Viewing Object

Object Description

Object Name

Oral History

Object ID

SR-268

Title

Kathleen (Kay) Barichello Palmer's oral history interview conducted by Warren Sommer on 17 Aug., 2 Sep., 17 Oct. 2013.

Extent

3 cds.

Date

17 Aug., 2 Sep., 17 Oct. 2013.

Description

SR-268.1 is a recording of an interview with Kay Palmer, nee Barichello, conducted by Warren Sommer.
Track 1 – Interviewer gives an introduction. Kay talks about early memories on her family farm. Talking about the work to be done and different types trees and bush on the farm, and clearing the land of said trees and bushes.
Track 2 – Kay describes the house she grew up in. Tells of the wooden furnace and washing clothing and dishes in the old fashioned washer. Talks about Saturday as wash day.
Track 3 – Kay talks about the use and commonality of electricity and coal. Also gives a description of responsibilities of the children in regards to the animals on the farm.
Track 4 – Kay gives a more detailed description of the interior of the house. Talks about methods used to keep the house warm during the winter.
Track 5 – Kay gives details about the kitchen cabinets. Describes the cooler they had, and then later on their fridge. Talks about family time and games at the end of the day, which involved the entire family; calls it a simple good farm life.
Track 6 – Kay talks about the different buildings on the farm. Tells of the communal effort during the corn harvest, and specifies the difference of dinner, lunch, and supper.
Track 7 – Describes the beginning of their herd of Jersey cows and the role her brothers Ralph and Ray played in it. Also describes their team of Clydesdale horses and talks about getting kicked by them as a child.
Track 8 – Talks about all the different animals on the farm. Describes the process of killing the chickens. Talks about having pigs and giving the meat away to neighbours, if they didn’t preserve or salt it.
Track 9 – Talks about making and growing their own food, like butter and different vegetables.
Track 10 –Discusses her dad’s Italian heritage and the role that played in their eating habits, like pasta and polenta. Also gives brief history of her dad leaving Italy.
Track 11 - Tells of her mother’s rule of no alcohol in their house, even though her dad drank wine and grappa. Tells of bringing her future husband over and her dad giving him grappa from his secret stash in their garage. Talks about the illegal grappa stills that brewed around Langley.
Track 12 – talks about her family’s main income, shipping milk. Describes the milking and shipping process.
Track 13 – Kay talks about the cars and trucks her dad and brothers had. Talks about getting sandwiches with Ralph in downtown Langley.
Track 14 – Talks about the freedom she had to roam outside as a child. Mentions the rarity of seeing wildlife. Talks of how vagrants were not problematic, and the help they would give around the farm for a meal.
Track 15 – talks about foreigners in the area, Punjabi, Japanese and Chinese, and the lack thereof. Talks about one Chinese man who came around with a fruit and vegetable wagon.
Track 16 – talks about the rarity of tropical fruits, like oranges, bananas and pineapples, especially in the war years. Talks about her grandfather going to San Diego during the winter for his health.
Track 17 – Discusses the Italian community within Murrayville. Talks about different Italian families in the area and the different people who married and their children.
Track 18 – Discusses the interreligious and ethnic tensions felt, especially during the war. Talks about her and Dick being the only Italians at Murrayville School. Talks about tensions between Protestants and Catholics.
Track 19 – Talks about her Mother and the judgment she felt by her church for marrying an Italian. Talks about the different churches and denominations in the area and learning about them.
Track 20 – talks about the reputation of Catholics and Anglicans in the Murrayville area. Talks about being in C.G.I.T. and Young Peoples and her other involvement in the church.
Track 21 – Discusses the modernization of Langley, especially within in the United Church. Talks about the Mennonite influence in Eastern Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
Track 22 – Discusses Murrayville School, grades 1-7, and her teachers. Talks about attending the new Langley High School and commonality of kids who dropped out.
Track 23 – Discusses the reasons for kids who dropped out of school, and her enjoyment of high school overall. Talks about bussing to school and extracurricular activities.
Track 24 – Talks about Pro-Rec, piano lessons and playing baseball. Talks about the piano her mother got from a Japanese family who were sent to an internment camp in Alberta.
Track 25 – Kay discusses her involvement in 4-H.
Track 26 – Talks about going to Cultus Lake and White Rock, and having a picnic there.
Track 27 – Talks about going to the White Rock picnic.
Track 28 – Discusses the yearly church picnic and participating in that, because the Langley Picnic was no longer running. Also mentions going to Peace Arch at the end of the school year with the church.

