Oral History

Vicky Sievers

John Sievers is my father. He is 49 years old.

He has 4 kids (that’s including me) and has been married to my mother for about 20 years. We live on the Northwest side of Chicago, about a mile west of Wrigley Field. My father works for Chicago Faucets which is now located in Indiana. While growing up, my father lived in a few different neighborhoods in Chicago.

Dad, I know that you lived in a few homes in different neighborhoods while growing up; which ones were you favorites and why?

My favorite home was when I lived a block East of Welles Park. We lived in a tiny apartment with very little space. We also didn’t have a lot of money so my brother and sisters and I all had to go to work after school. I was about eight or nine when I first went to work; back then it was acceptable to go to work at that age. Now, it’s frowned upon. Any who, my best friend lived a few houses down and we would always go play in the park. It was a nice neighborhood. Unlike where we live now on Hoyne; I told your mother when we first moved here that she couldn’t go past Roscoe going south because it was so bad. There were Mexican and Black gangs always fighting. I didn’t want anything to happen to her. About ten years ago the Roscoe Village neighborhood cleaned up. They kicked out all of the gangs and cleaned it up. Now, all of the yuppies live there. [Laughs] It’s good because now all of the gangs are gone but the yuppie people have their own problems. Anyway, now you kids can go past Roscoe because it’s a nice neighborhood. That’s one of my favorite things about living here, on Hoyne; you guys can walk wherever u want and your mother and I will know you guys are gunna be o.k.

That’s sweet dad. If you could live anywhere else, where would it be?

If I had to live anywhere else I would probably live in a suburb.

How could you betray the city like that dad?

[Laughs] I’m not betraying the city. I just said I would go, not that I was going too. I don’t go out as much as you kid’s do so the city is more your playground than mine. When you guys are older I’m sure that your mom and I won’t be able to move anyway. Paying for you and your brothers’ college tuition and the twins’ high school and college tuition we won’t have any money left. [Laughs] It’s a nice thought but I still love the city and where we live.

You scared me for a minute. [Laughs]So dad, how come you decided to live in one of the houses you grew up in if, just a few blocks down, the neighborhood wasn’t that great?

Well, I love this house, your mother not so much. [Laughs]I liked the neighborhood it was in, and plus all around us the city was being rebuilt. I figured they would get to Roscoe soon enough; and sure as hell I was right. It really has grown and I’m happy that I chose here to live. I convinced your mom to give it a try. She’s gotten a little better about it, even though it’s been years. [Laughs]