Mother Country Talks About Life During The Great Depression 

Oh Jim, how on earth did I miss this? She's just precious. I could literally listen to her stories for hours and never get bored. How wise of you to ask her these questions and what a blessing it is that you share her with us. Thank you!!!

I always find the recollections of earlier generations to be fascinating!

Beth thank you so much for watching and for the nice comment. You know, I suppose her generation will have seen more change in a lifetime than anyone that came before them or anyone that will come along after they are gone. It's amazing that she's gone from no electricity, car, radio or television to having someone in Hawaii watch her video and then communicate back to her. What an amazing life to experience so much progress. Have a great weekend Beth! -Jim

My Yayya came over from Greece. She lived in NY in a one bedroom Apt an the bath was down the hall. They shared with the other families on they floor. They ate bread & coffee. She told very interesting stories, :) ha ha my mom used to talk bout getting bologne logs. Yes we never said no... This was such a great video. Thank you Mother Country :) You are sooo sweet Yes we are spoiled!

I love hearing the elderly talk about their childhood or younger days, and also hearing about the depression.

great stories about our past. back in the day, your mother and others were the backbone of america. without them, i don't think we will make it.

I wish all young people today would watch video's like this. Maybe in school.

wonderful interview. My mom told me stories of growing up in the 30's, tough times down South.. yet, they lived and may have had more than the city folk.. this is heart touching, and surely forever, precious memories!

What a wonderful lady. We can all learn something from her.

Aw Jim she is soooo dang cute! Love her accent too! I love to hear stories from the older generation...we really don't know how good we have it these days. The funny thing is, they never knew growing up that they were poor. That's the best part. Bless her sweet heart.

Your mother is precious, she reminds me of my grandmother...I miss her terribly. I think I can speak for most, we would love to hear more from her about her life growing up. The wisdom she holds could truly benifit us all.

Hey Ruthie. Thanks so much for watching. She passed away in January so I was really glad that I captured a few of these stories!

My Grandmother was 97 when she died in 1991. I am so grateful that I was able to speak with her and learn of times past. I wish that it was all recorded. You'll never be sorry you recorded this clip. It was a time of struggle, but also great shaped note singing, and faith in God, and great times with family -- sometimes I don't think it would be so bad. Tell your Mom that she has many fans.

I really enjoy seeing your mother on RU-vid--my mother was born in '35 and tells similar stories--my grandmother said they had no money but they lived off the place and were never hungry or without clothes. Grandmother was a big believer in having a garden, chickens, cows, and hogs--she was always prepared for the return of hard times.

She is so sweet she reminds me of my granny and I am from Tampa. Wow ........Tears in my eyes of all the memorys.

That's a great observation Stormy. I guess the Southerners did band together and help each other out. You know I've heard all those stories before but it really is great to be able to capture and document them on video. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment! -Jim

She is so sweet she reminds me of my granny and I am from Tampa. Wow ........Tears in my eyes of all the memories

Everything was much simple before; by the time we start to complicate all... This is a nice testimony; congrats!

How did I miss this? Your Mom has a beautiful smile! It lights up her face! I too love hearing the stories of that era. I quiz my dad constantly. All I can say is, a steady diet of beans and rice must be healthy because my dad is 86 and he loves to talk about the dried beans and rice with every now and then a treat of fried fat back. Seriously.

Great video Jim. I've always said that we should be making more of this kind of video, where people talk about the old days. That's real history & unless we preserve it, like this, it will be lost :)

You interview well and she is sharp, wonderful combination. Thank you!

Your Mom has a great memory

Aww..Jim...what a very special video, and what a beautiful lady Mother Country is. I am tucking this into my favourites as I miss my Mom & Dad and grandparents so much. They always had such awesome tales to tell. hugs, Chris

jim your mother is the bomb lol, i am cring over here i miss my mother so much and you shared yours thanks my parents had stories like that my father was born in 1930 also rip dad. love her and see her all you can jim. Yes we are spoiled and our children are rotten you heard it from moma lol.

