Joy Snyder, born and raised in Pennsylvania, is the daughter of Jean Dasinto and stepdaughter of Ray Hunt. Though she was raised thinking she was an only child, she shares that as an adult, she was contacted by an aunt who gave her information about an Austrian half-sister. The half-sister had tracked the family through WWII records on her biological father! Joy was raised in a very large extended Italian family (her maternal grandmother was first-generation Italian) and became the first in her family to attend college. She had decided early on that she wanted to be a nurse and chose to attend Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. She recounts memories of her earliest work there, which began the first week of school. After graduation from nursing school, Joy married her childhood sweetheart, William (Bill) Snyder. They made the move to Las Vegas in 1978 and Joy found work right away at Desert Springs Hospital. She worked there about six months and then took maternity leave after the birth of their second son. When she returned to work, it was at Sunrise Hospital (early 1979) in the newborn nursery. Joy comments on many aspects of her career, including the informal approach to health care, the effects of desert climate on mothers and newborns, and the changes she has seen at Sunrise Hospital. She also comments on adoption practices in Las Vegas, drug-addicted babies, and cultural attitudes that appear during the birthing process. Today Joy is retired and her husband Bill is close to retiring. They feel a strong connection to Las Vegas (Bill has a school named after him), but maintain a second home in New York for their trips back East to visit friends and family. They also keep up with various community activities, including book clubs and running clubs for the children at William Snyder Elementary School.
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On February 17, 1976, Jeannette Lonpergan interviewed well driller and dairy worker, Mr. Louis Evans (born on August 8th, 1914 in Jones County, Iowa) in his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mrs. Lonpergan’s husband, Mr. Dennis Lonpergan, was present during the interview and joined in on the discussion. Mr. Louis Evans’ wife, Mrs. Evans, was also present during the interview. Mr. Evans relocated to Nevada from Iowa in search of employment. Construction on the Hoover Dam had begun at this point; Mr. and Mrs. Evans recall their earliest recollections of Nellis Air Force Base and McCarran Airport. The interview covers the history of Nevada from Mr. Evans’ perspective. Mr. Evans discusses the paving of roads, employment, religious activities, housing developments, early above ground atomic tests, social and environmental changes and mining in Nevada.
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Ralph Vandersnick was interviewed on October 18, 1997. Ralph owns Snick's Place, the longest-operating gay bar in Las Vegas and whether he'd agree or not, he's one of the most respected members of the Las Vegas gay community.
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Oral history interview with Diane Orgill conducted by Claytee D. White on March 30, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Diane Orgill, a volunteer with Red Cross, discusses her experience on the night of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. She speaks of her role as a Red Cross representative at the Emergency Operations Center and the efforts of the Red Cross command center to provide a sense of order in the chaos. She describes some of the support provided to the survivors through the Family Assistance Center and the Disaster Action Team, giving an in-depth explanation of how these sections of the Red Cross function.
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