Mildred Rousseve: I went to Houston. We visited Houston. We visited Boston. Kate Ellis: When you were traveling before the 1960s, did you have to make special arrangements as far as where you stayed, how you traveled? Again, because of the laws of segregation? Mildred Rousseve: Yes, but I didn't go to any hotels myself. I didn't want to take a chance. I went to my friend's homes and lived with them. Kate Ellis: Uh-huh, so, you had— Mildred Rousseve: And to Ferdinand's home and lived with him. Kate Ellis: Mm-hmm. Take a chance as far as being turned away? Mildred Rousseve: That's right. I never did do that. Kate Ellis: Mm-hmm. Sounds like you were, just from what you're saying, it just sounds like you had a very good idea of where you'd go, where you couldn't go. And you didn't push it, in a sense. Mildred Rousseve: I didn't. Kate Ellis: Not that you were passive. Mildred Rousseve: No, no. Kate Ellis: I don't mean it like that, but you just sort of said, "Okay, I know that they might turn me away here, so I'm going to make arrangements and stay with a friend." Mildred Rousseve: That's right. Yes. Kate Ellis: Sort of a tactical plan. Mildred Rousseve: I knew of so I did, yes. Yes. Now, there are many people who are here who did not have the experiences I've had. Louise Bush was one, she didn't have the experiences I had because she had her mother and father. All of them are there. They could go where they wanted but I didn't care. Didn't worry me. I don't want to talk about them. Kate Ellis: No, no. I'm sure you don't. But without talking about them, what do you mean when you say that your experience was different? I mean— Mildred Rousseve: Well, she just had her mother and father all of her life, I didn't. That's a great difference. I didn't know my father. A lot of people might have thought that I was illegitimate, but I wasn't because I have my mother and father's tone marriage license right now. Kate Ellis: Oh, you still have it? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. I still have it. Kate Ellis: I see. Mildred Rousseve: To prove that my mother and father were married. Because when I say my father died before I was born, they might think that I didn't have a father, but I did. Kate Ellis: And that would be considered a sort of— Mildred Rousseve: Disgrace. They don't think it now, though. Kate Ellis: I'm sure they don't. Mildred Rousseve: Because they're having babies now and they're not married and they want the babies, but they don't want to be married. Kate Ellis: Yeah, yeah, things are a little different now. Yeah. Yeah. You had said a little while ago, again, on the same sort of topic, that Mr. Rousseve was really committed to giving his children, to giving your children an education. Mildred Rousseve: All of our children. Kate Ellis: Mm-hmm. All of your children because you said of the pride that he felt. And because of his Black racial heritage. Can you say a little bit more about that? Just what his ideals were or— Mildred Rousseve: Oh, he had strong ideals. He really did. But he wanted the children to be well educated and we sent them to— They did well in school from the grade school up. And when they went to Xavier Prep, well, they didn't win scholarships like their father did there, but they did go into music at Xavier and both of the boys won a scholarship in music. And so that tuition was paid. Now, Yolande didn't have a scholarship, but we were able to pay for her. Kate Ellis: For her college? Mildred Rousseve: Yes, mm-hmm. And the boys, Roland went to LSU, was the first one to go there as a Black and into the music school. Kate Ellis: How was that for him to be the first Black student? Mildred Rousseve: Huh? Kate Ellis: How was that for him to be the first Black? Mildred Rousseve: Well, he just applied. He went and applied and he applied in a band. And he had played with Xavier's band and the instructor, Xavier's band recommended him. And he was White. Kate Ellis: The instructor was White and recommended him for LSU? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And he went there and he got his master's in music Kate Ellis: There? Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. Kate Ellis: How was it for him to be the first Black student there? Mildred Rousseve: It was pleasant. He was like I was, they didn't do anything. They were not ugly to him. He could play well. He could succeed them. Kate Ellis: And they respected that. Mildred Rousseve: They respected that, yes. I didn't meet any discord anywheres in my life in saying that, "Well, you can't do this because you're not White." Kate Ellis: I know what I was going to ask you, just about when you used to go to the Municipal Auditorium. Mildred Rousseve: Auditorium. We were segregated then, and we had to go— When I first married, Mr. Rousseve, we had to go way upstairs before we could sit on the first floor. Kate Ellis: To listen to the opera. Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. But it didn't worry us. We went to see the opera. We wanted to see the opera. We don't care where we'd sit and we'd dress up. And after that it's the funny thing. I was in a club with all Whites at one time, right here. They— Community concerts. The lady asked me to join the club. She was in charge of some of the things that they were doing. And she said, "Come and join with us." Kate Ellis: I think it was like a social— It was a community social club. Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And we met at different homes. And I went into these homes. They received me beautifully. They knew who I was, they knew I was Black, mm-hmm, but it didn't affect me one bit. Kate Ellis: Yeah, yeah. It's interesting, go ahead, please. Mildred Rousseve: I'm just saying I've had happy life, even though they had segregation here. I didn't get any of that ugliness of it. Kate Ellis: But you knew of other people who did experience that? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. Kate Ellis: Did you ever hear stories or— Mildred Rousseve: Hm? Kate Ellis: What were you going to say? Mildred Rousseve: I don't know. Kate Ellis: Did you ever hear stories about what other people had experienced? Mildred Rousseve: No, I never did. Kate Ellis: Yeah. I mean, just I can just— Mildred Rousseve: Being ugly to them or so? Kate Ellis: Yeah. Mildred Rousseve: No, I never heard of that because I knew there was some things I didn't do and I couldn't do. And it didn't worry me to talk about it or even go there. But when we could go to the auditorium and buy tickets, if you bought your ticket, you went anywheres you wanted to go but you were segregated in seating. Excuse me. Mm-hmm. Kate Ellis: Hm, yeah. Sounds like everybody, people that I've spoken with, even just so far, everybody's had profoundly different experiences with it. I mean, some people I've talked to I think really suffered. I mean, suffered from the segregation, suffered from the mistreatment and others didn't. Mildred Rousseve: I didn't though. Kate Ellis: And others didn't. Mildred Rousseve: I didn't. And neither did Mr. Rousseve's people, Kate Ellis: Mm-hmm. I mean, his family. Mildred Rousseve: And he was respected by Whites, everybody, when he became a principal. Oh, they loved him very much. Mm-hmm. Kate Ellis: Yeah. Sounds like they did, yeah. Sounds like your whole family's really respected. Mildred Rousseve: They did, mm-hmm. How did Ms. Bothers get you to come to me? Kate Ellis: That's a good question. How did she? She just said that you were an interesting woman, that you come from an interesting family and that you'd be good to talk to, so, and she— Mildred Rousseve: It it true? Kate Ellis: Of course it's true. Of course it's true. Yeah. Mildred Rousseve: I had the letter and I thought I had to write and give you an answer and I was going to tell you I couldn't do it. Kate Ellis: No. And well I know we talked on the phone yesterday and you told me that— Mildred Rousseve: Yes, I couldn't come to wherever you all were meeting. You see, because I don't have a car no more, and I can't drive anymore. Because sometimes I get dizzy, and if I turn too quickly, I can easily fall from this blood thickness. Kate Ellis: Yeah, yeah. No, you don't want that. Mildred Rousseve: So I told you that I couldn't, and you said, "Well, you don't have to." Kate Ellis: If I come to you. Mildred Rousseve: So I'll [indistinct 00:08:53]. Kate Ellis: A little fishy. Mildred Rousseve: He had many sessions like this though. Kate Ellis: Really? Where people would come and interview him? Mildred Rousseve: With people who come to interview him. Students from away, from France. Kate Ellis: Really? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: Would come to talk with him. Mildred Rousseve: Different places, they'd come and talk with him. Kate Ellis: Now, did he remain fluent in French all his life? Mildred Rousseve: He could still, yes. Kate Ellis: He could still— Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. He didn't speak as much French in the end of his life as he did before. But he spoke French until he was seven years old and never a word of English until he was seven. Now you're going to talk to me. Kate Ellis: I'm going to ask you. All of a sudden I thought, "Oh, I have these forms to do." Let me just ask you one other thing. I just noticed, and I didn't know this earlier, or if I knew it, I forgot it, that you were a librarian? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: At the— Now, which public library in New Orleans was it? It said something like, "You were the first librarian at—" Mildred Rousseve: On the Bookmobile. Kate Ellis: Oh, okay. Mildred Rousseve: I'll show you some material I have on it. I think it's in a room over there. I'm not sure. Kate Ellis: Well, should we wait until— Mildred Rousseve: Tomorrow? Kate Ellis: Well, not until tomorrow, but until after I do these forms, just so I don't have to unhook you and I don't want you to have to get up all the time. So let me just— Some of this stuff I can fill in. Mildred Rousseve: I was a librarian. Kate Ellis: How long were you a librarian for? Mildred Rousseve: About 22 years. Kate Ellis: So when did— Mildred Rousseve: After I married. Mr. Rousseve didn't want me to marry at first, didn't want me to work at first. But I convinced him that after the children had gone to school, that I could do my work and work and help and I did. I was a strong woman. I was a strong person. Kate Ellis: Yeah. Well— Mildred Rousseve: And I took care of my home. But my mother-in-law was living next to me. Kate Ellis: Your mother-in-law was? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And we had doors between, we went between. And if the children got home early, they told them what to do. And they were very obedient children. Kate Ellis: So she could sort of keep an eye out for them? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, until I got home. Yeah. Kate Ellis: So when did you, after your last child was born, which was Yolande? Yolande was the last child. Mildred Rousseve: Yolande was my first. No, yeah, she was the last. The twins were first. Kate Ellis: Because the twin came first. How long after that did you start working? Mildred Rousseve: After they were all old enough to go to grade school. I taught them first grade at home. I had a little table. I had a room. I had a little classroom. Kate Ellis: And you would teach them everyday. Mildred Rousseve: Every day. Kate Ellis: That's great. Mildred Rousseve: And I taught them at home. So when they entered school, they entered the second grade at Corpus Christi School. That's a Catholic school. They didn't go through first grade. And then after that, I began working at Craig School. It was a public school, not too far from my home. Kate Ellis: You said you began working there? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: As a teacher? Mildred Rousseve: It was substitute work. That's how I came back into the system. Kate Ellis: You started doing substitute? And then? Mildred Rousseve: And what else was you asking? Kate Ellis: Well, then you became a librarian. Mildred Rousseve: I became a librarian after I was there a few years. Ms. Dedeaux, the teacher you thought was Louise. You said, "Is this Louise?" I said, "No, that's Maude Dedeaux." She was the principal of the school. And one day she said, "Mildred, I want to make a library out of those rooms upstairs, and I want you to organize it." I said, "But I haven't had library science, Maude." She said, "That's all right. I'll arrange for you to get what you need to do." And Ms. Dedeaux got all of the books that I should have had if I had gone to school and had taken library science formally. And she got them. Mildred Rousseve: And she also had Evelyn Peters, who was then the White librarian over all the Colored schools. And she observed me and came to see what I was doing. And it was right. She went and told Ms. Dedeaux I knew it and I was doing it. I learned how to catalog books. I learned how to do this. Everything I did, I learned to do. Kate Ellis: You taught yourself. Mildred Rousseve: Taught myself. But she bought the books for me and yeah, I organized it. I wish I had the pictures to show you. I don't, though. I don't know what they did with it when they— I organized it at those two rooms together. And the children used to come up there to borrow books. And another thing they did, at the noontime, when the big children were having recess, I was having the little children in the room upstairs for storytelling in the library. Kate Ellis: And you would tell them stories? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And then one year I had a program and I invited the city librarian to come and visit us. And I had a little play. And he was impressed by that play and everything that I had done at Craig's school. And the next year, he offered me a job. And I hated to leave Ms. Dedeaux because she was the one responsible for it. But I did because I was going to get more money. Mildred Rousseve: So I went and I became a librarian part-time at the branch. And after that, Mr. Jacobs went into the Army who was acting as librarian. He was librarian and Mr. Logan took over. George King Logan took over and he became the librarian. And he said, "Ms. Rousseve, we going to come and see about you starting the bookmobile." I said, "Mr. Logan, I don't know anything about a bookmobile, working on a bookmobile." He said, "But you know how people sell bread and sell commodities from a truck, don't you?" I said, "Of course I do." He said, "That's what you got to do with the books." And after that, they called me a missionary for books. Kate Ellis: Really? Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. And my first stop was in the Magnolia Project, right up town where they have a lot of trouble now. Kate Ellis: What's it called? Magnolia? Mildred Rousseve: Project. That's where I went the first time that I worked on a bookmobile. I stood up at the back of the bookmobile and told the children where I was there, and I gave them cards to sign. And they signed the cards and from then on— Kate Ellis: They'd come and get books? Mildred Rousseve: They'd come and get books. I went to so many stops a day. Who told you I was a librarian? Kate Ellis: I read it. I read it, I think it was in the little passage that was written— The book that you showed me that was written by somebody whose name I can't remember. Something Peters? Mildred Rousseve: Peter Clark. Kate Ellis: Peter Clark? And then he was writing about your husband? And I think that that's where there was something about you in there too. Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, I guess so. Kate Ellis: Yeah. And it said that you had been the first librarian for, again, the name escapes me. But it was for this bookmobile. Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, bookmobile. And then— Kate Ellis: Was that in the fifties? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And I worked at different branches then. You see, when they found out what I was doing, they put me everywhere. Kate Ellis: Now, when you say different branches, you mean you went around in the bookmobile to different communities? Mildred Rousseve: Oh, yes. Well, I always went to different communities. Kate Ellis: Uh-huh. But shat do you mean different branch? Oh, different branches. Did each branch have a different bookmobile? Mildred Rousseve: No, each branch had a different librarian. And they were mostly White. Kate Ellis: So were you one of the first Black librarians? Mildred Rousseve: I was. No, I wasn't the first Black. Kate Ellis: But you were— Mildred Rousseve: Ms. Johnson was the first Black. Kate Ellis: But you were among a few? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Don't say I was the first Black librarian because I wasn't. Kate Ellis: I won't say that. I won't say that. Mildred Rousseve: No, I wasn't, dear. Kate Ellis: I will not, no, I didn't mean to ask it. Mildred Rousseve: No. That's all right. Kate Ellis: In a way that sort of said, "Is this your new title," or anything. I just meant— Mildred Rousseve: No. No. Uh-huh. Kate Ellis: I couldn't remember if I'd read in that booklet that that's what it had said. Because I didn't think that's what— It didn't say that in the book? Mildred Rousseve: No. Kate Ellis: Okay. But you had just said a minute ago that it was mostly White librarians? Mildred Rousseve: Yes, at these branches, all the different branches. And later on, they respected my work that when they needed someone to go into the branches, they would send me, because I could do the same work those other librarians were doing. And I stayed there for about 22 years. Kate Ellis: Oh, so when did you retire from that? Did you retire in the seventies from that work? Mildred Rousseve: No, sixties, I think. Kate Ellis: In the sixties? Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. I think so. Kate Ellis: Okay. Yeah. So you were a working mother for quite a long time. Mildred Rousseve: Long time. But I had obedient children and they listened to me. I never had to whip my children, none of us. We didn't whip my children. Sometimes I'd just look at them if they did things I didn't like. Kate Ellis: That was enough. Mildred Rousseve: And I was taking them somewhere. Now, one time we got on a bus, this is the only time I experienced segregation. And I got on the bus on Esplanade and Marais, I can see it now. And my children were very well dressed. They had white shoes and nice suits and everything. And one of them asked me, "Mother dear, why we have to sit in the back like this?" And so I said, "Because it's the law. Someday you'll learn why." And that's all I told them. And when I got home, I explained it to them. And as I got off the bus, the bus driver said, "You told it to them in a beautiful way." He said, "Somebody else would've made a big fuss on this bus if the children had say, why we have to sit way in the back?" I said, "Because that's the law right now. And we have to sit back here." And every time they'd see me, they'd all tell me how pretty my children looked. Kate Ellis: Oh, really? Mildred Rousseve: Yes, mm-hmm. That's why I got that baby picture out there. You see my two boys on there? Kate Ellis: Those are the pictures? Yeah. Those are your boys? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. When there were little boys coming up, that's my girl on the side. Kate Ellis: So people would compliment you on your— Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, on the children. And let's see what, yeah, when Charles and Mr. Rousseve died, I had those pictures put up. I didn't have them out. I had their late pictures put out of the children. So I said, "They're getting all their baby pictures out. I had pretty babies so I'm going to get my baby pictures out." So I got Yolande's picture and those two boys, and showed it to them. Kate Ellis: When you got home, do you remember how you explained it to them? Mildred Rousseve: I told them that that was a rule of the city. It was a segregation rule. And the Whites couldn't go where the Blacks were and the Blacks couldn't go where the Whites were. And they didn't say anything. They just said, "But why?" I said, "It was just a rule and we abide by the rule, but someday it may change." And Ronald was able to go up to Notre Dame when he went to school up there and mixed with all of them. And they didn't do him one thing. And Roland went on to LSU. They didn't do him anything. And the law hadn't passed, but they did it. Kate Ellis: Right? That was before, yeah. Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. It was there. I think their actions and their character, that's what did it. I didn't fuss about it or didn't say call them names or do this or do that. We didn't do that. We weren't people like that. A lot of people make a big fuss over things. We never did. Kate Ellis: Yeah, go on and live your life. Mildred Rousseve: You got this episode? Kate Ellis: Uh-huh, that's okay. What? Mildred Rousseve: Who's going to listen to it? Kate Ellis: Probably people doing research who want to know what life was like before the 1960s. Nobody from the press. Mildred Rousseve: Well, that's good. Kate Ellis: Nobody from the television stations. Mildred Rousseve: That's good. Kate Ellis: Nobody making any movies. Mildred Rousseve: Now, that's my oldest son, Charles' first boy over there, the big one. And the other two are Roland and Ronald, my twins. And you see the little twins on the side in those little white suits? Kate Ellis: Yes. Mildred Rousseve: Those are my twins. Kate Ellis: Oh, cute. Mildred Rousseve: They look like little teddy bears, didn't they? Kate Ellis: Yes, they do. Mildred Rousseve: And at the bottom, there's Yolande, there's her daughter Jan. There's Gail in the middle, and Lisa's on the side. And that's Lisa's little girl on a picture right in front of her. The last one over there. Kate Ellis: Yeah. To the right? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. And so there we are at the bottom again, Charles and I. Kate Ellis: Well, I can see that. Mildred Rousseve: So we had a very good life, segregated, set up. It was all right. Not then, oh, it was passed then. Kate Ellis: Yeah. Well, let me ask you these questions here, because by the time we get finished with this, you're going to be tired of talking I'm sure. What is your middle name? Mildred Rousseve: Mildred Celeste Robichaux. But after I married, I didn't go by Celeste, I went by Mildred. Kate Ellis: Will you spell Robichaux for me? Mildred Rousseve: R-O-B-I-C-H-A-U-X. And there are plenty of White Robichaux in the city here too. Kate Ellis: There are? And what is the street? Is this 3525? Mildred Rousseve: Touro Street. T-O-U-R-O. Kate Ellis: What's your zip code? Mildred Rousseve: 70122. Kate Ellis: Okay. And your date of birth? Mildred Rousseve: September 20th, 19 five. Kate Ellis: 19 five. 19 five? 1905. Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. 1905. Kate Ellis: And you were born in New Orleans? Mildred Rousseve: In New Orleans. Kate Ellis: Okay. And your principal occupations? I mean, the work that you— Mildred Rousseve: I was a teacher and later a librarian. Kate Ellis: Okay. Okay. Okay, can you tell me precisely how you would like your name to appear in written materials? Now, written materials, that means with the tape of our interview, there'll be a sheet that just says your name, who it is and when the interview took place and a few other things, but— Mildred Rousseve: That's all right. The tape is all right. Kate Ellis: Okay. What's your full, middle, last name? How would you like it to appear? Mildred Rousseve: Mrs. Charles B. Rousseve. Kate Ellis: Okay. Mrs. Charles B.? Mildred Rousseve: B. Rousseve. Kate Ellis: Okay. Your spouse's name was? Mildred Rousseve: Hm? Kate Ellis: It was Charles? Mildred Rousseve: Barthelemy Rousseve. Kate Ellis: B-A-R-T-H? Mildred Rousseve: H-E-L-E-M-Y. T-H-E-L-E-M-Y. Barthelemy Rousseve. Kate Ellis: Barthelemy. And do you remember his date of birth? Mildred Rousseve: November 4th, 19— He was 91 when he died. Kate Ellis: So was he '02? Was it 1902? Mildred Rousseve: He was three years older than I. Kate Ellis: And you were born in 1905. Mildred Rousseve: Five. Kate Ellis: So he was 1902. Mildred Rousseve: Two. Kate Ellis: And then he passed on the 28th? Mildred Rousseve: Of December, 1943. 