Jim I love when you have you share your Mama with us. She is just so fascinating. I loved her story of what it was like living in the depression. My own grandparents ( God rest their souls) were born in the 1890's and they made it through with 11 kids. My dad wasn't born until 1938, but I hear similar stories from my own aunts and uncles. Hug your mom for me and thank her for sharing her story.

wonderful video. thank you. I wish the world would go back to those times when there was respect, morals,values and ethics.Imagine today's ill raised,spoiled youth going back to those times and having to work all day to survive?

I was asked to watch this for my American History II class, in college as part of our Great Depression chapter. I am obviously a younger adult, and never had to experience this before but your mother stories express how life really was. I don't think that we could go through this today because of what new inventions we have been "spoiled" with today. I loved how she said that they didn't think it was hard so to speak back then, that it was just a way of living. Thank you for sharing this!

Jim, your mother is such a delight...please let her know I appreciate her sharing these lovely stories. I just love her laugh when talking about the bologna. God bless her, you and all your family. - Cynthia in Arkansas

What a great memory she has!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful video! Thanks for sharing!

All of the questions I wish I has asked before my great grandmother passed away. It’s time to sit my grandmother down and talk to her, tho I doubt she remembers much of the depression as she was born on the tail end ‘36.

your mother seems very lovely! my grandmother grew up on a farm as well with 8 brothers and sisters back in the early 1900's. they had cows, chickens, hogs, grew their own food such as corn, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Christmas things like clothes were handmade and they got a few toys and socks and shoes.

Wonderful talk about how it was with a big family and a farm! Thank you for letting us hear that!

Thanks for sharing your mother's memories with us. Sounds a lot like the way my father was raised.

Great Video Jim,cherish your mother,My mom use to tell me the same stories.Remember,during the depression,80% of the people,lived rural,now,it's the opposite.

It is the end of 2018. I feel we will have another depression soon. Thanks for your nemories. God bless you all!!

Hey Sue. Good to see you surfing the RU-vid tonight. She has lots of great stories about those times and we had fun making the video. Hope you and your family had a nice Christmas! -Jim

Jim, I ALWAYS ENJOY SEEING AND HEARING YOUR MOTHER. She is a fascinating lady. Her story brought back memories of stories my grandparents told me while I was growing up. This video is a TREASURE. I hope you will interview her MORE....and MORE....VALUABLE INFORMATION....I hope many will view this. IT SHOULD BE FEATURED!!!! Merry CHRISTmas!!!! Ronnie

My mom and dad were born in 1930 and 31. Both were born here in Southern Ca. My dad was raised on an orange orchard farm here. He remembered them working in the packing house till late at night. My mama use to tell me how balogna and getting a hot dog at the buchers was such a treat too! LOL I wish I had them on video talking about this stuff. But I do have photos I should post some day. This was a wonderful video. I think your mama is a real gem!

I so enjoyed this video. My mother is about your mother's age and she has told me the same kind of stories. Thank you,,,,,

Jim sounds like your mother and her family lived better than a lot of people did during the depression. My mother was born in 1923 and she told me about my grandmother having pelegra which is a disease cause from lack of protein the the diet.. I know it was a hard time for everyone.. Your mother is lovely.. Loved this video

Living history - I love it. And you are so lucky that you get a chance to record it and share it. Actually - we are all lucky. Thanks.

that's when life was good. thats when life was simple. nowa days we have too much and we're selfish and our belly is our God. obesity is an epidemic in the usa. kids dont respect their parents or their elders - u say we dont realize how good we have it now? i say they dont realize how good they had it then. nowadays we suffer because of abundance, laziness, self centeredness and children have no idea what it is to truly be loved by parents who rear them in the right way. God bless yall!

I love her!!! Awww!!! ❤❤❤

Thank you so much. This was awesome! Your Mom is a treasure and a sweetie. She had me captivated.

Hey Suzy. I love hearing the stories of that time. We don't know how good we have it these days. Thanks for watching! -Jim

I just love your mama! I'm glad that she was willing to talk and share. I loved her stories. And I agree with her--I don't know that we could get through another depression. We *are* very spoiled. Thank her for sharing with us. And thanks for the idea of doing this video!

