My Book of Memories
A Memoir Written at Age Sixteen
"I'm sure that in future years it will mean more and more to me. I want and I will keep on adding additions to my book and life."
My great-grandfather and mother were farmers. His name was Simon and he was married three or four times.
My grandfather was born in Amsterdam, Holland, March 29, 1871. He came to America with his parents when twelve years old. They settled in Fort Howard near Green Bay, Wisconsin. His trade was a steam-engineer in a paper mills factory.
My grandmother was born November 4, 1880 in Alkmaar, Wisconsin.
They met when they both were visiting sisters, both living in Marinette. My grandfather was nine years older than my grandmother. They were married in 1899 and raised a family of eight.
The children attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Marinette. Two of the girls, Nellie and Marie, died when very young. The other children are Sam, Ray, Catherine, Frank, Helen, and Johnnie.
One summer vacation Sam and Ray found work in Chicago. So, later on that year the whole family moved to Chicago. The children gradually married, and now have families of their own.
Grandpa Knoll at the age of seventy-five is still very active and works as a night watchman.
When May weather starts to set in, all of our minds turn to picnics. We think of the good times we had at our last ones and hope this summer holds just as many happy days of contentment.
My Aunt Lucille is usually the one who starts our picnic. She calls my mother and says, "How about a picnic Sunday?" The answer is usually, "Wait until the Boss comes home." But she knows that he never says no.
After all this exchanging back and forth of asking, it's finally decided to meet in front of Aunt Kate's, Sunday morning after church, around 9 o'clock. Everyone goes to an early mass so as not to hold up the picnic.
Around 9:30 everyone starts to show up. Catherine and Frank and the kids, Lu and Sam and the kids, the Dee Harr family, sometimes Betty and Rip and the kids, and our family - there's enough kids to start a school of our own.
The cars are packed full with lunches, juggies, extra clothes, and the most valuable thing - the volleyball set. About 10:00 we're on our way.
We go to Pea Soup Lake, mostly because of the nice grounds and because there is a swimming pond nearby. When Junior, Don, and Jane are there, I go swimming with them. The water is fed by springs and is very clean and refreshing.
The first cars arrive about 10:30 and the first thing is to get the tables. Second, each one is given something to carry to the tables.
Third, the men open the barrel of beer and have their first glass. The women are usually sitting around talking.
In a little while the net is put up, and the fun begins. There are usually squabbles about if the ball hit the line or not, if the ball was held, whose ball it was and many other not so important causes which hold the game up for awhile. Frank, John, and my dad take over most of the balls and most of the places. Once in awhile a stray cousin walks onto the playing field, a dirt one, and the game is halted for that Mother or Father player.
The time flies by, and when lunch time comes you're starved. I don't know what it is but when you get out in the fresh air, you seem to be twice as hungry. There's always enough good food if your mother hasn't anything you like. I think the best lunch we ever had was when my Aunt Kate brought some home-made barbecues. What would life be without food?
Volleyball games are played all afternoon, and you sweat and pick up plenty of dirt. Of course, there are intermissions for the beer and pop drinkers.
After supper everyone is dog tired and is ready to call it a day. The sun starts to go down, and everything is thrown into the cars. Usually a ball is missing, and the hunt begins. This always takes about five minutes to give up hope.
The cars start on their way, and everyone is glad to call the close of a wonderful day.
I feel sorry for girls who don't have an older brother to like and brag about, yes, even to get mad at and have fights with. Ever since I can remember, my brother and I were always fighting.
When we lived on Calumet and my mother and father used to go out, she always used to say, if I hear from Mrs. Nelson (our landlord) that there was fighting up here, I'll tan your hides when I get back. I guess I used to tease him a lot and never would do what he said. But, golly! He didn't have to be so bossy.
The funniest fight we ever had was one night when we were home alone. He wouldn't let me change the station on the radio because the radio was his. He started slapping me around a bit, so I picked up a box which I thought was empty. I threw it. There we were standing in the middle of the kitchen with soap flakes descending on everything in sight. He should have been serious, but it looked so funny that we both broke out laughing. He swept most of it out, so we thought. Rather, I was the one who swept it out. He said, I threw it so I had to clean it up.
Mothers always seem to know when things happen.
Her skin is very clear, she has a pug nose, light brown hair, which grows very fast and suits her color nicely. She is a very good companion and is a lot of fun.
