Andrea Otto: This is Jake and Andrea Otto. We are interviewing Juanita Crawford. We are
conducting this interview at Parkview Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri. The date is
April 25th, 2010. This interview is for the Religious Lives of Ozarks Women Intergenerational
Story Telling from the Older to the Younger conducted through Missouri State University in
Springfield, Missouri. Now, we’ve got a few questions to cover your background first. So what
is your full name, including any maiden names or any nicknames you had?
Juanita Crawford: Alright. Juanita Louise. My maiden name was Arell: A-R-E-L-L. And I was
married to a Howard Norris first. And then I had a, and he was killed, I had a second husband.
A: Ok. Alright, where were you born?
J: At Willard Springs, Missouri.
A: And you are currently living in Springfield, correct?
J: Yes.
A: Ok. Where are all of places you have lived? And were those, if you can remember, include
how many years you lived there. Just main cities, basically.
J: I lived in a jillion places, during World War II. And sometimes for very short periods of time. I
was in St. Louis, and Chicago. Chicago.
A: Ok.
J: And California—Long Beach California
A: Ok.
J: And then Springfield.
A: Ok, were those different places that you guys were stationed during WWII?
J: My husband worked on construction
A: Ok.
J: And that’s why we—
A: And what is your current age and your date of birth
J: I am 88, and I was born October the 31st 1921.
A: Ok. And your education background. Like high schools you went to, or if you went to any
colleges or anything.
J: I went to Willard Springs, Missouri High School. And no college.
A: Ok, and what were any occupations you had?
J: Well, I started our working making garments, making men’s trousers during World War II.
Jake Otto: Was that in a factory?
J: Yes, uh huh, yeah
JO: I’m Jake nice to meet you. I’m her husband.
J: Oh. And then I worked in an ammunition supply. And then in Chicago, I worked for Airlines.
A: Ok.
J: And then welded in the ship yard in California
A: Yeah, you had a wide variety
J: Yes, and I’ve been around.
JO: Sounds like you sweated
J: No, I didn’t work that hard
A: Alright what did you say your spouse’s name was?
J: My what?
A: Your spouse, your husband
J: Oh, you see I’ve had two husbands, they kind of just run together. Robert Crawford, was his,
I’m a widow of his
A: Ok. And then you said that you were also married to man with the last name Norris
J: Yes, Howard Norris
A: Ok, and what were their occupations?
J: Howard was construction.
A: Ok.
J: And my second husband was neon work.
A: Ok. And what were your—what are your children’s names if you had any
J: Janet. Hook is her married name
A: H-o-o-k?
J: Yes, uh huh. And Roberta Thornberry. That’s it
A: Alright-y, and now we’ll get on to the main questions, these I don’t need to write down so
that’s… How long have you been a member of this church, Parkview?
J: I’m going to say ten years. I don’t remember exactly.
A: Ok. And how did you get involved here?
J: I belonged to a little country Christian church, and the congregation got so few that the church
was closed down.
A: Ok.
J: And so then I transferred here.
A: Ok, was that another church here in Springfield?
J: Yes, Bethany Christian church.
JO: Were there any other, did everyone just kind of scatter and find a new church?
J: Yeah
JO: Home, did anyone else come here with you?
J: Grace Brown came here before I did, the church sold to a Unity group
JO: Mmhhm
J: And, I went there a few Sundays, before but I wasn’t pleased, so I came here andA: Ok, other than Bethany Church, have there ever been any other churches you’ve been
involved with?
J: When I was a child I went to Assembly of God Church at Willa Springs.
A: Ok. Alright, now while you were growing up, what was the role of religion in your home?
J: My parents did not attend church. So, as a child I just went to Sunday school because most
people did. I didn’t stay for church.
A: So
J: But that was, went to Sunday school
A: Did you go with a friend, or anything?
JO: Did they drop you off, or did you walk?
J: Walk. It’s a small town. You walked everywhere. And people didn’t have cars
JO: Oh yeah, that’s right. Ok. And you had Sunday school and you head on back for breakfast?
J: Well, yes, I’d go home and spend the rest of the day with my family.
A: What was your strongest childhood memory related to God, or Christianity, or religion?
J: I had two aunts that attended, this Assembly of God Church. And they were the sweetest…just
everything about them just showed they were Christians.
A: Mmhhm. Makes you kind of notice something different about them.
J: Yeah
A: And you wonder what it is.