Thank you Irene!

Terrific video Jim! Your mother is quite a lady and I love hearing her stories. I don't think people today could live through a depression like that one, they are too lazy. Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas!

Nice to meet you Mama country:)great listening to the years gone by...

Hey Matt. Thanks for watching buddy. Good to hear from you. Happy New Year to you! -Jim

Thank you for this! God bless Mrs.O

Hey Caylyn. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I really appreciate you watching and commenting. She got a big kick out of reading all the nice comments. Enjoy your weekend! -Jim

Wow Jim...that was absolutely great! Makes me realize I really need to talk to my mom more often. Yes, we have all gotten spoiled, but at least your mom and them didn't have to worry about starving to death...I'm afraid in the next "Great Depression", if things ever got that bad again, that a large number of people will do just that. It must have been a secure feeling to have such a degree of self-sufficiency.

Jim, this was the best video I've seen in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to your mom. You are a good interviewer, as well. 5***** and faved.

Oh thank you Sherron. She got a thrill out of all the comments and couldn't believe that anyone would be interested. She said "I can see how this could be addictive." I laughed under my breath and thought you have no idea how addicted we all are! LOL -Jim

Hey there Stacey. Glad you enjoyed it. We had fun making the video and she got a thrill from all the nice comments. Hope you have a great weekend! -Jim

Jim you mom is just too precious. That was so nice listening to her talk about the past. Nice seeing your handsome face also:)

Hey there frugal. I'll be sure and tell her she's got a fan! You know, I guess that's why they sometimes call it the greatest generation. They knew how to scrap, save and get by and when things were good they appreciated it. I'm afraid that my generation is hopelessly spoiled, including me. Good to see my friend. -Jim

what a wonderful documentary Jim. Thanks for sharing your mom and her personal story. She's a great storyteller and you make a great interviewer! I hope there will be more like this! Cheers and happy boxing day from the UK. :)

Good stuff...May God bless your grandma.

Oh that's great. I hope you post it for us to see. I'm from Scottsboro, AL but live in Atlanta now. -Jim

Very good Video - so interesting. You did a great job interviewing your mother and your mother was wonderful!

Thank you Chris!

Boy, if you can get her to talk more about her early life growing up on a farm, stories of it, I'd love to hear them!

I know you mom is not here now, but what a gift to have a vid of her and the story. She sure had a sweet countenance you must have been blessed by her. My dad was born in 1917 and I have many of his stories in my heart, but wish I would have been able to vid him. A beautiful lady thanks for sharing with us! God Bless, Gail and Les

thanks, wonderful stories!

That exact arm movement for wringing a chickens neck is the way I've seen them do it on chicken farms here in Australia. You get the body weight of the bird swinging like nun chucks, which ensures that the neck breaks. Flops around for a minute, never saw them run around as such when done this way.

I really enjoyed listening to Mother Country! Your Mother is wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing the stories! I hope there will be more! :-) Happy New Year to the Country Clan...:-)

Marc thank you so much. I read your comment to her and she got a big thrill from it. She can't figure out why anyone would be interested in hear her stories but I told her that she's a big hit. LOL -Jim

Hi Julie. Thanks for watching and commenting. I'll try to get her to tell us some more stories one of these days. Hope you have a great weekend! -Jim

Thanks Susan. We had fun making the video and now she's enjoying seeing the comments. Good to hear from you! -Jim

god bless her soul ' you really had a gem of a lady there for you to lean on and learn from ' i know she will be missed something awfull but try and treasure all the memories , i can bet you have many .

I always wanted to churn some butter. No idea why..I know it's hard. I truly feel the fresh food they ate has so much to do with their health and longevity. Something we could all use more of! Wonderful video, Jim!

I really liked this Jim. My Grandma will turn 100 next year, but she doesn't talk that much about the old days. FYI I did pluck chickens when I was a kid... ask her about the smell when you dunk them in the boiling water sometime. :D Thanks Jim.

