SIGRIST:

Good afternoon.

BURST:

Good afternoon.

SIGRIST:

I'm Paul Sigrist.

BURST:

Sigrits.

SIGRIST:

Sigrist.

BURST:

Right.

SIGRIST:

And I work for the Ellis Island Museum.

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

The National Park Service.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Today is Tuesday, September 30 th , 1997 and I'm at the Kateri Residence — K-A-T-E-R-I. And we're in New York City.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

And I'm here with Bertha Burst.

BURST:

That's right.

SIGRIST:

Yes.

BURST:

That's right.

SIGRIST:

And Mrs. Burst came from Germany.

BURST:

Yes.

SIGRIST:

Yes. What year did you come?

BURST:

Well, I don't quite remember but I think it was in 1925. I'm not sure.

SIGRIST:

But maybe 1925.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yeah. I'm going to just fix your microphone here.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

She thinks she came in 1925 and I also want to say for the sake of the tape that volunteer, Roger Herz, is here, and recreation person here at the Kateri, Jody Persowuth.

PARSOWITH:

Parsowith [PH]. [chuckles]

SIGRIST:

Parsowith. Can you spell that? And — and speak loud.

PARSOWITH:

P-A-R-S-O-W-I-T-H.

SIGRIST:

Thank you. I'll be asking that every time we report.

PARSOWITH:

[laughs]

SIGRIST:

We're in Mrs. Burst's room and we may hear one of the other residents through the wall, who sounds kind of unhappy. [laughter] Mrs. Burst, what was your maiden name?

BURST:

Bertha Arnold.

SIGRIST:

How do you spell Arnold?

BURST:

Arnold, A-R-N-O-L-D.

SIGRIST:

And where in Germany were you born?

BURST:

Where? It was a little town. It's a little city now.

SIGRIST:

What's the name?

BURST:

Lauda.

SIGRIST:

Lauda.

BURST:

Lauda.

SIGRIST:

Do you know how to spell Lauda?

BURST:

L-A-U-D-A.

SIGRIST:

Lauda.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Oh, thank you. Do you know where in Germany that little town is? What part of Germany?

BURST:

Baden [PH].

SIGRIST:

It's in Baden.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Baden's kind of —

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

— down, I think, isn't it?

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

PARSOWITH:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yeah. Do you know what your birthday is?

BURST:

Yes. The 31 st of December.

SIGRIST:

What year?

BURST:

Was 1906.

SIGRIST:

1906. December 31 st —

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

— 1906.

BURST:

Right. That's right.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. What was your father's name?

BURST:

I think it was Anton. Anton.

SIGRIST:

Anton.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Anton. And what did he do for a living in Lauda?

BURST:

I don't know that. You see, it's been so long. I can't remember that anymore.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember your mother?

BURST:

Yes.

SIGRIST:

What was her name?

BURST:

Johanna. [PH]

SIGRIST:

Johanna.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember what her maiden name was?

BURST:

Schwartz.

SIGRIST:

Schwartz?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

S — S-C-H —

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

— W —

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

— A-R-T —

BURST:

T.

SIGRIST:

— Z.

BURST:

That's right.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. What are some of the memories you have of your mother when you were a child?

BURST:

Well, I don't remember too much. You know, it's so long. I can't remember that.

SIGRIST:

Well, what — what do you remember about when you were a little girl in Germany?

BURST:

Well, I don't remember much.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember the house that you lived in?

BURST:

Yeah. I have it right there.

SIGRIST:

Can you describe for me what it looked like?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

Go ahead.

BURST:

It had a living room and a dining room and two other rooms.

SIGRIST:

And did you have animals when you were growing up?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

What kind of animals?

BURST:

Well, we had chickens and, I don't know. Did we have sheep or not? But we wanted to have them but I don't know if he got them or not.

SIGRIST:

Did you have a special job in the house when you were a kid? A chore that was yours?

BURST:

No, no, no.

SIGRIST:

No?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

Did you have brothers and sisters?

BURST:

Yes, I have four sisters.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember their names?

BURST:

Yes, yes. One was Jo — one was Joanne, Jo. I have to think. [chuckles]

SIGRIST:

That's okay. Take your time. Joanne was one.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and — [unclear] I forgot.

SIGRIST:

Well, maybe as we're talking, you'll remember.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. Do you remember — you — you — you remember the house.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember what the town looked like?

BURST:

Oh, yes. Yeah.

SIGRIST:

What — what — what things stick out in your mind about the town?

BURST:

Well, it was a cute town. You know, it wasn't very large but they called it a city and it wasn't a city.

SIGRIST:

Was there an industry in that town?

BURST:

That I don't remember.

SIGRIST:

A factory that you remember —

BURST:

No, I don't remember that. It could be but I don't remember that.

SIGRIST:

Did you go to school in Germany?

