Her Wonderful Life
Dottie Fader of Hailey
When you are almost ninety years old, will you look back on your life and say you wouldn’t do anything differently? Many people probably can’t say that, but Dottie Fader can.
Dottie is a resident at Blaine Manor, and grew up in New Jersey, back when everything was wilder, especially Yankee baseball games. When asked to describe herself, she called herself a “pesky tightwad,” but to everybody else she is happy, lively, and as sweet as can be. When growing up, Dottie made do with what she had, especially when money was tight. However, she said, “It wasn’t hard to do because everyone around you was in the same boat.” One of Dottie’s earliest childhood memories was impatiently waiting at the corner of the street for the bus to come. The bus she waited for was the one bringing home her father from work at Beckon and Dickinson’s Pharmacy.
Behind Dottie’s house growing up there was a big hill. One time when she was sledding in the winter, her sled hit something in the snow and crashed. When the sled came back down from the air, it hit her on the chin and cut her lip badly. Her sister was in nursing school at the time, and she cleaned it up, but had to hold the wound together with a piece of tape.
Dottie’s parents were from Hungary and were very strict. When they said jump, she was expected to ask how high. Dottie had to get permission for everything, and her parents always told her she better not come home with a red mark on a report card. Dottie was also always afraid to bring home a date because of all the questions her date would be asked. “It was like they expected us to get married the next day,” Dottie said.
Even though Dottie’s parents were strict, Dottie says she was a rebel and wasn’t always the perfect student. There was always something better out there to be doing instead of school work, was Dottie’s attitude toward high school. “My best subject in school was not concentrating,” Dottie said, even though she loved reading and still has many books in her room today. In school she would often check out five or six books at a time from the library.
A favorite memory of Dottie’s was ditching school along with all the other teenagers to go see Frank Sinatra sing in New York at a big movie theater. She specifically remembers seeing his Adam’s apple clearly and noticing how much his collar stuck out because he was so skinny. “But boy could he sing!” she said. Another childhood memory of Dottie’s is having a dog, a cat, and a canary. She loved visiting her grandparents in the mountains and farming area of New York every summer.
During World War II, her sister set Dottie up with her boyfriend’s friend. That was how Dottie met her husband the soldier. She said he was the most generous and friendly man she had ever met. Dottie’s greatest adventure was marrying him at age nineteen. They were married for over forty years.
When she was young, Dottie didn’t want to be anything special, but before she would know it, she would have the most special job in the world to her, being a mother and a grandmother. Dottie attended nursing school, but it wasn’t her thing. So, she quit and got a job at a factory. She had other jobs in her time, like working at a department store, and at the office of the pharmacy where her father worked, but her favorite job was always being a mom to her two kids, Lloyd Jr., and Dorothy Lee.
Dottie came to live in Idaho when her husband retired. Dottie said she likes it here because it is not as crowded as New Jersey and she enjoys the mountains. When asked what advice she would give to kids now a day she says, “get as much education as you can and remember what you learn, take people for who they are, spread your wings because things will change, and don’t always expect to get what you want because you’ll have to work for it.”
You can meet some very wonderful people if you pay a visit to Blaine Manor, including Dottie Fader. She is a remarkable person and is still living a full life without regrets.
A favorite memory of Dottie’s was ditching
school along with all the other teenagers
to go see Frank Sinatra sing in New York
Adventures to Happiness
Jennifer Wilson of Hailey
Jennifer Wilson is a sixty-four year old woman who has been on adventures most of us may only dream of. She was born on October 20, 1948, in Boone, Iowa. Her life has been filled with many multicultural experiences and eyeopening lessons. You’ll be surprised about some of the things this jet setter has accomplished. The urge to travel engulfs many people’s interest, but how many of us actually get to see the world?
Jennifer has been to all seven continents, from trekking the mountains of Tibet, to exploring the frigid environment of Antarctica. Jennifer has seen it all. Her biggest adventure was her first high altitude trek in the Himalayas. “It was a twenty-day, 200-mile adventure with ten passes.” Jennifer says, a smile in her voice. It took a lot of training to build the stamina required to scale the ten passes. To train, Jennifer and her husband Jean Heroni hiked all around Idaho. Jennifer said she had no idea that she could withstand such a long time without a decent bath, not to mention the challenge of the trek! Jennifer completed her first trek successfully, and has been on even more since then. Although she’s enjoyed all of the other ones, she says that there’s nothing like the starry-eyed fascination of your first high-altitude adventure.
Growing up in a small town, Jennifer’s adolescent mind thought it to be boring, but now, looking back, it seems perfect to her. “In life, you don’t realize how lucky you are until later,” Jennifer said. One of her fondest memories is that she and her two sisters shared a playroom on the third floor of their house in Boone. This playroom had lots of little closets and places to hide. There were also places to dress their dolls. The three young sisters had bin of dress-up clothes, filled with their mother’s old fancy ball gowns. But that wasn’t the only place that the sisters spent their free time. In their backyard was a garage that used to be a stable in the old days. They used to set up homemade tents in the tiny corral and play on the second floor above the garage. Jennifer remembers being fond of the way the old stable smelled. She recalls the delicious freedom she had in Boone, the town was so small she would walk to the movies and play regularly at the park with her sisters. To Jennifer, Boone was like a great big family, everyone knew everyone. High school is an adventure for everyone. Some people know what they want to do in their future years, and some don’t have a clue. When Jennifer was in high school, she had no idea about what career she was interested in, she couldn’t even imagine where she’d end up. “I felt like I should have an idea or inspiration so I could start preparing myself for the future,” she said. Jennifer always took art classes, which seemed logical because of her artistic background. But in the 1960’s, high school career counselors were still telling girls that there were only three options for their future: working as a nurse, teacher or secretary. Girls from her generation weren’t given many choices. Jennifer was aware that she could really aim for anything career wise if she went to college, but she said that in high school all she thought about was whether she was popular. She was always worried about what her friends thought of her. Now she wishes that she had worried about her future instead of her social status.
Life is full of lessons. Everyone has different experiences, therefore they learn different lessons. Jennifer isn’t really sure if someone can change the way things unfold within their life. A person learns lessons at the right time. She says that looking back she would have managed high school differently, but that wasn’t possible without the frame of reference that comes with maturity. “Accepting yourself for what you are at different stages in your
life is important. That means that you don’t regret, but you understand. And you pay attention to what happens along the way so you can build upon those experiences,” Jennifer happily explains. Experience builds you as a person, and it defines your personality as you mature. Jennifer supposes that a primary issue for the younger generation is respecting yourself. She worries about the over-exposure of social media, and says that she doesn’t really understand all of the fuss. “Why is it so important anyways?” she inquires. She thinks there are some things you just don’t want to share with everyone, but if the communications culture encourages you to do so, what do you have left for yourself?
World War II was a traumatizing event for everyone, but when your dad served in the Army Air Force, it has all the more impact on your life. Luckily this war was over by the time Jennifer was born. Hearing her father’s stories informed her of this history-shaping event, and led her to respect all of the people that lost their lives in the air and on the battlefield.
Regrets can weigh a person down, but the smartest people among us try to use these regrets to build themselves as a person. Jennifer says that she tried to live her life without regrets, as there’s no point in having them. When she was nineteen, she realized that being happy was a choice for everyone. “That seems so simple, but there are lots of people who don’t know that very important secret,” she explains. She says that she’s been fairly pleased with her ability to enjoy every day, no matter what frustrations she has. They help you develop yourself as a person.
This wonderful woman’s travels and life lessons can be an inspiration to all of us to jump out of our comfort zones and live life to its fullest. You’re holding your future in the palm of your hand, what matters is what you decide to do with it and what kind of influence you want to have on the world.
In the 1960’s, high school career
counselors were still telling girls that
there were only three options for
their future: working as a nurse, teacher
or secretary.
“Accepting yourself for what you are
at different stages in your life is
important. That means that you
don’t regret, but you understand.”
Jennifer Wilson
Hailey
Journey through the Life Of Lillian Herron
Coming of age in the 1970s
Lillian Herron was born on September 25, 1956 in Houston, Texas. Shortly after Herron was born, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. Around the time when she was ten years old, the Watts Riots began in L.A. Herron’s mom and dad, Lupe and Frank, decided to take refuge in West Covina, California. After the police got order, Herron and her family journeyed back to L.A. to gather items from their home that weren’t looted or taken. Shortly after that, they moved to Bell, California. This is where she spent the rest of her life growing up.
As a teenager, Herron grew up on the “Golden Coast,” otherwise known as a little town of Bell, California. Just going to school wasn’t enough for this courageous teen. She fi rst started working at a hamburger joint, but since even that wasn’t enough on top of school, she got another job at a woman’s clothing store. She spent her free time and weekends camping out on the beach, having bonfi res and surfi ng. Herron says that when she was not working or in school, she and her many friends would camp out on the beach, and have a raging bonfi re because back then, that was allowed. Getting up early before work or school and surfi ng were how a lot of her days were started.
Herron grew up in the “Hippie Days”, and at 16, fashion is everything. “I would wear a headband around my forehead, my hair in braids, fl owers drawn on my face, and a peace sign around my neck—dangling from a leather string.” Herron said. Patchouli oil was really popular back in those days as well. Herron’s mother didn’t appreciate when her daughter would wear it, because she said it smelt like, “wet dirt,” what could a 16 year old fashionable hippie girl say? It was the fad. Another one of Herron’s favorite things to wear was her fringe boots. Braids, bell bottoms, a dab of Patchouli, and peace signs: that was the ultimate trend. Herron says the way kids grow up today is a lot different from how kids grew up in the 70s, when she grew up. “There was a lot of segregation when I grew up, kids today grow up with a ton more freedom. Adolescents are very outspoken and don’t have the respect that they had back in the older eras. Kids also don’t respect their elders especially which is very rude and uncalled for,” says Herron, as she reflects on the days of her youth. But now, Herron says, everybody is equal. When Herron was raising her children, she would always have her boys hold open doors as a sign of respect toward woman. Now, when Herron enters, or attempts to enter into a store, restaurant, etc. boys and girls both, push past her and don’t have enough respect to hold open a door for her.
While Herron was growing up, her Mother had one thing in mind for her future: to get a husband and become a stay at home, house wife. Although those were Herron’s mother’s plans, she realized that she wanted more to life than that. Even though Herron has a successful business in Boise, Idaho, and four children she loves very much, she looks back and realizes that she still could have done more with her future. But she is still content with what she has now.
“Stay in school. Pay attention. Travel.” This is some of the advice Herron gives younger generations. Herron looks back and wishes she would have done these things. These things are her regrets and advice. Learn from older generations, parents, grandparents, they know. When a mother advises a child to pay attention and stay in school, it’s not because she wants to torture her children with knowledge; it’s because these might have been some of the things she didn’t do and wishes she did. Herron says, “Don’t question your mother or father... listen to parents because they have been through life. They tell you stuff to make you have a better life and not to struggle or go through things like they did.” Another piece of advice is to try and get a career that you like. If a person doesn’t like her job, she obviously didn’t put enough effort into in school. Have a
job that will give you a bright, fun, and love-fi lled future.
Lupe Grimaldo is the woman who influenced her daughter, Lillian Herron the most. Herron’s mother was always hard working and took great care of her children. She always made sure that Herron, her sister Rose, and brother David, had what they needed. Their mother also taught them a lifelong lesson: to love each other and care for each other. Lupe would always tell her daughters, “Take care of your looks.” Herron and her sister assume that their mother wanted them to do that because she was scared that they would get ugly and not fi nd a husband. But Herron and Rose knew that even if they did turn out ugly, they would win anybody with their caring and loving personalities. Taking after Herron’s own mother, Herron got infl uenced to be a good mother as well. To be a hard worker, one must pass down the lesson to love and care for each other.
“I would wear a headband
around my forehead, my
hair in braids, flowers drawn
on my face, and a peace
sign around my neck--dangling
from a leather string.”
Lillian Herron
Boise
Stay in school.
Pay attention.
Travel.”
Lillian Herron
Boise
If people could live their lives all over again
Val Nelsen looks back
If Val Nelsen could live his life all over again, he said would’ve been an archaeologist living in Alaska. Instead, he has lived a life of a meat cutter all around Southern Idaho and is now retired, and living in Carey. He doesn’t complain, saying that he liked the way things went in his life and doesn’t regret a lot of things that have happened. Nelsen was born in 1944, so he said doesn’t remember what it was like during World War II, but his father served stateside in the army. Nelsen was born in Clinton, Missouri, and then moved to Filer, Idaho. After school, he spent most of his time hunting, fishing, and often went out to fi nd arrowheads, which led to the dream of being an archaeologist.
He said life was very different back then too, being considerably safer. There was no worry of getting into gangs, and the threat of the addiction to drugs was practically nonexistent. After graduating in 1962, Nelsen was registered for the draft for the Vietnam War, but he was never selected. It was very hard to fi nd a job during that time, but Nelsen found a job in Buhl as a meat cutter. Apart from being a carpenter for a year and a salesman for another, Nelson has been a meat cutter for most of his life. Since people had to eat, meat cutting has always been a job that’s needed. The hard work of quartering meat and cutting it into steaks, roasts, and stew meat has taken him all over Southern Idaho and Oregon for 26 years, with places including Twin Falls and Kimberly. When a position of a meat cutter opened up, Nelsen took the job and moved to Hailey, where he worked at Paul’s Market. After 12 years, when Paul’s Market closed, Nelsen went to work for Atkinsons’ Market in Ketchum and moved, for the last time, to Carey. Eight years passed, and Nelsen became the assistant manager in the meat department.
Then after a time, Nelsen retired and now lives a quiet life with his wife Sharon. Nelsen has been a Christian since he was 14 years old, and says God had always been the center of his life. Although he has swayed from his faith from time to time over the years, he says that there was a voice in the back of his mind that would always bring him back to church. Nelsen now goes to the Larkin Community Church in Carey regularly and hosts a bible study every week. As Nelsen looks back, one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is to do the job, having a good attitude about it, and being dedicated to the work. The advice he gives to younger generations is, “Get all the education you can get. You want to go to college and get a good job.” He also says to fi nd a job you like and to stay with it, “You don’t want to be stuck with a job you don’t like, or life would be very unpleasant.” Other advice is to stay on top of what you do, keep up with the world or get left behind.
Through his life, Nelsen has expressed his adventures very quietly. He has been an avid outdoorsman, hunting and fishing for most of life, but he did once learn some auto mechanics to fi x his one of his fi rst cars, a 1933 Dodge truck along with a few others. “Back then most people couldn’t afford to buy a new car, so they bought a used one and fi xed it,” Nelsen says.
“Get all the education you can get.”
Val Nelsen
Carey
Hard work, respect and love make for a good man
Jon Adams of Hailey
Jon Adams is my wonderful grandfather and has always been one to inspire me, so I decided to learn more about this amazing man. During this interview I learned many incredible things about Jon that I never even knew. My grandpa Jon interestingly enough is related to John Adams and John Quincy Adams, which my family came to learn during the research of my sixth grade family tree project. He is a retired man who spends most of his time in his workshop creating fine works of art with wood. One of his interesting and exciting stories started when he was half way to Cuba. The fl ight attendant came over the intercom and explained the plane would be turning around and fl ying back to Tampa Florida. They hit the ground as they landed and taxied back and pulled into the terminal and docked. Jon found out that his trip would be cut short due to the invasion in Cuba; that is known today as the Bay of Pigs. He clarifi ed that this was to be his greatest journey due to the amount of time he spent planning the trip and being left on his own by the airliner companies to find his own way back home. If he were to have planned his trip any sooner and been in Cuba at the time, he would most likely not be here today.
Another fond memory of my grandpa’s was when he was only 4 years old. World War II was happening, and he remembers smashing tin cans as a kid for use in the war. Jon grew up in Peoria, Illinois, losing his father at the young age of seventeen. His father passed away in a boating accident. Although my grandpa beat the paramedics to the accident by several minutes, Jon jumped in the water to try and save his dad but once he got him to shore he knew it was too late, so my grandfather slipped his dad’s ring off his finger and put it on. Jon has never taken it off to this day. He said this experience taught him many things, including being more grateful for the things you have, it also gave Jon a grasp on becoming a strong-willed self compelled man.
He was then the man of the house and said that he had to work harder physically back then to keep up around the house and provide for his family, he had to do more work then any kid would ever have to do now days. One of his biggest lessons growing up was to learn how to be an strong individual and make hard decisions on his own. Jon’s plans for the future in high school were to go to college and join the Air Force. He did exactly what he strived towards. Although he made it into the Air Force, Jon’s only regret in life was not becoming a fi hter pilot due to the fact that he was color blind. The Air Force said he could work in a different field but they wouldn’t allow him to become a pilot. Jon’s advice to the younger generation would be, “Work hard, respect others, and love your family as much as possible, if not all the time.” I think my grandfather has some great wisdom and insight about life and I hope that I can share his amazing stories and wisdom to my children and others one day. Today Jon is a amazing, strong, smart individual and I’m proud to call him my grandfather. He is the man that’s always working whether it’s in his workshop or on the yard, he is always on the go.
One of his biggest lessons
growing up was to
learn how to be an strong
individual and make hard
decisions on his own.
Telephones, Vietnam and JFK
Penny Schell of Rupert reflects on a tumultuous century
Penny Sue Thomas was born in Boise, on November 14, 1948 and raised in Rupert, Idaho, where she still lives today. Her great-great grandparents emigrated here from Germany and Ireland. She is the second-born child of five; there is an older brother, two younger sisters and younger brother. She lived in a poor family growing up. She started working when she was just twelve years old; she had to buy her own clothing and shoes. Penny has worked her entire life. She is currently managing the Minidoka County Senior Center, as well as volunteering many hours to help the elderly in her community.
