HIGH SCHOOL - 1959 TO 1963

 Before I knew it, I was in high school. Sonnie had gone off to college and I was now the oldest in the family. It was an exciting and growing time for me. My first memory of high school was the anticipation of the big welcome Freshman dance held in the school's cafeteria. I was so excited. I had even made a new dress for the occasion. The afternoon of the dance, I had a doctor's appointment for my school physical. We went to Dr. Owens, who happened to be an old neighbor when we lived on Bedford Way. During his examination he found my blood pressure to be slightly elevated and preceded to tell me that  I was 'too damn cockeyed FAT." I was devastated. Now all I saw when I put my dress on to go the dance was a fat girl. Somehow I managed to have a good time but the doctor's comments stayed with me for a long time. 

Determined to lose weight, I would go without lunch everyday at school. Mom would give me lunch money to buy lunch but I would save the money and not eat. Soon the 'baby fat' started falling off quickly and I was looking quite good. With the money saved, I would go to the fabric store, buy fabric and a pattern, and make me a new dress. I could make a dress with about $3.00 worth of fabric. I became quite a good seamstress with all the sewing I was doing at that time.

I must not have looked 'too fat'  because I was elected to be a freshman song leader on the freshman (C) pep squad. This was thrilling to me as it helped increase my self confidence and made me feel like I could do great things. I was subsequently elected as a song leader every year of my four years in high school, with my junior and senior years being the head song leader. We cheer (song) led at all the pep assemblies and at the football and basketball games. Dad would often drive us to the out of town games and he was always in attendance to watch me at the home games. This meant a lot to me. Another thing that Dad did that 'rocked my world' happened the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. We were in Los Angeles, at the home of Durst and Lou Hardy, getting ready to go with them to the beach. I had purchased a new white bathing suit and came out into the living room after changing into it. When my Dad saw me he said, 'When did you get so beautiful.' Wow!!! That was all I needed to know that I was OK and maybe even 'beautiful.'

Other school activities also included acting in two school plays. I took a drama class and was cast as a crazy lady in one of the plays. I can't remember the name but it was a hard, but fun, role to play. The other play I was in was 'Curious Savage,' a classic drama production. The drama teacher needed a boy part cast and since I had such a low voice she asked me if I would play that male part. I agreed and was billed as the mystery guest, George Spelvin. After wrapping towels around my waist to hide my breasts, adding a mustache and the male costume of the time, I pulled it off. I don't think anyone ever found out who George Spelvin was, cause I certainly didn't tell anyone. It was fun to step out of my comfort zone and participate in drama.

I joined the modern dance club and performed in dance concerts for the school, often helping to choreograph the routines. This lead me to trying out for the stake musicals as a dancer. I was a part of two show that were put on and in the second one I was asked to choreograph the dances. It was a challenge as I had never had any formal training as a dancer, but I loved every minute of it.

During the summer, we often took trips down south to Santa Monica beach. When Dad could get off on a Saturday, that is where we headed. We loved body surfing in the ocean and sun tanning on the beach. We would spend the whole day there and then drive back to Bakersfield ( a two hour drive) that night to be home for church the next morning. Often we would come home sunburned and would have to cover ourselves with Noxema cream to soothe the hurt. It was always worth it, though. One time on our way home, we stopped for dinner at a drive-in restaurant. This is where you could order your food from your car and car hops would bring your food to you on a tray that would hook to your window. Dad had ordered a hot roast beef sandwich for himself, complete with mash potatoes and gravy. In the confusion of 9 of us trying to eat our dinner in the crowded car, Dad's dinner got spilled all over him. I think one of the twins had tried to climb over the seat to get in the front seat with Mom and Dad and accidentally tipped Dad's meal onto his lap. Fun times with a car load of seven hungry and tired kids.

We always took at least one vacation each summer. Often we traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah to visit our grandparents. Mom's dad still lived on Yale avenue. I loved going there so I could explore his beautiful terraced gardens that led to a creek at the bottom. Each level brought new beauties and things to do. Dad's parents lived up off of 9th East in a red brick home. It wasn't as big as Dad Elggren's home but we enjoyed being there all the same. I remember grandma's collection of dolls from other countries that she had in her curio cabinet. I, also, remember playing with cousins in their large backyard and their unfinished basement. One summer, between my sophomore and junior year, I traveled to Salt Lake, by myself, to spend a week at Dad Elggren's. I loved spending time with my aunt Sue and Uncle Dave who lived in the basement apartment of Dad Elggren's home. I think it was Sue who took me downtown to get my hair cut. I had kept by hair long for the first two year in high school but the new style was short hair so I had mine cut. I loved it and kept it that way for the next two years. 