SR-268.2 is a recording of an interview with Kay Palmer, nee Barichello, conducted by Warren Sommer.
Track 1 – Interviewer gives an introduction and recaps previous interview. Kay talks about how no one locked their doors growing up, only stores at night.
Track 2 – Kay talks about the limited amounts of crime that occurred in her childhood; even theft was very minimal. Her only memory of significant crime was a girl in her grade four class who was murdered.
Track 3 – Kay discusses the lack of peer pressure she experienced growing up, which she credits to her mother’s thorough instilment of right and wrong. Also mentions how she never drank as a teen, and still does not.
Track 4 – Kay talks about her Sundays growing up, it was a day of rest, but not from chores, she always attended church, and her family always had their big Sunday dinner in the afternoon.
Track 5 – Kay discusses the ritual of Sunday roasts with dessert. Also talks about the different types of meat they would have for each holiday meal. Mentions how having dinner at her grandparent’s house with her extended family, and the relationships that formed.
Track 6 – Kay discusses the tasks done each day of the week, specifically washing clothing. Talks about how her mother made most of their clothing, which taught them to be economical growing up. Mentions getting her first pair of store bought underwear and how that was a really big deal as a child.
Track 7 – Kay discusses her father and his hobby of repairing shoes, as well as other trade skills he had
Track 8 – Kay talks about the different social groups in church for kids as they were growing up, specifically Baby-band. Kay also discusses her mother’s participation in the church and the prejudices she felt from fellow church members.
Track 9 – Kay talks about addressing elders growing up, and using ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ as opposed to first names, as it was a sign of respecting your elders.
Track 10 – Kay talks about having a radio growing up and the different shows that aired, and having the whole family sit and listen to different shows. Also talks about her father’s gramophone.
Track 11 – Kay talks about the Province newspaper versus the Sun newspaper, and her mother’s opinions on the different papers.
Track 12 – Kay discusses different community dances and attending with a group of friends or her brother rather than a date.
Track 13 – Kay discusses travelling to different municipalities and social events with either her friend’s or brother’s car.
Track 14 – Discusses the bad reputation Fort Langley had as a ‘beer parlour’, and the education she received growing up about the significance of Fort Langley. Mentions the Frist Nation’s tribe that was very active in Fort Langley during this time.
Track 15 – Kay further discusses the bad reputation of fort Langley and Aldergrove during this time. Talks about the great dances Fort Langley hosted, and her uncertainty of the reasoning behind the bad reputations of Fort Langley and Aldergrove.
Track 16 – Kay discusses her parent’s involvement in the community and church. Her mother kept more to herself, and her Father was part of the Murrayville crib team. Also discusses drinking within the community and her own family.
Track 17 – Kay discusses the United Church as being a focal point of the Murrayville community, especially within the kids and teenagers. Also discusses visiting neighbour’s homes and being frightened of people drinking.
Track 18 – Kay discusses her memories of her uncles being in World War I and it being discussed within her family. Also talks about seeing veterans who had shell shock or lost limbs in the war, and it being something that one did not question but just accepted.
Track 19 – Kay discusses Fred, a good family friend and veteran who lived with them growing up, and her good yet sad memories of him and his life in her home.
Track 20 – Kay talks about the Langley theatre and its prices and her infrequency of going due to her lack of transportation to get there and back.
Track 21 – Kays discusses how everyone had bicycles and the hours they’d spend together riding their bikes. Gives some details about her bike and her struggle to ride a speed bike.
Track 22 – Talks about Porter’s store and the owners being good family friends. Also discusses Matthew’s Corner Store and the different things each store sold.
Track 23 – Kay talks about Anderson’s Garage. Also talks about Cumming’s Butcher Shop being out of business in memory.
Track 24 – Kay discusses the Belmont Farm and the Berry family being very good family friends throughout her childhood. Interviewer asks if Kay remembers Annie Issacson, but Kay does not recall her.
Track 25 – Kay discusses her memory of different grocery stores in Langley, but her family primarily bought from Porter’s or Berry. Kay also mentions hardware stores in the area as well as other local businesses.
Track 26 – Kay discusses the different stores her and her family would shop at. Talks about getting their feet X-rayed when trying on shoes. Also discusses the Barren family as family friends.
Track 27 – Kay discusses the reputation of the Langley Hotel, and its separate beer parlours for men and women, and the rules that went along with each of them.
Track 28 – Kay discusses her awareness of Langley having prostitutes. Kay also talks about the bad reputation of billiard halls, and her growing up with the understanding that they were not a place to go.
Track 29 – Kay talks about the Langley and Aldergrove Hotels being the only licensed liquor parlours, which contributed to their bad reputations. Also discusses the space between Aldergrove and Langley as being the Mennonite strawberry growing area.
Track 30 – Kay discusses the reputation of the Mennonites.
Track 31 – Kay talks about May Day and the May Day Queen. Kay also talks about being involved in 4H and her memories of participating at different fairs. Mentions the Harvest Queen and the process of winning that competition.
Track 32 – May discusses the May Day Queen, and the different people involved.
Track 33 – Kay discusses the Fall Fair, and different parks in the area. Discussion turns into Kay’s memories of day trips and taking a road trip to Oregon.
Track 34 – Kay talks about crossing the border as a teenager with her friends, and the shenanigans they would try to get away with across the line.
Track 35 – Kay talks about the patriotism and loyalties instilled into students in school, and being proud to be Canadian after the War.
Track 36 – Kay describes her memories of World War II, mostly black out exercises and air raid drills. Has vivid memories of V - E Day.
Track 37 – Kay discusses being Italian during the War and the teasing her and her brother received. Also discusses signs of the war within Murrayville: rationing, men in uniform, victory gardens, blackout drills.
Track 38 – Kay talks about Japanese internment and there being neighbouring Japanese farmers that were sent to Alberta, so Kay’s family stored furniture for them in their barn.