When Penny was a freshman in high school, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. She still remembers that she was between her third and fourth period classes when the shocking news was announced. Penny said, “I was sad because JFK was so young and an astounding President who was doing great things for our nation.” She also said it was a great loss to the country.
Penny graduated from Minidoka County High School (Minico) in 1967. Penny’s first car in high school was a 1956 Chevy Bel-Air with fins on the back. Her future plans, at the time; were to go to Beauty School, after graduating from Minico to be a hair stylist. She attended beauty school for four months, and then dropped out because she realized she didn’t like it. When asked if she could go back and do this differently, would she, she replied, “Yes, but I would study harder this time and get my accounting degree.”
Penny was married to Butch Schell at the age of 19 and then had her first child at the age of 20. Penny now has four children and 11 grandchildren, most of which live within 200 miles of her.
Penny Schell was a young mother when the Vietnam War began. Her husband had recently left the military, just as the war was about to begin. Shortly after the Vietnam War began, the government started drafting young men into military service; seven of her graduating classmates that were drafted were killed in Vietnam.
Her older brother, George Eugene Thomas; served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Eugene was on a destroyer that was bombed. Penny said, “We didn’t know what happened until several days later, it’s not like today, where the families know right away. It was days before we knew if Eugene had been hurt or killed. All we knew was that his ship had been bombed and men had died.”
The news stations couldn’t get out information very quickly and sometimes didn’t relay what was going on at all. She said that when she found out that her brother’s ship had been bombed, “I felt really sick to my stomach and scared.” Later they found out that three people had died that day on the destroyer, but Penny was very grateful to learn that none of them was her brother.
The country was in turmoil, times were difficult and there were riots happening all over the place. Back then when the veterans would return home from the war, they were considered by some to be a disgrace to America and shown little if any respect for having served their country. It was hardly a hero’s welcome for the young men returning from Vietnam.
Penny has traveled to Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia as well as most of the 50 United States. Her most enjoyable experience was traveling to Hawaii with her mother and brothers and sisters about 15 years ago.
When asked what one of the biggest changes she has witnessed in her life, she said, “The telephone.” Penny has gone from a party line telephone, where five families shared the same line and the operator placed all of your calls for you, to a cell phone that works off towers and fits in your pocket. The first mobile phones were 12 inches long and 3 inches wide and you had to carry them in a satchel, she said.
The hardest thing Penny has had to endure in her life was her fight against cancer. Penny was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 1994. She is one of a very few who have lived to say she beat the disease.
Penny has a very short bucket list: to travel to Russia, to return to Hawaii, to go on a cruise, to take a train through the Canadian Wilderness, and learn to swim.
Throughout her entire life, Penny has been afraid of the water, partly because she never learned how to swim. She laughed and said,” I would like to be one of those little old ladies in the pool, wrinkles and all, in my purple suit and red hat, just swimming.” That is one of the most important goals on her list, she said.
With 11 grandchildren, I asked her what she would like the younger generation to learn from her and she replied, “Live life to the fullest, LIVE; don’t just exist, but really LIVE everyday, you never know how much time you might have left.” She also went on to say, “When you set your mind to do something, you can do it; there are no limitations to what you can do and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t.”
“I was sad because JFK was so young and an astounding President who was doing
great things for our nation.”
Penny Schell
Rupert
“It was days before we knew if Eugene had been hurt or killed. All we knew was that his ship had been bombed
and men had died.”
Penny Schell
Rupert
The New Reveal
Scorned Veitnam vet heavy in heartache is now rich in family
Fred Smith came into this world by his parents Lorean Smith and Pete Smith. The third oldest of their five children, he was born on December 9, 1950 in Wendell, Idaho. His family and he later moved to Jerome, Idaho, when he was a six years old. He didn’t grow up with a lot of money. I asked Smith the question is life of kids now different from how you lived? His response was one word, “Totally!” When he was younger, school was much tougher on students, he said If you did one thing wrong your head was to go to the blackboard and stay there, he said. After school, Smith and his friends would go outside and play kick-the-can or marbles; those where the best games in that time. Smith only completed eleven years of school. He was kicked out of school in the eleventh grade by “losing his credits to a senior sneak,” he said. As a result, Smith lost his dream of being a doctor and being able to help others.
In his time out of school, Smith would go to drag races in Pocatello, Idaho and would drive in his 57 Chevy. Showing off after a race, he started to rev his engine and no more than a second later, he lost his drive line.
After not being able to return to high school, Smith was enlisted to go to Vietnam. He left in 1969, and was assigned to be an M Track Mechanic. He was released to his base, and found out that the M tracks he was meant to work on were blown up while in battle. He was later to become a soldier, and he was to do bunker watch and patrol the Achoo Valley and Hamburger Hill.
After being in Vietnam for several months, he returned to the United States in 1970. When Smith arrived he was greeted on the airport terminal by a group of people who spat on him and said what he had done was bad. Smith was depressed and angry. Smith was filled with mixed emotions of confusion, anger, and sadness.
Out of the act of his emotions he took his uniform, his suit of pride, and threw it into his dumpster followed by a match. He said he stood there and watched the blaze trying to erase the images of angry people, spit and shame out of his head. Smith said he still has nightmares of the war and the group of angry people.
He was later hit with another tragedy when he lost his first wife, Sandra Howard, to a car accident. After a time, he met his second wife Linda Casey at his job. His new wife Linda had two children from her previous marriage. Smith and Linda married in August 1977 and had a total of six members in their new family. He and Linda later had children together, Brian and Mindy. He became a grandfather on July 23, 1989 to Whittni Gentry. With such a large family, he said he had to become a role model.
Smith continues to live in Hailey, Idaho with his wife of 36 years and is visited by family every day. He wishes he could have gone back and finished school, attain his old dream of being a doctor and invested in properties that he would have made money on. His greatest regrets are that he wanted to spend more time with his father, treat his wife better and to have watched more Beavis and Butthead. Smith says that his favorite show, Beavis and Butthead, “has serious stuff.” Smith’s advice to the younger generation, “To stay off drugs, respect your parents,and appreciate the small things in life.”
Smith filled with mixed emotions of confusion, anger, and sadness.
With such a large family, he had to become a role model.
WW II spy stays true to self
Swiss born neurologist reflects on where life has taken him
Pierre Dreyfus was born in Geneva, Switzerland on October 14th, 1923. He grew up in a large family, and was raised mostly by his mother, grandmother and aunts, because his father died when he was very young. Dreyfus was not a good student, and was constantly in trouble, so his mother arranged for him to go to a private alternative school, where he was allowed to study many subjects and had quite a bit of freedom. His family life was happy. Dreyfus’s sister Marianne, who is three years older than him, played the cello, and he was given the violin, so they practiced together after school. They lived in the country, and in the winter his family ice skated and cross-country skied on skis that they made themselves.
Their lives were very different back then from life today. Of course they had no electronics or television. The biggest form of entertainment was playing music, and reading, and hiking in the mountains. Dreyfus’s grandmother raised geese and ducks, so one of his jobs was to collect eggs and tend the birds. They did not own a car, so their family travelled by train a few times a year to visit relatives in other parts of Switzerland.
Dreyfus’s first big adventure came when he was 17 years old. His uncles owned a Swiss watch company, Wyler Watches, and they expected him to start working in the watch company as soon as he was done with high school. Dreyfus hated the idea, because he had already decided that he was going to move to the United States and study to become a doctor. His grades were very poor, and his uncles told him that he would fail in college. But in 1941, Dreyfus took what little money he had and came over by ship to New York City to pursue his dream.
Dreyfus managed to enroll in Tufts University in Boston. But, just as he was preparing to start his studies, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. got involved in World War II. He made the decision to enlist in the American Army, and was immediately sent to a training center in Texas. Because of his abilities to speak fluent German and French, Dreyfus was trained as a spy and sent over to Occupied France to live behind enemy lines, and spy on the Germans.
He was given a guard dog and was situated with a French family in Alsace-Lorraine. He would go out at night and try to spy on the German command center in the area. This was fairly easy duty, and not very exciting, so eventually Dreyfus was moved to an American post, where he helped with communications. During this time, he made many friends and worked on his English speaking skills. Dreyfus was honestly quite bored, and wanted to get back to the U.S. to start college.
In early 1943, he returned to Boston, and was able to re-enroll in Tufts as a freshman. This was a really tough time, with everyone at war and the whole country disrupted, but he was determined to complete my education as fast as possible, in order to apply to medical school.
In 1947, Dreyfus finished his undergrad and decided to go to New York to study at Columbia Medical School. This decision changed his life. He moved to New York, found an apartment, and one night decided to go out to some night clubs. His buddies and he wound up at a club, with a table full of girls. Dorothy and he started to talking and laughing, and they never stopped. They dated for a few months, and were married on July 5th, 1947. On July 5th, 2012 they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.
Dreyfus graduated from medical school, became neurologist, and went on to have a career as a teaching doctor for 60 years.
The biggest advice he could give younger people is to “choose your passion and stick to it.” He feels that he has been successful and happy in life because he made decisions, worked hard and stuck with them without giving up, even when it required hard work. Dreyfus said he has a great wife, three wonderful children and four grandchildren that he is very proud of. Looking back, Dreyfus has no regrets, and feels that he would not change a thing about his life.
Dreyfus was trained as a spy and sent over to Occupied France to live behind enemy lines, and spy on the Germans.
“choose your passion and stick to it.”
Pierre Dreyfus
Santa Rosa, CA
Ketchum senior explores England’s realm
Sue Noel’s lifelong dream doesn’t disappoint across the pond
Sue Noel of Ketchum’s biggest adventure was her first trip to England in 1997. Noel had waited for this trip for fifty years before she got the chance to go. In her late 50’s, she went alone with no one else. She says that’s why it was such an adventure. Noel did not bring tons and tons of luggage with her to England, not even a suitcase. All she brought was a single backpack to all the places in England she went. It was also her first time flying over the ocean which made the trip even more exciting.
Noel is partly English, and she said she has loved England her whole life. What made her decide to go to England is that she has been waiting for this trip for more than half of her life. Noel wrote to the Queen of England when she was little and the Queen wrote back twelve months later, giving her a full page-and-a-half letter back.
Noel stayed at little bed and breakfasts or small hotels most of the time. She loved the little places she stayed in because she almost always met nice people who kept suggesting new places to go. She also stayed in a large castle in Scotland. The castle was huge and her hotel room was almost as big as her whole house. Noel had a BritRail pass which allowed her to go all over England on trains. She toured the Cotswolds which was an especially scenic area of small villages. She said she especially loved this because a lot of it looked like Idaho and there were a lot of nice people. Noel stayed with a friend she knew from Idaho that was living in England. They saw each other for the first time in years, and her friend showed her all the fun things to do and told her all the other places in England she should go.
Noel never got to meet the Queen that had written her a letter, but she got to go to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. This museum was her favorite part of her whole trip because Sherlock Holmes is her favorite person in the world. To go to this museum was amazing to her. Driving on the opposite side of the road was really strange to her. She was so used to driving on the right side of the road in the United States that it was almost impossible for her to drive safely in England. The strangest food dish she ate in England was called Spotted Dick, which is a bread pudding commonly found in England.
Noel thought it was the trip of a lifetime and it was worth waiting fifty years to go. On the train to Scotland, when she first crossed into England, she had her head sticking out the window with tears running down her face because she was so happy. It meant so much to her to finally be in England where she felt at home.
The castle was huge
and her hotel room was almost as
big as her whole house.
There are a million different ways to live your life
Globe trotting Tarja Pussinen is very proud of her Finnish homeland
What is it like to be a mom, a grandma, be working for a big town and to enjoy your life at the same time? I know a woman who can handle all of that. My 66 year old grandma, Tarja Pussinen, who lives in Tampere, Finland, is one of the strongest and bravest people that I ever met. Her life is not that simple, as you would guess.
Pussinen has lived all her life in the same town, which happens a lot in Finland. “Nowadays if you compare the way kids grow up, it’s like comparing day and night. Everything has changed.’’ She describes her childhood as a happy time of her life, and said she enjoyed summers the most. At winter time, kids had to ski to school. “Sometimes they could ride a bus, but if it broke, there were kids who were pushing the bus forward,” she said. “I think those problems are gone nowadays.” When she was a child, Pussinen had some illnesses through most winters. Also, she mentioned that the living standard wasn’t that high. “After the war, life was modest. But after a while, it improved and there was more entertainment.’’ During the summer time, all the kids went to the nearest beach. They swam, ate sandwiches and some kids went to the kiosk to buy sodas.
Differences between childhoods now and then are big. In Pussinen’s childhood, her own grandma lived with her family. Pussinen’s grandma took care of her while her parents were working. In these days, kids spend their free time with computers, TVs, cellphones and with the other stuff. ‘’Our family got our first [record player] when I was ten. I felt like I was in heaven when I was listening Elvis and Bob Dylan. Nowadays I still get goose bumps from the rock music’’ said Pussinen. Usually Pussinen went out with the other kids. She was the only child in her family, but she had lots of friends. “Now kids don’t have any time to go out and play. They grow up so fast and playing stops early. All the playing, connecting with friends, travelling and TV-shows makes their life different than mine was. Our family got our first TV and phone when I was fourteen.’’ Still, she believes that kids are now brighter and braver, because of all the technology.
Pussinen worked for her hometown for many years. Before that, she studied hard like everyone. Working for Tampere had been her dream for a long time, so working was fun. Now, when she is in retirement, she enjoys her life in many ways. During the week, she takes English classes, does some sports and meets her friends. She cooks her own food, reads the newspaper every day and helps her relatives, if there’s need to. She isn’t a normal grandma, in other words, she is a super grandma to me. From her four children and seven grandchildren and soon, two great grandchildren, most of them live abroad.
“If there is need to, I am ready to book a flight and fly to Amsterdam to my granddaughter. Usually at weekends, I’m with my other granddaughter in Helsinki or I take care of [her] dog.’’ And all that means travelling to her, which is luckily easy in Finland.
‘’The best things in my life have been having my own children and grandchildren.’’ Pussinen is a loving mom and a grandma, and she always has an answer if no one else does. For relaxing, the best way to her is to spend time in her summer cottage. Just looking at the view, going to the sauna and seeing the sun go down are things that are really important to her. Pussinen spends as much time as she can in the cottage, and one of her dreams is to be able to do that for a long time. She enjoys the Finnish way of life. “I’m so proud of our country; all the clean nature around us, the lakes, our seasons, our healthcare and education. There are so many good things in this country.’’ As normal for Finnish people, she travels to the north part of Finland and to the south part of Europe every year for a vacation. She has a group of friends that she travels and shares all the experiences with. “The trip to Kenya, was the most memorable of them all. There was so much stuff to see. All the people with the poor standard of living impressed me. When I arrived back to Finland, our way of life and spending money felt horrible for a long time to me,” said Pussinen.
One of her biggest experiences has been saving a young dog, Kassu, from their neighbors. They were going to take him to the vet, for his last trip. Pussinen and her husband, my grandpa, heard about it, and took the dog. “I’m allergic to dogs, but we agreed with Lotta’s grandpa, that we take the risk and take him. He became best friends with Lotta. Kassu brought meaning to our lives and warmth to our home, when our kids moved away. He lived with us for nine good years, and I think his mood was the reason I didn’t feel allergic.’’ she said.
Pussinen said to be yourself and to remember that also the bad things are a part of life: you just have to be gracious to yourself. She encourages young people to pursue their own dreams. She would not change anything in her life, because all the things are meant to happen.
“You have to be merciful to yourself. I can only be grateful for everything I have received from life. My biggest dreams right now are living with my children and grandchildren, and to see them grow,’’ she says.
At winter time, kids had to ski to school. Sometimes they could ride a bus, but if it broke, there were kids who were pushing the bus forward.
“our way of life and spending money felt horrible for a long time to me.’’
Tarja Pussinen
Tempere, Finland
Pearl Beriker
Period 6
Stacy Smith
October 16th, 2012
Senior Biography
Adventures to Happiness
Jennifer Wilson is a sixty-four year old woman who has been on adventures most of us may only dream of. She was born on October 20, 1948, in Boone, Iowa. Her life has been filled with many multicultural experiences and eye-opening lessons. You’ll be surprised about some of the things this jetsetter has accomplished.
The urge to travel engulfs many people’s interest, but how many of us actually get to see the world? Jennifer has been to all seven continents, from trekking the mountains of Tibet, to exploring the frigid environment of Antarctica. Jennifer has seen it all. Her biggest adventure was her first high altitude trek in the Himalayas. “It was a twenty-day, 200-mile adventure with ten passes.” Jennifer says, a smile in her voice. It took a lot of training to build the stamina required to scale the ten passes. To train, Jennifer and her husband Jean Heroni hiked all around Idaho. Jennifer had no idea that she could withstand such a long time without a decent bath, not to mention the challenge of the trek! Jennifer completed her first trek successfully, and has been on even more since then. Although she’s enjoyed all of the other ones, she says that there’s nothing like the starry-eyed fascination of your first high-altitude adventure.