Other vacations we took were to Lake Tahoe. Dad loved boats and so every chance he got to borrow a boat and travel to a lake he jumped at it. One summer, Dad's boss had secured for a beautiful home, complete with a cook and maid, overlooking Lake Tahoe. He let us spend a week there and we felt like we were living in the lap of luxury. The house came with its own peer on the lake and a magnificent gold in-board motor boat. We all tried our hand at water skiing and loved the time we spent there. A couple of summers later ,we had another chance to spend a week at Lake Tahoe. The home wasn't quite as luxurious but we loved it just the same. Again, we had access to a boat and took turns skiing behind the boat. I remember a couple a cute boys in the neighborhood that made our stay even more enjoyable for Sonnie and myself.

Starting in 1956, and all through my high school years, Dad was the Bishop of our ward. He was adored by the ward but especially by the youth, including myself. He would go on all the youth outings and everyone wanted to drive with Dad because he would drive fast and be the first to arrive wherever we were going. He was fun to be with and related well to the youth. For a couple of my high school year, he was the seminary teacher for our early morning seminary class, too. We lived right across the street from the church and, even then, I couldn't make it to class on time. Every morning I would come in at least 15 minutes late. Dad was a great teacher and, now, I realized I missed out on the full impact of his teaching.

Then, there was Mom. She was the kindest most gentlest person I knew.  She was devoted to our family, fulfilling our every need as best as she could. She was always home when we got home from school, ready to talk about our day. She always waited up for us at night until we got home from activities or dates.  It was expected that we go into Mom and Dad's bedroom, when we got home, and tell her all about our time away from home. This meant a lot to me and it kept me very aware of the curfew times, knowing Mom would know exactly when I would get home. She was a good cook but our meals were always the same each night of the week.  We could count on spaghetti every Tuesday night before we would go off to Mutual. She, also, consistently made chocolate chip cookies every Tuesday so we could invite our Mutual friends over for cookies afterwards. 

Mom was very creative. She took up oil painting for a while but her love seemed to be making ceramic dolls. She would buy the basic doll and then dress it with specially dipped lace. Often she would hand craft delicate flowers of clay as an accent on the dress. Once the doll was dressed it would be fired so the lace and flowers turned into glass. It was then time to paint the faces, hair, and skin, as well as the details on the lace dress. They were beautiful creations and she had several of them placed around our living room. Sadly, as my brother got older, they became a little rambunctious and often while wrestling or playing ball would knock over and break her beautiful dolls.  I'm sure she felt like crying  when that happened but she was always kind and patient in disciplining the boys. I don't think I ever heard her raise her voice to any of us. (Dad gave me the only ceramic doll that survived the playfulness of the boys and I cherish it.)

Home was always a safe place. I remember when I was 16 and wanting to drive. Dad was busy and hadn't gotten around to teaching me. I was dating Larry Wilson at the time.  He had a car and said he would take be out on the back roads and teach me how to drive. He showed me what to do and I took over the wheel.  All was going fine until the back road crossed a major road. Not being familiar with the car or the road, I didn't even realize where we were. Sadly the car I was driving hit another car. Larry's car was totaled but luckily neither of us were hurt. The passengers in the other car were also unhurt but their car was pretty dented. Larry convinced me to tell everyone that  he was driving so when the policeman came to write up the report that's what we told them. When I got home I felt terrible about lying to the police and to my parents. Because I knew I was in a safe environment, I confessed to Dad that I was driving. He felt terrible and almost blamed himself for not finding the time to teach me to drive himself. He immediately called Brother Wessoner, who was a police officer, and when he got to our home we told him the whole story. Of course, I was cited for driving without a license and had to go before a judge. I was so scared and distraught. I think the judge understood that because he said he felt I had learned my lesson and dismissed the ticket. I was so grateful for a compassionate judge that day. I did eventually get my driver's license, thanks to Dad finding time to teach me.

