Ryan Clements: It’s recording. I’ll set that right there. Before we go on, I’ll just have you
sign, just a paper that they have to have for their research so that you know that we’re talking to
you and all that. Basically, we’ll start just with the basics. Your Name?
Sarah Weber: Sarah Elizabeth Weber.
R: Ok.
S: Maiden name’s Landers.
R: Sarah Elizabeth Weber, two B’s?
S: One B.
R: And your maiden was Landers?
S: Uh huh.
R: Where were you born?
S: Dadeville, Missouri.
R: And now you live in Springfield?
S: We moved here in ’55, it was in and out of Springfield all my life. Almost.
R: Did you live there in Dadeville until you moved to Springfield?
S: I lived there until ’27 and my folks moved to Springfield. And that dad would go back
forth from the farm, on weekends and all, and then when I was married ’32 , we moved to the
farm and lived there for 25 years. And then we moved back to Springfield in ’55. I graduated
Central High School here in Springfield.
R: So, Central High School. What year did you graduate?
S: ’31. What year did Southwest Missouri State University. Got married and then we
went to farm. We went broke. No my husband had a job in ’37 I guess it was , in California. And
we went out there for about nine months I think, and then we came back.
R: Alright. And you are 97, is that correct?
S: I’m 97.
R: When was your birth date?
S: April 18th
R: I knew it was just a few days ago.
S: April 18th, 1913.
R: 1915?
S: ‘13. Marie Snyder was born in ’15. She was down here this morning.
R: Yeah, I heard that her daughter came out to see you. That was neat. What was your
husband’s name?
S: Charles
R: Charles and he was a farmer?
S: Well, that’s-he wasn’t much of one. He never had lived on a farm, he didn’t know
much about farming. Had bad luck, farming. The droughts and lightening killed six of our
cattle, we decided to close it up before he went to work for Frisco, for about three years and
they told him he needed to be getting an [inside] job Missouri State University and he worked
there, I guess, 25 years. And then we retired.
R: Alright, and what are your children’s names?
S: Carl
R: Carl? Ok.
S: There were Mary Jane Weber. Sarah Hope-Weber Hope.
R: Alright.
S: And June Weber Parker.
R: Parker.
S: Want the grandkids? I got 10 grandkids. Some odd great grandkids and then I and
several great-great. Any time.
R: I won’t make you list all of them, but I’ll write down that you’ve got them. That’s
great. That kind of goes with that part. And thenS: 44 of them were here for my birthday.
R: Wow, that’s pretty good. Quite a crew.
S: [inaudible] had to work. But all of my children and grandkids came and they’re
supposed to be [inaudible].
R: Very cool. Alright, well, how long have you been a member of Parkview?
S: We, went in ’55, in fact we went before the dedication and we was there the day of the
dedication and then we moved back we started right away at Parkview, of course. And I think
we put our membership in either ’55 or ’56, I’m not for sure.
R: So the other question I have here, is how did you get involved here? But you’ve been
here since the dedication?
S: Yeah.
R: Ok.
S: Well, we didn’t live here then we just came [inaudible] but ’55 was when we moved.
We started in right away because we knew that was where we were going we kept wanting-I
think King was there and then [inaudible] was there when we went.
R: Where did you go before that? Have you ever been involved in other churches?
S: Central Christian Church. Well, Central Christian Church.
R: Ok, in Dadeville, there?
S: No, it was here in Springfield.
R: Oh Ok, here. Central Christian.
S: That’s where I went-well, that’s where I was baptized, at Central Christian. And then
we went to Dadeville Christian Church. When we moved down there, there was only six
members at Dadeville Christian church. A man and his wife [were the main members of it].
They kept it open and gave communion, we went with the 6 others just so we got busy and
built it up pretty good. Minister whoR: So you’ve been in the Christian church basically all your life?
S: Yeah. Yeah.
R: Well, the third one it says what was the role of religion in your home when you’re
growing up. So as a kid, what part does religion in that? In your life.
S: We’d go to church on Sunday and we read bible. Children and all.
R: Ok. Very good. What’s your strongest childhood memory related to God, to growing
up in the Christian church? Would you say?
S: Well it’s hard to say.
R: Or. A couple of them.
S: Strongest memory you said?
R: Mmhmm.
S: I guess the teacher there I had a Dadeville, was pretty good teacher, she really knew
the Bible good. And we, my dad and I were there every Sunday if we could. That what you
wanted?
R: And you’re baptized?
S: Yeah, I was baptized up here.
R: Do you recall any times as a child that things were different for your in your religious
world because you’re a girl not a boy?
S: No, I don’t think so.
R: Not really? Ok. What differences have you experiences, in your life, in general,
because you’re a woman have experienced any differences because you’re a woman?
S: No.
R: Ok. What challenges and struggles have you faced in your religious life?
S: Well, of course when I worked at SMS I didn’t get to go to church I had to work then.
And that was bad. But, then I don’t know any other struggles.
R: Ok. Very good. Who would you say most influenced your life? In your faith, in your
walk in God?
S: Well, I think my mother, and this, man and woman that Dadeville Christian Church
did [inaudible] and there used to be a minister who’d come to Dadeville for a service and then
he come to Parkview for services.
R: Ok.
S: And I think, they had a lot of influence on us.
R: Okay, very good.
S: And my husband was pretty strong, whenever I was down or anything happened, he
would be the strong one and vice versa, he both helped each other.
R: Yeah, I just got married last summer and I think it’s one of the greatest things about
being married. It’s one of the best things that I’ve noticed. We can pick each other up. We both
get down at times, but usually it’s only one of us.