Growing up in a small town, Jennifer’s adolescent mind thought it to be boring, but now, looking back, it seems perfect to her. “In life, you don’t realize how lucky you are until later,” Jennifer says. One of her fondest memories is that she and her two sisters shared a playroom on the third floor of their house in Boone. This playroom had lots of little closets and places to hide. There were also places to dress their dolls. The three young sisters had bin of dress-up clothes, filled with their mother's old fancy ball gowns. But that wasn’t the only place that the sisters spent their free time. In their backyard was a garage that used to be a stable in the old days. They used to set up homemade tents in the tiny corral and play on the second floor above the garage. Jennifer remembers being fond of the way the old stable smelled. She recalls the delicious freedom she had in Boone, the town was so small she would walk to the movies and play regularly at the park with her sisters. To Jennifer, Boone was like a great big family, everyone knew everyone.
High school is an adventure for everyone, some people know what they want to do in their future years, and some don’t have a clue. When Jennifer was in high school, she had no idea about what career she was interested in, she couldn’t even imagine where she’d end up. “I felt like I should have an idea or inspiration so I could start preparing myself for the future,” she said. Jennifer always took art classes, which seemed logical because of her artistic background. But in the 1960’s, high school career counselors were still telling girls that there were only three options for their future, working as a nurse, teacher, or secretary. Girls from her generation weren't given many choices. Jennifer was aware that she could really aim for anything career wise if she went to college, but in high school all she thought about was whether she was popular. She was always worried about what her friends thought of her. Now she wishes that she had worried about her future instead of her social status.
Life is full of lessons. Everyone has different experiences, therefore they learn different lessons. Jennifer isn’t really sure if someone can change the way things unfold within their life. A person learns lessons at the right time. She says that looking back she would have managed high school differently, but that wasn't possible without the frame of reference that comes with maturity. “Accepting yourself for what you are at different stages in your life is important. That means that you don't regret, but you understand. And you pay attention to what happens along the way so you can build upon those experiences,” Jennifer happily explains. Experience builds you as a person, and it defines your personality as you mature.
Jennifer supposes that a primary issue for the younger generation is respecting yourself. She worries about the over-exposure of social media, and says that she doesn’t really understand all of the fuss. “Why is it so important anyways?” she inquires. She thinks there are some things you just don't want to share with everyone, but if the communications culture encourages you to do so, what do you have left for yourself?
World War II was a traumatizing event for everyone, but when your dad served in the Army Air Force, it has all the more impact on your life. Luckily this war was over by the time Jennifer was born. Hearing her father’s stories informed her of this history-shaping event, and led her to respect all of the people that lost their lives in the air and on the battlefield.
Regrets can weigh a person down, but the smartest people among us try to use these regrets to build themselves as a person. Jennifer says that she tried to live her life without regrets, as there's no point in having them. When she was nineteen, she realized that being happy was a choice for everyone. “That seems so simple, but there are lots of people who don't know that very important secret,” she explains. She says that she’s been fairly pleased with her ability to enjoy every day, no matter what frustrations she has. They help you develop yourself as a person.
This wonderful woman’s travels and life lessons can be an inspiration to all of us to jump out of our comfort zones and live life to its fullest. You’re holding your future in the palm of your hand, what matters is what you decide to do with it and what kind of influence you want to have on the world.
Ana A.
Period 7
10-18-12
Interview
Mrs. Lowry
Mrs. Lowry was born in Missouri and was raised to be more respectful and to work harder.
Mrs. Lowry works hard and don't expect things. Her biggest regret was not being nice to her brother (he's not here anymore). She wishes that ha was alive so she could be nicer to him. Her biggest adventure is coming to Idaho. At first, she didn't like it here, but now she has been living for 16 years and likes it. Her advice for people "you make your own choices in life and you are responsible for them" when she was in elementary school she always wanted to be a special education teacher. So here dream came true. And now she is a teacher.
Mrs. Lowry's childhood was hard. She didn't hang out with friends. She had to work on farms and she always worked hard. When she was a little girl she had a pet Wolf but not just any wolf. Hers was a Colli Wolf.
High school wasn't that hard for her, but she wasn't the best student. Every single time she came to school she was tired because every day she worked on farms. She didn't like school that much. When Mrs. Lowry was in college, she was already working and married. She tried hard and she did her best. Missouri was different from here because over there was sunny and green and over here is rainy, cold, and breeze.
She was always respectful to her parents. She always listened to them whenever her parents told her to do something. She always listened to them. She has two kids. Her daughter is twenty five years old. When she was at University of Denver she made Olympic Trials. She qualified for World Trails. She works at University of N. Texas as a coach and Academic Advisor. She has a master's degree. Her Son is twenty- two years old and works in Boise at Western Power. He is a professional dirt bike rider. Her husband works as a manager at Western Power. He is a professional motorcycle rider and now he competes in the Iron Man. He participates in triathlons. Also Mrs. Lowry sees her husband and son more often than her daughter, she doesn't see her daughter that much because she is far away and she goes to different places because of her swimming career. Sometimes her daughter comes and visits her once a month.
Ashley Dreyfus
10/14/12
Ms. Smith
Per. 6
interview
The Greatest Grandpa Ever.
Pierre Dreyfus was born in Geneva, Switzerland on October 14th, 1923, so Sunday was his 89th birthday.
Pierre grew up in a large family, and was raised mostly by his mother, grandmother, and aunts, because his father died when he was very young. Pierre was not a good student, and was constantly in trouble, so his mother arranged for him to go to a private alternative school, where he was allowed to study many subjects, and had quite a bit of freedom. His family life was happy. Pierre’s sister Marianne, who is three years older than him, played the cello, and he was given the violin, so they practiced together after school. They lived in the country, and in the winter his family ice skated and cross country skied on skis that they made themselves.
Their lives were very different back then from life today. Of course they had no electronics or television. The biggest form of entertainment was playing music, and reading, and hiking in the mountains. Pierre’s grandmother raised geese and ducks, so one of his jobs was to collect eggs and tend the birds. They did not own a car, so their family travelled by train a few times a year to visit relatives in other parts of Switzerland.
Pierre’s first big adventure came when he was 17 years old. His uncles owned a Swiss watch company, Wyler Watches, and they expected him to start working in the watch company as soon as he was done with high school. Pierre hated the idea, because he had already decided that he was going to move to the United States and study to become a doctor. His grades were very poor, and his uncles told him that he would fail in college. But, in 1941, Pierre took what little money he had and came over by ship to New York City to pursue his dream.
Pierre managed to enroll in Tufts University in Boston. But, just as he was preparing to start his studies, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. got involved in World War II. He made the decision to enlist in the American Army, and was immediately sent to a training center in Texas. Because of his abilities to speak fluent German and French, Pierre was trained as a spy and sent over to Occupied France to live behind enemy lines, and spy on the Germans.
He was given a guard dog, and situated with a French family in Alsace Lorraine. He would go out at night and try to spy on the German Command Center in the area. This was fairly easy duty, and not very exciting, so eventually Pierre was moved to an American Post, where he helped with communications. During this time, he made many friends, and worked on his English speaking skills. Pierre was honestly quite bored, and wanted to get back to the U.S. to start college.
In early 1943, He returned to Boston, and was able to re-enroll in Tufts as a freshman. This was a really tough time, with everyone at war, and the whole country disrupted, but he was determined to complete my education as fast as possible, in order to apply to medical school.
In 1947, Pierre finished my undergrad and decided to go to New York to study at Columbia Medical School. This decision changes his life. He moved to New York, found an apartment, and one night decided to go out to some night clubs. His buddies and he wound up at a club, with a table full of girls. Dorothy and he started to talking and laughing, and they never stopped. They dated for a few months, and were married on July 5th, 1947. On July 5th, 2012 they celebrated our 65th Wedding Anniversary.
Pierre graduated from Medical School, became Neurologist, and went on to have a career as a teaching doctor for 60 years. The biggest advice he could give younger people is to choose your passion and stick to it. He feels that he has been successful and happy in life because he made decisions, worked hard, and stuck with it without giving up, even when it required hard work. Pierre has a great wife, three wonderful children, and four grandchildren that he is very proud of. Looking back, Pierre has no regrets, and feels that he would not change a thing about his life.
Than Atienza
10/18/12
Stacy Smith, Per. 6
Old Person Biography
If People Could Live Their Life All Over Again
An article for an assignment for Stacy Smith's English, at the Wood River High School.
If Val Nelsen could live his life all over again, he would've been an archaeologist living in Alaska. Instead, he has lived a life of a meat cutter all around Southern Idaho and now retired, and living in Carey. He doesn't complain though, saying that he liked the way things went in his life and doesn't regret a lot of things that have happened.
Nelsen was born in 1944, so he doesn't remember what it was like during World War 2, but his father served stateside in the army. Nelsen was born in Clinton, Missouri, and then moved to Filer, Idaho. Often after school, he spent most of his time hunting, fishing, and often went out to find arrowheads, which led to the dream of being an archaeologist. Life was very different back then too, being considerably safer. There was no worry of getting into gangs, and the threat of the addiction to drugs was practically nonexistent.
After graduating in 1962, Nelsen was registered for the draft for the Vietnam War, but he was never selected. It was very hard to find a job during that time, but Nelsen found a job in Buhl as a meat cutter.
Apart from being a carpenter for a year and a salesman for another, Nelson has been a meat cutter for most of his life. Since people had to eat, meat cutting has always been a job that's needed. The hard work of quartering meat and cutting it into steaks, roasts, and stew meat has taken him all over Southern Idaho and Oregon for 26 years, with places including Twin Falls and Kimberly.
When a position of a meat cutter opened up, Nelsen took the job and moved to Hailey, where he worked at Paul's Market. After 12 years, when Paul's Market closed, Nelsen went to work for Atkinsons' Market in Ketchum and moved for the last time to Carey. 8 years passed, and Nelsen became the assistant manager in the meat department. Then after a time, Nelsen retired and lives a quiet life with his wife Sharon.
Nelsen has been a Christian since he was 14 years old, and says God had always been the center of his life. Although he has swayed from his faith from time to time over the years, he says that there was a voice in the back of his mind that would always bring him back to church. Val now goes to the Larkin Community Church in Carey regularly and hosts a bible study every week.
As Nelsen looks back, one of the biggest lessons he's learned is to do the job, having a good attitude about it, and being dedicated to the work. And the advice he gives to younger generations is, "Get all the education you can get. You want to go to college and get a good job." He also says to find a job you like and to stay with it, "You don't want to be stuck with a job you don't like, or life would be very unpleasant." Other advice is to stay on top of what you do, keep up with the world or get left behind.
Through his life, Nelsen has expressed his adventures very quietly. He has been an avid outdoorsman, hunting and fishing for most of life, but he did once learn some auto mechanics to fix his one of his first cars, a 1933 Dodge truck along with a few others. "Back then most people couldn't afford to buy a new car, so they bought a used one and fixed it," Val says.
Ashley Carnduff
Smith
The Greatest to Z
10-18-12
Life in the Eyes of Marilyn
"Be true to yourself". This is the advice that Marilyn Sue Healy told me, and that's exactly how she has lived her life. Healy, as a young girl grew up with two older brothers. As a teenager, she was a candy-striper and decided she wanted to go to school to be a nurse. However, she faced the dilemma of going to school for her natural talent as a beautician. As it turned out, Healy was neither of these occupations. She went into the dental hygienist field of work. If she had to give the younger generation one piece of advice, it would be to live on your terms, and do
what makes you happy. "Don't do anything for anyone else if it doesn't satisfy you. So don't necessarily stick to the crowd, be unique!"
As an 8 year old girl, Healy moved to Hailey from California. When I asked her how it was different growing up then kids today, she said "Well, I guess, I would say that I was more naïve. I didn't have commercials, and television telling me about all of the new products. They also didn't inform me on serious topics that kids need to be taught about. I wasn't stupid, I just wasn't told."
Healy told me her biggest adventure or experience was when she was a 21 year old girl, and became very ill with a kidney disease. She had to quit her dentist job after only one year. At this time, her future husband named Mike was on leave in the army. He had two week s and that's when they became married. Having been sick, the doctor told Healy that it wouldn't benefit her or her husband to adopt a baby with her health record. Out of the blue, a doctor came up to her husband and asked him if he wanted to adopt a baby boy. One month later, they took home 3 day old Michael John. Healy made it clear, that for her, God made a plan. When she was told she couldn't adopt, He intervened and led Michael to her.
Healy feels that everyone has made mistakes and holds regrets in life. If she could go back in time to change some events in her life, she would. One being, she wishes that she hadn't grown so sick at a young age. She also said "I don't regret marrying Mike in any means. I just wish I would've waited a few more years to get married. I was only 20, and he was 22. We were still growing up at that point in our lives, and we had to learn to do grow together in one life. If I could change that, I would've waited, so I could go to school, and then get married."
Healy and her husband felt that they realized what their calling was too late. They knew that they could've made great veterinarians. I know Healy has a caring heart, and a loving way of caring for animals. I see this everyday with her own dog Gilly who is just as sweet as her owner. Not only does Healy care for her dogs, but her yard and garden looks spectacular. Every day in the summer, I see Healy in her yard. When I brought this point up, she said "Gardening is a stress relief. Something about it just always calms me, and it helps take my mind off of other things. This is also why it's a shame for me to see snow on the ground." On top of all of this, Healy is very involved church. She now goes to the Life Church in Hailey since 1983. Healy has volunteered with Sunday school, she helps ushering, she does the scheduling, herself plus one other person sits in the office and counts offerings, and she is part of the staff. Healy is a role model to me because of all she's done in life thus far. I am so privileged to have her for my neighbor.
Victoria Brown
You May Know
Elaine Bitter Neidrich. You may know the name. Owner of VIP cleaning, mother of 6 children, wife of 53 years and Hailey local of 34 years. As a child, Neidrich grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. Her mother worked and was widowed, so nobody was ever home. "We basically raised ourselves," Neidrich says. When I asked how life growing up then is different from growing up now, she said that life was more carefree, no fear of strangers, no drugs, and that they were free to ride their bikes wherever and whenever without the fear of being mugged or kidnapped.
Neidrich has a very strong belief that teens today have a very huge challenge in staying off drugs, alcohol, and sex. She feels that not all, but a lot of young people can stay away from those things because they are determined and they are strong. "Those who do will be better off," she says.
On a lighter topic I asked what her favorite season was and why. She replied with "Fall because of all the changing colors and the cool breezes that come and go throughout the days," On a similar topic I asked what types of food or smells bring back memories. She described one smell as roasted turkey and the smell of Christmas trees. Those smells both bring back a memory of lots of Thanksgivings and Christmas's spent with family.
"Family, sons, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren are my greatest pleasure in life. Where would any of us be without them?" she said when I asked what her greatest pleasure in life was. The typical grandmother; we all love and need them with all our hearts. What could we do without them?
At the age of 21 Ms. Neidrich became Mrs. Neidrich when she met Richard Neidrich. During the time, she lived in Twin Falls there was a local YMCA that held Wednesday night dances for High school graduates. She said "He was not there to dance, but there to meet the girls," she said with a smile. That's where they met. She was attracted to his smile and his sense of humor.
During WWII Neidrich's family had to use stamps for sugar, flour, shoes, etc. "I still have my stamp booklet," she says. Her father took a job as a civil servant. He was gone for 3 years in Alaska. Though he was not in danger of the war, he was still gone, like the soldiers were. One night Neidrich and her siblings were listening to the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly. They heard the air raid alarm and it startled them all. They turned out the lights as fast as they could; they even covered the little light on the radio. Even though the air raid might have just been a drill, they were all very frightened.
When I asked Neidrich if she could go back and live her life over again, what would she do differently, does she have any regrets? She replied with, "I wouldn't change a thing. Experiences taught me good lessons; they made me the person I am today."
The regret she has is not something she did; it is the death of her father. She regrets that her father died when she was 12. She regrets that she didn't have a father through her teen years. She couldn't gain from his wisdom.
During her high school years, Neidrich wanted to be a physical therapist. She only got through one quarter of college before she dropped out to work in at the bank and get married. I asked what her hobbies during high school were and she said that she did not have any hobbies, but she had things that she loved to do. These were sewing, playing baseball, riding bikes, swimming, and singing.
We should all learn from our experiences and we should all try and go through life without regrets because your mistakes and your flaws make you who you are and who you will become. Although we all want to be someone different or go back in time to change something you messed up, we can't. So live the life you have and treasure it and all those who are part of it.
Indie Landon
English interview
Period 6
October 16, 2012
Cruz's Journeys in Life
From playing baseball to being a father, Cruz has had a few journeys in his life. Cruz is in his late 70s, but doesn't look like it at all. He is a resident of Blaine Manor, in Hailey, ID. Cruz smiles and says, "Life? I have had a heck of a good one!" Cruz's biggest adventure was walking from New York to Philadelphia. He is originally from Puerto Rico. So he said just getting to the United States was an accomplishment. Cruz said he remembers stepping off the plane, were his journey began. It took him about three and a half days, and it wasn't easy. With no money it was hard, but Cruz didn't care. The thing that surprised him the most was that people, in his same situation, still were still kind and giving. "Willing to give even more up to people they don't know, why?" he said.
Cruz was very good at baseball when he was younger. On his way to Philadelphia, Cruz saw a team practicing. He stopped by and watched for a few minutes. One of the players saw him watching and asked Cruz if he needed anything. Cruz asked the guy if he could practice with them today for fun. The guy laughed and said sure. Cruz jumped right in and began to warm up. After the other players realized how good he was they asked him if he would play with them in that night's tournament. Cruz couldn't turn down the opportunity. So, of course, he played with them and had the time of his life. Cruz said in the interview that there were many ups and down to his adventure but when he saw the "Now Entering Philadelphia" sign, he knew it was all worth it.
