By

In 1925, a cute little blonde girl named Elsie Williams was a newcomer to our school and the kids teased her, so I took her under my wing and after eighty years we are sill close friends keeping in touch by telephone and writing.

My Mother was an invalid and was in bed most of the time. She taught me to cook when I was ten years old.

In 1930 my brothers belonged to the Fire Department and there were twelve members. All were married except one. The Womens Auxilary made me an honorary member. So, then there were twelve women in their group. Roy Pritchard belonged to the group and his wife, Ann's brother Barney Blankmeyer was visiting them. The Fire Department needed to have a place for their once a month meeting, pot luck, dances, etc. I was upon a large ladder washing the window on the room the Fire Department would be using when Ann introduced me to Barney. About six months later we began dating. Then on June 15, 1935, we were married.

Barney was working in construction and we traveled wherever his work took him. On July 13, 1940, our Roger Lee, was born. On August 2, 1941, our son, David Alien, was born. In 1945, we bought five acres of land in Atwood, where we built a two story house and began growing gladiolas. Barney took the blooms into the Los Angeles flower market and sold them. We also did weddings.

In 1949, Barney went to work for the Edison Company and we lived in Big Creek, California, until 1953. Then he went to work as the building inspector for the city of Fullerton until he retired. I was working as the High School as manager of the cafeteria until I retired in 1963.

With all the changes I have see in the years since 1915,1 still think this is a special town to live in.