S: And the other can encourage you.
R: Yep, that’s been a really great thing for us. Is to know that even when you’re down for
a little bit they’re there.
S: They’re there to pull you through.
R: Yep. That’s been a good thing. I’m looking forward to a lot more time with her.
S: I don’t know how many years my husband was an elder but he was one at Dadeville,
and then in Springfield
R: Ok. Very good.
S: He gave it up when he began to get sick-when he got cancer, he got so bad, he said he
better quit.
R: Yeah. Ok. How would you say the religious is different for kids today than it was
when you were growing up?
S: Too many ball games and too many, foolishness on television they watch. Computers
that they get involved with, I think it has interfered with their lives. But there’s too much
violence in school and things for children different things. I know some schools, especially
college seem like it don’t go with, they don’t believe in God. A lot of the teachers don’t teach
right.
R: When you were in school was it basic, when were growing up in school, I guess,
basically your teachers all, how much of religion was part of school?
S: Quite a bit, we always [inaudible] as far as I know. We always prayed and everything
else in school.
R: Ok. The last one on here is how would you like Parkview to remember you? What do
you think , when someone says Elizabeth Weber, how you want them to remember you as a
part of the church?
S: I don’t know.
R: Kind of a tough question.
S: I hope they do. I remember several others I know.
R: What you do you remember about them?
S: They were good religious people, being there every Sunday, did good. Some of them
taught, and some of them just was good workers in the church.
R: Were you ever, did you ever teach Sunday school?
S: I did at Dadeville. I never did at Parkview, but I did help with a lot of other things.
R: What kind of things were you involved in when you at Parkview?
S: Well, of course at SMS I was in food service. And at Parkview I always helped with
Vacation Bible School. And different ones had me at weddings and different things, help them.
Well, just about everything besides teaching a class, I never did teach, up there.
R: Okay. Very good. 15:22-23.55: Alright, well that’s all the questions that I had for that.
Anything else that you thought of?
S: No, Guess not.
R: You were married in ’32, right?
S: Uh huh.
R: Alright.
S: ’32, and I had my first baby in ’34.
R: Okay.
S: It was Mary Jane, she’s the oldest.
R: ’34. So how old were you when you got married?
S: 19.
R: 19.
S: My husband was 21.
R: Yeah.
S: He passed away in ‘86 so I’ve been a widow ever since.
R: Yeah.
S: He said, “Mama said you won’t be able to stay here you’ll have to sell the place
because you won’t have enough money. We had a little money in savings but not a whole lot,
and I’ve been-lived there ever since, until I got sick this time and Sarah said she’d worry to
death if I was over there by myself, I’d better come over here. Anyway, I still got just about
what we had when he said that in savings. And I’ve done a lot of things to the house and
managed to make it.
R: Yep. That’s really good.
S: [inaudible] until two years ago and then went-well it took 10 miles to get a hair do
and then ten miles back. And I decided, well, I’d better get rid of my car, so I sold it to Bruce
Beal.
R: Very good. Well, I think that’s it. I’m going to shut this off, here. At Missouri State,
you said your husband worked as a custodian, and you were in food service? Is that?
S: Yeah, he started first. They told him he needed to get an inside job. He hurt his back
when he was on the Frisco. Well, they were building the bridge or something over in St. Louis
and the water and the dampness and he had arthritis or something in his back and so they said,
“you need to get an inside job.” So I don’t know if that can be-heard about SMS and he went up
there and got a job. And my daughter was in college at that time there, and she worked as a
cashier at the cafeteria and she said “Mamma, they’re needing a pastry cook. Why don’t you
put you application in?” Well, I did, and of course I got it. And I worked in pastries for a whilemade pies and biscuits and things like that. And then I went and made the vegetables and then
to the meat and then on the food service line [inaudible] had helped. And then when Braughton
(sp?) Food Service took it over and the state got out of it, I helped at special banquets and things
like that. Served 1,200 once for a senior class and one time we had three going at a time. And it
was-I enjoyed it, but it was hard work. Then, I guess it was ’72, they changed managers and one
of my food service runners, I call them, that help being food up to the service line, well they put
him in as a manager. And I didn’t like that, so I resigned and worked 2 years in a hardware
store. And I had put my application in with state for another job if they had one open and about
2 years I got a call-they wanted me at the [inaudible] canning on Pythian. And they wanted a
food service manager, so I went over there and was there for about 7 ½ years and then I retired.
It was-I enjoyed it but it was more handicapped kids, and it was kind of depressing. Because
over at SMS we tried to make the food look as good as we could and over there you ground
everything-a lot of it was ground up for them because they couldn’t chew. But it was hard. We
had dinners for the kids out on the lawn and we set it up, it was enjoyable but hard work.
R: Must have been a good organizer.
S: Well, I don’t know about that. I tried to be.
R: Yep. Well if you had any advice for youth group, since I’m the youth minister, what
advice would you give the youth group if you were talking to them-if you were talking to kids
in our church, what would you tell them?
S: I don’t know really. About what?
R: Just about being in the church, and advice for life I guess. Advice for following God.
S: Yeah. That they’d need to do the best they could. And to follow God and do what He
would want them to do. And it’s not your will, it’s His. I said when we’re young, we think
everything’s on us-we want to do this, we want to do that. And you haven’t got any say-it’s all
in God’s control. But you don’t realize that when you’re young, I don’t think. You always think
I’m going to do that.”
R: Very good. Well I think that’s all that I have. Would you like to have a prayer
together?
S: Sure.