Cruz's life only got better through the years. He said that he didn't have the best childhood in Puerto Rico. It was the end of the recession, so little had jobs. His family didn't have much and his parents were very strict. Now he says that he knows, and is not ashamed of, his past. He knew it could only get better from there.
Later in life, Cruz found the girl he wanted to marry. He described her as a very caring and nice American woman. They met while Cruz was in the poultry business. She walked in one day when he was cutting the chicken. He knew at once that she was the one. They later got married and had children together.
Cruz listed a few things that he disliked and a few things he liked about life. He said that was way too easy and answered immediately. Some things that he dislikes are how kids have it way too easy these days, how he isn't rich yet, and how everything has to go in the end. And for some things he likes, he said there are too many, but his favorite would have to be listening or hearing people talk. Since Cruz has some struggles with his eyesight, he said that he is now more observant and aware of things in life than he used to be. He is now ok with his eyesight though, he knows it is making him a better person.
So at the end of the interview with Cruz, I looked at him and said "Life? Not just a good one but an amazing one!" he nodded his head and said "I am who I am, no one else," and laughed. Cruz is an incredible person; so honest, very funny, and really caring. It was amazing to hear some of the many journeys in Cruz's life.
Courtney Hall
Period 6
10/16/12
Interview
Jon Adams
Jon Adams is my wonderful grandfather and has always been one to inspire me, so I decided to learn more about this amazing man. During this interview I learned many incredible things about Jon that i never even knew. Who would have thought anything intriguing could come out of an old persons mouth. My grandpa Jon interestingly enough is related to John Adams and John Quincy Adams, which my family came to learn during the research of my sixth grade family tree project. He is a retired man who spends most of his time in his workshop creating fine works of art with wood.
One of his interesting and exciting stories started when he was half way to Cuba the flight attendant came over the intercom and explained the plane would be turning around and flying back to Tampa Florida. They hit the ground as they landed and taxied back and pulled into the terminal and docked. Jon found out that his trip would be cut short due to the invasion in Cuba; that is known today as the Bay of Pigs. He clarified that this was to be his greatest journey due to the amount of time he spent planning the trip and being left on his own by the airliner companies to find his own way back home. If he were to have planned his trip any sooner and been in Cuba at the time he would most likely not be here today.
Another fond memory of my grandpas was when he was only 4 years old when World War II was happening but remembers smashing tin cans as a kid for the wars use. Jon grew up in Peoria, Illinois, losing his father at the young age of seventeen, it was a tragic and hard memory for him to remember. His father passed away in a boating accident, although my grandpa beat the paramedics to the accident by several minutes, Jon jumped in the water to try and save his dad but once he got him to shore he knew it was too late, so my grandfather slipped his dad's ring off his finger and put it on, Jon has never taken it off til this day. This is one of the reasons my grandpa is the amazing person he is today. It taught him many things including being more grateful for the things you have, it also gave Jon a grasp on becoming a strong willed self compelled man.
He was then the man of the house and said that he had to work harder physically back then to keep up around the house and provide for his family, he had to do more work then any kid would ever have to do now days. One of his biggest lessons growing up was to learn how to be an strong individual and make hard decisions on his own. Jon's plans for the future in high school were to go to college and join the air force, he did exactly what he strived towards.
Although he made it into the Air Force Jon's only regret in life was not becoming a fighter pilot due to the fact that he was colorblind. The Air Force said he could work in a different field but they wouldn't allow him to become a pilot. Jon's advice to the younger generation would be "work hard, respect others, and love your family as much as possible, if not all the time." I think my grandfather has some great wisdom and insight about life and I hope that I can some day share his amazing stories and wisdom to my children and others one day.
Today Jon is a amazing, strong, smart individual and I'm proud to call him my grandfather. He is the man that's always working whether it's in his workshop or on the yard, he is always on the go. I love my grandpa Jon and I'm so happy i got to learn more about him.
Kayden Levin
10/16/12
Per. 6 English
Elderly interview
Sue Noel's Biggest Adventure
Sue Noel's biggest adventure was her first trip to England in 1997. Noel had waited for this trip for fifty years before she got the chance to go. She went alone with no one else with her. She says that's why it was such an adventure. Noel did not bring tons and tons of luggage with her to England, not even a suitcase. All she brought was a single backpack to all the places in England she went. This trip was also her first time flying over the ocean which made the trip even more exciting.
Noel is partly English and she has loved England her whole life. What made her decide to go to England is that she has been waiting for this trip for more than half of her life. Noel also wrote to the Queen of England when she was little, and the Queen wrote back twelve months later giving her a full page-and-a-half letter back.
Noel stayed at little bed and breakfasts or small hotels most of the time. She loved the little places she stayed in because she almost always met nice people who kept suggesting new places to go. She also stayed in a large castle in Scotland. The castle was huge and her hotel room was almost as big as her whole house. Noel had a Britrail which allowed her to go all over England on trains. She also toured the Cots Worlds which was an especially scenic area of small villages. She especially loved this because a lot of it looked like Idaho and there were a lot of nice people. Noel stayed with a friend she knew from Idaho that was living in England. They saw each other for the first time in years so her friend showed her all the fun things to do and told her all the other places in England she should go.
Noel never got to meet the Queen that wrote her a letter, but she got to go to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. This museum was the most favorite part of her whole trip because Sherlock Holmes is her favorite person in the world. To go to this museum was amazing to her. Driving on the opposite side of the road was really strange to her. She was so used to driving on the right side of the road in the United States that it was almost impossible for her to drive safely in England. The strangest food dish she ate in England was called Spotted Dick which is a bread pudding found common in England.
Noel thought it was a trip of a lifetime and it was worth waiting fifty years to go. On the train to Scotland, when she first crossed into England, she had her head sticking out the window with tears running down her face because she was so happy. It meant so much to her to finally be in England where she felt at home.
Matt Schell
10/18/12
Per. 6
Greatest to Z interview
Penny Sue Thomas
It all started November 14, 1948 when Penny Sue Thomas was born in Boise, Idaho and raised in Rupert, Idaho where she still lives today. Her great-great grandparents emigrated here from Germany and Ireland. She is the second born child of five; there is an older brother,
two younger sisters and another younger brother. She lived in a poor family growing up. She started working when she was just twelve years old; she had to buy her own clothing and shoes. Penny has worked her entire life. She is currently managing the Minidoka County Senior
Center, as well as volunteering many hours to help the elderly in her community.
When she was a freshman in high school, John F Kennedy was assassinated. She still remembers that she was between her third and fourth period classes when the shocking news was announced. Penny said," I was sad because JFK was so young and an astounding President
who was doing great things for our nation." She also said it was a great loss to the country.
Penny graduated from Minidoka County High School (Minico) in 1967. Penny's first car in high school was a 1956 Chevy Bel-Air with tall fins on the back. Her future plans, at the time; were to go to Beauty School, after graduating from Minico; to be a hair stylist. She attended Beauty School for four months, and then dropped out because she realized she didn't like it. When asked if she could go back and do this differently, would she; she replied, "Yes,but I would study harder this time and get my Accounting degree.
Penny was married to Butch Schell at the age of 19, and then had her first child at the age of 20. Penny now has 4 children and 11 grandchildren, most of which live within 200 miles of her.
Penny Schell was a young mother when the Vietnam War began, her husband had recently left the military just as the War was about to begin. Shortly after the Vietnam War began, the government started drafting young men into military service; 7 of her graduating
classmates that were drafted were killed in Vietnam. Her older brother, George Eugene Thomas; served in the Navy like his father Roy George Thomas, during the Vietnam War. Eugene was on a destroyer that was bombed. Penny said," We didn't know what happened until several days later, it's not like today; where the families know right away. It was days before we knew if Eugene had been hurt or killed. All we knew was that his ship had been bombed and men had died." The news stations couldn't get out information very quickly and
sometimes didn't relay what was going on at all. When she found out that her brother's ship had been bombed, she remarked, "I felt really sick to my stomach and scared." Later they found out that 3 people had died that day on the Destroyer, but Penny was very grateful to
learn that none of them was her brother. The country was in turmoil, times were difficult and there were riots happening all over the place. Back then when the Veterans would return home from the War, they were considered, by some; to be a disgrace to America and shown
little if any respect for having served their country. It was hardly a hero's welcome, for the young men returning from Vietnam.
Penny has traveled to Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as most of the 50 United States. Her most enjoyable experience was traveling to Hawaii with her Mother and brothers and sisters about 15 years ago.
When asked what one of the biggest changes she has witnessed in her life, she said, "The telephone." Penny has gone from a party line telephone, where 5 families shared the same line and the operator placed all of your calls for you to a cell phone that works off towers and fits in your pocket. The first mobile phones were 12 inches long and 3 inches wide and you had to carry them in a satchel.
The hardest thing Penny has had to endure in her life was her fight against cancer. Penny was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 1994. She is one of a very few who have lived to say she beat the disease.
Penny actually has a very short bucket list:
1. Travel to Russia
2. Return to Hawaii
3. Go on a cruise
4. Take a train through the Canadian Wilderness
5. Learn to swim
Throughout her entire life Penny has been afraid of the water, partly because she never learned how to swim. She laughed and said," I would like to be one of those little old ladies in the pool, wrinkles and all; in my purple suit and red hat; just swimming." That is one of the most important goals on her list.
With 11 grandchildren, I asked her what she would like the younger generation to learn from her and she replied, "Live life to the fullest, LIVE; don't just exist, but really LIVE everyday; you never know how much time you might have left." She also went on to say, "When you set your mind to do something, you can do it; there are no limitations to what you can do and don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't."
I just want you all to know that I am proud to say that Penny Sue Schell is my Grandma and she is one amazing lady!
That is the end of my story, to all who read this; Have a great day!
Christian Mitma
Oct. 16, 2012
Ms. Smith, period 7
Mrs. Canham's biggest event was when she was an exchange student to Spain for 1 year after college. Right after high school she kayaked the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and got married on the river. She really enjoys being her daughter's parent.
She grew up on the east coast. Things that are different today are mothers working. Also there is more technology. Girls today play more sports. An advice that she would give is to spend less time on electronics, develop relationships of substance, go outdoors more, and live simpler.
If she had her life to live over again she would be more athletic at a younger age. She also would travel more. She would research her college and career choices better. Lastly, she would study personal finance more. Although she would make changes in her life, she doesn't have any major regrets.
She thought she wanted to be a nurse. After going to Spain she wanted to become a doctor. She found out there were two problems for her in studying medicines. First she had a problem seeing blood. Second the career of a doctor was too intense. She decided to be a social worker.
Cindy Hurtado
Article
10/15/12
The Traces of Being a High School Teacher
Mrs. Canham has been teaching at Wood River High School for about 8 years and has enjoyed teaching English as a second language. She has a daughter named Lauren and just graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis.
It has been said, Mrs. Canham's biggest adventure was being and exchange student in Spain for 1 year! She loved it! Mrs. Canham grew up in the East coast. She told me the only difference from when she grew up and from the kids of today was that, there were fewer working mothers outside of home, and there was less technology, less technology?? In our new world, there's so much! Back in the day we would walk to a person's house to visit or to ask a question. Now, just going to that person's home is rare. Kids now are preoccupied with their phones by calling, messaging, or texting! I also asked Mrs. Canham to tell me one of the biggest lessons she learned. She responded "One of the biggest lessons I learned was it takes one person to take care of themselves." What might of she meant by that? My guesses are she meant it probably takes a certain person to stand up for what whom wants or to not to give up on their beliefs. Makes a great quote! But in your mind, what do you think it means? Took time for me to ask Mrs. Canham some really interesting questions!
Did Mrs. Canham grow up during World War II? Did she live through World War II? I took time to ask her. She told me she didn't grow up or lived during World War II. I apologize for asking this question. In my opinion, if I lived in World War II, it would certainly be hard for me, all those shooting, breaking into house, yes, that would be hard. When she was in High School, her plans for her future were to become a nurse. Sadly she couldn't. She found out she was petrified by blood! She told us more details! She said if she sees someone bleeding she can't stand it, she would faint, her plans for her future when she was in high school, didn't get too far. She told me she wanted to be like her mother. Her mother was a nurse, she had dreams of being a nurse too. Follow the steps of a mother. How sweet!
Advice Mrs. Canham would give the younger generation is to take time to be quite and reflect. How would you take this advice? We as society fill our lives with going here and going there and we don't take time to just be in silence. People need time to be quite and reflect. I also agree with this people tend to be so concerned with what others think. Another explanation I thought this meant something like we need to stop using our energy thinking negatively and thinking more positive thoughts. How would you explain this advice if someone asks you? In other words, how would a person explain this? How would someone tell me what it means? Last but not least, I asked her an entertaining question, mostly to some of you, but we asked her if she could go back and live her life over again what would she do differently? She said she would be more athletic as a kid, research her college as a teenager, and travel more. I can relate to this because I plan on visiting 6 countries before I get married. Did she have any regrets? She said she didn't have any regrets though; she should have searched her college. I want to take this advice and search for a great college for a great education.
Kristian Whittaker
Perry's - The Man behind the Restaurant
"If I could give one piece of advice to the youth of today, it would be to find something you like to do, and pursue it. Life is too short to do something you don't enjoy." This was Keith Perry's answer to me when I asked him if he had any advice to give the youth of today.
Perry was born in phoenix Arizona in the nineteen fifties, and as he said, "Phoenix in the fifties was a different time. You didn't have to worry about strangers or other bad things that you do now. That's obviously different today. Although living in Sun Valley Idaho, I see a lot of the same safeness that I had growing up in the fifties." According to Perry, technology was a big deal to. He remembers that the black and white TV had just come out, and that was a massive deal. Compared to the tech we have today that seems pretty Stone Age! Perry also mentions his mother, saying that she was a typical stay at home mom, washing clothes, looking after the kids, and cooking the meals. "No Perry's to eat at back then!" he says with a laugh and a grin.
When asked about high school, Perry says he never really knew what he wanted to do. "I knew I wanted to go to college, but even during and after college, I still had no idea what I was going to do with my life! " Perry waited tables at a local restaurant in phoenix, and became fixed with the restaurant scene. He attended a restaurant management course after college, and that's when he found his true calling. He and his wife loved to ski, and they went to ski in Sun Valley several times before coming here once in the summer. Perry said, "We got back to phoenix and went to a football game, and as we were sitting there in 104 degree weather, my wife and I thought 'Lets go back to Ketchum!' So we did, and we ended up opening Perry's."
I asked Perry what the biggest lesson he had learned in his life was, and after some mulling over he gave an answer. "Always be prepared. That would be the biggest lesson I've learned." His original dream was to open a bed and breakfast with his wife, but after looking at the numbers and statistics, he and his wife decided that they wouldn't make a good profit and decided to go with the restaurant instead. "Even though our original dream was to open a bed and breakfast in Ketchum, we had the resteraunt to fall back on. And that turned out pretty well!"
My next question took Perry a little longer to think about. When asked about what he would do differently if he could live his life over again, he pondered the thought for some time and replied, "Ya know, I don't really have any regrets. We love living here, and I mean of course I wish I had to work less and could make a little more money, but I'm happy." With Perry's restaurant having a mad lunch rush every day, and its four walls being packed to bursting every weekend morning, in my opinion id say he's doing pretty well.
My interview with Perry was interesting to say the least, and I got some good advice from him. He started waiting tables and college, and ended up with one of the best restaurants in town, certainly the one I frequent the most. His advice to the younger generation was something I will take to heart, just as he has done his entire life.
Carlos Romero
10-17-2012
9 English Smith
My Grandma
My grandma's biggest adventure was when she was coming to visit me and my family for the first time in the united states of America she said it was pretty scary at first but then she started to like coming a lot and now she comes and visits every year since then she grew up and she said she grew up in Mexico specifically in Michoacán by Alcapulco.
The technology changed since then but not how life, is still almost getting by with the things they had, since then the economy still was getting worse making it hard and dangers to travel around which made it harder for her to come and visit, and the same goes for us when we want to come visit. One of the biggest lessons she learned was be careful when talking to strangers because you don't know what they will do if you say something wrong or do something wrong that they can get mad at you or they will think it is a threat and think you want to fight. The biggest advice she could say to the younger generation is to stay in school and off drugs because you could screw all of your future. Best thing that happened to her was and she said it was raising my dad and uncles from when they were little even though they were never perfect little angels always getting into travel. She also said that it is fun whacking them grow up and becoming adults, and thinks to herself that she does not need to go back in time and do something over because she has no regrets, that it all falls into place as life begins to unfold.
If there was a big struggle in her life and she said that just plane living was a big enough struggle sometimes not being able to buy some things or just not enough food on the table. But everything always got better and now I'm living a good life she said. Which was is this the way you wanted your life to be or something like it, and she said that it would never come out like you wanted it because it is impossible to just say that you are going to be or that you are going to do that because it could be that when you were little you wanted to be a princes it more than likely won't happen. And that's my grandmas' story.
Anastasia Poklemba
Balancing Life
Stephen John Poklemba III, age 53, is very well known in our valley. As a devoted husband, father, teacher, and Cross Country coach, you may not think he has time to do too much else. Surprisingly, however, he does everything else. He climbs, skis, bikes, hikes, and even cooks dinner for his family.
