Full Transcript: Vera Burk on Her Family's Migration From Greensboro
Vera: My name is Vera M. Burk. I’ve lived in Hamtramck on Evaline for 88 years, I was born there. And my parents were Reverend Lucious and Leola Burk. And they migrated here from Greensboro, Alabama. They build they home on Evaline Street in 1922, 23. Ok, I have eight siblings and all have deceased but two and that’s the two youngest, Vera and Richard.
Interviewer: Do you know why they migrated to Hamtramck?
Vera: Well he had a brother living here at that time and he told him to come up here because it was better for a growing family. Two of my siblings were born down in Alabama all the rest of us were born here. So that’s why he came, he had a brother living here already, in Hamtramck. He was living in Hamtramck. So that’s why my dad migrated here, came up here. And then he started working here and he stayed here. Then a lot of our family has come here. He was a Reverend at— the first church we went to was Macedonia Baptist Church. But he was a Reverend at Leeland Missionary Baptist Church. And that used to be in Hamtramck but then we moved to Detroit because of that General Motors Building coming through.
Interviewer: That displaced the Church?
Vera: That displaced the Church.
Interviewer: So is that where you went to Church growing up?
Vera: No, I went to Macedonia Baptist Church growing up. And then I transferred my membership to Leeland Baptist Church on Denton and Moran and then we moved to Finley and then we moved from there to Fenkell, with the displacement that’s why we moved.
Interviewer: So then have you always been religious?
Vera: Oh yes, yes. Come up in the church and I’m still there.
Interviewer: Do you know why they migrated to Hamtramck?
Vera: Well he had a brother living here at that time and he told him to come up here because it was better for a growing family. Two of my siblings were born down in Alabama all the rest of us were born here. So that’s why he came, he had a brother living here already, in Hamtramck. He was living in Hamtramck. So that’s why my dad migrated here, came up here. And then he started working here and he stayed here. Then a lot of our family has come here. He was a Reverend at— the first church we went to was Macedonia Baptist Church. But he was a Reverend at Leeland Missionary Baptist Church. And that used to be in Hamtramck but then we moved to Detroit because of that General Motors Building coming through.
Interviewer: That displaced the Church?
Vera: That displaced the Church.
Interviewer: So is that where you went to Church growing up?
Vera: No, I went to Macedonia Baptist Church growing up. And then I transferred my membership to Leeland Baptist Church on Denton and Moran and then we moved to Finley and then we moved from there to Fenkell, with the displacement that’s why we moved.
Interviewer: So then have you always been religious?
Vera: Oh yes, yes. Come up in the church and I’m still there.