Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Interview No. 1721, Wilhemina Apodaca

Combined Interviews

Ms. Apodaca brought to the interview a dress she wore when she was little for a photoshoot she had at the Casasola Studio that was later on featured in the newspaper. Ms. Apodaca remembers the blue dress very well because it was hand-made by her mother and her aunt especially for her. Like most of the clothing back then was made at home.

Ms. Apodaca was raised on a farm in New Mexico along with her other five siblings. She loved living on the farm but used to come to El Paso every weekend to visit her grandmother and do …

Interview No. 1624, J. Halbert Gambrell

Combined Interviews

In this interview, J. Halbert (“Hal”) Gambrell shares his memories of his colorful family, early El Paso, and his military experiences during both World War II and the Korean War. Born in El Paso in 1920, Gambrell entered this world in the family home due to his physician father’s decision to avoid local hospitals overflowing with Spanish Influenza patients. His father had recently returned from service in France during World War I; earlier he had served under General Jack “Black” Pershing during the latter’s 1916 punitive expedition into Mexico in Pershing’s ill-fated attempt to capture Pancho Villa. Gambrell continues to …

Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee

Combined Interviews

Louis B. McKee is the son of Robert E. McKee, founder of the R. E. McKee General Contractors in El Paso, TX; he was born in El Paso in 1933; and graduated from Austin High School; he explains why he went to University of New Mexico, and studied civil engineering; he mentions completing Navy ROTC, being a Marine Corps Officer a few years; he recounts his family, working for the family’s construction company; he reveals why he later quit the company, disagreed with the direction of new non-family leadership that didn’t have the experience; he mentions the company was moved …