Poklemba was born in Ohio. When his father died, though, his widowed mother moved the family of 4 to a small town in New York. He was the man of the house and took care of his 2 sisters and mother. However, that isn't to say he didn't have fun. Countless stories of pool hopping, cliff jumping, and putting a Volkswagen bug inside his school have been told over the years. The adventurous kid definitely knew how to have a good time. "Things were different back then, much different," Poklemba explains. "We didn't get rides from our parents or beg for cash. We had to work for it all." The kids of the 1960's were able to walk everywhere, and had no need for cars. Walking was more convenient too; you never had to rely on a parent for a ride.
It isn't surprising at all that Poklemba carried his risky nature into adulthood. After 7 years of college, he traveled across the country with Elaine Marie Johnson, future wife and mother of his children. They settled down in Burley, Idaho, where he taught for a few years before moving to Hailey.
Things calmed down for quite a bit; Poklemba got a teaching job at the middle school as an 8th grade Earth Science teacher. For an income in the summer, he worked as a gardener, planting gardens around rich people's homes. Life sped up again with the birth of his firstborn, who he named after himself, making his son the 4th Stephen John Poklemba in the family. 2 years later came the birth of their daughter, Anastasia Katherine Poklemba. They family was content for a while, but soon the house they lived in became too small for these squirming kids, and they moved to a larger house in 1999. The family still lives there today.
Although he is a responsible father, Poklemba can't help the urge to go on adventures every once and a while. So when he was invited to Spain to help dig up fossils, something he'd been doing with his family for years, he had to leap on the opportunity. "It's a great experience I couldn't miss," Poklemba says about the trip. He has some great pictures from the trip and an even better story to go with it. "We had just started uncovering a skull, and we were all very excited. One of the women working with us was crawling a little farther back into the cave, just to see what was there, and suddenly a huge rock came down on her head. She was trapped between a rock and a hard place, and she was panicking. Luckily, she was wearing a hard hat, and the people she was with knew what to do. She got away from the accident with only a few scrapes and a great story to tell as well." Poklemba got a great story, too, and a trip so outstanding that he took his family there a few summers later.
While Poklemba loves adventure, he's also a really responsible guy. He's experienced a ton of life, and doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. He wants his family to have as many experiences as he's had, if not more. He tries to incorporate some fun and life into everything he does. When asked what advice he'd give to the younger generation, he said, "Put down those phones and get out of your head. Go live!" Poklemba devotes his life to all the things he loves, and won't ever stop having fun.
Dylan Urbany
Period 7
Stacy Smith
Interview with- Betty Urbany
Generational Conversations
As a young child, Betty Urbany grew up in North Bend, Oregon, far out of town. There weren't any cars, phones, or television. The only communication between people was face-to-face conversations. Unlike most kids today, she stayed home very often. Urbany then graduated high school in 1969 and wanted to get married and have kids. She did not have a career in mind because the dynamics of a family were much different back then. Most wives around 1970 were stay at home mothers and the husband provided for the family. A few years later, after graduation, Urbany experienced her greatest adventure by moving out of the state Oregon, away from all family ties, to start a new life in Idaho. Because she was not away from family for most of her underage life, she discovered that from experience that family is the most important thing in life, and that the times that friends aren't there to help out, family is always there. She also discovered first-hand that, "there is more to life than having fun and hanging out, but that planning for the future and seeking for a career is more important as you get older, and reach the end of high school." Urbany said. This was also her advice to the younger generations in this world. If Urbany could live her life over again, she said, "If I could live my life over again and change the mistakes I made, I would have changed the fact that I wasn't too focused on my future, and I would have worked much harder at it." Her regrets are that she was not focused on the important things in life, but more caught up in the moment of the life of a teenager. She said that she considers this regret, but at the same time, she does not because you can't change what happens and it happens for a reason.
Bailey Rierden
Smith
Greatest to Z
10-18-12
Living in the Moment
Throughout the process of being interviewed, Jo Ann Boltinghouse kept saying one thing; "everyone should live smart, live in the moment, and live with no regrets." When asked about her greatest adventure she responded with an unexpected answer.
"My greatest adventure was my admission to college experience. I had not planned on college, as my parents did not feel they could afford it and my father felt that girls didn't need an education to be a mother and wife. I had gone to my church camp the summer I graduated (1953) and as I talked with two ministers they felt I should go to college. So they made arrangements for me to be enrolled (although I had not paid any money). They helped me apply for a Methodist National Scholarship – because of my activity with the state youth program, my grades, etc. I entered Simpson College in the fall of 1953 with no money paid to the college. By November I had received a "full ride" scholarship from the Methodist National Board and I was official. In looking back I realize how very lucky I was – I don't think this could be done today." said Boltinghouse.
The fact that women are given much higher expectations nowadays shows that our society is advancing. Many women love being stay at home moms and loving wives, but women are looked at in a different way than they were in earlier times, because now they're looked at as equals of men. The proof that women don't need a career to be happy comes from Boltinghouse's next response where she discussed her greatest accomplishment.
"Although I have had lots of awards, etc. my biggest accomplishment is being a wife for 57+ years and having 3 wonderful children. Being a wife and mother are the best that has happened to me!" exclaimed Boltinghouse.
Boltinghouse is a successful author, business woman, teacher, mother, wife, and much more. She is a mother of three and a grandmother, which makes her the ideal person to ask about advice for the younger generations.
Boltinghouse said, "My advice to the younger generation is to think before they act. With today's speed of the internet, Facebook, etc. so many things that are said and done are with you forever. The choices that are made as a young person and young adult are life altering. Just be careful. My closing for talks that I give to students is:
The choices that you make today will affect the rest of your life!" With Boltinghouse's wise words and amazing leadership, the younger generations, or anyone for that matter, could learn so much from her and the way she lives her life.
Boltinghouse talked about her childhood and what she did for fun as a child. When compared to modern day kids and technology, it strikes the thought of how times went from being so simple to now.
She is dedicated to each and every thing she does, and that could be a lesson to kids of the future. To end the interview Boltinghouse was asked if she could go back and live her life differently, would she? And if she had any regrets.
Her response was short and sweet, "No, if anything I would enjoy each minute more, but I would not change anything else." concluded Boltinghouse.
This shows even more of her great attitude towards life and the ambition that helped her to achieve so much. If one major lesson was learned from this interview, it was to live in the present and live each minute to its fullest potential with no regrets. If this is done it will help to make others live to their full potential, just like Jo Ann.
Fredy Mendiolaza
10/15/12
Elder Biography
Stacy Smith, Period 6
The Simple Life of Cortez
My Grandpa, Friolan Meza Cortez, is living a happy life with his wife, Benita Meza in Puebla, Mexico. My grandpa was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico and as well as my grandma. Cortez has a small family, for he has only 1 brother. Cortez is a man who gets things done no matter what, even though he didn't graduate High School. Friolan didn't plan on big things but stuck to simpler things that he knows he will accomplish. That is why he started driving when he was 17, and that is how he got his first job.
Cortez started his first job as a bus driver. He never wanted anything more, for when he was small his dad almost lost everything because he thought of big things. Cortez dad could have a rich successful life but he thought of things that was beyond his reach and was left with his parents and wife. Cortez didn't want to think big things, for he was scared he could lose everything.
So he lived his life as a bus driver until one day a passenger on the bus asked him if he could drop her off at her house.She was the only passenger on the bus that morning. The lady asked my grandpa what his name is and they talked until she reached her stop. Cortez was love struck and wished if she could ride again. After a long day of driving the pretty Lady boarded again. He quickly realized her and started to chat. Once again she was the only passenger. Then all of a sudden rain started to fall. It rain harder, and harder, and harder. Then the lady asked him if he could drop her at her house. He said yes and floored it.
Once, Cortez got married to my grandma Benita Meza and they had 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls. Cortez always wanted a big family for his family was small and lonely. So when he had his 6th child he quitted his job and decided to have a ranch. My grandpa wanted more boys in the family so they could help him with the ranch, but one day Cortez sent all the boys to the city for an errand. He needed help holding the ladder so he can get the hay barrels from the attic. My mom participated and held the ladder. But my mom, Maria Meza, got distracted by a cow mooing at a chicken and lets go of the ladder. My grandpa sliped from the ladder and broke his left leg on impact. My grandpa got really mad with my mom but was distracted by the pain of his leg. His wife took him to a hospital and was yelling at my mom the whole way there. Once they arrived the doctors said they could fix it but it wouldn't be the same. Once his legs got fixed he wanted to work on the farm again but couldn't, so his children took care of him until this very day.
When he finished his story I asked him what advice would he give to the younger generation. This is what he said, "You can live a long life by obeying your parents, for they have more experience and have lived longer." When I asked him if he could live his life again what would he have done differently. He said with a smile, "Nothing at all, for I have raised 9 children, all out of trouble and graduated from high school, while other parents could barely control 1."
Eva Sorensen
Eva Grace Bear Mangun
My great-great grandmother, Eva Grace Bear Mangun has been dead now for many years. But I have always found her fascinating ever since my grandfather told me stories about his grandma Eva and how she and my great-grandmother Dorothy, his mother, conversed up in heaven about my birth. About what day they thought I should be born, and what my parents were going to name me. It was decided, according to my grandpa that I would be born on Dorothy's birthday, and carry Eva's name. And so my interview about Great-great-grandma Eva began.
Eva Grace had a difficult childhood because her family was so poor. They wore flour sacks for clothes and sometimes would decorate them with crayons and leaves and grass that they found outside and around their house.
When she was a little girl, Eva's life was very different than my life and yours. She did not have any of the technology that we have now and did not have some of the easy access that we do nowadays. There was little or no mailing abilities, and there was certainly not enough money for a phone.
Eva Grace married Lloyd Mangun on. Still poor, but able to support themselves and their four children: Amy-Jean, Dorothy (who later on became my grandfather's mother), and Quentin, and Kermit the twins. Amy-Jean had approximately 135 different allergies. She was a very sickly child and many-a-time had to be sent away to the country for cleaner air for her lungs. Eva remembers having to wrap Amy-Jean up in styrofoam and bubble-wrap whenever she went outside to play because of her allergies. Eva was always very fretful over Amy-Jean, and always had to make two dinners: one for the family, and one for Amy-Jean. But sadly, Amy-Jean died in her early twenties due to an allergy sickness that she could not pull through.
Eva Mangun wrote many poems and her favorite time to write poems was when she went with her family to visit other family in Mexico. During Christmas time she wrote a lovely poem and my family still owns this poem today.
Eva always tried to be positive and looked at everything as optimistically as she could. Though she was poor in possessions and money, she was rich in love and happiness and had a very good life despite everything.
Emmitt Stevens
English: Smith
The Greatest to Z
Phil Homer
Age: 72 Born: 1939
How many people do you know that have been married for 52 years to their high school sweetheart? Phil Homer is proud to let people know of this blessing and accomplishment. Phil and Bernice have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. That is not the proud accomplishment of Phil; he also has a doctorate degree in education.
That might sound like the makings of an interesting life, but Phil had much more to add. When I asked him what his biggest adventure was, Phil said it was a fishing trip in Alaska.
He had never been to Alaska. During the fishing trip he and his friend caught a 70 pound fish in Soldotna, Alaska. That would definitely be a huge fish. Phil said he could not remember how they got it in the boat, but that he was so excited. While in Alaska, he also saw a big horn sheep. That trip was an adventure that Phil will never forget.
Phil grew up in a Montpelier, Idaho. It was a small town with a population not more than 3,000 people. He was in high school from 1953 to 1957. His plan after high school was to stay in his home town. He wanted to buy a car, but not just any car – a Ford Mustang. However, his parents had other plans. They put together a suit case and told him he was going to college. He didn't want to but his parents won the debate and so Phil had to pick a college. He finally chose to go to Utah State. It turns out that he would be in college for the next 8-9 years.
Phil says that family is very important to him. As a young man he and his father would go hunting and fishing to bond and strengthen their relationship. Another activity Phil enjoyed doing with his family while growing up was every week the whole family would get together and camp. It taught him to appreciate and enjoy nature.
A big lesson that Phil has learned over the years is to be prepared and to get a job. An important lesson Phil wants youth to know is that you can't get enough education. Phil remembers rationing household items after World War II. Even sugar was rationed. He remembers the Korean conflict where South Korea and North Korea fought. He remembers this because there was a railroad near the homes of his friends. That railroad had soldiers and men that had been serving and were coming back from the war. The soldiers and men had written letters and packages to give to their families and loved ones. There was a mailing area and the soldiers would hand the kids, which lived in that area, packages. They would ask the kids to take the packages to the post office and mail them for the men who were serving for their country. This taught Phil to respect and honor those who fight for our country. Phil's uncle was in the war and escorted the dead marines' remains to make sure that they made it home to their families. He would check with the family and talk to them and make sure that the men had been safely returned.
Phil says that he wouldn't change anything or do anything different in his life except to have treated his parents a little better. He passes this advice along to youth to respect and treasure their parents. They can be the most influential people for good in our lives. Phil summarized his thoughts to say, he has had a pretty good life
Jack Dwyer
English period 5
Greatest to Z
October 18, 2012
My Uncle Mickey
Uncle Mickey is 67 years old and his biggest adventure was taking a trip out west with James Dwyer, aka my dad, along with all the boys Matthew, Sean, Kevin, and Ryan. It lasted 3 weeks. During this time, they drove all across the west starting from Missouri and heading through Kansas, Denver, Boise, and Sun Valley. While they were in Sun Valley, they camped out and road horses in the Sawtooth Mountains. After that, they preceded through Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Finally, they dropped my dad off in Texas to get inducted into the Air force.
Uncle Mickey grew up in Jerseyville, Illinois in the late 40s and early 50s. Back when he was growing up, they didn't have computers so they had to rely on Encyclopedias. Second, they didn't have Cell phones so they had to rely on mail and writing letters. Third no video games so they were a lot more involved in outdoors activities so they were a lot more active then today's generation of kids. The last thing is Mickey and everybody in that time didn't have any Social Networking like Facebook or Twitter.
Uncle Mickey's plans for the future were when I was in high school I wanted to go to Notre Dame, and I got accepted to go there. When I was there I decided that I wanted to be a lawyer so nothing changed for me in high school that I hadn't already planned to do but when I was there things changed.
Uncle Mickey's said looking back on his life, his biggest lesson he had learned was that your family is the most important thing in the world. Uncle Mickey best adive for younger genrations is always being true to yourself and to your friends and do what you want and don't let anybody deter you from you goal in life.
Uncle Mickey wasn't born during World War II but he was born when it ended which he was very grateful for not being born in a war. Uncle Mickey didn't have any regrets and all things happen for a reason and god has a master plan and you just live it out to the best that you can live it.
Stratton Stevenson
Generational Conversation Essay
October 14, 2012
English 5th Period
Generational Conversation
My grandmother Miriam Holden and how she would change differntly in her life was, "Girls lived in a different time as today. For instance, today all males and females are expected to get jobs today, during my time females would only be given a simple education such as nurses, teachers, an air-line stewardess or simply just a housewife to take care of the kids, make dinner, and clean the house." She said if she could do it differently she said, "I would get the greatest possible education out there for women although it was not expected of women to take their career seriously, it was even odd that girls even did take it seriously.
Also I would delay marriage for the time being, and delay children." For an education a woman back then would be necessities for the household; such as cleaning, cooking, painting fingernails, raising children, getting married, and getting taught that their husbands were doing something really important for society. Whatever the women were doing they were looked down upon as not so important. A typical day for a house wife would be cooking breakfast for the ashusband where we would go to work, clean up, take care of the children, clean the house, make dinner for the husband, and quite possibly go out to dinner parties with the husband."
Something I found quite interesting is women were not really supposed to mingle, such as express their opinion like political views. Whatever the husband said was "apparently" he was more educated. The second question I asked her was "When you grew up during World War II what was it like compared to now? "Well most men were in the military fighting the Germans and the Japanese. Since the men were out fighting there, was a lack of jobs which the women filled them. Some of the jobs where constructing planes, tanks, guns making bullets, ect…
I signed up to enter the Air Force; all of the women had to take a test to see which placement we would be set in. I was placed in the weather observation for planes coming and going. When we were about to ship out a telegram came saying they needed twenty-five secretaries. So luckily enough I went to Florida working in a command head quarters under a Commanding General for advanced pilot crew training. The General was extremely nice and excused me out of kitchen duty where we had to cook food for the whole station. (Through out the Air Force I found my husband, Clay Holden who trained pilots and am still married to him.)
The General also invited my husband and me to his private bomber which flew around the eastern states. The bomber had all the seats taken and fitted with comfortable couches, a bar, and a bathroom. Overall I think was has changed so much in so little time. When the atom bomb was dropped that was a huge moment in history, now we have nuclear weapons that we can launch off the coast and start the next World War."
Jacob Truxal
Idaho Mountain Express
The Greatest to Z: Generational Conversations
Stacy Smith, Period 6
October 15, 2012
The Life of Eugene Dade
This story is about Eugene Dade, my grandfather. As you read this story I would like for you to think of what it would be like to grow up around the time of the Great Depression and what it was like to be drafted into war.
Eugene Dade was born on February 2, 1929, at Grace Hospital in Hutchinson, Kansas. He lived on a 400-acre farm where his family grew wheat, alfalfa for the cattle, and sometimes oats, sorghum, and barley. "Times were good when I was born," said Dade, "the stock market was in a long, speculative boom and the prices for the crops we raised were high. The following October the stock market collapsed, banks failed, and a worldwide depression resulted. Farm prices dropped 60% and foreclosures were prevalent. I was not aware of any farms in our community that were lost in this manner, but the lesson of using credit only if absolutely necessary, if at all, was imprinted on my generation." In addition to the economic troubles, a widespread drought in the 1930s, known as the Dust Bowl Days, greatly affected large parts of Kansas though Dade's family escaped the worst effects.