BURST:

No —

SIGRIST:

Didn't go to school.

BURST:

[unclear] Germany.

SIGRIST:

You didn't go to school in Germany?

BURST:

Oh, yeah.

SIGRIST:

You did?

BURST:

Yeah. [unclear].

SIGRIST:

Do you remember anything about going to school?

BURST:

Oh, yes. Yes.

SIGRIST:

What kinds of things do you remember about going to school?

BURST:

Well, I couldn't tell you that. No. But it was a cute town.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh, yeah. Did you go to church when you —

BURST:

Oh, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yes?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

What — what religion were you?

BURST:

Catholic.

SIGRIST:

Catholics.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Was there a Catholic church?

BURST:

Well, there was more than one.

SIGRIST:

More than one.

BURST:

Yeah. Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Who was the most religious person in your family?

BURST:

Well, my mother, I guess.

SIGRIST:

Did your m —

BURST:

And she brought us up that way.

SIGRIST:

How did you practice your religion at home?

BURST:

At home?

SIGRIST:

Yes. What did you do at home —

BURST:

Oh —

SIGRIST:

— for —

BURST:

We said our — do you know — prayer. And when it was finished, we said it again. Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember that prayer?

BURST:

Oh, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Can you say it for me in German?

BURST:

I think I — I think I could.

SIGRIST:

Try.

BURST:

Yeah. Ah, let me see. No, I —

SIGRIST:

Okay. [chuckles] Well, again, it might come to you as we're talking.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

When — when — when you lived in Germany, what kinds of things did you enjoy doing?

BURST:

Well, most anything.

SIGRIST:

Was there a special activity that you particularly enjoyed?

BURST:

Oh, no.

SIGRIST:

No?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

What were you like as a kid?

BURST:

Well, I [unclear] like anything.

SIGRIST:

Yeah. When you were growing up, what did you know about America?

BURST:

I didn't know anything about America till I came here.

SIGRIST:

You sa — you told me that you thought you came in 1925.

BURST:

I think so.

SIGRIST:

Yes.

BURST:

But I'm not sure.

SIGRIST:

Not exactly sure.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

But maybe 1925.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yeah. Do you remember World War I?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

Yes. What did — what do you remember about the First World War?

BURST:

Well, that — I don't know what — what — see, I was too young.

SIGRIST:

Yeah?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did it affect your family in any way?

BURST:

Oh, no.

SIGRIST:

No.

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

Did you have a — a brother or a relative —

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

— who had to serve?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No.

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

Okay. Well, tell me why you came to America.

BURST:

I came here because everybody went to America that time.

SIGRIST:

Did you know someone who had gone to America?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No? Did any relative —

BURST:

Oh, my aunt was here.

SIGRIST:

Where did she live?

BURST:

In New York.

SIGRIST:

And whose — is that your father's sister or your mother's sister?

BURST:

My mother's sister.

SIGRIST:

Your mother's sister. Did she write to you?

BURST:

Oh, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yes? Did — did you have any expectations about America before you came?

BURST:

No, no. Nothing at all.

SIGRIST:

When you came to America, did you come alone?

BURST:

Oh, yes. Yes.

SIGRIST:

Was anyone traveling with you?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No? Tell me what you had to do before you left Germany. What did you have to do to get ready to leave?

BURST:

I forgot that.

SIGRIST:

Okay. Do you remember what you packed to take to America?

BURST:

No, I don't remember anything.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember saying goodbye to your family?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No? Okay. [chuckles] Do you remember being on the ship, the boat that brought you to America?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Yes?

BURST:

I remember that.

SIGRIST:

Yes. Do you remember the name of the boat?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No.

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember where you had to go to get on the boat?

BURST:

I know where it was.

SIGRIST:

Yes?

BURST:

But I couldn't tell you.

SIGRIST:

Okay. [chuckles]

BURST:

[laughs]

SIGRIST:

That's fine. D — do you have any memories of being on the ship itself, the boat?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

What do you remember?

BURST:

Yes, yes.

SIGRIST:

What did you do on the boat?

BURST:

I don't remember that anymore.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh.

BURST:

Yeah. But I remember I was on the boat.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember how long the trip took to get to America?

BURST:

That I don't know. See, I think it was about 10 days, maybe more, maybe less.

SIGRIST:

Did you get seasick?

BURST:

I think so, what — what I remember.

SIGRIST:

Do you — do you remember seeing the Statue of Liberty when the ship —

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember being at Ellis Island —

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

— when the ship came in?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No. Who met you in America?

BURST:

My aunt.

SIGRIST:

Your aunt. And di — where did she take you?

BURST:

I — that I don't know.

SIGRIST:

Did you go to her house?

BURST:

I guess so.

SIGRIST:

Yeah, and she lived in New York, you say.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did you get any work when you first came to America?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

You didn't get a job.

