Noel, Thelis Oral History Interview - Full Interview

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Noel, Thelis Oral History Interview - Full Interview

1976-03-23

Full audio file

Tape 1, Side 1, Part 1 - Belgian Medicine - "King of Pain" rub, and strong cough medicine. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 2 - Druggists painted signs on large boulders. Often for "sunrise nerb tea" (used for constipation). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 3 - Castor oil and Cod liver oil. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 4 - Went to bed for colds. Kids for more serious colds back then. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 5 - Smallpox epidemic around 1896. Mass public vaccination took place (description of vaccination process). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 6 - Fence around home of smallpox victim. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 7 - Burial of those who died from smallpox (no funeral due to germs). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 8 - No quarantines at Noel's house, but there were at others for diptheria. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 9 - Doctor never cam to visit. Mrs. Dewit, a neighbor, delivered babies. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 10 - Children were taken to neighbors when siblings were born, they knew nothing about sex and childbirth. Mr. Noel thinks it is better to be innocent in this way. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 11 - No one would marry a girl with "low morals" back then. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 12 - Mr. Noel thinks it's good to feel that your wife is innocent; makes divorce less likely. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 13 - Sore throats were treated with goos grease and camphor. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 14 - Blew smoke into ears for earaches and scabs. Skinned knees not treated. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 15 - Blisters were always burst. Seldom went to the doctor for anything. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 16 - Father made homemade medicine, got recipes from grandmother and Indians. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 17 - Used crushed leaves on lips for coldsores. Gave Walloon name for this treatment. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 18 - Dyspepsia - Grandfather died of it. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 19 - Grandfather's funeral - first with a hearse (usually used wagons or bobsleds). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 20 - Bodies bloated and sometimes dripped on the floor in church. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 21 - Caskets. Expensive ones were black, covered with crepe. Cheap ones were just wooden boards with no lining. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 22 - A neighbor made caskets (aside: he was the first to have a windmill). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 23 - Mr. Noel was afraid of dead bodies when he was young (incident). Tape 1, Side 1, Part 24 - Mr. Jeff Cavwenberg made caskets in the area. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 25 - Used grandfather's windmill to cut tobacco. Most farmers raised tobacco. Mr. Noel had to snip the tobacco buds when young. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 26 - Veterinary care. Vet stayed overnight caring for their horse. Tape 1, Side, Part 27 - Had a sheltered existence. Knew only what you learned on the farm. Invented own toys. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 28 - Dead horses and cows often left in woods to be devoured by wild animals. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 29 - Mother made own soap from lye and fat. Most old-time women did. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 30 - Removed paint from floor with lye. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 31 - Remembers the Irish in Denmark having clay pipes and drinking whiskey at wakes. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 32 - Moved to town because mother was hurt and couldn't work on the farm. Tape 1, Side 1, Part 33 - Father's wages in town. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 1 - Introduction. [never recorded] Tape 1, Side 2, Part 2 - Funeral procession for "Belgian Pete" (Pete Legers) in Green Bay. (gave a little background on Belgian Pete) Slow arch down the street. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 3 - Hearses came when cars were invented. Remembers first car he saw. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 4 - Description of Grandfather's hearse. Hearse belonged to Mr. DeBauche. Anecdote about Mr. DeBauche's widow searching for a new husband. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 5 - Mr. DeBauche was paid for his services. He waes area undertaker. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 6 - First wife embalmed right in his home 1921. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 7 - Many people broke their arms cranking their cars. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 8 - Peddlars. John Baum, a Jewish man, had a store in Green Bay. But earlier he had picked up iron from farmers and repaid them with trinkets. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 9 - He stayed with grandmother Brandt at one time as he traveled. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 10 - Few Watkins men visited. They lived off the main road. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 11 - Rough times during Cleveland's administration so farmers bartered with each other. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 12 - Got a precious silver dollar from grandmother. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 13 - Feels that kids aren't going to church nowadays because of the communists. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 14 - Fire departments. Got their water from the river. First running water distributed through wooden pipes. He worked at Public Service for a while. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 15 - Remembers fighting a fire in Denmark. Used sulfuric acid and baking powder. Tape 1, Side 2 , Part 16 - Cost 10 cents for a shave and 25 cents for a haircut back then. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 17 - Few fires on farms back then because there was no electricity. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 18 - Construction of farm buildings. Neighbors helped and were supplied with beer and food. (Quarter barrel of beer cost 70 cents). Tape 1, Side 2, Part 19 - Had no income tax back then. He wrote his first one in 1917. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 20 - Belgians transacted with the banks. Borrowed money for farms. But they often borrowed from each other; they trusted each other. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 21 - Method of retirement. They put money in bank and lived on the interest, had to spend wisely. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 22 - Me. Noel heard about Vilatte being in Brussels. Vilatte only wanted to be bishop and dress in fancy clothes. Belgians liked him because he spoke French. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 23 - Location of 2 of Vilatte's churches in Green Bay. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 24 - Repented and died in France. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 25 - Neighbors tolerated friends of other faiths. Remembers a Holy Jumpers church. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 26 - Belgium was 100 % Catholic. Church services a little different in Europe. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 27 - In Spain a commoner cannot be a priest. Tape 1, Side 2, Part 28 - Parade held on Pentecost. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 1 - Continuation of Pentecostal parade. Grandparents set up an alter outside for it (There is a break in this narrative but it is all there). Tape 2, Side 1, Part 2 - Changes in the church. The holy items are no longer special. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 3 - Feels there was no spiritual harm to those who attended Villatte's church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 4 - Remembers a newspaper against the Catholic Church called the Menace. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 5 - the Polish in Pulaski fell away from the church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 6 - Feels Episcopal is very much like Catholic. Tape 2, Side 2, Part 7 - Thinks there is now much praying in church and more singing. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 8 - Speaking the last part of the "Holy Mary" in Walloon. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 9 - Settlers were lonely so they prayed a lot. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 10 - Joke about first Belgian settlers. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 11 - Belgians thought the forest lumber was valuable. But ended up burning it because no one would buy it. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 12 - Remembers no Belgian songs. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 13 - Can buy Belgian Pie and get a good meal at Champion for Kermiss. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 14 - Joe Francis, the bank president, was a Spiritualist. Location of church in Green Bay. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 15 - Mrs. DeWarzger was the first minister. Doesn't know about their services. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 16 - Milwaukee priest disclosed the Spiritualist church tricks. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 17 - Can't understand why the Belgians fell away. Few actually fell. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 18 - Funerals sad because settlers were so close knit. Wore black veils, mourned for two years. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 19 - Mr. Noel wore a black crepe band on his arm and a black bow on his hat while mourning his wife's death. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 20 - Remembers family preparation for church when he was young. Had a special meal every evening before church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 21 - Rode to church on a wagon. Kids sometimes squealed in church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 22 - Church was part of life and was accepted completely. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 23 - Impressions of the WPA. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 24 - Salaries cut overnight during the Depression. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 25 - His bank closed but reorganized and reopened. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 26 - People were conservative during the Depression. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 27 - Family never fished. Father bought herring from ice fishers. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 28 - Father took trips across frozen bay to sell hay in Menominee. Was gone two days.

