Evelyn Long

Through my years of going to school in Cardington and participating in many different events throughout the community I came to know Evelyn Long. She was always the local news paper reporter and was always around the town doing different things. Evelyn is that person that everyone knew. I always thought she would be interesting get to know and hear about her life and experiences since she has almost always lived in Cardington and has reported on so many different things so this is why I chose to interview Evelyn. I learned a lot not only about Evelyn her self but the world of reporting and the small town of Cardington too. I chose to share the part of the essay where Evelyn is talking about her life. I believe this really shows how times have changed since she was a young child.

My childhood was growing up on a farm we didn't have any nice privileges, no bathrooms, no running water but we didn't know any difference. Everybody was poor, nobody had a bathroom. My Grandpa didn't have indoor plumbing. Clear up till now, there is still not a bathroom in there. But ya know my kids say, “how'd you live without a bathroom?” Well we didn't know the difference. We had an outhouse and we got our little pan of water we took baths every Saturday night and my mom had to carry all the water in the laundry room, well we pumped it in the house, we had to pump it and then she carried out to what we called the milk house and then we would wash them, we didn't have a dryer, everything was on the line. People think today that they need new cars and all that and new homes and your grandfather and I grew up in the depression and we grew up without all that. Theres more and more people relying on you know federal government to take care of us. But I, I think that's the biggest thing I notice is that people are coming to rely on Washington instead of being self reliant. We would all bail the hay and we all drove the horses and when my Grandfather died, he wouldn't allow tractors, my grandfather would never allow tractors he was old, so when my grandfather died my dad got a Massey Harris. We were the proudest people in the world we owned a tractor. I learned a lot just from having to work, just working, and you didn't play Nintendo and you didn't play all these games you worked. And I know the value of work so I think growing up poor probably shaped me in life.

Evelyn has had many opportunities in her life that many people growing up in her time didn't have. I wanted to know if throughout her life she had any regrets. The only thing I regret and it probably wouldn't have worked is that I didn't complete college. I had a chance to go to college. I was down at Cap (Capital University), only a thousand dollars a year I could have had my degree, but I couldn't make my mind up what I wanted to be. I wanted to be an actress, I wanted to teach, all this stuff I couldn't make my mind up so I just quit. But I had a great social life, Jonda, I was dating a guy every night, going to the movies, I loved my social life at Cap. But if I wouldn't a quit I would have never met Willis [her husband] because I'd a been in college and we would have never crossed paths and he was gonna go a second career in army when he got out he was gonna sign up again and something made him not to if he had we would have never met. So things were supposed to happen. But that's the only biggest regret is that I didn't get my college degree when I had a chance for a thousand dollars a year. My folks hated it when I quit because they borrowed money like they did with everything, they borrowed to send me. If I had to say one thing my big regret is not getting my college degree.

I always dreamed of marrying just the right guy and having kids and because I was told I never could have kids. That was something that I realized was fulfillment and I think when I first dated Willis Long that was the completion. So when I met Willis I knew that was what I always longed for. And then I had a physician that found he could make me where I could have kids so when I had them I was really fulfilled because I never thought I would have kids. Since meeting the right guy was so important to Evelyn I thought I would find out how she came upon this perfect guy. Well we went to school together he was just a little guy that was real quite and you didn't hardly notice him. In school I didn't really pay any attention to Willis until 1953 I was down in the grocery store and ran into him, he had just gotten home from the service, and I didn't even know that. Wow was he good lookin, where has be been? My sister Norita was dating Olen Calbor and Olen was Willis's favorite best friend out there. So I kept telling Norita, “You oughta see Willis Long, he's good looking duh duh duh”. I said well get me a date with him. She came home in May of '55 said we saw Willis Long, he's gonna call for a date. So he called me on May 5 for a date, we went out the next night, and one week later he asked me to marry him. [Giggles] It was '55, we got married in August. You never know, you could go far away looking for someone and here there right in front of your eyes. I miss my husband. I am very unhappy but I just keep plugging. But I wouldn't, well I can't say that I am depressed or any of that stuff it's just that if he were here I would be really happy.

Paper On Charles Tindley

Where do I begin? The man is incredible and i was lucky to have meet him. I would love to share my whole paper with all of you, unfortunately I only have a limited amount of space. Every single story it seemed was an amazing narrative told with remarkable brilliance. I am am going to share with you one of my favorite tales and exerts from my paper about the time that Charles meet Martin Luther King so enjoy.

