“Memories of Gallup” will share interviews by Bob Rosebrough with some of the extraordinary people who have made Gallup such a historically rich and culturally beautiful place to live.
Memories of Gallup
By Bob Rosebrough
“Today, I’d pass out if I did that!” An Interview with Roberta Stauder and Lorene Menapace, Part 1 of 2
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oberta Stauder and Lorene Pomponi, née Menapace, share over on the north side on Fouch, which was behind Terrace. He would walk connections that start from their birth. Roberta was born at over to the south side, carrying his tools on his shoulder. And he would go Saint Mary’s Hospital, in a new wing that her grandfather, John over and back, and over and back in one day. In 1926 my grandfather built Novak, built. She says, “The new wing was on the west side of the Plese’s Grocery Store on Maloney and he took out groceries in payment. Saint Mary’s Hospital. The old part faced due north. The new Joe Plese would call my grandmother every morning for her grocery list and wing matched the first part identically and it was hard to tell that it had been it was delivered by noon. This went on until my later years as an adult, when added on. It was solid brick from Gallup Brick Company. Two of my children his son Joe and his wife Rosemary made the calls. I remember seeing lists that were born in that same hospital and Michael was born in the same room I was included items like 25 cents – hamburger and 15 cents – cheese. born in.” “My uncle [John Novak’s son] went to work for O’Malley Lumber Lorene adds, “I was the first baby born in the Saint Mary’s wing that that was down where Gallup Indian Traders is now on the corner of Woodrow her grandfather built.” and 66. It was on land leased from the Santa Fe Railroad. My uncle came An escape from prison in Austria. Roberta’s grandfather was from home and told his dad, ‘The O’Malleys want to sell the lumberyard.’ So Austria. She says, “He was in the Austrian army. He was imprisoned because Grandpa went to see them and he bought the lumberyard in 1939 and he let two of his men go swimming in the channel and one of them drowned. that was the beginning of Gallup Lumber. And then he really went into That was a big no-no, so he was imprisoned, but he escaped from prison and contracting.” came to the United States – him and his brother. They came to America and Lorene smiles. She says, “He thought he could get a better deal from went to San Francisco where his brother was hurt real bad in a fire. So he took himself.” him back to Austria and then came back to the US and worked in the mines as Keeping a future saint waiting. Roberta’s grandfather built houses a carpenter. He went from Trinidad all over town, almost all of which to Raton to Bisbee to Gallup.” are still standing, and he built many A contractor with hand churches on the reservation: “Saint tools dressed in a vest and hat. Michael’s, Houck, Manuelito and Roberta’s grandfather left the mines the one they tore down at Wingate.” and “went into full-scale building. She says, “He built Saint Michael’s One of the first houses he built for Mother Drexel who is now was on the southwest corner of a saint. She came to Gallup to Green and New Street – which contract with him, and he was down is Grandview now. He had a near Phoenix in the Superstition fifth-grade education and figured Mountains prospecting for gold. everything out on a slide rule. We He told her she’d have to wait until still have his T-square. He went he got back, and she did.” She and to work in a three-piece suit every Lorene laugh at the idea of keeping a day. When he got to work he took future saint waiting. off his vest and his jacket and he Dad won his money in the service worked and then he put it all back playing cards. Lorene’s parents on and put his hat on. I never saw were Enrico and Ethel Menapace. my grandpa come home from work She says, “My father’s family was without a hat and his vest.” from Tyrol. My grandfather wasn’t When Roberta’s grandfather really born in Italy; he was from Lorene Pomponi and Roberta Stauder started as a contractor “they lived Tyrol, which, at the time, was under
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December 2014