When I was in eighth grade, Jean Orel and I used to take her to the show to give us a younger appearance. We always dressed younger so we could get in for half-fare.
I think someday Shirley is going to grow up to be a very beautiful lady.
July 30, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois, to the ticking of the clock, another baby girl was brought into this large universe. Just an average baby, who probably screamed lustily as all babies scream at birth and whose parents were joyous as are most parents when they have a new daughter or son.
Like most human beings, I do not have any vivid recollections of my first few years. I was always chubby, healthy, good-natured and just too average. I can't write that I had maids or servants to tend me as in most stories, but I was well taken care of.
At kindergarten age, five, I attended Gompers. We played store. I still remember the tiny cans of milk and groceries. We must have played other games, but I don't seem to remember any of them.
At this time we were living on Yale Avenue with my grandmother and grandfather. My grandmother was an invalid and had to stay in bed. She had rheumatism in her legs and her back and couldn't move her body much at all. She was a good and understanding woman.
We lost our dear grandmother on June 4, 1940. I have often thought of her.
We stayed on Prairie about four years. Our next home also was a two-flat building. We lived on the second floor. The Nelsons lived on the first. They had two boys who were as wild as they came.
On one side lived the Andersons and Gattolins. Gladys and Bobbie were our age. The Gattolins had older children. Steve had a motorcycle. I used to watch him polish it. He still owes me a ride on it, which I don't think I'll ever get. He's now married and has a baby of his own.
On the other side of us lived the Swansons. She was an immaculate housekeeper, but her husband was not a very agreeable person. They had a cherry tree in their yard, which was very close to the garage roof. The older boys used to steal the cherries when they were ripe. They usually got chased down the alley by Mr. Swanson, too.
Some of our other neighbors were the Godings, who lived down the street. Florence Goding is my mother's cousin. Don and Eileen and I used to play baseball and basketball in the prairie across the street. She was more of a tomboy than I was, I thought.
One winter we had built a snow fort in our yard. We carried most of the snow from out in front and poured hot water from the basement over it, just to make it solid. It took us all morning to build the thing. Around lunch time we had an argument whose fort it was. Donald stuck with Eileen, so I got pushed around. I went into the house howling but came out soon after and wrecked my half of the fort. Man! Wasn't I mad?
Eileen's mother is a wonderful cook. She used to give us a piece of cake every time we went to her home.
Across the street lived the Sinas, Diane and Dave and Chris Stefani and little Richie.
Next door to us on Prairie lived the O'Briens. Harry O'Brien Jr. was the first soldier from our parish to be killed in this war.
On the corner lived the Patelyos. Their father was a part owner of the Peoples Store. They had a big house and a cook and housekeeper. They always ate in the dining room and had chocolate milk. Their daughter Barbara once locked me in her clothes closet. I was scared to death and shed enough tears to drown in. Her mother finally heard me and let me out. I don't think I played with her after that.
I spent all of my eight years of grammar school at Holy Rosary. In my first year we had a reading book; one of my favorite sayings was, "See Dick run, run Dick run," etc.
Back of the desks there was a sandbox. Every morning on the side blackboard Sister used to take a count of the chocolate and white milk drinkers. I remember no one used to buy the white milk at all. Spoiled, that's all we were.
Our teacher that year was Sister Alphonsella. Before doing any studies we prayed in the morning, at noon, and before going home.
My second year was very uneventful except for making my first Holy Communion. I was a flower girl also in some of the processions. We wore white dresses and dropped flowers in the aisle.
Sister Mary Claverine taught the class that year. If we had good papers or drawings, she would put them out on the hall blackboards.
Third grade was spent with Sister Justina, a younger nun who had just started teaching. She used to become quite nervous and would go into the cloak room and cry.
In sixth grade, something very special happened. A new boy came to our school and into my room. He moved only two doors away from our house too. His name was Richard Raklovits. He was a very popular boy that year, and I don't think I was the only one that had a crush on him.
We learned a little Latin that year. Sister Claverine had charge of the altar boys. She at one time had had a paralysis of some kind. It had left her with a crippled leg. We had classes that year for the first time in the new portables. We called them the "DuPars."
Our present that year from the Mothers' Club was a clock for the wall. My dad, since we lived so close to school, was asked to put the clocks up.