J: Yes, yes, yes
A: Yeah.
JO: And was your, was that your mom’s sisters? Or your dad’s?
J: My dad’s
A: Your dad’s sisters
J: Yeah
A: Ok
J: My Grandparents were entirely opposite of my mother’s parents, but he, Grandpa had worked
in the coal mines and I think most of the people were pretty rough then, and he, his life was
fishing and bear hunting.
JO: That’s not a whole lot different from these days, that part of it.
A: Alright, when you were a child, do you remember any times that things were different for you
in your religious world because you were a girl and not a boy?
J: No, I don’t think so.
A: That’s good, that’s a good thing. Yeah, what differences have you experienced in your
religious life because you’re a woman?
J: Well, it’s-it seems to be kind of woman’s job to lead the children in their church work, and
attendance, things like that.
A: Mmhmm
J: And that—the men kind of stand back. I think a lot of them think their wives will get them to
heaven, but that’s about the only difference that the women tend to have led the way and the men
followed.
A: Yeah, I know that with, at my grandma’s church, in my hometown, they did everything, took
care of the kids, if they ever had breakfast, or a meal after church, they were the one’s during the
service downstairs, fixing it up.
J: Yeah
A: And everything.
J: I have, did volunteer work at the hospital for many years. And I looked at the men carrying
baby carriers around with the babies in it, take the babies into the restroom and change their
diapers. And that’s so different, I had a husband that loved me dearly, but in those days it was the
woman’s duty to take care of the children. But it, I admired the men, of course while the women
are working.
A: Right
J: And the men, take their share of things now, so.
A: Yeah, did you tend to work after you had your daughters?
J: Oh yes
A: Ok.
J: I did, for ten years after I’d married, I didn’t work, I had two children and then I went to work
and I retired from it’s now Sweetheart Cups, I think it was really Lily Tulip when I worked there,
and I was there, I retired at 28 years.
A: Ok, that’s the one—is that over across from Evangel?
J: Yes, yes it is, uh huh, yeah
JO: Did you attend churches in St. Louis and Chicago
J: No, I didn’t. No, I didn’t, no. But after I married, we both busy on construction work and
around the strangers and not with people that attended church. So for until I married the second
time, and had my children I, need to be in church with the kids.
A: Right, ok. What challenges or struggles have you faced in your religious life?
J: Well, I really can’t say that I have encountered any, I know it’s awfully easy to feel bad on
Sunday morning even now to get ready to come to church. To feel good all week. Set that alarm
on Sunday morning, it’s awful easy thing if you just don’t feel like going to church. So that, that
is the only thing I’ve struggled with myself
A: Right, when you were in Chicago and St. Louis and California, did you, was it harder then to
kind of make sure your life was going down the right path, without church?
JO: Did you feel something missing?
J: No really, really I didn’t.
A: Mmhmm
J: I was happy in my marriage, and in my work. And I didn’t realize, it didn’t, too much then,
that I should be in church
A: Mmmhhm. Okay. What person has been influenced you the most in your religious life?
J: We had, at Bethany, our minister and his wife were there for many years. They’re both dead
now, but it was Aida and Jim Nubber and they were such good Christian, likeable people, I
would say that they influenced me
A: Is there anything in particular that they did?
J: No, I don’t, I don’t think so
A: Just kind of, how they did things?
J: Yeah, there’s a way I admire
A: Right
J: Loved being with.
A: Mmhmm. How do you think religious life is today for kids, how is it different than when you
were a child?
J: When I was a child, attending the Assembly of God, hell fire and brimstone were preached a
lot, then, they really were.
A: Right
J: And it isn’t so much now. I think-I would that that would be the main difference.
A: I think today they focus a lot on just the stories.
J: Yes
A: In the Bible
J: When you’re a child it seems like the stories of the Bible about Moses, seemed kind of like
fairy tales, kind of like fiction, and then you get older and really read the bible and study it you
realize that that’s true it’s not fiction, it’s the real thing.
A: Right, yeah. And how would you like this church, Parkview, to remember you?
J: As a faithful Christian, likeable, I think that’s it. Friendly. Friendly.
A: Right, right. Do you have anything else?
JO: We’ve already covered so much.
J: Let me tell both of you, to be a Christian in older life, you, we like to have a shoulder to cry
on, and when you’re a Christian, you can talk to God. And it’s so much satisfaction. And you
don’t fear death when you get older, when you’re young, you think it’s such a terrible thing.
