18. The Good Life

Bob Zybach: Can you remember any black people that lived in Corvallis when you moved here?

Velma Carter Rawie: I think that there has always been one family as long as I can remember. . . one black family in here. Of course, there are lots now. And there was one Filipino that lived here who was a. . . a little fella who was sort of a janitor or caretaker for a lot of the businesses in town. There was never any racial things but we hear a lot about it now in recent years, but I don't remember as a kid growing up or after I was married and living here in town. I don't remember anything about there being racial tensions here.

Bob Zybach: Do you remember the name of the black family that lived here?

Velma Carter Rawie: No. Of course when my kids where in school, there was always the Reynolds family, of course, but they are not from long way back but you know the Reynolds family were very athletic here [inaudible] . . . And they were of course in school with my kids but as far as my family and my association, there was never any difference in the people. I mean, they were different but I mean we didn't... They weren't differentiated by status or anything. I mean, they weren't looked down on or anything within our own family.

Bob Zybach: Do you remember a man named Bud Smith?

Velma Carter Rawie: Yeah, Bud Smith I remember. Yeah, I remember him.

Bob Zybach: Was that the black family you were referring to?

Velma Carter Rawie: I think that was the family. Yeah, I couldn't think of that but when you said that, I can remember that now.

Bob Zybach: The Smith family was pretty well accepted?

Velma Carter Rawie: Yeah, they were just accepted.

18. The Good Life

Bob Zybach: The other question that I have is a lot of the Camp Adair has become the Wilson Game Farm. Do you remember anything about E.E. Wilson?

Velma Carter Rawie: I know that it's E.E. Wilson Game Ranch but I don't know who E.E. Wilson is. I presumed that he had something to do with forestry or wildlife or something but I never thought much about it.

Bob Zybach: So, that's just a name?

Velma Carter Rawie: That's just a name.

Bob Zybach: Now, there used to be a game bird ranch out there that the state operated. Was that...

Velma Carter Rawie: There still is.

Bob Zybach: Was that there when you were a kid?

Velma Carter Rawie: No, that only has come in there since the Camp was there. That land out there all belonged to Camp Adair and then the state took it over as a game reserve.

Bob Zybach: That's every question that I can think of. [Laughter] Can you think of anything else that we haven't touched on or that you'd be interested in getting recorded?

Velma Carter Rawie: Well, I can't. I can't really think of anything. It was the only life I knew. I was a very. . . Well my husband always said that I had never been out of the state of Oregon until he married me, which was true. I just. . . We just worked and ate and slept I guess and enjoyed life.

Bob Zybach: It sounds like it was a good life.

Velma Carter Rawie: I was a good life! I think that's why when Ralph and I were married and we finally came back to the farm, that's the way our life was. It was a family project. We all worked and we ate and we . . . The more we worked, the more we could have to eat and the more we could have to do everything. The more profitable the farm was why.

Bob Zybach: Now you have a granddaughter writing about it.

Velma Carter Rawie: Yeah. [Laughter]

Bob Zybach: I would sure like to thank you for your time doing this.

Velma Carter Rawie: Well I've enjoyed it. It may all sound a little silly and far fetched and whatnot but it's.. And I'm real proud of my heritage and the Carter... That area out . there was basically was Carter's.

Bob Zybach: This is the kind of thing that is going to keep it alive.

Velma Carter Rawie: Yes, that is right. And I realize that.

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