Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Yes, I was born in Stockton, California, and lived there for 90 years, except the four years when I lived in Los Angeles with my husband so he could go to chiropractor school. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough! I have a daughter who lives here in Lynden, and I moved here recently to be closer to her.
What was your first job?
I worked for Bank of America right out of high school. That was right out of World War II, when everyone was having a hard time finding people to work. I remember it being so busy.
What other types of work did you do before retiring?
Well, just babysitting. I was taking care of a friend’s child while she was pregnant. She ended up having one boy and one girl. Oh, they were such a lovely family.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
Oh gosh, all I did was punch numbers into a machine! (Said with a laugh.) But my favorite thing was that my work was fast-paced, always something to do. Plus, I liked the people I worked with.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
This is a tough one. You learn to adjust to the circumstances around you. I’m pretty proud of the life I’ve built for myself. Our family used to have a big trailer that we would take on all kinds of road trips. We travelled all the way from California to Alaska! And another time we did a road trip to the Grand Canyon. We travelled to so many places and stopped at everything. Looking back, it gave us a ton of memories as a family.
What is the hardest thing that you’ve lived through, and how did you get through it?
I had a daughter who had Down syndrome. Taking care of her was very hard, but I kept reminding myself the outcome would be worth the process. My husband was real supportive, too. She lived with us until she was 30 years old.
We had some friends who had a huge property, probably 5 acres of land, and they created a sort of a “daycare” for adults like ours who had disabilities. There were about 30 of them, and she just loved it! She would come home on the weekends and couldn’t wait to go back to see all her friends. It was absolutely fantastic.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
I don’t really know. I guess I was just hard to please! (Said with a laugh.)
Who is your favorite author or musician?
I am a true bookworm, but I don’t have a favorite author; I will pick up anything to read! Like right now, I’ve been reading a Reader’s Digest book.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
I learned how to take care of a home, hanging laundry on a clothesline for six of us kids. I learned how to cook from my mother, who was raised in Michigan. She worked on a farm all her life and never spent any time in the kitchen, so when she started her own family, she taught herself, and she was real good.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Boy, you better study hard! It’s not easy when you get out of school.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
I used to be out in the garden all day long! I still love it, and it’s so nice that I’m able to get my hands dirty and plant flowers here.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
Everything is so convenient — the food, the programs. And I’ve met so many nice people here.