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No. What did you do when you first got —

BURST:

I did housework.

SIGRIST:

You did housework. Well, that's a job.

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

[laughs]

BURST:

Big job.

SIGRIST:

Yes. [chuckles]

BURST:

[laughs]

SIGRIST:

Can you tell me what it was like to learn how to be a — a maid in somebody's house?

BURST:

Well, I couldn't say that anymore. I forgot that. You know, there's a lot of things I forgot.

SIGRIST:

Well, you're doing all right.

BURST:

[chuckles]

SIGRIST:

[chuckles] Tell me — tell me what — when — when you went to work in the house doing housework, what were some of the things that you had to do?

BURST:

Well, we — I finished the — the homes. You know, we had to finish the home, [unclear] the house.

SIGRIST:

Did you have to do any cooking when you worked?

BURST:

Oh, no. After [unclear], I did.

SIGRIST:

After — afterwards. How did you learn English?

BURST:

I — I picked that up quick. [chuckles]

SIGRIST:

Do you remember a time where you made a mistake when you were trying to speak English?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No.

BURST:

I don't remember.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. But you picked up English very quickly.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. And when you first came to America, what — where did you live? Did you stay with your aunt?

BURST:

I came to my aunt. But where she lived, I couldn't tell you.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember how long you lived with your aunt?

BURST:

No, I couldn't.

SIGRIST:

No. Did any of your other family come over to America?

BURST:

Yes, one y — one sister. She was two years older than I.

SIGRIST:

And what did she do when she got here?

BURST:

She did the same thing I did.

SIGRIST:

She got housework?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. Did you miss your family when you were in America?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No.

BURST:

Well, see, I lost my family very young.

SIGRIST:

Oh.

BURST:

Yeah, right.

SIGRIST:

How old were you? Do you remember?

BURST:

Oh, I don't know but I don't think much more than 10 or 12 years old.

SIGRIST:

How did your father die?

BURST:

A heart attack.

SIGRIST:

Had a heart attack.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

And what about your mother?

BURST:

Well, she didn't have a heart attack but I don't know what she had.

SIGRIST:

But she died too.

BURST:

Oh, she died after many years.

SIGRIST:

Oh, I see. Was your mother still living when you came to America?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

Oh, she was? Okay.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did your mother ever want to come over to America?

BURST:

Well, I don't know. She never said it.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh.

BURST:

I don't think she did.

SIGRIST:

But your sister came over.

BURST:

Yeah, yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did your sister live with you when she came?

BURST:

She did.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh.

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did you become an American citizen?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

Yes?

BURST:

After five years.

SIGRIST:

Yes? How did you feel when it — when you became a citizen?

BURST:

Oh, I was very proud. [laughs]

SIGRIST:

Did —

BURST:

I felt I was a real American. [chuckles]

SIGRIST:

Did you get married in America?

BURST:

Oh, yes.

SIGRIST:

Yes?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

What was the name of the man that you married?

BURST:

[chuckles] I forgot.

PARSOWITH:

Mr. Burst.

BURST:

Yeah. [laughter]

SIGRIST:

Right, Mr. Burst. [chuckles] Was he — where — where was Mr. Burst born?

BURST:

Mr. Burst was born in Lauda.

SIGRIST:

In Lauda?

BURST:

Yeah.

SIGRIST:

Did you know Mr. Burst when you lived in Lauda?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No? How did you meet Mr. Burst?

BURST:

Oh, I met him many years after that.

SIGRIST:

Do — and tell me, how did you meet him?

BURST:

I — I don't know — remember that anymore.

SIGRIST:

Do you remember what year you got married?

BURST:

I think it was in 1925. I'm not sure.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh, uh-huh. Right. Did you have any children?

BURST:

Yes, I had one daughter.

SIGRIST:

What was her name?

BURST:

Joan.

SIGRIST:

Joan. Did Joan learn how to speak English — I mean, speak German? Did you —

BURST:

Very little.

SIGRIST:

Little.

BURST:

Very little.

SIGRIST:

Little bit.

BURST:

She understood when we talked to her. But otherwise, she wouldn't understand.

SIGRIST:

Could Mr. Burst speak English?

BURST:

No.

SIGRIST:

No? He spoke German.

BURST:

German.

SIGRIST:

Uh-huh. Did you ever want to go back to Germany?

BURST:

No, no.

SIGRIST:

No? Why not?

BURST:

Because I have no one there. See? I [several words unclear] that I could go to.

SIGRIST:

How do you feel about America?

BURST:

I love America.

SIGRIST:

Great. Well, that's a good place for — for us to end. Mrs. Burst, thank you very much.

BURST:

You're very welcome.

SIGRIST:

And this is Paul Sigrist signing off with Bertha Burst on September 30 th , 1997 at the Kateri Residence. Thank you.

BURST:

Yeah. [unclear]. [END OF INTERVIEW]