Chris Miner , August 22, 2013
File
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
This collection contains recorded interviews with Boise citizens. Notable topics include Boise Bench history, Greenbelt history, Foothills Levy history, Boise Fire Department history, Boise Police Department history, and personal and political histories of former mayors and councilmembers.
Dates
- August 22, 2013
Creator
- Miner, Christie "Chris" Anna (December 17, 1939-March 8, 2020) (Narrator, Person)
Extent
735.8 Megabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
Chris Miner is a sibling of Marko Simunich and Mary Crist. She grew up near the corner of Franklin and Orchard and went to Franklin School. Chris spends most of the interview telling stories and memories of her parents Mike and Mary Simunich. She gives details of their marriage, how they came to Boise and Mike’s work with Boise Payette Lumber Company and work in Stibnite in the early 1900s. Chris also tells stories of her mother’s activities as a homemaker, including raising cows and making wine in the basement.
Time Index
TIME TOPIC
00:00 Christine (aka Chris) is Marko Simunich’s sister. She starts by giving the story of Mike Simunich’s story (her father) – moving to Idaho from Croatia working for Boise Payette Lumber. Arranged marriage between Mike and Mary. 03:00 The wedding in Vancouver, paying for a minister to go to Canada to marry them.
04:20 Mike working up in Stibnite (Cascade) 04:40 Mike’s real-estate on the Bench, his vision of growth in Boise.
06:00 Mother starting in the camps, then when Mary’s birth and the family taking a manual train cart to the Cascade hotel for birth. 07:20 The family living in the labor camp in Cascade, relationship with the cooks complaining about children eating food for the workers.
08:50 Mike bought house on Franklin & Garden as family grew. Bought about 9 houses from Barber Town and moved them to Franklin and Garden area with Mike’s cousin Marko. (“Uncle Marko”). 11:43 The first farm on Franklin and Garden sold to a man for subdivision for growth after WWII.
12:30 Story about First National Bank letter coming to Mike. Mr. Boyd helps decipher letter about a late payment. They go down to bank and make a scene. Echeverrea helps clear up the issue. 14:45 Depression era: Mike offers his funds to help the bank.
15:15 WWII P.O.W. Zivic brothers, work friends, coming back from Japan visit the family. Chris remembers how thin they were. 16:50 Family block parties on Franklin and other locations. Christmas parties cooking pigs on a spit.
18:00 Pigs on a spit in the snow, children hassling the guys turning the pig. 18:30 Mike making homemade wine for parties, ordering grapes, storing them in the basement.
21:00 More about the parties, (ca. 1934) near the fork of Ridenbaugh canal. Getting stuck in the mud, camping in cars overnight. 22:45 Vagrants riding the train, jump off the train near the Simunich place. Uncle said the hobos had marks on the telephone polls saying a friendly person lived there.
25:45 Mike buying property and describing some of the parcels. 26:30 Swimming in the canals. Mother tying Mary to a bridge on a rope to learn how to swim.
28:00 Mike buying more property and mother not permitting more purchases further out on the bench near Intermountain Gas H.Q. 29:50 The neighborhood boys stealing Mike’s buggy around Halloween. One year they left it on top of the porch of Franklin School.
31:30 A Native American living close to the Simunich property, and Mike bought the land where this person lived to let his horses roam. 33:00 Mike writing checks on shingle, grocery bags, being well known and respected.
34:00 Mike receiving a letter addressed: “Big Mike, Idaho.” 34:40 Describing the farmlands. Orchards on Curtis and Orchard.
35:40 Riding in the back of a pickup truck, getting in trouble throwing cattails. 37:14 Mother raising cattle, cows for milking. Culture carried over from Croatia.
39:50 Champion (later Rhodes bakery), delivery of baked goods, children buying doughnuts and cookies. keeping a tab. 41:15 Mother signing blank checks, father book keeping.
42:40 Diary workers and milking cows. Stories of troubles with hired hands. Man with seizures. 45:45 Chris’s education: Franklin, then new West Jr. High, wanted to go to St. Teresa’s Academy.
46:00 Chris wants to go to St. Teresa, convinces mother to buy tuition, and uniform. 47:40 Father teaches Chris how to work the coal stoker, knowing he was sick and not going to live much longer.
49:30 Franklin and Orchard grocery stores. Credit, rationing, mother not understanding the system. 52:10 Friendly neighbors helping each other out.
52:30 Chris remembers things she wanted from the grocery stores. Potato Chips. Chris’s oldest brother selling ice cream on the corner of Franklin and Garden. 55:20 Pennies on the railroad tracks. Riding horses, playing with neighbors.