SR-268.3 is a recording of an interview with Kay Palmer, nee Barichello, conducted by Warren Sommer.
Track 1 – Kay discusses the new Langley High School and her experience being the first class to go from grade 7 to grade 12 in the new buildings.
Track 2 – Kay discusses reasons behind students dropping out of school; says that often bad home situations, like abuse, played into their school performance. Conversation moves to the commonality of spousal abuse still around during this time.
Track 3 – Kay discusses reasons for student participation in different clubs and teams, and the lack thereof. Also discusses student’s transportation methods to and from school.
Track 4 – Kay discusses the Langley Agricultural Grounds and the different locations that hosted the Langley Fair.
Track 5 – Kay talks about the Harvest Queen and the celebrations that took place. Also discusses the number of students in her classes.
Track 6 – Kay talks about the importance of fashion during high school, and how she earned money to buy herself clothing. Also discusses her mother’s views on fashion and make-up.
Track 7 – Kay discusses activities her and her friends did during high school, like movies, roller skating, and shopping.
Track 8 – Kay talks about the first wedding she was a junior bridesmaid in, and recalls the dresses being made out of crepe paper because the family was not wealthy.
Track 9 – Kay further discusses weddings and how they were almost always held in a church. Kay also discusses reception halls and what the reception generally entailed.
Track 10 – Kay discusses her grandmother’s funeral, which was the first one she ever attended.
Track 11 – Kay discusses the progression into modern times, and her family slowly acquiring appliances like an electric stove and TV.
Track 12 – Kay talks about women returning back to tradition jobs at the end of the war. Also discusses her personal career and post-secondary ideas.
Track 13 – Kay discusses the traditional expectations of women, specifically within the home and in education and work.
Track 14 - Kay talks about career options for women after high school: dress shop, BC TEL, restaurant, or marriage.
Track 15 – Kay talks about why she became a nurse.
Track 16 – Kay discusses her decision on choosing to receive her training at Vancouver General Hospital, and describes the training program and classes.
Track 17 – Kay discusses the commonality of female doctors. Kay also describes the new Centennial building she staffed and the nursing quarters while she was in training.
Track 18 – Kay discusses the certification she received upon graduating her training, and the different types of degrees for nursing that were available at this time.
Track 19 – Kay describes the hierarchy of nursing and the uniform that went along with each level.
Track 20 – Kay talks about interns in comparison to her nurse training. She also discusses the university students, specifically the UBC engineering frats, and the parties they threw.
Track 21 – Kay talks about the difficulty of the nurses program and the high academic standards they had to maintain.
Track 22 - Kay talks about her first job as a nurse at Vancouver General Hospital after graduation, and the ward she worked in. Also talks about planning her wedding while writing her final exams.
Track 23 – Kay discusses working at Vancouver General Hospital for a couple years, then moving to Langley and working at the Langley Hospital.
Track 24 – Kay discusses the cottage hospital and its overcrowding problem. Also talks about the work environment and coworkers and the enjoyment she had working there.
Track 25 – talks about working in a small hospital and the limitations of that. Talks about the different doctors at that time and the lack of specialists.
Track 26 – Kay discusses her head nurse, Miss Ward, and her strict but effective and good standards of work.
Track 27 – Kay describes her specialty, obstetrics. She also discusses Miss Ward’s system in running the nurses and their positions in each ward. She then discusses the evolution in the nurses position within each ward.
Track 28 - Kay compares giving birth in the 21st century to giving birth in the 1960s.
Track 29 – Kay talks about knowing patients that came into the hospital, and coping with infant deaths.
Track 30 – Kay discusses un-wed mothers and how the community handled these situations. Also discussion abortion and the different reactions and results of it during her time as a nurse.
Track 31 – Kay talks about male nurses and the changes and challenges that came with them.
Track 32 – Kay compares General Practitioners to Specialists and their academics versus bedside manners. Also talks about the increase of specialists at Langley Memorial as time went on.
Track 33 – Kay talks about the advancements in technology from the time she began as a nurse to the present day. Also talks about the changes in inducing patients back in the 1960’s compared to the 21st century.
Track 34 – Kay discusses her retirement and the modernization in Langley. Closing remarks from Kay and interviewer.

