Interview begins with discussion of Schafer's parents and grandparents. He describes paternal grandfather, Abraham Schafer, who emigrated (ca. 1870) from Germany to Darlington, South Carolina. Abraham married Rebecca Iseman, and the couple settled in Little Rock, SC, to raise their family. Schafer's father, Sam Schafer, grew up in Little Rock, married a woman from Baltimore, MD, and had two sons, Alan and Charlie. Sam Schafer's first wife died as did his second (during childbirth of son, Rae), and Schafer married (ca. 1922) third wife, Bessie Baker of Baltimore; the couple had two children, Evelyn and Joseph. Schafer recalls growing up Jewish in the small town of Little Rock. His mother maintained a kosher kitchen and the family observed all Jewish holidays; however his father also cooked fried oysters on occasion. Schafer never learned Hebrew and was not confirmed although today he identifies with Reform Judaism. He also mentions his father was instrumental in the formation of Temple Ohav Shalom in Dillon, SC. Interview continues with Schafer's recollections of his family's business ventures. During the Depression, Sam Schafer and an African American friend, Chad Carmichael, began a beer distributing business for extra income. The pair drove to Baltimore, MD, where they purchased beer and sold it in South Carolina. This venture turned into the profitable Schafer Distributing Company. Schafer also describes how his brother Alan turned a cinder block building at the North Carolina/South Carolina border into the successful tourist attraction, South of the Border. Interview contains many side stories and recollections including Schafer's memories of student life at the University of North Carolina, Alan Schafer's indictment for vote buying in Dillon County, stories about Little Rock neighbors, and the role farmers and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad played in the formation of Dillon, SC. Interview ends with discussion of Schafer's three children, none of whom married Jewish (although his daughter has since converted,) and his opinion about race relations in current day Dillon, SC.
