Judge Lee Gates was born in Louisiana in the 1940s, but moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1960 with his father. His mother had moved there earlier, gotten a job, and established a home in the historical Westside neighborhood of Las Vegas. He was a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he was a member of the Black Student Association and studied under professor Roosevelt Fitzgerald, who raised his awareness of black history. Gates participated in the civil rights movement and worked as a lawyer before becoming a judge.

Cindy Funkhouser was born July 29, 1958 and grew up in Iowa and Nebraska. Funkhouser moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1982. When not working as a cocktail waitress at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino—where she was employed for 14 years—she pursued her interest in vintage items as a part-time business. She opened an antique store business, Funk House, in 2001. She is one of the forces behind the development of First Friday and Downtown’s arts movement that is deeply rooted in the John S. Park Neighborhood’s sense of community.

Hazel Geran was born June 11, 1926 in Mississippi and lived in Chicago, Illinois for two years. In 1948, at the age of 21, Geran moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to live with relatives. As so many others, she came to Las Vegas in search of a better job. Hers would be as a keno writer at the Westside Cotton Club.

Darwin Gidel was born in 1924 and grew up in Rockwell City, Iowa. After graduating from high school in June of 1942, Gidel immediately joined the military. His basic training took him from Minneapolis to Missouri, after which he was stationed in Nebraska, California, Florida and South Carolina for further training.

Lois Goodall was born July 18, 1938 in Odessa, Missouri to a father who was a farmer and a teacher mother. Goodall went to college to become a teacher, and her freshman year met a young sophomore gentleman by the name of Pat Goodall. They married and while Goodall attended graduate school at the University of Missouri, she taught fifth grade.

Peter Gratton was born in 1944 in Staten Island, New York, where his father was in the Coast Guard. However, he spent his childhood in Minnesota. From 1965 to 1969, Peter was a member of the US Marine Corps, serving a tour in Vietnam. As his military duty was ending, he learned that his parents were relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, so he moved with them after leaving the marines.

Lee Gray has been in Las Vegas since the 1950's. His father moved here in 1943, worked several jobs to save money, and then sent for his brother. He bought land, had his brother build a home on the property, and then sent for his wife and children. The whole family lived on the west side, and Gray's father and mother worked several jobs to provide for the large family. He has fond memories of the many youth organizations in which he and his brothers and sisters were involved.