Te-Moak Family Stories
Interview with Jimmy Johnson - Battle Mountain. "Him and his wife Glenda moved in, in 1981, when the homes were first being built. The family first moved from the old colony where they lived, they had just gotten power, water, and sewer lines there, it was just put in, but moved over here. It was like ; it was good. I mean we never lived in something like this before we always lived in an old home. I felt like I was a white guy! Laughing, we finally got something we could enjoy, when we moved we had five kids, the kids were three, four, eleven, and eight and up. now we have grandkids coming over, we always have a house full after that. This has been a good thing for us."
Interview with Lavona Johnson - Battle Mountain. "She has lived in her home since 1981 she has two children and now has her grandchildren. Her living conditions before this home was at the old colony, there they had nine people living in the home, it was tough but after moving into her home it was a different feeling. It was different living style, to actually cook in her own kitchen, the kids had their own bedrooms. The trees were put in when she moved in, she hand dug the holes for the trees, look how big they are now. Her kids didn't have to struggle as she did, she worked to make her house payments she had to struggle to make it good for the kids she paid rent of $125 and it went up when her income went up. We managed to stay it's been really good, we didn't have to live under her mom's roof. Lavona had to pay rent on the outside before moving into this place, she thought why pay someone else when she could pay on her own home. It's been good she's seen neighbors come and go but her next door neighbors are her dad's home on the right and Georgianna's on the left. She is satisfied of course, she has to replace things when it goes out. It's like when it rains it pours. When something goes out, she will get things replaced a little at a time of course because its her house."
We spoke to Lewis Knight who didn’t want to be interviewed, Evelyn had gone into town on this day during this visit, they have paid off their unit. He lived with his mother Pansy Knight before moving into this home. Lewis and Evelyn enjoy their home and TMHA was allowed to take pictures of it. They had taken over the assignment of Robert Healy who moved to Odgers Ranch, and had this home placed beside the original home. They had three children grow up here and two of them still reside with them.
Lena Yowell, we used to live on Fifth Street where Pacheco Gibson’s father lived, old man Bill Gibson, we were told we could move into one of the old cabins at the Elko Colony, we were offered a home at Cabin #1. Lena said it had no water, sewer, power at the house, they got water from outside and brought it in, they used kerosene lamps to study and light the house. They had four kids when they were moving and she was going to have one other and after the move she had Gloria while there at the old house. Lila Sam the neighbor next door told her about a meeting downtown about the new homes, Lila said” Let’s go down and listen, come live across from me, Lena said they were told we could pick where were wanted our homes. They went to the meetings with HUD and Dr. Tom Gallagher, it was built during the time when they had to build it themselves, Lena had to work at her job during the day then after work she would have to go work on the homes. They had to help each other put their hours in, everyone would be pitching in, there was a foreman on the job to tell them what to do. There was more woman then men working on the homes. They started on May Georges house, but they had their kids helping, next was Liz Yowell’s, she had a lot of workers to do her house, then went to Carrie Mendoza’s, then it was the next home but she can’t remember who’s house it was first, then Ann s, then Lois. They did each house putting up the frames. Then the men came in to do the sheet rock. Liz Brady had enough help and Carol’s also. They kept track of the time everyone put in, the company kept the hours. After the homes were completed, they had a move-in, Lena said it was beautiful when they moved in, the kitchen was big, of course the kids argued over who’ s room were which, we were excited, we of course didn’t have new furniture when we moved in. We had to pay $35.00 a month, then I moved out to Lee then gave the house up to my daughter Gloria. (Lena is the last living of the original homeowners of the cabins at the old colony, she is 87 years old during this interview.)
Interview with Ann Jacobo - Elko, Nevada. "They have been in the house for 45 years that’s when Raquel was the baby, she had two older kids with Jose on the way. They lived at the old colony, in cabin #5 while growing up, they didn’t have power, sewer and water. She said they had to haul water from a faucet outside there was a lot of them in the old house. Then she went off to school, she doesn’t remember when she found out about the house but she remembers she had to work on the house and she also remembers paying $25.00 for rent that was a lot of money then. Ann said she loves her house but she doesn’t have any pictures of the house when it was being built."
Interview with Webb Brady - Elko,Nevada. "They lived on Walnut Street before they were offered the house, they paid $35.00 on rent the house was built by the people, the kids helped, they had four kids when they moved in. The house is good but if you don’t do anything with it, like keep it up, it falls apart, the only thing wrong is they put the sewer and water lines in front of the house, inside the yard. Owyhee put the lines in, George Walker stayed with them when he was working on the lines."
Interview with Pam Charley - Elko, Nevada. "They had one child when they were offered a home, Pam lived in Cabin #1 growing up she remembers not having power, sewer and water while there. She was twelve when the water was put in at the old colony. She moved into her house when her daughters were three and five. This home was originally Stanley Couchum’s house. The homes were available so she applied and got this home, she paid $50.00 rent this was depending on her income. She is content with her home she is glad she has this home."