I got along well in sixth grade in my studies, all except English. Our part that year was to put on an old fashioned dance. The minuet in G was what we danced to. The girls were the ones who were allowed to pick the color of their costume; the boy partner had to like it, regardless. I chose violet, a very delicate shade, but Richard hollered out "Purple!"
The following year in grammar school was not too eventful, but I can say one thing. I didn't care for our teacher that year. Her name was Sister Dorine. It seemed to me she always wanted to be waited on.
Jack Sullivan and I were talking one day. She asked us who was talking, so Jack said, he did it. I did half of his punishment, two-hundred and fifty times, "I must not talk."
Another horrible thing that happened was: Jean Hannan and I were supposed to polish the blackboards. We got our signals crossed, or just didn't listen. Anyway, we used a red liquid that was in the cabinet and shined the boards with it. I guess Sister Dorine very nearly had heart failure! We had used furniture polish on the new blackboards. We sure had sore arms from chalking the boards. They were real slippery and you couldn't write on them very well.
The best year in grammar school was eighth grade. We had a teacher who understood everyone and who didn't play favorites.
We won that year a trophy for our class in volleyball. It was an all-girls' team that played against other school teams. Some of the teams we played against were St. Louis, St. Nicholas, St. Anthony, Pullman, and a few others. Our closest rival was St. Nicholas.
We also had spelling bees, "instructions" in the library, and dances at Palmer Park on Fridays at 3:30 to learn how to dance. Miss Ryan was our instructor. She was over six feet tall.
Pat Mullaney and I were asked to go out on a double date by Bill Dwier and Don Hedrich.
Sister Nathaneal had a very hard time that year trying to get everybody to behave. Just before getting out every spring the Mothers' Club always gave us a picnic in Palmer Park. A bottle of pop and a candy bar were given to everyone.
Also before getting out of school in the spring I used to help my Sister clean out cupboards and wash desks. She used to give us holy pictures, colored papers, crayons, pencils - everything that she didn't want.
In our last year of grammar school most of us were contemplating what school we should attend. I didn't have much choice, though. My brother was already in his third year at Tech, and that's where I was to go.
At Pullman Tech, students are accepted only when they have relatives working at the Pullman Company. I thought I'd like to go to St. Louis. That's where most of my friends were going. Since my application to Tech was accepted in August, I didn't have much to think about pertaining to St. Louis.
All freshies had to start school a day earlier in order to take tests. My first day at Tech wasn't a very eventful one. It was standing in line most of the time to take the tests.
A girl who made a deep impression on me was Dolores Montalto. She had long hair almost down to her waist.
Altogether there were five of us from Holy Rosary - Pat Connelly, Lillian Torkar, John Roza, Edward Lier, and I.
Our teachers that year were Miss Skinner, science and home economics; Miss McCormick, English; Mrs. Hoover, history; Mrs. Neubauer, gym.
That year was a year of drudgery and plenty of work. We were constantly reminded that if we didn't keep up in our studies we would be dropped.
In home-economics I had a patch in my material before the pajamas were even made. I had cut the material by mistake.
Gym was new to me since we never had had any in grammar school. It was fun playing volleyball and captain basketball against strong odds. A bunch of girls (I was captain) played against other teams at Palmer Park. We won second place and received small silver volleyballs.
At school we had to wear smocks every day; it was a custom there.
I was class reporter during my freshman year and a baton twirler in the drum corps. I twirled my baton at Senger during the Christmas season with the drum corps and received a pound box of candy.
Big thrill! I made the honor roll that year with an average of 87 1/2. It was pure luck.
There was a group of us freshies who were afraid to walk through the halls. We used to stay in the locker rooms and sing till the bell rang. We didn't give much thought to boys that year, but the football players were our ideals of Prince Charmings - dashing, handsome, strong. That freshman year just flew by.
I'm now a sophomore and my brother a senior. I've got the school pretty well sized up. If you like the teacher and the teacher likes you, everything's fine, but if you dislike the teacher, and the teacher dislikes you, watch out!
Donald's grown about a foot since his freshie year and was quite the boy, wolf!
Our new teachers this year are Miss Hood, typing; Miss Mahl, shorthand; Miss Chiera, English; Mrs. Neubauer, gym.
At a girls' club dance I decided to go to I wore my Aunt Nellie's new green dress and a pair of spike heels. Boy! Did I have the fun. I danced with Bob Lindstrom all night long. He's now a dead issue.