A: Right
J: That death is such a terrible thing, and when you get older like I am, it’s really something, I’m
not going to say something I look forward to, but we all fear the unknown.
A: Right
J: But you don’t dread- look at it in the same way when you’re older, as a Christian.
A: Right, ok. You know what’s going to happen
J: Yes
JO: And in our Church in particular, there is I’d say there seems to be such a comradery between,
the older women in our church especially. What does that mean to you, and that sort of
community?
J: Well, that makes me thankful that I am a Christian and that I belong to a Parkview Christian
Church. And have a, all of these lovely lady friends. Our class meets once a month and have
lunch together and we have a devotion and fellowship. And it just things a whole lot
A: That’s good to have a support system
J: Yes, it sure is. I look forward to it, instead of dreading each day.
A: Right
J: You look forward to Sunday, being with fellow Christians, it’s just something to look forward
to.
JO: How does it, how does that comradery help you throughout the week, do you take it with you
throughout your week?
J: I talk to them on the phone occasionally, it’s just, it’s just I know that they’re there for me and
I just enjoy knowing them and enjoy the fellowship with them
A: That’s great. That’s one thing that we love about this Church, is that group of friends that we
have developed here.
J: Yes, they are so friendly, and accommodating.
A: Right
J: Pleasure to be a member with them
A: Right, I’m curious going back to when you lived in St. Louis and Chicago and Long Beach,
how long, do know long how long you were at each place?
J: Well I was about two years in California and probably a year in each of the other places.
A: Of those three, which one was your favorite to live in?
J: I think I enjoyed California more so, than the rest of them.
A: Mmhmm.
J: We worked on the second shift, and everything was open all night, and we would go to
movies, after we would get off work at 12 o’clock, we go to the movies. And then we would go
to sleep, and then we’d go to work at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. We would get up when we
wanted to in the morning, and I think I enjoyed that more so than anyplace else.
JO: Did you have out there in St. Louis, and Chicago, especially in California, did you have
much experience with Christians or was it just people out there and what kind of differences
would you say there are with here?
J: No, I did not have religious experience with any of them because you go someplace everybody
was strange to you when you first get there. And it seemed like during that period of time
Christianity and religion wasn’t so important to people then and I think after you get more
mature it means so much more to you. And I just admire you young people for working like this,
there’s so much else going on in the world, it’s a pleasure to see young Christian people.
A: Do your daughters attend church somewhere, where do they live?
J: They both live in here in Springfield, they married. Then they were Baptist. They went into the
Baptist Church and I am happy that they are Christians and going to church because so many
people do not. People do not attend church.
A: Right, that’s, we’re both experiencing that with siblings of ours, our parents all raised us the
same in church. And they grow up. It’s funny to see where they go
J: And some kids that have been raised as Christian they will totally, the opposite direction.
A: Mmhmm, that’s right.
J: I know that they’re folks hurt and their families, but it happens, but when kids leave the nest,
they’re going to do what they want to
JO: It’s good that you planted that seed in your daughters.
J: I’ve got a couple of good daughters.
A: So they can keep on the tradition.
JO: Do they have kids and…
J: Yes, they have, they’re a something, they’re kids are young, married people now. And some of
them are, I would say worldly, and some of them attend the church. It’s like you said your
siblings.
A: Yep, right. It’s happens.
JO: Do you have any great grandkids yet?
J: Yes, oh yes, I’ve got five of them.
A: You’re 88 years old and you
J: A lot changes
A: How old are they?
J: The grandchildren, you mean the great grandchildren?
A: The great grandchildren.
J: I’ve them from 7 to 16
A: Ok. So they’re growing up fast
J: Yep, they sure do. Unbelievable, how fast time goes when you’re up like I am, it just, when
you’re kids, Christmas seems two or three years apart, but when you’re up like I am, seems like
about a month before
A: Yeah. Are you glad you have them all here in Springfield?
J: Oh yes, I am so blessed that having all five, the two daughters and their husbands, and 5 great,
5 grandchildren. And five great grandchildren, everyone one of them are in Springfield. It’s nice.
A: Good. Anything else?
JO: Do you have any favorite memory of church here? Any experiences that…
J: No, nothing favorite, they’ve all been good occasions. It’s just good to have Christians to
fellowship with share your problems with sometimes. It’s just a pleasure.
A: Great, good. Well, all right, I think.
JO: Thanks Juanita.
J: Thanks so much for doing this.