLISON: [40:11] [agrees]
YVONNE: … I used their names --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … because … I don’t know. I was just on a different level. But he just liked to tease them all the time.
ALLISON: Yeah. So, I know the famous story about Uncle Tim’s nickname. Do you want to tell me about that one? Ti-Blue ? How he got the name Ti-Blue ?
YVONNE: Oh, Ti-Blue ! Yes. Now that’s a cute story. What it was, I mean, you know. When they would go to bed at night, well, I mean, we’d just … we’d love to have to be able to put them
… buy them uniforms to go to the Catholic schools --
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: … because we always tried to send them to the Catholic schools. And so, at night, they could just wear their old t-shirts or whatever.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: But at one Christmas, Tim’s parrain and marraine gave him a pair of blue pajamas. And bless his little heart, when they came back from the family gathering, he went in the room and he was so excited he had the blue pajamas that he unwrapped them and then just came out while we were all playing with the toys, you know ? Everybody had different toys they
were playing with. And he just walked out of the room in his little blue pajamas. And that’s how he got his name, Blue.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: He was proud as a peacock.
ALLISON: [41:29] [laughs]
YVONNE: [laughs] ALLISON: Oh, goodness. YVONNE: Oh, yes.
ALLISON: And how did … how did Dad get the name “Bœuf” ?
YVONNE: The Bœuf. Oh, yes !
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: Your dad … your dad is a little quieter than, you know, some … and I don’t know. It was just how Pop got that name.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: I’m not really sure.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: But, no … your dad was, I mean, the baby of the family.
ALLISON: [agrees]
YVONNE: And oh, we spoiled him so much !
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: Oh my God. And --
ALLISON: How old was he whenever he finally stopped sleeping in your bed ?
YVONNE: Oh, well, I mean, he wouldn’t really sleep with us, but he’d always come and jump in our beds in the morning.
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: About 13.
ALLISON: [42:17] [laughs]
YVONNE: Yeah. You know ? The Bœuf ! And Paul would say, “Oh, my Bœuf !”
ALLISON: [laughs]
YVONNE: You know ? “My baby”’s what he wanted to say, though.
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: He didn’t want to say, “Baby.”
ALLISON: Yeah.
YVONNE: So he said, “The Bœuf.”