Carrie McNally is a resident at the Villa of St. Francis Nursing Home in

Morris. Several of Carrie's children were visiting the day we approached her about this interview. After we left they had dinner together and reminisced about their favorite shows and memorable news stories from the early days of radio.

Carrie was born in Maple lake in 1898 and has lived in Stevens County for the past 70 years. She graduated from the 8th grade and went to work in the general store in Chokio where she met her husband, the proprietor's nephew. She and her husband farmed eight miles from town and had nine children. The first radio Carrie remembers is a neighbor's small radio - quite a novelty. The radio she and her husband bought was run by a car battery which had to be recharged in town weekly. Because of the power ration the family only listened to one show an evening and the children were allowed to choose the program. The radio was in the living room and when it was on everyone s~t quietly and listened. If a neighboring family came to visit it was often after the evening show. If it was earlier (although always after evening chores) they also sat quietly and listened.

Before radios became common, Carrie says neighbors got together two to three times a week for parties or barn dances. Even after radio the neighbor came to play cards and visit. Newspapers were always the most important source of news, farm information and household tips and radio did not change this. The boys of the family had control of the radio. Gangbusters was their favorite show. They also listed Fibber McGee and Molly, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny and

Rochester, Amos and Andy, Fred Allen, Lux Radio Theatre, and Major Bowes Amateur

Hour. They remember the Lindberg Kidnapping as being the big news story.

Carrie's children also noted that the radio was a Philco that cost about

$30 in 1932, and that they picked up two stations. It cost $.50 to recharge the battery and although cash was tight during the depression this was always done during the weekly trip to town.

Carrie mentioned often during our conversation that she really didn't remember much about the early days of radio. It was clearly her children who were excited about the subject and our interview.