Our home was not a very big home. Mom and Dad had added a master bedroom and bathroom to the back of the house and turned their old room into a family room. Sonnie slept on a hide-a-bed (a pull out couch) and the four boys shared one room with two sets of bunk beds. Deon and I shared the other bedroom. I loved my sister but she was a slob. I was a neat freak, most of the time, and she wouldn't hang up any of her clothes. I would often get frustrated and just pick up all her clothes that were lying around the room and throw them into her closet. Usually the pile of clothes on the floor of her closet reached the top of her hanging clothes. Other than that we got along fine. 

Another pile of clothes, I remember, was the pile in the laundry room. There was a corner between the wall and the washer and dryer. Because there was no permanent press fabrics back then there was always a lot of ironing that had to be done. None of us, including Mom, loved to iron so, as the clothes would come out of the dryer (or off the clothes line before we had a dryer), they would be put in the corner of the laundry room. If we couldn't find something in our closets, it was usually in the pile waiting for us to iron it. I don't think we ever saw the floor in that corner as it was always piled with clothes.

Back to my bedroom.....The summer between my junior and senior year, I decided our room needed a new look. I talked my Mom into letting me hang wallpaper to brighten up the walls. I picked out the paper and we bought it and the paste for hanging the paper. After I cut the length of paper needed, I would spread it out on the floor and spread the paste onto it with my hands. The room looked wonderful when it was finished by my hands didn't. There must have been lye in the paste and that had reacted to my most sensitive skin (remember the eczema). I ended up with third degree burns all over my hands and spent all summer nursing them back to health. When they were all healed, my hands had brand new purplish baby skin covering them. That was quite an ordeal. I found out later that it was a very serious condition. I was grateful to have healed so nicely and, from that point on, the eczema was not as severe. 

During my high school years, a couple of improvements in technology happened. First was the telephone.  In our home, we had one phone in the kitchen and one in the family room. At that time, our phone line was connected to the line of our neighbors, called a 'party line.' Often we would pick up the phone to make a call and our neighbors would be talking to someone. We would have to wait until they got off the phone before we could make a call. The advancement in technology eventually brought us a private phone line. That was glorious as we didn't have to be conscious of how long we talked on the phone or wonder if someone was listening to our conversations. 

The other technology development was that of the computer. Actually, the computer came into being during my high school years. My Dad was fascinated with the idea of computers doing some of the work of the accounting clerks in his office so he talked his boss into buying one. My dad was so excited when it was finally installed. The computer was so big it took up an entire room. The clerks had to punch codes onto rectangular cards, organize them, and feed them into the computer. The computer would then read the codes and produce the accounting numbers requested, printed on special computer paper. Dad spent many hours learning about that new machine and training his personnel on how to make it do what he needed it to do. Throughout his career with International Harvester, my dad kept abreast of the latest developments in technology and made sure his company employed them all.

High school was a time of great fun for me. I had lots of dates with lots of different boys. I remember being thrilled when Mike Hall asked me out. He was a twin and both he and his brother, Mark, were the men of the school. They drove a souped up yellow Volkswagon and played every sport. I can't remember the date as much as the excitement of him asking me out. Another date, with a handsome 'jock,' didn't turn out so well. I had asked Larry Strunk to go to the prom with me. It was a girl's choice. He accepted and I was thrilled as I had had a crush on him for a while. I took lots of time getting dressed as I wanted to look my very best. We were double dating and when I got in the car to go to the dance, I soon realized he had been drinking. Needless to say I had a terrible time and ended up coming home rather early for a prom night. I lost all respect for Larry that night.

High school, of course, was a time of lots of parties and school dances. I ran around with a good group of teenagers but sometimes they would throw parties at their homes. Often, I was told not to come as there would be drinking involved and my friends knew I didn't drink. Those were lonely weekend nights but I was grateful my friends honored my standards and didn't try and force their kind of 'fun' on me. One of my friends, Donna Mills, started asking about the church and was baptized our senior year, along with her Mom. Maybe my example of standing for what I believed in made a difference in Donna's life.

I can't do a life history without mentioning George McCaleb. I met him my Junior year and went steady with him throughout my Senior year (much to my parents disapproval). He graduated from South High the year I met him so he was two years older than me. He was dark and good looking and lots of fun to be around. As I look back, though, on our time together, I realize how much I missed out by going steady with someone during high school. One good thing that happened as a result of our dating was that he was baptized a member of the church. He even served a mission during my first two years in college.  We broke up, officially, when I met Paul in college....but that's a later story.

High school was soon over. I graduated in 1963 with good grades and got accepted into Brigham Young University which brings me to the next chapter in my life.