19— Kate Ellis: Mm. '93. Mildred Rousseve: Three. Kate Ellis: And he was born in New Orleans? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: And his principal occupation? Mildred Rousseve: School teacher and school principal. He loved music and he loved his American history and certainly loved his— What was actually called it? Black history. Kate Ellis: Did I call it? Yeah, or— Mildred Rousseve: No, we didn't say Black history now. What do we name it now? It used to be Black history. Kate Ellis: You mean his, oh, Black heritage? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. He was proud of his Black heritage. Kate Ellis: So I'm writing here, "School teacher and principal, musician, historian." Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, good. Kate Ellis: Okay. Now this is about your parents. What was your mother's full name? Mildred Rousseve: Wait there, Laura, as far as I know, before she married Mr. Granderson, it was Laura Daunis Robichaux. Kate Ellis: How do I spell Daunis? Mildred Rousseve: D-A-U-N-I-S. Kate Ellis: D-A-U-N-I-S. Mildred Rousseve: Robichaux. Then after she remarried, it became Laura Granderson. She married John Granderson. Kate Ellis: Okay. I think for these records, if it's okay with you, I'll keep Robichaux. Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: Okay. And then her maiden name? Do you know her maiden name? Mildred Rousseve: My mother's maiden name? Oh, didn't I say Daunis? Laura Daunis? Kate Ellis: So that is Daunis? Daunis was the maiden name? Mildred Rousseve: Before she got became to Robichaux, yeah. Kate Ellis: And do you know her date of birth? Mildred Rousseve: I have it down and I'll have it for you tomorrow because I have it down. I'd have to get up and go look for it. Kate Ellis: Okay. And do you know when she died? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. I have all that. I can give it to you tomorrow. Because I have to get up and go look for it. Kate Ellis: Okay. And then where was she born? Mildred Rousseve: In Thibodaux or somewhere outside there in the country. I've forgotten. Thibodaux, or wait. Kate Ellis: I'll say Thibodaux. Mildred Rousseve: Thibodaux, Louisiana. Kate Ellis: And you told me that she used to, she had work, you said. What was her occupation? Mildred Rousseve: My mother never did work that I know of. Kate Ellis: Okay. Right. So should I call her housewife? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: Okay. And do you remember your father's full name? Mildred Rousseve: All I remember is Samuel Robichaux. S-A-M-U-E-L R-O-B-I-C-H-A-U-X. Kate Ellis: Do you know where he was born? Mildred Rousseve: Out in the country, somewheres. Kate Ellis: Somewhere in the country. Mildred Rousseve: Say Thibodaux or Homer. Kate Ellis: Homer. Mildred Rousseve: Homer. Kate Ellis: H-O-M-E-R? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. Or H-O-U-M-A it might be. I don't know when was it. Kate Ellis: Okay. And I think you said that he used to work along the river? Mildred Rousseve: Yes, he did. Kate Ellis: But you're not sure what that was that he did? Mildred Rousseve: No, I don't know. Kate Ellis: Okay. I'll say he worked along the river. Mildred Rousseve: For an organization, it was an organization. Kate Ellis: And you said that he died before you were born? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. He died in— Kate Ellis: So that was in? Mildred Rousseve: In May 19 five. And I was born in September 19 five. Kate Ellis: And do you don't know his date of birth or around the time that he was born, do you? Mildred Rousseve: No. Kate Ellis: Okay. Okay. Now were you the first, the second born of your mother? Was Harold older or younger than you? Mildred Rousseve: Harold was older than I. Kate Ellis: So you were the second born. So this is asking you about your sisters and brothers. Can you give me Harold's full name? It was Harold. Mildred Rousseve: I don't know his middle name. Kate Ellis: So Harold Robichaux. Mildred Rousseve: Robichaux. Then Mildred's the last Robichaux. Kate Ellis: What year was Harold born? Mildred Rousseve: He was about two years older than I was, so. Kate Ellis: So 1903? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: And when did he pass? Mildred Rousseve: Oh, I have it down. I have to get it. Kate Ellis: Okay. And he was born in New Orleans? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: Yeah. Okay. And then what about the sisters and brothers that came? Mildred Rousseve: Well, they were Grandersons. Kate Ellis: Okay. And what were their names? Mildred Rousseve: The first one was Everett. Kate Ellis: Everett? Mildred Rousseve: Everett. I know his middle name, but I can't think what. Kate Ellis: That's okay. Mildred Rousseve: Everett Granderson. Kate Ellis: Granderson. I'm going to spell that just the way it sounds. Mildred Rousseve: G-R-A-N-D-E-R-S-O-N. Kate Ellis: Okay. And— Mildred Rousseve: He was born in New Orleans. All of them were born in New Orleans. Kate Ellis: Okay. And— Mildred Rousseve: And the next one was John Granderson. He was named for his father. And the next one was Clara Granderson. C-L-A-R-A, named for my mother's sister. Kate Ellis: Do you remember the general years that they were born? Okay. But it was after 1905? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, I might have them with the other things tomorrow. Kate Ellis: Okay. Now your children. And I guess with your children, I don't know whether you want to include— I mean, if— Mildred Rousseve: Charles and Teresa? Kate Ellis: Yeah. As far as your own. I mean, what do you think? Mildred Rousseve: Well, I was not their mother. I was their stepmother. Kate Ellis: Right. Maybe we could write them down and I'll say "stepmother." Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Kate Ellis: Just because they were— Okay, so. Mildred Rousseve: That's true. And I was a devoted stepmother too. Kate Ellis: Yeah, I'm sure you were. Okay, so Charles? Mildred Rousseve: S. Rousseve. He was born the day after Christmas, I think. Wait, [indistinct 00:33:15]? Speaker 1: Yes. Kate Ellis: In New Orleans? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah, in New Orleans. Was little Charles born the day after Christmas or before? Speaker 1: Two days after Christmas. Mildred Rousseve: Two days after. I have the dates, but I have to get them tomorrow. Kate Ellis: Okay. But it was Charles? Mildred Rousseve: Yeah. And Teresa was born February 6th. Speaker 1: He died. Mildred Rousseve: I have them all. I have them, Lanee. You have what? Speaker 1: The 27th. [indistinct 00:33:43] died on the 7th. Mildred Rousseve: What you're saying, Lanee? Speaker 1: He died on 28th. Mildred Rousseve: Who? Speaker 1: Talking about my dad, Charles. Mildred Rousseve: I'm not talking about Charles. Speaker 1: You said you did. Mildred Rousseve: My husband, I'm talking about Charles Jr. Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. Mildred Rousseve: No, I don't want you to tell me that. I'll have those dates for you tomorrow. I know when Charles's died. Kate Ellis: Right. Of course you do. Mildred Rousseve: You made a mistake. I made a mistake. Kate Ellis: Okay. So Teresa? Mildred Rousseve: I meant Charles Jr. Teresa was born February the sixth, and I forgot. I'll have it tomorrow. Kate Ellis: What's Teresa's Middle initial? Mildred Rousseve: Dorothy, D. Kate Ellis: Okay. I'm going to put here "Stepchildren." Okay. And then there was Roland and Ronald? Mildred Rousseve: Ronald was a set of twins born in New Orleans. I'll have to get that date too. I know it was August the 31st. Kate Ellis: Okay. You don't remember the year? Mildred Rousseve: Well, I have to look it up. Kate Ellis: Yeah, that's fine. That's okay. Mildred Rousseve: And Yolande Marie Rousseve. Kate Ellis: That's Yolande. Mildred Rousseve: She was born soon after them because they were just 15 months old when she was born. Kate Ellis: Yolande? Mildred Rousseve: Yolande? Kate Ellis: Is is Y-O-L-A-N? Mildred Rousseve: Yes. Y-O-L-A-N-D-E. Yolande Marie Rousseve. And she was the last because I didn't want more children. Kate Ellis: Mm-hmm. How many grandchildren do you have? Mildred Rousseve: I wrote it yesterday in writing my obituary. I think we have about 18 or 19 grandchildren, about 15, 16, great grand. That's including Teresa's children too, because they are mine and I still attend to them. When it was time for her to enter the nursing home, they called me, "Mother dear, we need some money to help get to Teresa in the nursing home." Kate Ellis: She's in a nursing home? Mildred Rousseve: Mm-hmm. Kate Ellis: All right. Because she's— Oh, I guess she in her seventies? Mildred Rousseve: Sixties. Kate Ellis: Sixties? Okay, so. Okay. Oh, I can— Mildred Rousseve: Well, now as I pass through this land only once, I have tried to live and love my fellow man no matter who he was. No matter who he—