Friends of the Garden is pleased to announce the Ethnic Life Stories: Trail of Trees is coming back to our Friends in a new audio series. You can hear the stories of Springfield's ethnic community leaders Tune in on Anchor every Tuesday at 10 a.m. for new releases. Find out more about Friends of the Garden by visiting our website, friendsofthegarden.org. Read all of the Ethnic Life Stories Project stories by clicking here. Follow Friends of the gardens on social media! We post park events, promos, and announcements when new episodes of the ELSTOT are released on our Facebook and Instagram. Int ..read more

Jorge Luis Padron was born in March 1931 in Cuba. He was the third and youngest son. He had a happy childhood in Havana with his older brothers, Adriano and Carlos, and younger sister Olga. His favorite person when he was a child was his grandmother, Carmen, who doted on him and told him stories. His father owned a pharmacy, which inspired Padron to go into the science and medical fields when he got older. Padron attended Candler College in Cuba and worked to improve his English, and after graduating second in his class, he was offered a full scholarship to study in the US. Arriving in Shawnee ..read more

Loan Thi Vu Nigh was born in June 1948 in Sa-cat, North Vietnam. The village is right next to the Thai Binh and Hong Ha rivers, both of which served as sources of clean water for the residents. The village has lots of ponds, each with specific purposes: washing food, dishes, bathing, etc.Sa-cat is an agricultural village, and the residents raise rice, fish, poultry, and fruits and vegetables. Nigh’s childhood memories include going to church, helping run her mother’s store and attending school with her ten brothers and five sisters. She always loved art and drew as a hobby starting at a young ..read more

Eligio Augie Sanchez was born in November 1959 in Mexico City. He lived with both his parents and his two older brothers, Victor and Leo, but he spent most of his time living with his aunt in Acapulco when he was growing up. His family did chores during the day and ate meals together at a big table in the kitchen. Sanchez was dreaming of life in the United States ever since elementary school. After he finished his Bachelor’s in Laboratory Chemistry at the University of Mexico City, his parents wanted him to become a doctor. But Sanchez was disillusioned with the path his parents had set for hi ..read more

Ilga Vise was born April 13, 1934, in Riga, the capital city of Latvia. She grew up during a brief post-war freedom Latvians enjoyed, having declared their independence in 1918. She spent much of her childhood in Riga and Gulbene with her mother, Brona, her father, Janis, who was in the Latvian Air Force, and her cousin, Richie. Some of her most cherished childhood memories include making music with her extended family, all of whom could play a variety of instruments and sang in their free time. The Vise family had a large garden with lots of animals, including chickens, goats and rabbits. Vis ..read more

Tong Trithara was born in March 1952 in Ban Ban Province, Thailand. He was the fifth of seven children. Until the age of 7, Trithara lived and traveled with his grandmother, who raised him Buddhist. He later practiced Catholicism when he lived with his parents. His fondest childhood memories are of fishing on the rivers in his hometown of Audhaya and riding on the backs of water buffalo. He started kindergarten at age 6 or 7 and started learning English that year. Trithara’s father and older brother helped him gather and complete the necessary paperwork to live in America. He lived briefly wit ..read more

Jackie King was born in September 1933 in Balham, London. Her mom, dad, her older brother, younger sister and she lived in London for the first five years of her life until the family moved to the outskirts of London — in Surrey County — in hopes of escaping the worst of the war. King lived in Surrey until she got married and moved to the United States. She said a lot of her childhood memories involve bomb shelters and food rations. She married her husband, Tom, in 1953, and they raised two daughters together, Andrea and Jennifer. Since retirement, King has stayed in Springfield to remain clos ..read more

Eligio Augie Sanchez was born in November 1959 in Mexico City. He lived with both his parents and his two older brothers, Victor and Leo, but he spent most of his time living with his aunt in Acapulco when he was growing up. His family did chores during the day and ate meals together at a big table in the kitchen. Sanchez was dreaming of life in the United States ever since elementary school. After he finished his Bachelor’s in Laboratory Chemistry at the University of Mexico City, his parents wanted him to become a doctor. But Sanchez was disillusioned with the path his parents had set for hi ..read more

Edith Middleton was born in April 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland. She was the youngest of three and the only daughter between Daniel and Isabella Laird. Her life was changed forever when she was 14 years old, when her mother died of heart disease, and she adopted her mother’s housekeeping responsibilities. After high school, Middleton attended West of Scotland College of Domestic Science and later got a job on a marine ship as a cook. It was after this four-month trip in the Langlee Scot that Middleton met her future husband, Morrison, at a party. The couple married in New York and enjoyed a happy ..read more

Jorge Luis Padron was born in March 1931 in Cuba. He was the third and youngest son. He had a happy childhood in Havana with his older brothers, Adriano and Carlos, and younger sister Olga. His favorite person when he was a child was his grandmother, Carmen, who doted on him and told him stories. His father owned a pharmacy, which inspired Padron to go into the science and medical fields when he got older. Padron attended Candler College in Cuba and worked to improve his English, and after graduating second in his class, he was offered a full scholarship to study in the US. Arriving in Shawnee ..read more