This year I joined the Cheer Leaders, Tumbling Club, and was on the Nominating Committee. This committee was made up of five sophomores to pick out nominees for the sophomore class officers. William Bednarz was elected as class president.
At Open Evening, a group of us - Semple, Bob Lindstrom, Valentine Gracian, Dorothy Sitzuk and myself - were very lucky. We took a couple extra periods to do it. We were just talking to each other.
The Tumbling Club put on a show too. I had to wear a tight white sweat shirt and a pair of shorts. I felt crazy running out there in front of all those people. I made the honor roll with an average of 89.
My sophomore year came to a conclusion with the graduation of my brother. I don't think I'll ever be proud of anyone more than I am of him.
Well, well, well, I'm now a junior!
I've skated with Charles Poss, at skating parties. I've heard stories about Richard Bader from Eleanor Martisek's Corky. I've walked home from bowling with Jimmy Paglia, and went on picnics and to the girls' club parties with Larry Farnesi.
The other day I fell into the lagoon. All I got wet were my shoes and stockings though.
I was a Gypsy in the play "Chonita." Eleanor Martisek was the princess and Jack Hass the lover. They both have wonderful voices.
I was elected vice-president of the Junior class.
Our gang is just a group of girls here at school who stick together.
Lottie Puspielarczyk is the best friend I have at school. We are together most of the time in school. She has sandy hair, is plump, and never stops laughing. She's very smart in her school work. She does everything as fast as she can.
Carol Petroski is another member of the gang. She has some very beautiful clothes, and is as neat as a pin. But, she's always worrying about getting fat.
Lois De Young, here is a spit-fire. She weighs about ninety-five pounds and never sits still. If there's anything to be said, she'll say it. I love to go shopping with her because she has very good tastes. You can have a lot of fun with her.
Betty Ociepka is Carol Petroski's close friend. She's very quiet and tends to her business when there's something to be done.
Dorothy Sitzuk is a very charming person to talk with. She is very quick-witted. Dorothy at the present time has a crush on Peter Hiller.
Albert Zylstra is the girl who sits next to me in typing. She's a whiz. This month she typed eighty-five words a minute for five minutes. "Remarkable!" as Miss Hood would say.
Irene Clawson is a girl that never seems to get worried about anything. She's a good athlete and a lot of fun to have around. Her and I are always comparing muscles.
Irene Petro and Eleanor Bricky are an inseparable pair. They've been the closest friends since their freshie year.
Dorothy Mihalik is a favorite friend of mine. She's silly as can be. We have quite a few talks together about a certain Bob Erickson.
Eleanor Martisek is the singer of the class. She is very talented in acrobatics, ballet, and dramatics. I like her because she's so truthful.
There are many other girls I like. They are Dolores Montalto, Dolores Henrickson, Dorothy McCoy, Mary Ann Milani, Jean Kackie, Lill Torkar, Pat Connelly, and last but not least Carol Prond.
Mrs. Orel is a close friend of my mother's. We were neighbors but we saw very well so Mrs. Orel has been like a second mother. For my sister and I she has crocheted us hats, made us skirts, and done many other things. I don't know how we could have gotten along without her. She can crochet as fast as you can talk.
For a present she gave my mother a hand-crocheted tablecloth. It is a beautiful thing.
She's a very smart woman, she reads quite a lot. My dad thinks she's pretty swell and so do I and everybody else who knows her.
President of the Holy Rosary Grammar School Mothers Club for two consecutive years is a pretty good record. During her two years she has raised more money for the club than any other president.
She surely is a wonderful person to know and be part of.
My father comes from a very large family. He is very quick-witted and intelligent. He has always tried to please us in every way. He has continually worked hard for us.
Thanksgiving this year means a great deal to me. It just doesn't mean that we're going to have lots of good things to eat. It means that this will be the first Thanksgiving that we can sit down, and won't have to worry where Donald, Sonny, or Junior are.
Even though the three of them aren't home, we know that there is no chance of their being killed or injured. Even though the war is over, Don's going to Navy Electrician school at Great Lakes, Junior's going to gunnery school in California, and Sonny is out on sea duty in the South Pacific.
This year we're not going to Gramps' though. This will be the first Thanksgiving dinner there that we've ever missed. I hope everything's patched up by Christmas, but I don't think it will be.
