Oral History Program Linnard Holston Interviewed by Deborah M. George 18 March 2014 Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Linnard Holston Interviewed by Deborah M. George 18 March 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Weber State University, Stewart Library Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. The working files, original recording, and archival copies are housed in the University Archives. Project Description The New Zion Community Advocates worked with community members age 80 years and older to have contributed to the history of Ogden city. The interviews looked at the legacy of the interviewees through armed services, work, social life, church, NAACP and educational systems in an environment where their culture was not predominant. This program has received funding from the Utah Humanities Council and the Utah Division of State history. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management This work is the property of the Weber State University, Stewart Library Oral History Program. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Holston, Linnard, an oral history by Deborah M. George, 18 March 2014, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, Special Collections, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Linnard Holston, photo taken at Marshall White Center November 8, 2013 Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with Linnard Holston conducted on March 18, 2014 by Debbie George. DG: Ok, today we are at the Marshall White Community Center and we’ll be talking with Mr. Linnard Holston. So could you tell me your full name? LH: That’s it Linnard Holston. DG: No middle name? LH: No middle name. DG: And your birthday you told me was? LH: January 10, 1930 DG: OK, and are we related in any way? LH: Not that I know of. DG: And tell me, what are you doing now? LH: Babysitting at the Marshall White center. DG: Can you explain a little bit more about the babysitting? What do you do, do you work in the gym? LH: Well ya, I work in the gym. DG: Any particular classes in the gym that you work with? 1 LH: No they, Just kind of overall. Overall we play a little pickle ball every now and then. Basketball, they jump too high for me, I can’t even. So I’ve been in the gym quite a few years. I was a boxing coach 15 years, and I boxed 10 years my self Golenberns Champion, AAU Champion, 165 pound. That’s about it, and I used to take the kids to Idaho Wyoming Montana. DG: Was that part of the? LH: Recreation, yes. DG: So what are the most important lessons you’ve learned through life. LH: Be fair and honest with everyone and even with yourself. DG: So what are you most proud of in your life? LH: Fishing and hunting. DG: Do you have a lot of trophies or eat most of what you catch? LH: I eat, what I don’t eat I turn them loose and put them back. But I love hunting, I have hunting dogs. DG: What kind. And you have two of them? LH: Two of them. I take other people with me and then one dog, but with two you get better results. DG: So how long have you lived in Ogden? 2 LH: Ever since the 40’s, 1940 something. I don’t know what year it was, but came from Hope Arkansas DG: And what brought you to Ogden? LH: My uncle Henry. DG: What did he tell you to persuade you to come to Ogden? LH: He just told me to come over here with them. DG: How has Ogden changed over the years? LH: Oh lot of changes. DG: What was the biggest change? LH: I would say the streets, about all I can say. More streets, bigger streets. More streets, more one way streets DG: What was it like when you first got here? LH: Just like any other city. DG: Go to school? LH: Ya, went to school then came home and did the chores and that was it. DG: What high school did you go to? LH: Mount Ogden high, and I went into the military, went up to Weber Weber State was on 25th street, so everything’s all changed. 3 DG: So what do you miss most about the way it used to be in Ogden? LH: I never had no trouble. Everything seems the same enough to me. DG: So no difficulty? LH: Never had no run ins I just mind my own business and let the other fellow mind his own business. DG: Do you remember any of the character around Ogden? You know, some who were kind of a flash and you thought “oh, wow” LH: Not really DG: You don’t remember any great characters from here? LH: I used to have a center, the wall avenue community center and they used to have dancing and things and games so that changed. DG: Yes it has changed. LH: You remember that? DG: Yes I just loved it. Do you remember any stories or legend in Ogden? No? Ok did you have a nick name? LH: No DG: Well who were some of your best friends? LH: The Edmunds, Charles Edmunds and junior Edmunds, my neighbors. 