Well, that diary written 55 years ago got me to thinking about 1955. I actually remember it quite well considering I turned six in August of that year. You know, some years are just memorable according to what happens, and 1955 was such a year for our family. In May, I played in my first piano recital and that same week my maternal grandmother, Nina Portfors, passed away suddenly. She lived only a block from us, so her passing was felt in the daily life of our family. Still in the month of May, my youngest half-sister, Nina, graduated from high school. And of course, in July, L.J. was born.
In August my mother's cousin, Dona Marie, married in Calgary. Grandpa and Grandma Portfors had intended to make the trip, and Grandpa still wanted to go, so Mother went with him, taking me along. As a souvenir, Mother bought a classic hand-knit wool sweater for me – in a design better suited to a boy so that it could be handed down to L.J. And it was – and handed down to every other boy that came into the family until eventually it ended up with me again – for my boys who never wore it. I have to wonder if anyone ever wore it. And now it's in my cedar chest.
Life moved right along in 1955. That September I started school in Mrs. Bonner's first-grade class. School administrators didn't know when they assigned me to that class that my half-sister, Joni, would apply to do her student teaching in Orofino, and Mrs. Bonner was the only first-grade teacher qualified to supervise a student teacher. They decided it was not in my best interest to move me to another teacher at that point, so Joni did her student teaching in my first-grade class – probably in the second nine weeks. I was supposed to call her "Miss Walrath" at school. And Joni tattled! She told Mother that I wasn't finishing my work. (I was supposed to finish it? No one told me! Weren't we just coloring?) Uproar ensued. Mother went and talked to Mrs. Bonner and a plan was hatched to make me finish my papers. Mother kept her finger on the pulse of my school progress ever after and I was forced to be accountable the whole rest of my life.
Of course, Joni lived at home during the weeks she was student teaching. I'm not sure exactly when she and Pat became engaged, but as 1955 became 1956, my mother was planning Joni's wedding.
My young mentality was impressed by all of these things. KW
[That's my official first grade picture. I have the class picture, too, but will have to post it later because it's on the farm. Besides myself, you would see "Aunt" Chris and our student teacher, Miss Walrath.]
8 comments:
Most of my pictures are still down at Mom and Dad's. One of these days I'm going to have to get them, if only to borrow and scan.
You have much better recollections of our early life than I do. I remember our desks which seated two, and I also remember having to stand behind my chair quite often for talking!
I know Joni was our student teacher, but other than seeing her in our group photo, I have no remembrances of her being there. But then, she wasn't my sister.
I do remember being impressed as the years went by with how your family was growing. Ours seemed to stay the same year in and year out.
That's just about the cutest little first grader I've ever seen.
Seems to me you've got a great memory, Chris. You remember lots that I've forgotten.
You stood behind your chair but I got put in the corner for getting up to get a drink. I even remember getting my little behind swatted for something -- talking after repeated warnings, I suppose. I wasn't taking the whole thing very seriously. I just couldn't accept that it was no longer fun and games.
And Miss Walrath went home for lunch and left Jimmy in the corner. There were some minor repercussions.
Well, the siblings were so much older than I. And my children are the same age as the great-grandchildren. No wonder everyone's confused about who belongs to what generation.
Did Aunt Joni become a teacher? If so, where and what grade and for how long?
Joni majored in elementary and secondary education. After she and Pat were married she taught for five years -- until Mary came along. She taught in Potlatch, Lewiston, Grangeville -- that's all I remember. I think it was mostly first grade. I used to help her correct papers.
How did you remember all those events for that specific year? What kind of resources do you have to collect all that data about the family? I think it's just wonderful.
PS
I love your style of writing also--so interesting!
Thank you for the compliments, Joanne. I think 1955 was just one impressive event after another for our family. I remember lots of little sidelines, too, such as I came down with the measles on the day Grandma died. I don't have any resources on which to rely, but I'm trying to build one here. (LOL)
I don't remember everything, of course, and there's lots that I would like to know that I don't. I find that I can remember some things by association. For instance, I know that you and Chuck were married in 1977 -- because I was having a baby.
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