It was in 1945 that Lily’s father decided that migrant labor habits would keep his family from gaining roots and his kids from going to the same school with the same friends. He decided to live in one place like a normal family. That was when Natalia, Texas lost a family and Rochelle gained one. Lily was only seven when her family came to Rochelle. Because she spoke English, she spent much of the rest of her life helping other families trying to make the change from a migrant life to a more permanent existence in a new community. 

For Vinnie it was picking season, he knew because his father would wake him before the sun rose and he would get dressed to work the fields for a few hours before going to school. Vinnie’s dad would work the fields then go to his full-time job in DeKalb. Vinnie, at 11 years old, would fill as many flats as he could before going to school. The family’s pay was based on the number of flats they filled. A good picker could fill six flats per hour. During the period from 1923 through 1932 the pay was 20 cents per hour for male employees and 15 cents per hour for females. This was for any employee regardless of local or migrant status. In any case, the pay broke down to about four cents per flat filled. 

Rochelle has been a destination for migrant workers for more than 100 years. The 1923 founding of George Stocking’s Rochelle Asparagus created a demand for more laborers than the local community could supply. Asparagus harvest is a labor-intensive, hands-on job with a short harvesting period. The hours were long, and the pay was minimal. When work crews were needed the landowner would send out the word that they were hiring field workers. Migrant schooling was provided through organizations such as Home Missions Council in 1947. Eleanor Heron, Rita Nugent, Margaret Pfoff, Marjorie Shelly, and 12-year-old Janet Truax were some of the early teachers. Janet Truax had lived in Columbia for five years and was fluent in Spanish, the adult instructors frequently enlisted her assistance in translating between teachers and students. Later years saw services provided through the Migrant Council, a non-for-profit organization supported through state and local contributions. Lessons taught consisted of math, reading, writing and health. Primarily the children were provided a safe place to be, meals, and basic learning while their parents worked the fields. Local businesses would prepare by offering Spanish language training for their employees and the community in general. In 1951 Carney and Longenecker, Maginnis, and Sullivan’s Clothing offered Spanish terms of the week. Good morning - buenos dias, good afternoon - buenos tardes, good evening - buenos noches, good bye - adios, and each week new terms were added. Spanish students Lavonne Hayes, Mary Connolly, Susan Pierce, and Romana Carnahan selected the phrases and George Finstad’s art class created posters. In later years Federico Rivera would take over the duties of directing the local Migrant Council. Federico had been born in Monterrey, Mexico and came to Rochelle in 1958. He earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Bi-Lingual Education. Federico was director of the Summer Migrant Program from 1967 through 2003.In 1976 he was appointed Bi-Lingual Coordinator for District 231. For 42 years Federico was an educator and advocate for the migrant community. 

Employers advertised living facilities for the migrant workers. How could you not want to stay at “Rancho Grande Camp” in Rochelle. The camps were frequently-crowded, dirty, and had no running water or indoor bathrooms. The migrant did have the choice, between living in the camps or finding rental space elsewhere at a much higher cost. Whether you left your family or brought them with you, the objective was to earn money and any way to reduce cost was paramount. Migrants were hired from several areas including Arkansas, Jamaica, Texas and Mexico. Jamaica was used during World War II, college-age men from Arkansas frequently drove farm equipment to earn money for school, and the men from Mexico and Texas picked the crops. During WWII even German prisoners of war were used to harvest crops. The groups from Texas and Mexico provided the largest percentage of field workers in Rochelle. To this day they also provide the largest group to make the transition from migrant to immigrant. 

What would drive a person to leave their family and chase the harvest as it moved north from Texas to Canada? To get up before the sun to pick everything from potatoes to grapes, peas to asparagus, and a variety of fruits. Why would anyone live in a crowded migrant camp with little more than walls and a roof? Those questions can only be answered by those who led the life on the road. For Lily’s father it was to provide a stable life for his family. Lilly took her father’s gift and paid it back by supporting the efforts of migrants that came after her. She helped by finding jobs, places to stay, filling out applications, and even help with legal issues. Lily worked the night shift at Caron Spinning and helped Mexican Americans prepare to become American citizens. Vinnie’s father wanted his children to have more than he did. He worked a fulltime job and did field work during the harvest season. 12-hour days and weekends made it possible for his family to live a better life. Today Vinnie is a business owner and raising a family of his own. Why does someone suffer through the life of a migrant? Por amor a la familia. For love of family. 

Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle city councilman.