"We walked to school. In the wintertime I remember as a very small
child, when it was snowing and the wind was blowing very, very
hard, Daddy would carry me so I would be facing south, and he would
take the wind and carry me to school." Alma Roso Hunter What do we
remember as we look back on a lifetime? When 78-year-old Alma Roso
Hunter was interviewed in 2003, the memory of her father sheltering
her from a cold north wind remained vivid. It's a lovely
recollection, full of meaning not just for Alma Roso Hunter's
family, but also for her hometown of Tontitown, Arkansas, and for
anyone who recognizes the importance of preserving stories of
"everyday" life. Alma Roso Hunter's life story is one of 48 oral
history interviews collected as part of the Tontitown Preservation
Project, founded in 2002 by a group of volunteers who wanted to
assist the Tontitown Historical Museum in its efforts to document
and preserve the community's Italian heritage. The folks
interviewed range in age from 56 to 93; most are in their late 70s
and early 80s. They relate their memories with a refreshing candor
that often comes with age. Most of them are first generation
Italian Americans. Their everyday lives still contain many direct
ties to their Italian roots. Most of them grew up during the Great
Depression. They describe the hard times that were known to most
all rural Ozark families during those years. In Memories I Can't
Let Go Of, the Tontitown Preservation Project interviews are
presented as narrative stories, weaving together memories of
grandparents and parents, home and community life, foodways, school
days (with nuns as teachers), grape festivals and holiday
traditions, marriage, and raising a family. Common themes emerge: a
strong work ethic, the importance of family, and a genuine love for
fun and fellowship. Susan Young is the outreach coordinator at the
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, Arkansas. She is the
author of So Big, This Little Place: The Founding of Tontitown,
Arkansas, 1898-1917.
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