Mother bought a five-pound chicken for the four of us. Dad's club, "The Tornadoes" had a turkey shoot but we didn't get any of their turkeys. Eleanor won one though, and Grampa won one at the American Legion doings.
The people in Europe are starving and freezing from lack of clothing. Yet, we Americans can still sit down to a full table and have warm clothes on our backs. Yes, indeed, the people in America will never know how kind God has been to us during these last trying years.
This Christmas season I spent working part-time at Sears, 111th and Michigan, to earn money to buy Christmas presents. The store wasn't very busy because we didn't have much of a selection this year. In all the stores old merchandise was being sold that wasn't sold in previous years.
Servicemen are pouring into the country faster than ever before. Troopships are landing in New York day after day. Even though the war is over the world is still rather upset with servicemen away from home.
Christmas Eve was spent at home in our living room. Aunt Mable and Bill came over. The presents were given out, and everyone was satisfied. My most treasured gift was a sterling silver rosary from my brother.
Donald had a seventy-two hour pass from Great Lakes. We were glad he could come in. He'll probably be going overseas one of these days.
The weather was very Christmasy, snow about one and a half feet deep and was still coming down.
I spent New Year's Eve taking care of Marilyn Lutsky. The night before, though, I went to a party with Chris Stefani, only because my brother likes him.
The first week of the New Year my mother became very ill.
She had a stone in her kidney. Dr. Horwitz took her to the hospital for a week. Shirley and I were the housekeepers. I've decided that housework is never done and is a very strenuous job.
During the week we only made two mistakes: locked ourselves out of the house at one o'clock, and my father wasn't coming home till six. We also made macaroni without cheese.
This Christmas was very eventful, and I hope that the New Year will bring happiness to all.
This year for the first time in three years we held open house at Pullman Tech in commemoration of George Mortimer Pullman's one hundred and fifteenth birthday. It was not held the last three years because of the war.
School let out at 12:30 p.m. We had the rest of the day off because we had to come back at eight. For the two school periods, a gang of us went to the Olympics and had a soda. I mailed a package to Don, who is in the hospital, and then went home. Those street cars are the slowest things made!
At 7:30 it was raining pretty hard, and I thought this would keep the crowd away. I was terribly mistaken because when I came into school the halls were filled. I've never seen them so crowded. In the middle entrance you had to plow your way through. The band was playing there, and it didn't sound as bad as it usually does.
The first bell rang, and we went to our shorthand class where we had 160 dictation. The second we spent in typing. There were some pesky boys standing by Alberta's and my desk. They wanted us to type them a poem.
After it was all over, I went to "Club Sahara" at the "Y." It was only the second time I went there. I went with the Blackmores and Carol Petroski. I danced with Jack Hass, a very nice senior, and with Larry Farnesi, who is our Junior Class President.
Usually our dances in school are all on the same level. The boys sit on one side and the girls on the other. But for once there was a party where everyone was sociable, and the boys had the nerve to ask the girls to dance. They must have had some vitamin pills for supper. It wasn't crowded at all. I think the rain had something to do about it. There was just a nice crowd.
As far as making money on the party, I think all they made was five dollars. The boys did the decorating themselves and cleaned the gym. Most of the "Centaurs" were there.
The lighting is usually on full blast and there isn't even a dark corner even for a mouse. But as I said this party was different. There were only table lamps on side tables around the gym. This gave it a round-about shape.
Most of the dances were waltzes, but there was one polka. Mr. Hillie thinks there's something about a polka that makes everyone wild. So we had to talk him into letting us have just one.
I had the first dance with Charles Poss, a very good dancer. I can without crossing my fingers say I didn't sit out even one dance out.
Some of my unlucky victims were: Sonny, Bill, Jim, Chuck, and Joe a senior. It was the first time anyone "good" asked to take me home. Of course, that certain somebody never gives up. He asked me first and then Sonny, then Chuck. I went home with Sonny, glad to say.
The rain had turned to snow, and I had my spring coat on. We went with two other couples to the Inglenook where since it was Friday we had a cheese sandwich. I came home about 12:30. I must say that I had a very pleasant time and hope to have more.
School! I hate to think what life would be like if you couldn't go to grammar school and high school. I think life would be very empty. You would be very illiterate, maybe you would work in a factory or in the fields, or on a farm for very little pay.