4 DG: And what were they like? LH: Nice people, musicians, Charles Edmunds was into music. DG: What did you do for fun? LH: I played basket ball. DG: Did you play in high school or college? LH: No. DG: Just for fun. LH: They jumped too high for me. DG: What are some of your best memories from grade school? LH: Oh that’s way back. DG: Or high school? LH: Oh nothing special. I played basketball and the industrial league. That was the basketball I did, playing in the industrial league. DG: And where was that? LH: Oh different places. Different high school. Lewis and Washington DG: So here in Ogden? LH: Yes. DG: So did you meet your spouse here? 5 LH: Yes I did, right here in Ogden. DG: How did you meet? LH: Playing ball. DG: Oh was she a fan? LH: She used to play, my wife used to play. DG: So she’d play with you? LH: Well they had a ladies league; they played in a different gym. DG: So she just swept you off your feet? LH: Oh don’t know about that. DG: But she became you wife. Did you have any kids? LH: Yes I have one son. DG: And how did being a parent change you or did it change you? LH: It didn’t change too much. You just kept your same fairness and honesty about you and raised them to be the same. DG: So what did you do for a living? LH: Worked for the southern pacific railroad. DG: For how long? LH: 37 years. 6 DG: And what did you do? LH: I was a supply man, handy man, hostler, helper, switchman, anything to make the day go. DG: Ok, so what did you want to be when you grew up? LH: Just normal. Just wanted to be normal and that’s all. DG: You didn’t have a profession you thought you definitely wanted to do? LH: No ma’am. DG: Whatever came your way, you made it work. So were you in the military? LH: Yes, two years. DG: Which branch? LH: Army, in the Korean War. DG: Where were you stationed? In Korea? LH: First in Fort Ord, California and them from Fort Ord we went to Korea DG: Did you see any battles? LH: I was an artillery outfit. DG: So I guess you did. How did the war change you? LH: It didn’t change me. I did what I was told and that was it. Never got in trouble, never went AWOL, never got called into the office, nothing 7 DG: Do what your told stay, stay out of trouble LH: That’s for sure. DG: So what lesson did you learn from your life. Did the war teach you something? Or just living in Ogden teach you something? LH: Just the regular things. Mind my own business and leave others business alone. I never been arrested, never been in jail. I never went AWOL in the military. DG: So what made you stay here at the Marshal White center? LH: Well I love sports and I missed the Mr. Billines, and Marv Casteel, and sledding, they all talked me into coming to work here and I’ve been here very since. And I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve met a lot of nice people. And I’ve seen a lot of kids grow up since I’ve been here for forty some odd years DG: And you talked about how you love fishing and hunting. Is that mainly bird hunting? LH: Yes pheasants, sage grouse, rustle grouse DG: Do you teach other people how to hunt? LH: I’d take a friend out but he passed away last year, the guy. DG: So you just go yourself now LH: I’m going to have to find another hunting partner. I don’t like to hunt alone. I used to by myself a lot but that’s not a good idea, to go nowhere by yourself hunting. Too much 8 can happen, so I’m going to find someone to hunt with coming up this fall. I have two dogs already DG: So you’re already then LH: Plenty of shot gun shells as well DG: So you are all set. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us that we didn’t cover in the questions? Things about you that say this is Lenard Holston and this is who I am? LH: No DG: No? LH: I don’t have anything. DG: Like you said you just stay to yourself LH: I stay in my business. Never been arrested, never been to jail, and I’m too old to go now, too old. Don’t want to get in trouble. DG: Anything to ask Melissa? MJ: I was wondering do you know what brought your uncle to Ogden. LH: I think it was a job; he was working at the navy base. There used to be a navy base. That’s why he came here and then he sent for me. That was why he came, to work at the navy base MJ: So he thought it was good and told you to come on up LH: I have been here ever since. Did my military here and stayed. 9 DG: Well thank you, if there isn’t anything else then I guess that’s it and we thank you for your time. LH: Well thank you for interviewing me. 10