When we was growing up in the depression my mommer always said the same thing. Now we didn't have much during the depression but you know it was more than a lot of people had and we was thankful to the good lord for it. Now my daddy couldn't find a lot of work but he did the best he could and mommer would take in washing sometimes to make ends meet and her and daddy growed a garden and so we always had fresh vegetables, sometimes there werent' enough but we was always thankful, even when it was sad and depressing. That's what I remember about the depression, it was always sad and depressing. but we would invited family and friends over when we had enough and setting there at that table with all our friends around us we knowed everthang was gone be alright. We didn't want there to be no war because we loved everbody but then thangs got so bad that Franklin D. Roosevelt decided he was gone fight the depression for his people even though he was rich and the depression didn't hurt him he loved his people and everbody else enough he wanted everbody to overcome the depression and so he fought the depression and then he got together with Winston churchill and Joseph Stalin, two other great men and Winston Churchill had said that it weren't right for the Germans to be doing so well and not be in a depression because Hitler had put his people to work building and planting and so Winston Churchill decided he was gone kill the Notsies and Franklin D. Roosevelt decided he would kill the Notzies so they joined Joseph Stalin and started the war. Now that was bad but you know what. They was able to build a bomb plant and my daddy got him a job there making bombs for Winston Churchill to drop and burn up Notsy childern. And we was happy cause we was fightin evil people but not Joseph Stalin all them people he had killed deserved it. And all them Indians and Irish poeple Churchill had killed was evil. They was probably racists or something. And then Franklin D. Roosevelt finally defeated the Notsies and made the world safe for Jews and thats why America is such a happy place today. Thank you. I appreciate you letting me tell my stories on youtube/.

Hey Joe. I read her your comment and she said yes she liked the Waltons series. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Jim

Still such a great video thank you so much!

Hi LadyCitizen. She did say to me later that they had it better than most because of the farm. Unfortunately they did have a tragedy a few years later when the farm house burned. Both parents, the grandmother, and two of the kids died in the fire. So, that experience changed their lives forever.

I followed you over here after seeing your comment on Peters fox hunting video and just wanted to say-what a great video! Very informative and entertaining. I hope you make some more.

Thank you SO much for this video!!

Dolores they really did get by better than most because of the big farm. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. -Jim

Hi bubsturtle. Glad to hear you enjoyed the stories. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Jim

Heather that would be lots of fun. Thanks for watching and commenting! Good to see you. -Jim

I think about us going back to the day of the Depression a lot the way things are now.

I'm doing a project on the depression thanks it helped a lot

Thanks Charlene. You should do one of these with your day. -Jim

That was so interesting to hear. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Great Vid Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

that was so nice, Jim. what a treasure she is ;)

What a beautiful lady. Thanks for sharing this.

The depression was tough. No doubt about it. But at least the farmers had food. No money 💰 but at least they had food.

Wow, what a sweet and lovely lady....thanks so much for sharing with us....; ) God Bless you all...let's pray we all get through whatever is coming....

Hey Diane. I'll be sure to do that and let her know how much you enjoyed the stories. Thanks for watching! Enjoy your weekend. -Jim

Hey Judy. Thanks so much for the nice comment. You should do an interview with your dad for us. Have a nice weekend! -Jim

Thanks ckrieger36. Happy New Year to you as well! -Jim

Hey Jim! Thanks so much for this! Take care, man! Matt

Great interview.

Jim, Thanks for recording such sweet memories. I searched for other videos on youtube and elsewhere on the Depression, but none were as sweet and interesting as your mom's. Others were so political and dull, but you and your mom were warm and personal.

Oh thank you so much Cynthia. I think she enjoyed doing the video and she's just amazed that people would want to hear her talk. LOL -Jim

Hi movmoon. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well! Thanks for watching. -Jim

Hey Barb. We would certainly have to toughen up real quick if we had another depression. LOL We're all spoiled and lazy and don't even realize how bad. We did have a nice Christmas and I hope you did as well. Great to hear from you! -Jim