Interview with Mary Ann Delwisch
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12242
- Date Range
- December 3 1988
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Mary Ann Delwisch (nee Adomeit), recorded on December 3rd 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Ruth Murdoch
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.35
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 628 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- December 3 1988
- History / Biographical
- Mary Ann Adomeit Delwisch (b. 1945) was born in Smithers to George and Agnes Adomeit. Her father had come to Smithers to work on the Airport during WWII and later founded the G.H. Adomeit & Co construction company. She married Constable Glenn Delwisch in 1965 and eventually left Smithers.
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Mary Ann Delwisch (nee Adomeit), recorded on December 3rd 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Mary Ann Delwisch - December 3 1988
Interview with Mary Ann Delwisch - December 3 1988
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.35_Delwisch,%20Mary%20Ann/Delwisch,%20Mary%20Ann%201988_12_03.ACCESS.mp3
Mary Ann Delwisch (nee Adomeit) begins by talking about her family, how her father came to Smithers to work on the airport during World War II and later started his own construction company, and where the family home and shop was located.
Agnes Schibli; Alfred Street; G.H. Adomeit & Co Ltd.; George Adomeit; Smithers Airport
childhood; family; Smithers
Delwisch describes her childhood home on Alfred Street and how she and her siblings kept themselves busy in work and in play.
Alfred Park; Alfred Street; backyard; children; chores; duties; neighbourhood; recreation; responsibilities; softball; sundeck
childhood; chores; house; play; recreation
Delwisch recalls how the circus would come to town during her childhood.
Alfred Park; elephants; games; Heritage Park; rides; shows
circus; entertainment
Delwisch briefly recalls her childhood memories of Christmas.
church; midnight mass; snow
Christmas; holidays
Delwisch recalls how she and her family would visit the surrounding farms, including her grandparents'.
Schibli farm; Swiss picnics; Tony Good; two headed calf
farms; outings
Delwisch recalls her school days, particularly the opening of the new Muheim Elementary School with its auditorium.
auditorium; basement; concert; Mr. Bates; performance; play; recess; teacher; Town Hall; winter
education; Muheim Elementary School; school
Delwisch recalls several memorable individuals (most of them Indigenous) who lived in Smithers during her childhood. (Warning that this section includes offensive and stereotypical depictions of, and attitudes towards, Indigenous people).
'Crazy Daisy'; Casler's Crescent; Charlie Foster; Dominic West; Gordon Harvey; Josephine Charlie; Kathleen Casler; Mr. Dieter; Toby Charlie
local people
Delwisch talks about how few cars there were in Smithers during her childhood, and discusses her uncle Louis' milk truck run.
Louis Schibli; milk truck; Walter Bucher
cars; milk run; transportation
Delwisch goes into further detail about how she and the neighbourhood children would entertain themselves.
Alfred Street; children; concerts; dress up; Eby's Store; kick the can; mud pies; theatre; Vina Eby
childhood; entertainment; games
Delwisch discusses the various doctors who practiced in Smithers during her childhood, and gives an anecdote about how she and her sister accidentally poisoned themselves by eating caragana berries. Note: interview ends abruptly with no conclusion.
caragana bushes; Dr. F. H. (Hugh) Prouse; Dr. L. M. (Lawrence) Greene; Dr. Max Weare; female doctors; poisoning
doctors; health care