Mrs. PETERMAN. Robert.
Mr. JENNER. And the third?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Lee.
Mr. JENNER. Lee was the third one?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Now, at this particular time John and Robert were about
within the age range of your three younger children; that's Emile, Myra
and Cecelia; is that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, they were more around Cecelia's age.
Mr. JENNER. Around Cecelia's age?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Lee, however, was considerably younger, was he not?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes. He must have been not quite 18 months when she
moved there, maybe less; that's 23 years ago, you know, and it's hard
to recall all of that, to be exact.
Mr. JENNER. That's all right. We want you to just give us the
information as you recall it. Now, Robert was about what age at that
time?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I really couldn't say, but I imagine about 4 or 5. I
really don't know to be exact on that.
Mr. JENNER. And John?
Mrs. PETERMAN. He must have been at least 7 or 8, because he was going
to school.
Mr. JENNER. So she had Lee, who was a baby infant, you might say, is
that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And another child who was not yet of school age, and that
would be Robert?
Mrs. PETERMAN. That's right.
Mr. JENNER. And John, her eldest. Was John attending Washington
Elementary at that time?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I am almost sure he did, but I wouldn't swear to that; I
am not positive.
Mr. JENNER. So as I get it, during the 3 years that they lived there,
Robert eventually entered Washington Elementary School, is that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, I couldn't say that. In fact, I think she moved
before that, because she didn't stay there long. I don't think it was 3
years.
Mr. JENNER. About 2 years maybe?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Maybe along in there; she moved before 3 years, I know.
Mr. JENNER. You say she was inclined to keep to herself most of the
time?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes, she was.
Mr. JENNER. You didn't regard that as strange, did you?
Mrs. PETERMAN. No; I am a person like that myself. I don't bother much
with the neighbors.
Mr. JENNER. I take it from what you have told me, Mrs. Peterman, that
Marguerite Oswald was unmarried at the time, that she had just divorced
her husband, or been divorced by him, is that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, the first one I don't know, but the second one was
dead. He died and left her a widow. She told me that herself when she
moved there. Now, her first husband, I didn't know whether he was dead,
living, or what. She never mentioned him.
Mr. JENNER. When did you say you moved into that house?
Mrs. PETERMAN. In 1941.
Mr. JENNER. You moved there in 1941?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. All right. Well, in any event she was unmarried at that
time, is that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Do you know how she supported herself?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, at first I don't. I know she told me that she sold
her house, where they came from, but how much that was or anything I
don't know. She might have had insurance from him; I don't know. Then
later she opened a little dry goods store.
Mr. JENNER. A dry goods store?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I won't say a dry goods store--more like a grocery
store, I guess you would say--just a small place there in the front
room. She sold bread, milk, candy, and things like that.
Mr. JENNER. Where was that?
Mrs. PETERMAN. In her front room.
Mr. JENNER. The front room of her house?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes; it was a little grocery store.
Mr. JENNER. Would the local city ordinances permit that?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I don't know about that, but she did operate it for a
short time--not too long. Finally she gave that up, but as far as I
know that was the only money she had coming in at that time.
Mr. JENNER. Give me your impression of Mrs. Oswald, would you please;
what kind of person she was.
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, like I said--I don't know how to explain it, but
she was a person who was not overfriendly, and she wasn't no snob
either. I can't say that, but I don't know. She was the kind of a
person that--I don't know how to say it. I mean, I had no trouble with
her, and she was a good mother to her children.
Mr. JENNER. She was?
Mrs. PETERMAN. That she was, and she would always keep, like I say, to
herself. She didn't do much talking, that is, to me; but now whether
she did to the other neighbors, I don't know.
Mr. JENNER. You didn't regard her conduct as strange?
Mrs. PETERMAN. No; nothing like that. Like I told you, I am the kind of
person who keeps to myself too. I have been right now 23 years in that
neighborhood, I--there are some people living around there right now
that I couldn't tell you their name. I am always inside. I never go
out, you know, but I have nothing to say against her in any kind of way.
Mr. JENNER. She seemed to be industrious and a good mother, is that
right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes, sir; she was good to her children, and she kept
them all, you know, nice and clean, but I don't know anything about her
business at all.
Mr. JENNER. What was your reaction to the two older boys, John and
Robert?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, they were like all kids, I guess, you know, having
a good time, but I will say that they were not running like the kids do
today.
Mr. JENNER. What do you mean by that?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I mean children back in those days were not like
children are today, and I know, because I have grandchildren now, and
they are altogether different now. Even Lee, he was a good little
child, and he didn't do things like the boys do today. That's why I
just can't see how this all came about. I can't understand it. We
didn't even know anything about it until the man found me, you know. We
all thought maybe it was Lee, but we just, you know, couldn't believe
it.
Mr. JENNER. Do you recall the names of any other children in the
neighborhood who were about the ages of Robert and John?
Mrs. PETERMAN. No; I don't think so.
Mr. JENNER. Would your daughter Cecelia still have a recollection of
those boys, do you think?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I doubt it, because she was only 8 then. She was small.
My older ones might remember them.
Mr. JENNER. That would be Myra and Emile?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes; Myra and Emile.
Mr. JENNER. All right. Is there anything else that occurs to you that
might be helpful to the Commission that I haven't asked you about,
either because I don't know about it or I have neglected to ask you
about it, or anything you might want to contribute?
Mrs. PETERMAN. No; if there was anything else, I would be glad to tell
you about it. Like I say, he was such a little bitty fellow, and after
she moved away we lost track of them.
Mr. JENNER. After they moved away from there, you never heard of them
and you never saw them until this tragic event occurred, is that right?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And even then you didn't believe it was them until, as you
said, the man found you?
Mrs. PETERMAN. I really didn't. Lee was a good little child, and
Marguerite took good care of him.
Mr. JENNER. All right. I very much appreciate your coming down with
your husband to talk to us.
Now, these depositions that we are taking will be sent by the U.S.
attorney back to Washington, and you have the privilege, if you wish,
to read over your deposition and to sign it.
You don't have to do that unless you wish, but I would appreciate
knowing what you prefer to do, because if you wish to read your
deposition and to sign it, then we will have to have the reporter write
it out promptly and have the U.S. attorney call you in and then you may
come down and read your deposition and sign it.
Mrs. PETERMAN. Well, as far as I can; I have told the truth about
everything, you know, as much as I remember. Like I said, about the
ages of the children and all, I am not positive. This was so long ago.
Mr. JENNER. Well, I think you were pretty close.
Mrs. PETERMAN. After 23 years you can't remember like just yesterday,
or the day before.
Mr. JENNER. Well, all right then, as far as you are concerned, you
would just as soon waive the signing of the deposition, is that right?
You don't want to read it over and sign it?
Mrs. PETERMAN. Yes, sir; I waive it.
Mr. JENNER. Very well, and thank you again for coming down, Mrs.
Peterman.