LAURA L. WATSON

So you grew up in East Dallas, but you haven’t always lived here, right?

I was married to a musician, so we traveled a lot. We lived in New Mexico Santa Fe, Albuquerque. He played in a trio. Of course he played around here, in Dallas, at different clubs, like the Rose Room. He played in so many clubs around here. When I first met him, he was playing with a band out of New Orleans.

When did you meet him?

In 1939 and we married in ’41. His name was Thomas Watson. We were married 54 years. He was in the service, went to Japan during World War II. He passed away in ’97, when he was 85. We didn’t have any children, but we raised our niece, Yvonne.

What did your husband play?

He played piano — classical, jazz, you name it — but he taught all instruments. I still have his piano, too.

Do you remember your first job?

I’m the fourth of seven, and so I didn’t work until …. I don’t think I started working until World War II. I can remember I worked in a factory, a shirt factory. Of course, I went to college, to El Centro downtown until they got East Field built. I got a Bachelor of Science in social work, and then I was the liaison person between the City of Dallas and Terrell State Hospital. I did that for almost 20 years before I retired.

My class was the first to finish from Lincoln [High School] when it was built. We were the first class. It was really fun times. Of course I met my husband, but my parents didn’t want me to get married because they wanted me to go to college. So I asked my father if he would send me, and sure enough he did. I was working and trying to go to college. It was tough. Sometimes I wanted to stop, but my husband told me, “You can do it. You can do it.” So he was very helpful. And I did it, and he was very proud. He was a good husband. I couldn’t have found a better person.

Do you have any favorite East Dallas memories?

Wellthiswaslikethecountryout here, with horses and chickens. I can remember the circus would come into town. That was a big thing for us. And