Tape 2, Side 1, Part 1 - Continuation of Pentecostal parade. Grandparents set up an altar outside for it (There is a break in this narrative but it is all there). Tape 2, Side 1, Part 2 - Changes in the church. The holy items are no longer special. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 3 - Feels there was no spiritual harm to those who attended Vilatte's church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 4 - Remembers a newspaper against the Catholic Church called the Menace. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 5 - The Polich in Pulaski fell away from the church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 6 - Feels Episcopal is very much like Catholic. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 7 - Thinks there is now much praying in church and more singing. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 8 - Speaking the last part of the "Holy Mary" in Walloon. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 9 - Settlers were lonely so they prayed a lot. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 10 - Joke about first Belgian settlers. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 11 - Belgians thought forest lumber was valuable. But ended up burning it because no one would buy it. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 12 - Remembers no Belgian songs. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 13 - Can buy Belgian Pie and get a good meal at Champion for Kermiss. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 14 - Joe Francis, the bank president, was a Spiritualist. Location of church in Green Bay. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 15 - Mrs. DeWarzger was the first minister. Doesn't know about their services. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 16 - Milwaukee Priest disclosed the Spiritualist church tricks. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 17 - Can't understand why the Belgians fell away. Few actually fell. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 18 - Funerals sad because settlers were so close knit. Wore black veils, mourned for two years. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 19 - Mr. Noel wore a black crepe band on his arm and a black bow on his hat while mourning his wife's death. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 20 - Remembers family preparation for church when he was young. Had a special meal every evening before church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 21 - Rode to church on a wagon. Kids sometimes squealed in church. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 22 - Church was part of life and was accepted completely. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 23 - Impressions of the WPA. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 24 - Salaries cut overnight during the Depression. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 25 - His bank closed but reorganized and reopened. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 26 - People were conservative during the Depression. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 27 - Family never fished. Father bought herring from ice fishers. Tape 2, Side 1, Part 28 - Father took trips across frozen bay to sell hay in Menominee. Was gone two days.

Automobiles

Catholicity

Childbirth

Church Feasts & Celebrations

Depressions - 1929

Fire Departments

Funeral Rites & Ceremonies

Jokes

Legus, Pete

Medical Care

Money

Mourning Customs

Peddlers

Pentecost Festival

Religion

Retirement

Small Pox

Soap

Spiritualism

Taxation

Tobacco Manufacture & Trade

Veterinary Medicine

Vilatte, Joseph Rene

WPA

Recollection Wisconsin

English

sound

http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.BelgOHtn1