"Hutchinson was a nice town of 32,000 where everyone knew everyone else and most families had been there for generations. When you went in to town, someone would ask how you were doing and expect a detailed description. You couldn't just say 'I'm fine' or it would be considered rude," Dade said, "the people in the community really looked out for one another."
The house that Dade lived in was in his family for many years. In 1878, Dade's great grandfather moved from Maryland to purchase land in Reno County, Kansas, as part of a development program related to the expansion of the railroad. Through this program, the government encouraged people to develop and settle the land along the railroad line.
In high school it was always understood that Dade would go to college. His parents didn't want him to become a farmer because it was a hard life. Counting on farming as a livelihood was largely dependent on weather and crop prices. When he started college at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kansas, he didn't know what he wanted to do. A number of the kids in his high school graduating class went to college and became doctors. He majored in agriculture because that was what he knew and was interested in. By his junior year, he decided he would pursue research. After receiving his B.S., Dade went to graduate school at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, and ultimately earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy. He specialized in grass seed research and production.
While in graduate school, Dade was drafted into the Korean War. He went through eight weeks of basic training and then eight weeks of engineering where they built bridges and other structures and blew them up. He then went to school for six months in Dundalk, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. "This was a great time," said Dade, "We had weekends off and could drive up to Washington, D.C., and see the sights. I was also able to work on tracing my genealogy. I was exposed to all sorts of other college graduates who had similar interests."
After training, the Army flew Dade to Japan, then the islands of Okinawa and Miyako (a smaller island halfway between Okinawa and Taiwan). Day-to-day life was relatively easy. Dade and his colleagues worked 4½ days a week, which allowed them a lot of free time. There were maids to clean their quarters and waitresses to serve them meals. Dade worked in a photo lab because he had previous photography experience.
After the war ended, Dade went back to the United States and finished graduate school. There he met Caroline Dade, a fellow graduate student who became his wife. Upon graduating, he moved to Prosser, Washington, to take a job with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at a research station. "I enjoyed working for the USDA because I was with young people educated in the same field as me. While Prosser was very small and shopping and any good restaurants were at least 35 miles away, it was a good experience," Dade said. While in Prosser, Dade and his wife started a family.
After 10 years in Prosser, Dade decided to take a job with O.M. Scott & Sons in Salem, Oregon, rather than stay with the USDA and move to Florida. That proved to be a positive move as he stayed in Salem for 34 years, 26 of which he continued to work for O.M. Scott & Sons before retiring.
Six years after retiring, Dade and his wife moved to Boise, Idaho, to be closer to family, and have lived there for the past nine years. In Boise, they appreciate the change of seasons, family-oriented activities, and seeing their grandchildren grow up.
Kierra Lake
Ms. Stacy, 6th period
News Essay
Shana Ackerman's Life as a Teen
My grandmother's biggest adventure growing up was when she was a junior in high school. The drill team was invited to march in Las Vegas and also go to a night show. Their drill team had to dress like they looked older than they actually were, because they had to be at least 21 to get in. She said that she enjoyed the time she had.
Shana Ackerman grew up in Kingston, Utah which is a very small town like Hailey ID. There were only about 20-30 families in the town so they all played together in the evening. They usually played games like hopscotch and red rover. Everyone was accepted and they didn't leave anyone out. They swam in the summer and did winter sports in the winter. They all had to travel about 5-7 miles to get to school. Even at school they all hung out. They were really good friends and helped eachother out with their school work before going out to play.
When Ackerman was growing up everyone's morals were the same and the language was very different from today. They didn't use foul language in the context that we use it in today. They didn't criticize others. The kids dressed the way they lived. Revealing clothing wasn't accepted as it is today. People dressed as if their bodies were temples and they kept them sacred. They were fully clothed and had very different style from today.
Ackerman's plans for the future were to be a secretary. Her plans didn't change at all. She worked hard in school and got good grades to go to college and begin her career as a secretary. Being a secretary back then was a fairly good job. During her senior year in high school the principle asked if she could be the school secretary. She finished her senior year as the secretary and went to the LDS business college in Salt Lake City, Utah. She then worked at FMC (trona mine) as the secretary.
One of the biggest lessons that she learned was dedication. She said that it was good to see the results of all the work she did in school and that it was a job worth doing and doing it well. It takes dedication to get good grades and complete goals for a good future. Some advice she gives to the younger generation now would be to listen to your older generation and listen to the lessons they have learned. You learn a lot from your elders and it can help you with the path you choose to live. They have many lessons and stories for you to learn from.
Ackerman believes that she has lived the time she was given and she wouldn't want to live her life over again. She has many good memories and bad, just like life is suppose to be. She says that she has no desire to go back and make another mess of her life. If she had no choice but to go back in time she would try to be a better mom to her family. Being a mom is a hard job and takes a lot of patience. She said that it is very important to do all you can for your family and that although she was a great at being a mother she could have done some things to improve herself.
She is a great grandmother, she is an amazingly sweet, caring, lady, and an overall outstanding role model to others. Maybe one day you will be lucky enough to meet Shana Ackerman.
Lotta Lindroth
Stacy Smith
Creative Writing; Profile
10/14/12
There are always a million different ways to live your life
What is it like to be a mom, a grandma, be working for the big town and to enjoy your life at the same time? I know a woman, who can handle all of that. My 66-year-old grandma, Tarja Pussinen, who lives in Tampere, Finland, is one of the strongest and bravest people that I ever met. Her life is not that simple, as you would guess.
Pussinen has lived all her life in the same town, which happens a lot in Finland. ''Nowadays if you compare the way kids grow up, it's like comparing day and night. Everything has changed'' She describes her childhood as a happy time of her life, and she enjoyed summers the most. At winter time, kids had to ski to school. Sometimes they could ride a bus, but if it broke, there were kids who were pushing the bus forward. I think those problems are gone nowadays. When she was a child Pussinen had some illnesses through most winters. Also, she mentioned that the living standard wasn't that high. ''After the war, life was modest. But after a while, it improved and there was more entertainment'' During the summer time, all the kids went to the nearest beach. They swam, ate sandwiches and some kids went to the kiosk to buy sodas.
Differences between childhoods now and then are big. In Pussinen's childhood, her own grandma lived with her family. Pussinen's grandma took care of her while her parents were working. In these days, kids spend their free-time with computers, TVs, cellphones and with the other stuff. ''Our family got our first cd-player when I was ten. I felt like I was in heaven, when I was listening Elvis and Bob Dylan. Nowadays I still get goose pumps from the rock music.'' Said Pussinen. Usually Pussinen went out with the other kids. She was the only child in her family, but she had lots of friends. ''Now kids don't have any time to go out and play. They grow up so fast and playing stops early. All the playing, connecting with friends, travelling and TV-shows makes their life different than mine was. Our family got our first TV and phone, when I was fourteen.'' But still, she believes that kids are now brighter and braver, because of all the technology.
Pussinen was working for her hometown for many years. Before that, she studied hard like everyone. Working for Tampere, had been her dream for a long time, so working was fun. Now, when she is in retirement, she enjoys her life in many ways. During the week, she takes English classes, does some sports and meets her friends. She cooks her own food, reads the newspaper every day and helps her relatives, if there's need to. She isn't a normal grandma, in other words, she is a super grandma to me. From her four children and seven grandchildren and soon, two great grandchildren, most of them live abroad. ''If there is need to, I am ready to book a flight and fly to Amsterdam to my granddaughter. Usually at weekends, I'm with my other granddaughter in Helsinki or I take care of Lotta's dog.'' And all that means travelling to her, which is luckily easy in Finland.
''The best things in my life have been having my own children and grandchildren'' Pussinen is a loving mom and a grandma, and she always has an answer if no one else does. For relaxing, the best way to her is to spend time in her summer cottage. Just looking at the view, going to the sauna and seeing the sun go down are things that are really important to her. Pussinen spends as much time as she can in the cottage, and one of her dreams is to be able to do that for a long time. She enjoys the Finnish way of life. '' I'm so proud of our country; all the clean nature around us, the lakes, our seasons, our healthcare and education. There are so many good things in this country.'' But on the other hand she enjoys travelling also. As normal for Finnish people, she travels to the north part of Finland and to the south part of Europe every year for a vacation. She has a group of friends that she travels and shares all the experiences with. ''The trip to Kenya, was the most memorable of them all. There was so much stuff to see. All the people with the poor standard of living impressed me. When I arrived back to Finland, our way of life and spending money felt horrible for a long time to me.'' Says Pussinen.
One of her biggest experiences has been saving a young dog, Kassu, from their neighbors. They were going to take him to the vet, for his last trip. Pussinen and her husband, my grandpa, heard about it, and took the dog. ''I'm allergic to dogs, but we agreed with Lotta's grandpa, that we take the risk and take him. He became best friends with Lotta. Kassu brought meaning to our lives and warmth to our home, when our kids moved away. He lived with us for nine good years, and I think his mood was the reason I didn't feel allergic.'' She said.
The best advices to people from Pussinen are to be yourself and to remember that also the bad things are a part of life: you just have to be gracious to yourself. She encourages young people to pursue their own dreams. She would not change anything in her life, because all the things are meant to happen. ''You have to be merciful to yourself. I can only be grateful for everything I have received from life. My biggest dreams right now are living with my children and grandchildren, and to see them grow.'' She says.
Mia Hartman
Period 7
10-17-12
Magazine Article
Journey Through the Life of Lillian Herron
Grandma Lillian Herron was born on September 25, 1956 in Houston, Texas. Shortly after Herron was born, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. Around the time when she was ten years old, the Watts Riots began in L.A. Herron's mom and dad, Lupe and Frank, decided to take refuge in West Covina, California. After the police got order, Herron and her family journeyed back to L.A. to gather items from their home that weren't looted or taken. Shortly after that, they moved to Bell, California. This is where she spent the rest of her life growing up.
As a teenager, Herron grew up on the 'Golden Coast', otherwise known as a little town of Bell, California. Just going to school still wasn't enough for this courageous teen. She first started working at a hamburger joint, but since even that wasn't enough on top of school, she got another job at a woman's clothing store. She spent her free time and weekends camping out on the beach, having bonfires, and surfing. Herron says that when she was not working or in school, she and her many friends would camp out on the beach, and have a raging bonfire because back then, that was allowed. Getting up early before work or school and surfing were how a lot of her days were started.
When Herron was growing up, she grew up in the "Hippie Days", and at 16, fashion is everything. Herron shares, "I would wear a headband around my forehead, my hair in braids, flowers drawn on my face, and a peace sign around my neck--dangling from a leather string." Patchouli Oil was really popular back in those days as well. Herron's mother didn't appreciate when her daughter would wear it, because she said it smelt like, 'wet dirt', well what could a 16 year old fashionable hippie girl say? It was the fad. Another one of Herron's favorite things to wear was her fringe boots. Braids, bell bottoms, a dab of Patchouli, and peace signs; that was the ultimate trend.
Herron says the way kids grow up today is a lot different from how kids grew up in the 70's, when she grew up. "There was a lot of segregation when I grew up, kids today grow up with a ton more freedom. Adolescents are very outspoken and don't have the respect that they had back in the older eras. Kids also don't respect their elders especially which is very rude and uncalled for," says Herron, as she reflects on the days of her youth. But now, Herron says, everybody is equal. When Herron was raising her children, she would always have her boys hold open doors as a sign of respect toward woman. Now, when Herron enters, or attempts to enter into a store, restaurant, etc. boys and girls both, push past her and don't have enough respect to hold open a door for her.
While Herron was growing up, her Mother had one thing in mind for her future: to get a husband and become a stay at home, house wife. Although that was Herron's mother's plans, she realized that she wanted more to life than that. Even though Herron has a successful business in Boise, Idaho, and four children she loves very much, she looks back and realizes that she still could have done more with her future. But she is still content with what she has now.
"Stay in school. Pay attention. Travel." This is some of the advice Herron gives younger generations. Herron looks back and wishes she would have done these things. These things are her regrets and advice. Learn from older generations, parents, grandparents, they know. When a mother advises a child to pay attention and stay in school, it's not because she wants to torture her children with knowledge; it's because these might have been some of the things she didn't do and wishes she did. Herron says, "Don't question you're mother or father... listen to parents because they have been through life. They tell you stuff to make you have a better life and not to struggle or go through things like they did." Another piece of advice is to try and get a career that you like. If a person doesn't like her job, she obviously didn't put enough effort into in school. Have a job that will give you a bright, fun, and love-filled future.
Lupe Grimaldo is the woman who influenced her daughter, Lillian Herron the most. Herron's mother was always hard working and took great care of her children. She always made sure that Herron, her sister Rose, and brother David, had what they needed. Their mother also taught them a lifelong lesson: to love each other and care for each other. Lupe would always tell her daughters, "Take care of your looks." Herron and her sister assume that their mother wanted them to do that because she was scared that they would get ugly and not find a husband. But Herron and Rose knew that even if they did turn out ugly, they would win anybody with their caring and loving personalities. Taking after Herron's own mother, Herron got influenced to be a good mother as well. To be a hard worker, one must pass down the lesson to love and care for each other.
When Lillian Herron passes away, she is going to be remembered. She will be remembered as a wonderful Mother and Grandmother. She will be remembered as an amazing cook. People, family, and friends will remember how she could bring joy everywhere she went. Lillian Herron is a great grandma. She is a great mom, and also she is a great person to look up too.
Nelson Cantrell
Ms. Stacy, Period 5
October 14, 2012
The Greatest to Z
Living During the War
One of Grandma Ellen's clearest memories of her childhood was during World War II. Ellen Woodward, was in 9th grade when Pearl Harbor was bombed. They didn't have a television, so any news was heard from others, or on the radio. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan.
This affected her family greatly due to the fact her brother was called to serve overseas right away. Ellen's brother, Ralph, was thirteen years older and was in the Coast Guard, in the war he served in the 161st Infantry in the army. The 161st Infantry was an Infantry in the United States Army and the Washington Army National Guard, which was stationed in Spokane, WA where Ellen and her family lived. She remembers writing letters to him and when he wrote back all the mail was censored. Postal censorship was done by the government, this involved opening the mail, examining it and sometimes the mail was confiscated if it talked of any military tactics, positioning, basically anything the enemy could use against the U.S.
During the war certain foods and items were rationed. She remembers sugar and butter as some of the foods rationed during this time. Each family was given a certain number of stamps to make their purchases with. Once all the stamps were used up they would have to wait till the next stamps were given out. Gas was also rationed, but this did not affect her family very much since they didn't have a car. Metal and rubber were scarce since they were used to make military vehicles and weapons for the war.
Each neighborhood had air raid drills periodically. A volunteer warden would come around to each house making sure all shades were drawn, lights were off, and no lights were shining through. This made the town dark so it could not be seen from the sky.
Many High School kids had to take public transportation for dates, and activities, because gas was rationed. Ellen remembers one prom date where the fellow she was going with got permission to use his parent's car. Arriving in a car was a big treat then. Three other couples (eight people all together) all piled into the car to go to the prom. She had to sit on her date's lap.
Grandpa Ralph Nelson, a different Ralph, graduated from High School in 1943 and then enlisted in the navy right away. Many young men enlisted right after graduating from High School to help the war effort. He served for three years and then went to college at Washington State University and got a job working for IBM. He met Ellen and got married in 1948.
Growing up in the war helped shape Ellen into the great person she is. It made her the strong, patriotic, and loving person she is. All these traits helped her when tragedy struck. Ralph Nelson was away on business and he passed away in his hotel room. He had diabetes, so it had something to do with that. She had to get a job after being a stay at home mom. She raised all the younger kids all by herself, and all of them grew up to be successful adults.
Growing up during the war and many other things shaped her into the great person she is. I want to thank Ellen Nelson for letting me write this essay on her.
Jazmin Carrillo
The Adventurous Life of Gilbert L. Farr
Gilbert Farr was born on October of 1920 in Mid-West Illinois. Farr was born during the great depression.
Farr was an average kid in school. Because he grew up through the great depression he never really thought of what he wanted to be. He used to think that the great depression would never get better. So he would never think about what he could be there were no options. Thought that the future would just bring what it brought. Farr went to high school through the years of 1934-1938.
Because of the great depression Farr saw it best to join the army aircrew. He joined to help WWII in his early 20's. Because of the war the great depression soon faded thanks to all the jobs that were offered like ships, planes, & bullets. Farr had 65 missions piloting back and forth from the pacific. He would pilot and drop bombs on the opposing country.
Farr tells us that the great depression was due to the collapse of the stalk market. Farr has no regrets in life. But if he could go back in life he would learn how to dance better. Farr remembers that when he was 20 years old life was faster than it is now. Farr is also a retired forest ranger for the National Idaho Forrest.
Farr's advice to younger generations is "Education is Key to the future, stay in school and get all the learning you can!" Farr says, "If I would have known what I know now I would have gotten more education, all of the education I could get".
Farr has by far lived so many adventures left and still has more to find out. Farr lives in Bellevue and enjoys riding motorcycles on sunny days. Farr always has a smile on his face and once in a while goes on faraway trips to bike. Farr has had the most adventurous life that I have ever known and I am so glad he is in mine.
Carol Hoffman
Stacy Smith period 7
10/15/12
Greatest to Z
No Regrets
"There is someone in this house who is always right; the other one is me," says Dale Voris.