So when I think of coming back to school, I don't think of it as a drudgery but as a pleasure. For when you really get into the work and tests it's very interesting.
After work, football and basketball games come first, in my estimation they are one of the important things in school. Without them it would be a very dull routine if we had all work and no pleasure.
The social affairs at Pullman Tech are the girls' club parties. These I think are a great help to the boys and girls to get acquainted with each other. And, has the school any more clubs? Yes, organizations for the students to get to know each other.
I think that schools are one of the best things in life and Pullman Tech is one of the best schools.
This is an analysis of myself at the age of sixteen. It will be something to look back on when I reach the age of looking back on life instead of looking forward to the future.
This is a brief description of myself as I see myself in the mirror. I am five feet three inches tall and weigh one hundred-twenty pounds. My skin is very light complexioned. My eyes are green with gold flecks, which is a pretty good match for my brown hair, which I wear brushed loosely around my face.
This is the age where comfort is the main issue in clothes, so my favorite styles for school wear are loose blouses, large sweaters, pleated skirts, loafers, and sweat socks. For dates and dances I prefer something casual but pretty, accompanied by nylons (when they're on the market) and high heels.
I have a very hot temper which is uncontrollable and unpredictable.
Statistics prove that I resemble the Knoll family more than the Kleps. Hot tempers, large noses, are a few of their characteristics. My father and I seem to get along together pretty well, because we usually stick together. He won't take any sass from any of us.
Like most girls of my age, I am interested very much in the opposite sex. I have no special boyfriend. I think there all okay, but I don't want to steady with any certain one.
My ambition is to become a nurse and then an airline stewardess.
Later on I want to get married though. I definitely do not want to be an old maid.
I think I'm just about like any other high school girl, eager to grow up.
I don't think there is anything I'd rather do than swim.
We lived very close to Palmer Park when we lived on Calumet Avenue. In the summer time we would practically live in the big pool. I learned how to swim by watching the older girls. Learning to dive was more of a hardship. I usually belly-flopped.
My Aunt Mabel has a cottage at Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin. We usually go there once every summer. The lake is more mud than anything; the water stops at a very low level. You sink about two feet in the cold gooey mud. It isn't a very good feeling, I can tell you that. There's quite a few clams lying around, too. My aunt doesn't have a pier of her own, so we used the public pier. I wish we owned a cottage.
Also in the summer we spend a few days at Bass Lake, Indiana. Ray Baret has the nicest cottage I've ever seen. It's all on one floor with a large living room with a fireplace. They have their own private pier, a motor boat, and two bicycles. The water is deep and has a sandy bottom. It's ideal for loafing around when you don't have to work.
Stank Lake is another place we go. It is supposed to be an old quarry. The water is ninety-five feet deep. They have a raft with two springboards, good looking life guards too. Oh! For the life of a fish!
Most of us are not aware that we use our eyes almost constantly all of our life. If you brush your teeth in the morning, you have to be sure that you're using the tooth-paste, not the cold cream or anything that's handy. How are you going to do this if you don't read the label?
Now, when you sit down to eat. You have to be sure that it's not "Rinso Soap Flakes" your putting in your cereal bowl instead of Corn Flakes.
The bus is coming. If you don't read the sign on the bus you would be taking an awful chance in taking this bus. You might land in Africa for all you know.
"In school and nothing to do" would be your motto if you never read the things around you.
Now, the time has come for you to get married. If you don't read this paper, you might be just buying a vacuum cleaner. So, you see reading is the most important fact in everyday living.
There isn't any special kind of home I want except a happy one.
I want a loving husband and a large family.
Who knows what the future holds.
"Who knows what the future holds."
— Her closing words, 1946
This memoir was written by a 16-year-old girl from Chicago, Illinois in 1945-1946. Born July 30, 1929, she was a junior at Pullman Technical High School when she penned these pages - just months after World War II ended.
She was the daughter of hardworking parents: her father from the Knoll family (descendants of Dutch immigrants from Holland) and her mother, president of the Holy Rosary Grammar School Mothers Club. She had an older brother Donald and a younger sister Shirley.
In her own words at sixteen:
"My ambition is to become a nurse and then an airline stewardess."
"Later on I want to get married though. I definitely do not want to be an old maid."
"There isn't any special kind of home I want except a happy one. I want a loving husband and a large family."
THE END