59:30 All siblings having Mrs. Roberts as a first grade teacher, except Chris. Brother John running away from school. 01:02:10 Mother learning to read. Boys of Boise in the newspaper.
01:04:00 Never going to restaurants, older sister remembers going to town to the Mecanife mechanical belt restaurant. Taking the bus all around Boise.
00:00 Christine (aka Chris) is Marko Simunich’s sister. She starts by giving the story of Mike Simunich’s story (her father) – moving to Idaho from Croatia working for Boise Payette Lumber. Arranged marriage between Mike and Mary. 03:00 The wedding in Vancouver, paying for a minister to go to Canada to marry them.
04:20 Mike working up in Stibnite (Cascade) 04:40 Mike’s real-estate on the Bench, his vision of growth in Boise.
06:00 Mother starting in the camps, then when Mary’s birth and the family taking a manual train cart to the Cascade hotel for birth. 07:20 The family living in the labor camp in Cascade, relationship with the cooks complaining about children eating food for the workers.
08:50 Mike bought house on Franklin & Garden as family grew. Bought about 9 houses from Barber Town and moved them to Franklin and Garden area with Mike’s cousin Marko. (“Uncle Marko”). 11:43 The first farm on Franklin and Garden sold to a man for subdivision for growth after WWII.
12:30 Story about First National Bank letter coming to Mike. Mr. Boyd helps decipher letter about a late payment. They go down to bank and make a scene. Echeverrea helps clear up the issue. 14:45 Depression era: Mike offers his funds to help the bank.
15:15 WWII P.O.W. Zivic brothers, work friends, coming back from Japan visit the family. Chris remembers how thin they were. 16:50 Family block parties on Franklin and other locations. Christmas parties cooking pigs on a spit.
18:00 Pigs on a spit in the snow, children hassling the guys turning the pig. 18:30 Mike making homemade wine for parties, ordering grapes, storing them in the basement.
21:00 More about the parties, (ca. 1934) near the fork of Ridenbaugh canal. Getting stuck in the mud, camping in cars overnight. 22:45 Vagrants riding the train, jump off the train near the Simunich place. Uncle said the hobos had marks on the telephone polls saying a friendly person lived there.
25:45 Mike buying property and describing some of the parcels. 26:30 Swimming in the canals. Mother tying Mary to a bridge on a rope to learn how to swim.
28:00 Mike buying more property and mother not permitting more purchases further out on the bench near Intermountain Gas H.Q. 29:50 The neighborhood boys stealing Mike’s buggy around Halloween. One year they left it on top of the porch of Franklin School.
31:30 A Native American living close to the Simunich property, and Mike bought the land where this person lived to let his horses roam. 33:00 Mike writing checks on shingle, grocery bags, being well known and respected.
34:00 Mike receiving a letter addressed: “Big Mike, Idaho.” 34:40 Describing the farmlands. Orchards on Curtis and Orchard.
35:40 Riding in the back of a pickup truck, getting in trouble throwing cattails. 37:14 Mother raising cattle, cows for milking. Culture carried over from Croatia.
39:50 Champion (later Rhodes bakery), delivery of baked goods, children buying doughnuts and cookies. keeping a tab. 41:15 Mother signing blank checks, father book keeping.
42:40 Diary workers and milking cows. Stories of troubles with hired hands. Man with seizures. 45:45 Chris’s education: Franklin, then new West Jr. High, wanted to go to St. Teresa’s Academy.
46:00 Chris wants to go to St. Teresa, convinces mother to buy tuition, and uniform. 47:40 Father teaches Chris how to work the coal stoker, knowing he was sick and not going to live much longer.
49:30 Franklin and Orchard grocery stores. Credit, rationing, mother not understanding the system. 52:10 Friendly neighbors helping each other out.
52:30 Chris remembers things she wanted from the grocery stores. Potato Chips. Chris’s oldest brother selling ice cream on the corner of Franklin and Garden. 55:20 Pennies on the railroad tracks. Riding horses, playing with neighbors.
59:30 All siblings having Mrs. Roberts as a first grade teacher, except Chris. Brother John running away from school. 01:02:10 Mother learning to read. Boys of Boise in the newspaper.
01:04:00 Never going to restaurants, older sister remembers going to town to the Mecanife mechanical belt restaurant. Taking the bus all around Boise.
Creator
- Miner, Christie "Chris" Anna (December 17, 1939-March 8, 2020) (Narrator, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Collections Repository