People/Subject

4-H Club

Barichello, Norman

Barichello, Ralph

Ralph Joseph Barichello was born in 1922 and was the oldest son of Guiseppe (Joe) and Dorothy Barichello (nee Lee), who married in Murrayville in 1919. (Dorothy was the daughter of pioneers James and Edith Lee.) Ralph married Mae Johnson in 1947, and the couple had five children, including Faye, Tom, Rick, Norman, and Louise. He passed away in 1981.

Barichello, Richard (Dick)

Dick Barichello was born in 1933 and was the youngest son of Guiseppe (Joe) and Dorothy Barichello (nee Lee), who married in Murrayville in 1919. (Dorothy was the daughter of pioneers James and Edith Lee.) Dick married June, and had at least four children, Arlene, Sheri, David and Duane.
Term Source: HPC Record (HPC-164/963)

Barichello, Rick

Cows, Milking

Fort Langley (village)

Japanese Canadians

Japanese Internment

Langley High School

In 1909 the first high school class was organized and held in rented quarters in Murrayville. From 1911-18, classes were held in Belmont Superior School (later Murrayville Elementary), but the school became overcrowded with elementary and high school students. The school board approached the Municipal Council, but their request for a new schol was turned down twice. The board resigned, but the next board was more successful and local contractor Owen Hughes was hired on a low bid of $11,900. The School Board temporarily found room for the overflow pupils from Murrayville in the downstairs portion of Milner Hall and by renting the Sharon Presbyterian Church Hall. In 1922, Langley High School moved from Murrayville to Milner School, where it remained until Langley High School was built on Yale Road in 1924. Langley High School opened in 1924 with two classrooms and one science room. It taught grades 9 to 12. Additional rooms were built in 1934. In roughly 1947 the new school on the current property (2005) was built, and it included Grades 11 and 12. In 1948, the old building on Fraser Highway became Langley Central Elementary, and the high school students moved to the current location (2006) at Langley SECONDARY School. In 1985 the school went from Grades 8-12.
See Also: Langley Secondary School
Term Source: History of Langley Schools" by Harry McTaggart, Maureen Pepin, and Norman Sherrit.

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