Vance Palmer, Page Two

Edited interview with Eloise Jurick (EJ), daughter of Vance Palmer. Interview conducted by Joe Manning (JM) on May 9, 2007.

JM: What did you think of the photo of your father?

EJ: I appreciated it very much. I immediately contacted both my brothers about it. One of them said he knew that my dad had worked in the mines, and that he didn't work there very long because he didn't like it.

JM: How many children did he have?

EJ: There were four of us, three boys and a girl.

JM: One of your brothers was also named Vance.

EJ: He was the oldest. He was in the Merchant Marine.

JM: When were you born?

EJ: 1925, in Clarksburg. That's where I was raised.

JM: Did your father always live in Clarksburg?

EJ: Well, he lived all his life in the area, but not always right in Clarksburg. He died in Clarksburg.

JM: I found out that he worked for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. What did he do there?

EJ: He was a glass cutter. He worked during the day. I never knew that he chewed tobacco until one day when I happened to see it in his pocket. I asked him what it was for, and he said he chewed it while he was cutting the glass so he could keep the glass fragments out of his throat.

JM: Did he get promoted to other positions at the company later?

EJ: He was always a glass cutter as far as I know.

JM: Did your parents own the house you lived in?

EJ: Yes. We had a farm. It was on an acre of ground, and then Dad bought another 15 acres that was used for cattle and a horse.

JM: Did you live close to the factory?

EJ: About three or four miles at the most.

JM: Did your mother work outside the home?

EJ: No, but she did some of the farm work and gardening.

JM: What was your mother's maiden name?

EJ: Helen Behres. She was from Ohio.

JM: Your father was quite young when he died.

EJ: Yes, he died in 1945.

JM: When did your mother die?

EJ: 1985.

JM: What was your father like?

EJ: My father was a very nice person. He loved his family very much. We are Catholic, but he was not. He saw to it that we lived near the Catholic church, and that we got to Mass every Sunday. He sent us to a Catholic school, and he drove us to school before he went to work.

JM: I have information that indicates your father was involved in union activities.

EJ: That's right. He was very interested in the union. And he liked to help poor people. In fact, he and another man had a place where they would help the poor.

EJ: He loved to hunt. And he loved to travel. We went on quite a few family trips. We would drive up to Washington and Virginia and in the Blue Ridge Mountains.