Collection

Oral history interview with Zennah M. Buse

• 1991-01-15 - 1991-02-20 (Creation)

.1 cubic feet; 3 audiocassettes (2 hr., 18 min., 35 sec.) + 4 photographs (color)

This oral history interview with Zennah M. Buse was conducted by Susan L. Smith in West Linn, Oregon, from January 15 to February 20, 1991. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on January 15, 1991, Buse discusses her family background and childhood in West Linn, Oregon, including life on a farm, her elementary school education, and her recreational activities. She describes life in West Linn during the early 20th century and talks about attending Territorial Days picnics.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 23, 1991, Buse discusses her teenage years in West Linn, Oregon, including life on a farm, her high school education, and her recreational activities. She talks about her wedding and marriage to Herman Richard Buse. She discusses raising a family in West Linn, and talks about family and holiday traditions; shares her memories of her activities during World War II; and talks about her children, their families, and their careers. She speaks about her health, about her involvement in clubs and organizations, and about growing vegetables. She also revisits the topic of her childhood and describes the foods she ate, the process of doing laundry, and the clothes she wore.

In the third and final interview session, conducted on February 20, 1991, Buse revisits the topic of her marriage to Herman Richard Buse and raising a family in West Linn. She talks about camping with her family, shares the history of places and landmarks in West Linn, and describes how the city has changed over her life. She closes the interview by talking about the Romani people who would come to West Linn in the summers.

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Copyright to photographs has not been determined, and use may require authorization from copyright holders.

• English

Preferred citation: Oral history interview with Zennah M. Buse, by Susan L. Smith, SR 1713, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Handwritten index (3 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition.

Sarah Stroman

• West Linn (Or.)--Social life and customs--20th century
• Farm life--Oregon
• Gardening--Oregon--West Linn

• United States » Oregon » Clackamas County (Or.) » West Linn (Or.)

• Smith, Susan L. (Susan Lea), 1953- (Contributor)
• Buse, Herman R. (Herman Richard), 1901-1986 (Subject)

• oral histories (literary works)
• Interviews