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MORNINGS ON MAPLE STREET VOLUME TWO |
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Dora Nevins, Page Three |
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Edited interview with Harold Basch, son of Dora Nevins, and Harold's
wife Wilma. Interview conducted by Joe Manning (JM) on July 14, 2009. JM: What did you think of the photograph? Wilma: My family was thrilled with it. A lot of people thought she looked like my daughter. My nephew's
wife is involved with a museum in California. She sets up photography exhibits, and she's familiar with Lewis Hine's work.
She was very excited that a famous photographer took her picture. JM: What do you think about the fact that she was selling newspapers on the street at the age of
only 12? Wilma: We were flabbergasted,
because she was a very quiet, sort of meek woman, and we never thought she would be doing that. Harold: It was sad that she had to do it. Wilma: However, we noticed that she was very nicely dressed.
Her coat looked stylish for those times. JM:
What were her parents' names? Wilma:
We don't know. They died before my husband was born. Her mother died when Dora was very young. My husband's sister said that's
probably why she had to go out and sell newspapers. She was the oldest of five girls. Harold: Her sisters were Betty, Rose, Sarah and Bessie. JM: Was Dora born in Poland? Harold:
Yes. Wilma: Unfortunately, she
never talked about when she was a child and coming over from the old country. JM: Did your mother and father speak Polish? Harold: They spoke only English as far as I know. JM: When were you born, Mr. Basch? Harold: 1929. I was the youngest. I had a brother and two sisters. Herbert died about two years
ago, and Gloria and Bernice are still living. Wilma:
We emailed Dora's picture to them right away. JM:
What was your father's name? Harold:
Frank Basch. JM: What kind of
job did your father have when you were a boy? Harold:
He was a delivery man for a produce wholesaler that delivered to restaurants and supermarkets. The company was Charles Basch
& Co. Charles was his brother. JM:
Did he work in any other job in his life? Harold:
Not as far as I know. JM: Did
your mother work when you were a child? Harold:
No. I don't think she ever worked when I knew her. JM:
How did the Great Depression affect your family? Harold:
Well, we didn't have to worry too much about food, because of my father's job. He always brought extra food home and gave
some to the neighbors. They looked forward to him coming home with baskets of apples and oranges. JM: Where were you living when you were born? Harold: At (73) Plainfield Street, and then (203) Branford
Street, both in Hartford. The house on Plainfield Street was a two-family house, but the one on Branford Street was a one-family
house. We owned it. It was in a nice neighborhood, right off Blue Hills Avenue. My family is Jewish, and there were a lot
of Jewish families in the area who came from Russia and Poland.
JM: What was your mother like? Harold: She was very pleasant. Wilma: She loved all of her family and never had a bad word
for anybody. JM: Did you finish
high school? Harold: Yes. I graduated
from Weaver High School in 1947. Then I went to the University of Connecticut. JM: What did you study in college? Harold: Microbiology. When I graduated, I was drafted into the army. That was during the Korean
War, but I stayed in the States. I was in the army for two years. Then I went back to school, this time to the University
of Massachusetts in Amherst. That's where I met Wilma. Wilma: I'm from Boston. I was going to UMass also. I majored in education and became a teacher.
We lived in Amherst for five years after we got married. Our kids were born in Northampton, our daughter in 1957, and our
son three years later. We moved to New Jersey in 1960, and I started teaching there in 1966. We moved to Florida in 2006.
JM: Did Dora live in Hartford
her whole life? Harold: Yes. JM: When you lived in New Jersey, how often did you see
her? Harold: Several times a
year. JM: Did she have some interests
outside the home after the children grew up? Harold:
She was a homebody. She liked to cook. She made a good chicken soup. Wilma: When we came up to visit, she even liked to cook for our dog. And she loved to be with her
grandchildren. JM: When did your
father pass away? Harold: 1975.
JM: Your mother lived until she
was 85. Was she in good health most of her life? Harold:
Yes. JM: How long did Dora live
in the house on Branford Street? Wilma:
She was there until her husband died. She stayed there for a while, but then she unfortunately developed Alzheimer's. So she
moved in with her daughter. Then she had to go into a nursing home. JM: When was the last time you were in Hartford? Wilma: About a year and a half ago. JM: Is the house on Branford Street still there? Harold: Yes. We drove by it. Wilma:
The neighborhood has been very well maintained. JM:
What are some of the things that you remember the most about Dora? Wilma: She just loved to cook and bake. Harold: I loved her potato pancakes. Wilma: And her chocolate chip cookies. Every time we came, she would make them for the grandchildren.
She made a banana cake that is like a family tradition. In fact, she gave me the recipe. Being a homemaker and mother and
grandmother, that was her life.
Boy in front is Harold Basch (son in the interview).
Back row (L-R): Dora Nevins, children Gloria, Herbert and Bernice, and husband Frank on the right.
Dora Nevins died on April 18, 1984, at the age
of 85. |
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where noted, is copyrighted by, and is the sole property of Joe Manning (aka Joseph H. Manning), of Florence, Massachusetts.
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