Continuing on about his teen years and years after graduating high school, one of the many great stories he has to tell was about the time he met Martin Luther King Jr. His mother had been an organist before his father had passed away and Charles opted not to go to college to stay and support his mother who had taken ill. Joel King, Dr. Martin Luther King’s uncle, asked Charles’ mother if she would come down to Mansfield, Ohio and become his organist for his church’s christening. The main speaker of which would be none other than Martin Luther King himself. Charles goes on to describe him and the speech he gave:

“Martin Luther King was escorted in by a phalanx of state troopers and sheriff’s deputies…they surrounded them because they had death threats. I had always envisioned him as stern looking, but he wasn’t stern looking at all. He was a tiny man with almost Asiatic features, slanted eyes, really truly yellowish skin color, and mild looking more than anything else…very determined looking man though. He gave a speech that was very memorable to me because he was talking about person having self awareness, and pride, and dignity in whatever you do in life. He said ‘try and be the best you can be at whatever you do, if you’re a street sweeper, sweep the best you can…’ He also said something that was very memorable to me ‘if people hate you that means they’re down in the ditch of hate, don’t get down in the ditch with them and get dirty. Stay on top, stay upright, because it isn’t going to do you any good to muddy yourself or dirty yourself with these people.’ Joel King brought Martin over to my mother and me after to introduce us and I remember seeing him and looking at him. He was such a smiling, kind guy, and I always say that he had an aura about him that was totally different. I knew I was shaking hands with greatness. He wasn’t a threatening person, he was a kind gentle soul, but there was strength about him that you could just feel. I can’t explain it but he had that demeanor of a man who was wise beyond his years. He had like an ancient wisdom to him, like something way back that had been pulled up and was instilled in him. You know how some people always want to shake the hand of a pop star? Well to me this was more than a pop star; this was history I was shaking hands with.”

Charles continued on for quite some time explaining that they had no idea the events that would follow as this was only 1962 at the time.

Presentation

I believe that the Marion County World War II Veterans Memorial is a place of interest. The memorial was built to represent all the men and women who died to save our lives in World War II. It is one of the largest memorials outside of the nation's capital. The memorial represents our freedom of the American Dream.

Nationally Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church is an important place for the American Dream. We all dream of being free and Martin Lurther King Jr. was a pastor at the church. He held memorials for freedom and expressed his religious beliefs

Presentation Ideas

The first place that pops in my mind locally is the Harding Memorial. I used to go there often as a child and now I pass it every day when I drop my son off and pick my son up from the babysitters. It is a memorial for a great president. He took presidency when the economy was in such decline post war. A year after he took office, the economy was starting to recover. Most people remember him for being involved in sandals and not for the good that he has done. I feel it goes along with the American Dream because people want to be forgiven for their mistakes.


Nationally I think of Times Square in New York. New York is the place that can make you or break you. People who want fame for their American Dream can go there and try to achieve it. There are also so many different kids of jobs in Times Square that people can find something that interests them. There are so many people in Times Square so it is a good place if you want to get noticed because it is an intersection to many cities. Not to mention Times Square has some beautiful architecture. Unfortunately it can break peoples dreams as well, but they can still hold on the idea of the dream.

Presentation Ideas

Locally, The only place that i can think of locally would have to be the Harding memorial. The memorial is about one of the president of the United States, Warren Harding. Harding is one of the least known about presidents (at least i don't know too much about him), but upon further research, interesting facts could be brought up. He was one of the presidents, and lived close to the campus!

Nationally,

I have decided that the most interresting place to do the report over is independence hall. I have visited there a couple times, and it is such a big part of american history. One of the most important events of american history happened there, so it is an incredibly interesting and factual topic to present.

Presentation Ideas

One topic would be the World Trade Center Memorial in New York is an important place in America. The memorial exemplifies the unity of Americans. When one part of the nation was in distress, the entire nation was in distress. With daily visitors and a yearly ceremony, the entire nation continues to come together and support one another.

Another topic would be the Stowe House located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was Harriet Breecher Stowe's home before she was married and home to the Breecher family. Harriet wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin which illuminated the hardships of slavery. The book was thought to have caused the Civil War to break out. The Breecher family was full of people fighting for rights that they deeply believed in. Americans are taught that they can make a difference. Just believing that to be true is what makes us who we are.

My first thought for a local places about the American identity and dream are the Harding memorial or Harding home, because both are related to president Warren G. Harding. The Harding memorial is where Harding was buried alongside his wife and the Harding home was where he lived and had speeches until he was elected president. Both relate to the American identity because they relate to the president and how he became the president.

For an iconic national place, I think the statue of liberty and Ellis Island are what comes to mind first, because they are what immigrants would see and go to when coming in to America from the Atlantic. They represent a step towards the American dream and the path a person takes to become an American.