Dale Voris, age 71, is eternally young. His maturity level might be described as that of a child; perhaps this is because he was forced to mature at the ripe age of 19. This was when Voris was first married (to his high school sweet heart). He worked over the next four years and was soon juggling working at a ranch with marriage and raising three children, all while attending Cal Poly. This all did not follow his plan of going to college to become a forest ranger. If he were to take one thing from it all it would be that hard work never hurt anyone, and the harder one works, the luckier they become.
Voris grew up in southern California during a time when life was much, much simpler. Homes were smaller with just one bathroom and the entire family shared a single car. The kids just played outside with the other neighborhood kids and the mothers would call them in for dinner, after all the mothers were home all day. No one had iphones, computers, or tablets; in fact, the most advanced technology was the black and white television.
Life may have been very different, but Voris certainly didn't lack ambition. After working his way through college at Cal Poly and graduate school at San Jose State, he proceeded to move his family to Idaho, where he worked at a forest products company. He and his wife Pat continued raising their children. He says that seeing his children grow up was the most exciting adventure in his life. He balanced his parenting with being a fun and playful dad while equally disciplining them. He always had his children's best interests at heart and encouraged them to pursue their interests.
In 1980 Voris still had the desire to create a better future for himself and his family. He had the opportunity to partner in a truss company where he handled the business end and his partners took care of the manufacturing. The company (Idaho Truss) started with just nine employees and one facility and by the time it was sold in 2000 they had 120 employees and two facilities. He says that the company was built on excellent customer service and committed employees who created quality products during a time when the economy was on the rise. As the company grew it gained customers who then supported it. Voris says that buying a business and making it successful was his biggest adventure in life.
Voris now enjoys the life of a retiree, although he still does business here and there. He really enjoys working in his shop, hunting, riding motorcycles, going on trips and spoiling his grandkids. One way he treats them is by going on family vacations; his favorite trip so far has been when they went to Washington D.C. in 2007. The family took tours of multiple museums and historical sites and really got the feel of colonial America. Learning about the sacrifices our founding fathers made while establishing our country really interested him.
Voris has no regrets in life and says he wouldn't do anything differently, but he does have a few things he's learned in life that he would pass on to future generations. He says to work hard but enjoy life and never take things for granted. He also says choosing a compatible spouse is a wise choice. He has had a life full of excitement and adventure because of his commitment to success. His life is a wonderful example of the differences between generations and how times have changed.
Quinn Le
Miss. Stacy, Period 7
Idaho Mountain Express Assignment
October 15, 2012
The Good of War
Minh Tran was born on March 15, 1937. That would make him 75 years old today. He has three kids: two girls and one boy. His youngest child, one of the daughters, is 38 years old, the middle child, the son, is 44 years old, and the oldest child, the other daughter, and is 47 years old. He's been married to Phuong Huong Do for 48 years. They got married sometime in 1964 during the Vietnam War.
He grew up in Da Nang with enough money to pay for his family's basic needs like buying food, clothes, and an education for his siblings and him. He said that kids in the newer generation are lucky today because they don't have to pay as much for their education and that they have large amounts of programs that help with food and clothing need.
The biggest adventure he went on was when he helps the United State fight and translate to the Vietnamese Soldiers, who were fighting with the United State and against North Vietnam, commands and Instruction for a little more than half of the war and got arrested on 1966. He was in jail for 10 years and got out one year after the war ended.
The biggest lesson he learned is that if you help others you will eventually get something back. He told me before the war when he got married he tried to enter the United State through a difficult process and got denied. But one year after the war ended he tried again and he got accepted.
When I asked him if he could relive is life over again would he do anything different. He told me why would he if the outcome of all his choices from the past came out great. Tran said "If I changed something in the past I don't know if I would be married, be in the United State, or have great grandchildren." He also mentioned that if you change something in your life it could also change something in someone else's life.
He has many advices to give younger generation. Here are the few that he told me: work hard and stay in school, don't do drugs, go to college, don't spend too much time on the computer, don't put yourself down, don't give up on something that is difficult, try new things, and my favorite don't give up when you hit an obstacle in life because at the end of the obstacle there is an award.
Tran never did drugs, drank alcohol, or smoked when he was under twenty years old. In fact, his exact words are, "I never smoked or did drugs ever in my life, but I did drink when I first came to the United State for celebration, of course."
Tran is currently living in Virginia with his wife Phuong Huong Do. He is living in an elderly care house. He is proud of his daughters not so much his son but the reason behind that is private, and he has lots of grandchildren to watch over and love.
Marco Martinez
One of the biggest adventures Ms. Canham had was right after high school. She was an exchange student in Spain for a year. Another big adventure for her was kayaking the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. She grew up on the East Coast.
There were more 2 parents families back then, fewer moms worked outside jobs, technology was different. Title IX had not been passed so there were not many sports opportunities for girls.
When she went to high school she wanted to be a nurse. After returning from Spain, she wanted to be a doctor, her plans hanged because a doctor's profession seemed too intense and she did not do well around blood, she studied social work instead. One of the biggest lessons she learned was "Do what makes you happy".
One piece of advice that she would give this generation is, "Value quiet and reflection". Something she would do differently is be more athletic. When she was a little girl, she would have researched her career in college better. She would've traveled more. S
he doesn't have any regrets. What she did in ninth grade was, she didn't go to high school (there was no such thing), and instead she went to Jr High. Something that was differently was that there was a smoking area for students, something she said that was interesting was that the teacher lounge had blue air from all the cigarettes, she said now a day's its way healthier. Something else she said that I thought was important in Texas was the sports. The World Series happened in September instead of October so kids were allowed to bring their transistor radios with ear plugs to class to listen to the series. In her P.E class they (the girls) had to wear shorts uniform and every year she had to take the president physical fitness test. Girls at her school could no wear jeans or pants.
One thing she said that was different from her child hood to modern child hood was that there were more super vision for kids at home because most mothers did not have outside jobs. She thinks that kids were more independent in their decision making, because their weren't cell phones or Google so people had to think more on their own. The clothes were much more modest. Probably more people attended church.
The United States and Russia were enemies. When she was in elementary school she had drills for nuclear attacks. She and her class would go out into the hall way and crouch down with their head covered by their hands. At the time she did not realize that that position would not save her or her class mates if a nuclear bomb went off. She never practiced code reds.
When she was growing up, there were fewer fast food restaurants. There was only one McDonalds for miles around. Usually people went to McDonalds for a special occasion because most meals were cooked at home. Part of that was because so many mothers stayed at home during the day. Also the quality of fast food wasn't that great. It took longer to prepare meals because there were no microwaves. Also there was less prepared food in the super markets.
The music they played back then was rock and roll. There was a strong influence in music from England. When she was in 6th grade, the Beatles came to the United States for the first time.
In some ways she said it was more dangerous to grow up at the time she did because people didn't wear bike helmets and not too many people used seat belts in their cars. Most cars didn't have seatbelts. What do you like more now then you did back then? Something she likes and dislikes is the ease of communication. For instance, when her daughter was in college it was very easy to stay in touch with her. When Ms. Canham was in college, once a week she would call home. It was a very long distance and expensive. She usually wrote letters instead of calling.
Amanda Passey
A Changing Lifetime
Norma Hepworth is a woman with many experiences and wise words to share. Born in 1940, Norma has lived through World War II and has been a part of the change between the 20th century and the 21st century. Norma was born in Jerome, ID and grew up on a farm. She shares with us many of the differences between life growing up then and how kids are brought up today. One of the biggest differences she sees between her generation and the current one is that children back in her time understood the value of hard work and the value of a dollar. She began working on the farm at the age of 14 years old. She credits a lot of her life to hard work because that was how her family kept a roof over their heads and food on the table.
One day, while working in the potato fields, Norma met her future husband, John Hepworth. John was 16 years old and Norma was 14 years old at the time. They married soon after finishing high school. Marriage was quite the adventure! Not long after the young couple married, John joined the Navy. This led to one of Norma's most memorable experiences.
It was 1985 and Norma's husband, John, was on duty in the Navy. On that particular day, John was in a submarine traveling through the ocean. Unknown to him, they passed right through the Bermuda Triangle. The unique part of this memory is that while they were passing through the Triangle, 500 feet below the water, a hurricane roared above them. John surfaced with a new story to tell and Norma welcomed her husband home with a new perspective on gratefulness and marriage.
In 1985, Norma was able to say that she has ridden in an atomic submarine. This is an experience she will never forget! In fact, this was the same submarine that became the very 1st to surface on the North Pole. Another experience that Norma is fond of is when she and a few of her friends took a trip up to Washington DC and New York for 10 days. The most special and touching memory from this trip is when she stood on the very top of the Twin Towers. Not knowing what would happen in the future; this experience is very meaningful years later.
Now that Norma has lived through many years of experiences, she knows a few things. She says that the most important thing is family. Materialistic things won't do anything. They won't change your life and they won't always be there, but family is. Spend time with those you love and cherish the moments you have to share with them.
Reflecting on her life many years later, she decides that the only thing she would have changed about her life is education. She recalls not having nearly enough funding to make it into college. Now, she is certain that she would do everything possible in order to go to college after finishing high school. She says (speaking of this generation): "They think they can make it without education…" Norma realizes that this is an extremely important part of life and encourages all people to try their hardest to receive an education beyond high school.
Norma Hepworth is a lady with incredible values and stories to share. She is a lady who has grown up working hard and has lived through incredible breakthroughs in human society. Through the hard teenage years working in blistering heat to the raising of children and the adventures of marriage, Norma has remained an incredible example and woman. May we all look up to her for her courage, strength and wonderful personality.
Morelia Pedraza
Work Hard, Play Hard
At seventy-three years old, Reynalda Castanos, doesn't really have anything going on in her life, well besides going out to parties and clubs, going to Disneyland occasionally, and literally shopping until the rest of us drop. Yeah, she's living quite the mellowed out lifestyle of the typical senior citizen isn't she? But Reynalda's life wasn't this glamorous growing up. As a poor farm girl, living in Gomez-Palacio, Durango, Mexico, my grandmother was raised out of practically nothing.
Every day, since the day she can remember, she had to do chores: cleaning, hand-washing the clothes, cooking, sewing, taking care of the farm animals and making clothes. She didn't even have time to play she wasn't even allowed to. She had to focus on her chores and that was it. She didn't even get to finish middle school; she had to quit going to school and, just do her chores. But life on a ranch wasn't always about work; she occasionally had the chance to go out and taste the very little bit of freedom that she had.
She remembers her childhood clear as the blue skies of Mexico−well back when it wasn't so polluted−such as being thirteen and half years old and walking to her neighbor's house every evening to watch the daily soap opera. Of course who doesn't love their soaps? And to enjoy the blurry, unclear shows of the black and white television, comes with a price. Oh, you thought watching T.V. at your neighbor's house was free? Then you are sadly mistaken. Castanos had to pay her neighbor to watch T.V, except not with money but maybe an egg or two or a bag of corn and beans or a quart of fresh milk. It was pretty much like modern day cable service, but without all of the contracts, bills, and risk of getting your cable shut down because you forgot to pay your overly-priced monthly bill.
At the ranch, sheep were used for trading and bargains, the pigs for their meat, the cows for freshly made cheese and milk, the horses for pulling around all the wagons, and the bulls to plow out the fields for sugar cane, corn, and beans. There was no technology at the ranch, not even a phone. After all my great-grandmother thought that telephones were the work of the devil.
Castanos and her sister, were in charge of making their own clothes. Their dad would go out and trade sheep for yards and yards of cloth, so they can make their floor-length skirts or their long-sleeved dresses and shirts. Occasionally Castanos and her sister would get the rebellious urge to make their clothes how they wanted. By trimming the skirts and dresses so they go to their ankles. My great-grandfather would ask them, "Hey, girls, why are your skirts so short? Do you think you can make them longer?" Castanos and her sister will reply innocently, "Well, daddy, there wasn't enough cloth!" Their father would then make a mental note to himself every time to buy more cloth next time. But he was obviously clueless about the extra scraps of cloth that were hidden away in the back of the closet…
At fourteen years old, boy, did Castanos's life take a wild turn. She got married off to a local boy in her small town, he then moved her into a ranch of their own. Back then, it was completely normal to get married at such a young age, and to have a lot of children. You think four or six kids is a lot? Try 25 kids. Yep, that's how many kids Castanos had by the age 35. Sadly, only half of them survived−the others died of illnesses as babies. Her life didn't change much after she had kids. She did have a lot more to do than she did when she was younger, including taking care of all the kids and babies, and making sure they don't set the house on fire.
She doesn't regret having all of her kids; she regrets not finishing school, and getting married at such a young age. As she would wash the dishes, and stare out the kitchen window, she would imagine relaxing on a nice sandy beach, wearing diamond necklaces, and sipping ice cold lemonade. She would daydream of traveling to many countries, going to elegant balls and buying whatever she wanted. She would always snap out of her paradise when she heard a loud cry from one of her kids. She would go back to her life as a mother. She tends to cuts and scrapes and kissing each one of them to make her kids feel better.
Now Reynalda tries to live her life to the fullest−well as much as she can before her knees start getting sore. She says she's making up for the things she never got to do growing up. That includes going to clubs and parties with her grandchildren, shopping for clothes that aren't even in her age group at the mall; apparently ruining her grandkid's "game" with the ladies (as if he has any), eating all different types of food, listening to "hip", new music that the kids are listening to nowadays and trying to understand the concept and the controls of the video game Call Of Duty.
"Finish all of your education first, then after you make all that money, go out and do whatever crazy wild thing comes to mind," Reynalda tells me this everyday; not letting me forget it. You can bet that she'll definitely like one of those shirts that say, "Work Hard, Play Hard" that all the kids are wearing now.
Bailey Rierden
Smith
Greatest to Z
10-18-12
Living in the Moment
Throughout the process of being interviewed, Jo Ann Boltinghouse kept saying one thing; "everyone should live smart, live in the moment, and live with no regrets." When asked about her greatest adventure she responded with an unexpected answer.
"My greatest adventure was my admission to college experience. I had not planned on college, as my parents did not feel they could afford it and my father felt that girls didn't need an education to be a mother and wife. I had gone to my church camp the summer I graduated (1953) and as I talked with two ministers they felt I should go to college. So they made arrangements for me to be enrolled (although I had not paid any money). They helped me apply for a Methodist National Scholarship – because of my activity with the state youth program, my grades, etc. I entered Simpson College in the fall of 1953 with no money paid to the college. By November I had received a "full ride" scholarship from the Methodist National Board and I was official. In looking back I realize how very lucky I was – I don't think this could be done today." said Boltinghouse.
The fact that women are given much higher expectations nowadays shows that our society is advancing. Many women love being stay at home moms and loving wives, but women are looked at in a different way than they were in earlier times, because now they're looked at as equals of men. The proof that women don't need a career to be happy comes from Boltinghouse's next response where she discussed her greatest accomplishment.
"Although I have had lots of awards, etc. my biggest accomplishment is being a wife for 57+ years and having 3 wonderful children. Being a wife and mother are the best that has happened to me!" exclaimed Boltinghouse.
Boltinghouse is a successful author, business woman, teacher, mother, wife, and much more. She is a mother of three and a grandmother, which makes her the ideal person to ask about advice for the younger generations.
Boltinghouse said, "My advice to the younger generation is to think before they act. With today's speed of the internet, Facebook, etc. so many things that are said and done are with you forever. The choices that are made as a young person and young adult are life altering. Just be careful. My closing for talks that I give to students is:
The choices that you make today will affect the rest of your life!" With Boltinghouse's wise words and amazing leadership, the younger generations, or anyone for that matter, could learn so much from her and the way she lives her life.
Boltinghouse talked about her childhood and what she did for fun as a child. When compared to modern day kids and technology, it strikes the thought of how times went from being so simple to now.
She is dedicated to each and every thing she does, and that could be a lesson to kids of the future. To end the interview Boltinghouse was asked if she could go back and live her life differently, would she? And if she had any regrets.
Her response was short and sweet, "No, if anything I would enjoy each minute more, but I would not change anything else." concluded Boltinghouse.
This shows even more of her great attitude towards life and the ambition that helped her to achieve so much. If one major lesson was learned from this interview, it was to live in the present and live each minute to its fullest potential with no regrets. If this is done it will help to make others live to their full potential, just like Jo Ann.
Mari Ruiz
News paper Article
Period 5
October 16, 2012
Uncle Milton
Uncle Milton remembers when he didn't finish high school because his family was going to move to Missouri. Melton did not want to move with them so his Dad told him that if he wanted to stay in Hailey he had to help them move. So he helped his family move and came back to Hailey by himself. He could not afford to live by himself so he had to go out and find jobs that would help him support himself. His first job was working at the City Meat Market making $24 a week. His second job was running the projectors at the State Theater at night making $40 a week to afford buying a car. After working the Theater job he started working at Anderson Bakery. When he left Anderson he went to work at the Triumph Mine at age 17 until it closed in1946-1957(11yrs), he had to lie about his age. Another year later he got married to Arlene Worthington.
Milton grew up in Idaho Falls, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Hailey. When he lived in Hailey he was only 11yrs old in 1940. When Milton was growing up his dad was a minor for work, during the depression in 1929. There wasn't a lot of work, there was only farming, and mining. If you wanted to have a job you would have to go into the city. There was no work for teenagers like there is today. He only knew how to farm and mine, so his first job of mining was when he got called out to a mine a little ways out of Arco in Sparkswell. He was lowered 500ft down 25in. in a hole prospecting for gold.
