and otherwise to do this because this is a church placement, sir.
Then, I became manager of Princess hosiery shop on Canal Street. I opened that shop and I was left by myself and in 6 days' time I hired four girls. There was the first shop this man has had. He now has, I think, 54 stores and he always remembers me as on the road of starting him to success, because this young man didn't have much money at the time. And this is where I met Mr. Ekdahl and there is why I didn't want to marry right away because the children were being taken care of and I was manager of the hosiery shop.
So, now, I was sitting pretty in our American slang and I did not want to marry. But he persisted. He decided he wanted to marry me and I decided to marry him. I went to the Lutheran home and talked to the, well, you don't call him a manager, the head of the home, and I was going to marry Mr. Ekdahl, and I asked if I should have, if I could have Lee, that I didn't want the children, John Edward, and Robert to miss their schooling and I told them that I would wait until the children got out of school to marry Mr. Ekdahl but Mr. Ekdahl traveled, and, yet, he had a stroke and Mr. Ekdahl had offered, if I would come to Dallas, he was being transferred to Dallas, that he would pay my room, my living quarters and everything if I would cook and take care of him and I told the home, the Lutheran home about this arrangement, so there was nothing going to be immoral about it, sir, or I wouldn't have explained to the Lutheran home and they let me have Lee under those circumstances because they knew that I was a good woman and doing the best I could.
So, I got Lee, and when we went to Dallas, I then realized I did not want to marry Mr. Ekdahl, but I had already given up my position as manager of the hosiery shop, and had taken Lee out of school so with the money, I told you I had some money, and I had sold a piece of property, I bought another piece of property for a very small down payment on Victor Street in Dallas, Tex., and Mr. Ekdahl traveled.
Now, Mr. Ekdahl used to come on weekends and stay at my home. Of course, in his bedroom with my children, just maybe not even every weekend because he traveled, and then I decided I would marry Mr. Ekdahl. I mean I decided not to, I mean, he was a persistent one.
Then I married Mr. Ekdahl and the home was sold and I traveled with Mr. Ekdahl and the children were put into military school with the money I sold the home with.
I believe I have covered everything. I am not quite sure.
Are there any questions, Mr. Rankin, that I haven't gotten?
Mr. Rankin. I think that is very helpful.
I would like to ask you about those pictures that you offered and then decided you didn't want to give us. If you would get those out, I would like to identify them so that there cannot be any misunderstanding about just what they are about.
Could you do that?
Mrs. Oswald. By the way, one of the reporters when I came downstairs said "What is all the commotion about those pictures, you have, Mrs. Oswald?" Where do those leaks come from? That is the example. They wanted to know about the pictures.
Mr. Chief Justice, this is Lee at 6 months.
The Chairman. He was a good looking baby.
Mrs. Oswald. This is Lee there at 2 years. Would—if you would like a copy of the Marina pictures, sir, I would be more than happy to do that.
I think they are in an envelope. This is important, Mr. Rankin. This has something to do with Time Magazine is what I think he did. This is where he got that from. These were copied for this session. These are from my other boys to mother, and John Edward and which I wanted to show we were a family but as soon as the boys married—here is another thing, which is true to human nature.
I am a widow woman with no money and I happened not to have the type daughter-in-laws who wanted a widow woman in case they have to support me. My children make very low salaries and so I am not alone, we have thousands and thousands of women like me. It is hard to say the children don't want you. But there are many, many mothers whose sons have married because it is different with a girl.
Now a girl will take care of the mother but the boy's mother is usually nothing and I am not going to be helped or supported.
I am going to take care of myself because that is the attitude and that was the attitude when I was sick.
Lee Harvey Oswald was the only one who has helped his mother at any time but I wanted to show mothers today cared and everything until they married. That was the type family we were, sir.
And this was the picture, Mr. Rankin, of the three children which is a happy life and he wanted to be in New Orleans.
Mr. Rankin. Mrs. Oswald, I am going to call your attention to Exhibit 258 which you just referred to and said maybe that is what you meant.
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, because I gave him this when he entered the home.
Mr. Rankin. This Exhibit 258 refers to the letter you received from me as general counsel for the Commission, and then a letter to the President, and your appeal to the President, is that right?
Mrs. Oswald. That is correct.
Mr. Rankin. And this is a copy you released for the press conference in Dallas. That is Exhibit 258. I offer Exhibit 258.
The Chairman. It may be admitted.
Mr. Rankin. If you will permit me, I will ask the court reporter to identify these pictures and I don't intend to offer them but then I will ask you each one by number so we can make it clear, and then return them to you, so you can tell us what they are about, is that all right with you?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, that is just fine, thank you.
Mr. Rankin. Now, Mrs. Oswald, I will hand you Exhibits 259 through 269, both inclusive, and ask you to take them starting with Exhibit 259 and referring to the exhibit in each case, tell the Commission what the picture is about.
Mrs. Oswald. 259 is of the three children, John Edward, Robert, and Lee and the three are smiling. In fact this picture was in a magazine because of the three good poses. It is hard to get three pictures alike.
Mr. Rankin. About how old are the children in that picture?
Mrs. Oswald. I know Lee was approximately going on 6 years old. There is 5 years difference in Robert so Robert would be 11, that is correct and John Edward would be 13. That is when they went to military school.
This is a picture of Lee at age 6 months.
Mr. Rankin. You are talking about Exhibit 260?
Mrs. Oswald. 260, yes, sir.
This is a picture of Lee at the Bronx Zoo, Exhibit 261 at age 13.
Mr. Rankin. That is the Bronx Zoo in New York?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rankin. That is the Bronx Zoo in New York that you told us about.
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, sir.
262 is a picture of Lee in Atsugi, Japan in 1958 showing his strength.
Mr. Rankin. That shows him in Marine uniform also, does it?
Mrs. Oswald. In his Marine uniform showing his muscles to his mother.
And
