One of the missions that the St. Lucas Historical Society has begun and hopes to continue is an oral history project. Rosemary (Kuennen) Most and Carl Most have undertaken this project. Since 2004 they have interviewed a number of elderly persons with family ties to the St. Lucas area.

The interviews were recorded on cassette tapes in the homes of the person(s) being interviewed. The cassette tapes were then transferred to CDs by a professional studio. Several of the persons interviewed were quite elderly at the time of the recordings. Their voices may not have been strong but the studio was able to transfer the recordings to the CDs in a way that produced high quality recordings in terms of clarity of the voices and at a suitable volume level. The interviews were conducted between 2004 and 2008. Since that time, some of the persons interviewed have passed away.

This emphasizes the importance of interviewing people and families while they are still able to provide information of historical significance. Rosemary Most was the primary interviewer. She prepared a list of pertinent questions to be used during the interviews. These questions were based on her knowledge of the time-frame and cultural conditions in which these people lived.

The questions were intended to evoke memories that would provide important family information. For example, details about who they had grown up with, who were their family members, where they lived, their occupation etc.

This method was effective and allowed both the interviewer and the person(s) being interviewed to be on common ground. Much of the content resulting from the interviews is of historical interest. Information was provided about where in the community the person lived and was raised, description of the family structure, condition of farming and the economy during that time. They also talked about food that was common at that time. The type of food served at mealtime was German food and was recollected with fondness.

They gave details about school instruction and the subjects that were taught. Many of the teachers were Catholic nuns. The priests and the church were an important part of the community culture and played an important role in the formation of the character and belief of the young people

Families often know who their family historians are. It doesn’t matter whether or not these family members think of themselves as storytellers. Some may be hesitant to be interviewed, but everyone has a piece of the history of the St. Lucas community and culture and has a story to contribute.