He Stayed with Morrison Knudsen Company down in Navajo Dame in Farmington New Mexico High scaling (cleaning the rocks off the front of the Dame). He worked the small log silery tunnel was a shift four men tunnel. He worked in Denver, Co to the titan 1 misslebase, shaft four men (his crew was drilling Missle shaft 44ft diameter and 120ft deep. He went to Rapid City, South Dakota, and worked the same job that he did in Colorado. Went to Atlas Missle shaft (Oklahoma) where he did the same job as he did in the other places, but had a different job (Shaft Super intendent). Then he went to Little Rock Arkansas Titan 2 which is bigger than Titan 1 again he did the same job. From there he went to Sedalia Missouri for Morrison Knudsen which was the largest mining construction in the world at that time, he was the shift four men for the minute man 1 missle. Then he went to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he was also a four man for the 1 missles. Next he went to Grandforx, ND where he did the same thing that he did in the other two jobs, but was promoted to be the Shaft Super Intendent. Then Great falls, Montana and did the same work, and was a minute man making the last base which was the hardest part to put in.
His next job was working in Libby, Montana with Walsh and Grove Company building the Libby Dame, railroad, and relocation tunnel where he was a four man building the largest tunnel in the U.S. (7.5miles). He worked at Queen Mine in1966 in Hailey as a minor for 2yrs; he advanced into the position of being the head boss, worked during the grave yard shift which was 900ft down. In the same year he started working for the chief Deputy being the State mine Inspector in South Idaho. When he was done being the mine inspector he moved back to Hailey and worked at the Independent mine Contractor and started mining a 500ft tunnel in Deer Creek. After this job he moved back to Hailey to become a logger. When he was done being a logger he finally retired. He has been retired for 22yrs now. Twenty five years later he went and got his GED(35yrs old) taking all five tests at the same time, passing them all too. He said that "You can still learn without going to school if you have a desire to learn". While he was doing all this traveling with Morrison Knudsen he was driving his own trailer house with him where ever he went. 40ft 8ft wide sold it in Missouri after selling his first trailer home he bought another one that was 10ft by 55ft.
Milton said that since you learn every day his hardest lesson to learn was being honest with people and having to deal with paying bills. The advice that he would give kids today is to be honest with people and truthful with everything you do. He was only 15 when World War11 happened and actually tried to get in but he had to be 18 to get in and that was in 1941.He also said that he had no regrets from the choices that he made in his life time.
Hayden Tullis
Miss. Stacy
Greatest to Z
10/18/12
Memories of Older Days
Judy Wydick's worst high school memory was made at a dance. It wasn't any dance, it was a dance that was crowning the king and queen as the assassination of John F. Kennedy took place. Wydick said, "Everyone was in tears, and everyone was sent home early that day." Also made during her high-school years was the memory of seeing the "man on the moon," the most famous streaming in history. Along with these high-school memories were ones made during her childhood years.
On a very special day, Wydick's brother was born. Wydick's loved childhood memory was when she got a bike, she said, "with green and yellow flowers," and all she would do was ride it around.
Wydick always loved to ride in the Victorian style cars and always hated to even see, "Those fat cars with the skinny windows," and still hates them today. Her hate for them was complete with her hatred shown even speaking the words was shown during our conversation.
Wydick's favorite things to look at are the beautiful Victorian mirrors that, even now, she has hanging all around her house. Those antique Victorian pieces attract her because of their swirling design unlike her opposite feelings towards the "straight" items of today. Wydick's favorite house is the one she lives in today, it's small and stuffy but it feels like a home to anyone who visits and many people have visited Wydick's home. Most people's favorite observation and Wydick's favorite thing about the home is the flowers and crops grown by her and her husband, John Wydick.
Wydick met John during a trip to another place and believed it was love at first sight, as if she had seen it in a dream given by god to her. In her dream were images of her future children smiling down at her s well as her current husband.
Wydick wants one thing from today's generation, as Wydick says, "Keep the ten commandments!" Wydick says it is, "A real good virtue to go by, and if you have a broken heart, you've probably broken the Ten Commandments."
Tyesha Trombetta
October 18, 2012
Interview final
My Hero, The Soldier
Ronald R. Bell is a hero to many people for all the things he has done. Including serving the United States in the nave for 2 years, and being a hard worker with everything he needs to live. He said that he grew up mostly in Hermiston, Oregon. The biggest difference between Idaho and where Bell grew up was that Hermiston is on flat prairie land and where he currently lives in Juliaetta, Idaho is up in the hills of the Snake river canyon, and that there is a lot more water here.
The biggest adventure Bell has ever had was he said, "When I was in the navy for two years." While he was a part of the service he got to travel everywhere. He went to places like Japan, Midway Island, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and off the coast of Vietnam.
In high school Bell stated that he planned to go to junior college to become a mechanic but ended up in the navy for two years. After he got out of the navy he went to college in Pasco, Washington for two years and became what he wanted to be, kind of, a mechanic. He got an associate's degree in applied science.
His greatest lesson that he said that he learned was, he said,"Life is not fair but if you mind your Ps and Qs you should get out of the hard parts somewhat okay."
He said next, for advice for the next generation, also known as our generation was that you must realize that the world does not owe you anything and that if you want to get something you have to work for it and hopefully earn the right to do what you came for.
He said "Yes I was born when World War two was occuring, but only 3 years before it ended." Bell may not have been in the war but his father had been as a shooter in the bottom of a helicopter in the attack on Japan and he was there when Pearl Harbor happened. His plane was shot down and he lost his knee cap. He would have been interviewed instead except he passed away a couple of years before. Bell, though, was in fact patrolling the Coast of Vietnam during the beginning of the war. He was lucky enough not to be drafted when they did start.
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He said there was nothing he regretted or wish he could change. He said in a whole he had no regrets, sure there were some small things that he wished were not existent, but he said,"I have more than I need to live." In an overall He was happy with how things turned out. Most people wish that they could live without any regrets and he said, "Remember some people don't always see the same way as you, but if you know that it is the right thing to do, do it and do it proudly."
He is an incredible man and most would consider him a hero.
Sara Lichtenberg
Adventures, Accomplishments, and Lessons to be Learned
Susan Smith has learned a lot about her life and how decisions affected her career and her everyday life. Smith reminisced that her biggest adventure was, "when I took a bus, all alone, from southern California to Oklahoma." At the time Smith was only 17 years old, blinded by love. On the journey to Oklahoma there were many stops, some were exciting and memorable, and others were very frightening for her. "At some of the stops there were strangers that seemed skeptical, and there were drunk Indians at another," Smith recalled. To feel safer and less lonely, she befriended a kind, older woman and acted as if she were traveling with her, so it would not seem as if she were a young girl traveling alone (which she was). After Smith luckily made it to Oklahoma safely, she decided to ease her parent's worries and call them to let them know where she was and that she was alright. "Although traveling on a bus alone across the country without telling my parents wasn't the best choice, I did learn a lot from my mistakes on that trip," Smith concluded.
Smith explained the biggest lesson she learned in life was no matter what you are doing, where you are, how much you are or aren't getting paid, you should always present the best work that you can. She told the story from one of her first jobs. She was grateful when she got hired for her first job at a fabric store. In the beginning, she always did her best and tried hard to please the manager and customers. The first while she worked there, she was a very committed, organized, worker who seemed to hardly make mistakes. As she got more comfortable, and realized she was working too hard for such a low paying job, she started to slack. She started showing up late for work, didn't know where any of the merchandise was, and she just wasn't zoned into her job. While she was still thinking she was doing enough, to her surprise, she got fired harshly and replaced in a matter of months. From this experience, she learned to better communicate and to always do her best in work and in daily life.
Smith's life turned out much differently than the one she had planned and thought she wanted when she was in high school. As she got closer to ending her high school career, she thought she might be interested in becoming a teacher. She was very patient, loved to help kids, and thought it might be an ideal choice for her. Smith found out her parents couldn't afford to send her to college, but that ended up not mattering when the school counselor told her she didn't think Smith was a good enough reader to even go to college. After this, Smith was disappointed but still graduated high school and moved on. She decided to get a job and send herself through school at the community college. Although Susie went through quite a few jobs, the last job she had before she retired was being the Senior Construction Inspector for the Department of Public Works, City of Los Angeles. Even though this is not the career she thought she would have in high school, she ended up being very proud of what she accomplished. "Sometimes things can't go as planned, but either way, you can always work hard to accomplish something to be proud of," Smith discovered.
Christina Leyba
Could you imagine growing up on a farm in today's world? Rising before the sun every morning to complete all of your chores before going to school. Pulling on your mucking boots and strolling out into the back forty to bring the cows into the barn to be milked. Then off to feed them along with horses, chickens, lambs, pigs and bottle-feed the calves. All of this taking place before breakfast followed by a long day of learning. This is the life that brothers Richard and Gary Castle lived as they grew up on a farm on Silver Creek near Picabo, Idaho. A life of hard work and responsibility, with others lives dependant upon them.
They will both tell you they grew up completely different than children today. Kids today have no work ethic, no responsibility and feel that they are entitled to everything they want. Their greatest advice to today's generation is to focus on something and follow through. That and don't count on tomorrow. LIVE your life for today. You're not guaranteed tomorrow. Don't take things for granted. Gary and Richard had different opinions on the future. Gary's had no plans saying "it's the 70's nobody has plans", he was just happy to wake up every morning, while Richard had one special project in high school that would set a spark and would shape his future. That special project was building a model home, sparking his passion to become a homebuilder. A passion that he feels was his biggest adventure in his life. Both of them have lived full lives with no regrets. And, at 64 and 59 that's an amazing feat.
Now, for the other end of the spectrum we'll turn to Jill Boyle. Jill grew up a city girl in Portland, Oregon. She used to run around with her friends in the woods all day. Once breakfast was over they were off. They never feared for their safety, were never worried about talking to strangers or being abducted. Imagine a time when a parent could feel safe allowing their child to run, play and just be a kid all day and not hover over them, now that is a feeling of safety. Jill and her friends, they lived and they played. They had no responsibility other than just to be a kid.
Jill didn't have any goals when she finished high school. However, her parents did want her to go to college. So, she went with the University of Idaho. Not that the University of Idaho was a bad school. Jill received a good education and had a very successful career. She met some of her dearest friends in life at college. One of the biggest lessons she learned is the importance of having great friends in your life. It's just that her one regret in life is that she didn't go to an exceptional college like Stanford, Yale or Princeton. Boyle's biggest adventure in her life arrived when she was at age 35. It was having a child. She never planned on having children and says she wasn't expecting it. Her son, now 27, has taught her so much about life and he continues teaching her even though she's now 62.
Her advice to the today's young people is to take your risks early in life, when you feel you know everything. Life is a learning experience. You are always learning, whether you realize it or not. Take risks and have a great core group of friends that are in your corner and you reciprocate that friendship. Sometimes in life you have to let some of your friends, as well as your family go and that's okay.
There you have it. Two completely different ways to grow in America. The first a life of responsibility where you worked for everything you wanted it life and nothing was taken for granted. The second, a life of comfort, fun and the expectation of a college education. Which would you choose?
Alina Svidgal
Period 5
The Greatest to Z
10/19/12
Lia Svidgal: Surviving World War II
My biggest adventure was the Second World War. A war is a war. We had to change the place where we were living, we lost our father. But let's skip to my better adventure; College. It was so exciting and then I was in Leningrad (Petersburg), Russia. A beautiful city, I liked the city by itself because the achitecture was outstanding. A lot of entertainment. All kinds of clocks and theaters and whatsoever. Studying in college was also my biggest adventure. Everything was different then what it used to be before; it was so different because first I was born in Tallinn, which was a much smaller city, and then I got to Russia during the war into a very tiny town and we were living in very hard conditions. Eventually I got into this very big city with a lot of people. New college. Lots of friends. The city itself just mesmerized me. It was beautiful.
I grew up in the city of Tallinn, Estonia up to the age of 12. Then I was in Russia during the war and I returned to Estonia at the age of 17. And from there I went to Leningrad to study, and now the life is much easier than it was right after the war. Not to compare. It would have been much easier to study and support myself because I was studying and working to pay the tuition. The life is now completely different than what it used to be in the 1950-53 when I was in college and now it's completely different. Much harder after the war, much, much harder.
My plans for the future at 12… You don't have too certain plans for the future, but I always wanted to finish college. And I accomplished it. I was the first and the only one to graduate college in my family. And I lived in Leningrad alone; I supported myself financially by working and attending college. When I grew up I had a family of my sister, my parents, two brothers, and me. Here I was all alone. Grown up, but all alone. I was 19 when I attended college.
The lesson was to work hard, to study hard, to be assistant, and to learn how to survive. Advice? The same. If you want to achieve something, study. Studying is the most important thing. Study hard. Learn to live independently, and to get over all difficulties, and accomplish your goal.
World War II was like day and night. At the time of the Second World War when I actually grew up from age 12-17, we had a lot of difficulties to grow up and survive. We had to get along with very little. We had no clothes. Food as well as clothing and all kinds of pleasures of life. But now it is completely different. Like I said, hard work and to study. A lot to accomplish. To study and return as an accomplished person. And since everything is achievable and available, life is incomparably easier than it was during the war.
If I could go back and change something about my life, I would have studied more, maybe gotten a different profession. If I had the opportunity to leave and study in America, the United States, my life would have been more satisfying, accomplished, easier, and completley different.
Everything in my life gave me a good lesson and made me stronger. Fortunatley I immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 50, without English language. And it took me a long time to learn the language, to be able to speak the language fluently. And I had to work in the beginning, at jobs not of my profession, but I'm glad that I made this big step and immigrated to the united States. I am happy here.
Daisy Vargas
Article
10/15/12
My Mother is my hero
I referee to my mom as a best friend she that person I can go to whenever I need anything. As a freshman I'm suppose to be writing an article on an elder person, when I was told my article can be about a family member. I thought to myself I'll write about my mom, Esperanza Avila Espinoza is her name she's not an ordinary mother. I didn't interview her we called this more of a girl talk which we have every day of any topic that comes in mind. I began by asking her what her greatest adventure was. When I was your age she said my greatest adventure was to move away from living in Mexico in a small ranch. Esperanza Avila comes from a family of 12 including her self she has 10 brothers and sisters all together. It was very hard living in Mexico as a child when I was about 10 I was already doing chores that today you still can't do.
Her greatest adventure was to move from Mexico to come to the United States and study in Mexico they don't offer colleges like in the United States. Esperanza grew up in Mexico like I had mentioned in a small ranch with 10 siblings. I only have two little brothers that I can't stand half the time but I still love them. It sure was different how kids like your age or younger are growing up today. When turned 10 I was already taking care of my younger siblings helping out with anything I could do around the ranch and house as well. I had to be a genius at math because I would help my mom in the little store she owned .This was a little extra money that we would use to buy clothes and other necessary supplies. She wasn't the only one who would help of course her brothers had to do the harder chores.
Esperanza wasn't the only of one her siblings who wanted to come live in the United States in fact all of them went their separate ways. Before moving to the United States my mom fell in love with my dad Sergio Vargas they got married at age 19. After their marriage a year later they decided to move with my Aunt Imelda to Michigan. Once their lives where set I came into her world and filled her life with joy, my dad wasn't around much he would go to Mexico every month or so.
Esperanza had her second kid Omar Vargas when I was about 5 years old he too was born in Michigan on August 25th of 2002. After Omar's birth Esperanza and Sergio decided to move to Bellevue Idaho. Her third and final son was born in Sun Valley Idaho a year after Omar; he was a boy too and was named Alexis Vargas.
Esperanza feels like living in the United States gives you a better opportunity not only in school but with meeting new friends and visiting different places. My mom did indeed did finish High School but she than moved to the United States. She didn't go to College because she married at a young age . Her plans did change because she only told herself I want to move away and go to college but she never set a goal. It's not that she didn't like school she just wasn't ready and didn't plan ahead of time. Looking back at her life she did say she learned many so many lessons .My mom said she wouldn't change anything in her life because things happen for a reason. "The only thing I would have done different was gone to school so I could have had a better education.
My word of advice for younger generations and for you my daughter is to stay in school go to college and start thinking about what your interested in becoming. It doesn't matter how old you are because it's never to late to be thinking about college four years of High school isn't enough you need more to understand better of what great education is offered out there. I don't have any regrets at all only the fact that I wish I would have gone to college many people always say it's because I have no money it's not always about the money. It's about whom truly wants it if you set your heart and mind out for something you will accomplish it.
Callum Stearns
Growing up Wells
Growing up Matt Wells moved around a lot. Well's father was a geologist and his mother a botanist. He lived everywhere between New Mexico and Montana. Wells's youth was just like many kids from our generation, Wells like many things that kids of the younger generations enjoy, but he believes that kids today have many more options in outdoor activities. He further explained by saying "Kids today have ice skating rinks, Skate Park, and bmx parks. They have so many more things to do than we did when we were growing up.
In high school all he wanted to do was be outside. He loved to ski, mountain bike, run, hike, and rock climb, anything that had to do with the outdoors. Wells's had many interests, some intellectual, and some physical. He was interested in natural history the connection between plants and animals. He spent lots of time skiing and being outdoors. Being considerate of others is his biggest lesson. Wells thinks that being considerate of others is one of the biggest problems with our generation. If you can be considerate of others your life will be much better. Out of many life lessons he has learned so far, he said that being considerate was more important than many other lessons.