TIME CAPSULE....

As you may or may not be aware, I attended my 50th High School Reunion in Rawlins last August.  Out of the official count of 114 graduates, more than one third of them are already dead.  That's a sobering thought.  Another sobering piece of news was that the high school, which first opened for classes in the fall of 1959, was going to be torn down.  The original building was an L-shaped structure to which another wing had been added to make it a U-shape long after we graduated.  Separate buildings added in the rear of the school yard housed the P.E. department and a swimming pool.  I think there were other additions, as well, but not having attended school during that time I don't know exactly what they were.  But, there is asbetos in the core of the building, and also the charge to bring the school into compliance with handicap regulations means it would need an elevator.  Both of those updates--removing the asbestos and installing an elevator--apparently are cost prohibitive.  It would be cheaper to tear everything down and begin anew.

In consequence of that decision, we were told that our records from the school district archives would be available for pick-up after Labor Day if we had someone who could pick them up for us following email instruction to the school.  My niece Cynthia Kiser's son Justin picked them up for me and mailed them to me.

I was expecting some really great gold mine of teacher's comments and the like, especially from Junior High and High School.  Instead it was all of my report cards from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade (which I already have in my scrapbooks down the basement) and some achievement test scores.  It also looks like there are some IQ results, showing that I got dumber as I got older.  Imagine that!  (And now I am dumber still.)  Kind of an overall disappointment.

However, there is an "Autobiography" that I wrote which Louis read and insists I share.  He says he is blown away by the things I expressed, as he thinks it is the core, even then, of the same person and testimony as now.  For some reason he thinks the maturity level in this piece of writing is far beyond what I think is about 15 years.  He said most kids that age didn't think deep like that.  (It really isn't all that mature.  It reads like I was supposed to answer questions.) I'm pretty sure it  was the beginning of Ninth Grade because the penmanship is still big, and very rounded cursive.  I stated I wanted to be a social worker ( I admired the RJHS principal who WAS a social worker) but from the time I had Mildred Chaffin for English as a Freshman in High School I knew I wanted to be a high school English teacher, too. So, this was probably the beginning of my Freshman year as I list all teachers in Eighth Grade and that I graduated second in the class for Junior High Commencement.  Also, my mother had been in the hospital most of the summer before I was a Freshman.  Comments about "sad when someone close to me is ill" sound like it was a fresh experience.  Anyway here it is.... complete with improper punctuation, awkward phrasing and misspellings--I didn't change a thing--though I itched to do so.  What do you think?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 

 

My start in this wonderful life came on a cold December morning in  1945. Sunday the second was the day and the time was 1:16 a.m. My arrival was at Carbon County Memorial Hospital in Rawlins, Wyoming.  I was the eighth gitrl in a family of nine.  My weight at birth was seven pounds, three ounces.  F.A. Mills was my doctor.

 

My father was Melvin Reed Huggins whose parents were John Ephriam Huggins and Lovinia Anne Draper whose parents were George A. Huggins and Eliza Adams and Nephi Draper and Charolette Elizabeth Johnson. 

 

My mother was Maude Marie Crane whose parents were James George Crane and Sarah Jane Butterfield whose parents were James Crane and Elizabeth Stewart and Alman Butterfield and Elizabeth Annie Farmer.  (My genealogy is more complete but too involved to go further at this time.)

 

I had innoculations for whooping cough and diptheria in 1946.  I had whooping cough when eight months old, chicken pox and broncial trouble in my thirteenth month.  I had scarlet fever when in second grade and mumps when in fourth plus other childhood diseases like colds and measles.

 

Our address was 1019 Eighth Street Rawlins, Wyoming when I was born and it still is. 

 

My fears when I was a small child were of shadows.  I used to imagine them as being real.

 

I had many early playmates among whom were George Huggins, Barbara Vander Kooi, Lynn Butterfield, Teddy Eyre, and Chad Cahoon.

 

My early ideals were movie stars and I wanted to become one.  My ideals and ambitions have since changed.

 

My memories of home life are pleasant.  We had no imporant visitors like the governor, but L.D.S. Missionaries were frequently at our home.

 

Our family often went up to Snowy Range or other camp grounds for family outings.  Often we just went for a ride.

 

Memories of my parents are those of kind and loving people.  Being the youngest in the family and with the rest of my family in school, most of my time was spent with my mother.  My father used to take me with him quite a bit when he went down town or to the dumps.  When he came in from the railroad he would give me a ride on his knee.  He had favorite names for me.  Most often he would call me Chickee-Pete or Chum.

 

Discipline in our home was taken care of quite smoothly and without much todo.  I got few spankings.  My mother used to handle dicipline by setting me on a chair and telling me to think about what I did.  I could get off when I would be a "good girl".  This system worked very well and I have no unpleasant memories of cruel beatings and harsh words.  My father spanked me only twice.  Both for good, sound reasons.  He usually just talked to us when we disobeyed.

 

Our family has gone on many wonderful vacations.  Probably the most impressive was when I went to Hawaii when I was six years old.  My only regret is that I wasn't at a more observant age to see the magnificent scenery.

 

On August 9, 1948, we lost a very dear member of our family, our only brother.  My father never did hunt or fish so when some friends asked Harold if he would like to go rabbit hunting my mother reluctantly agreed to let him go.  While hunting a neighbor boy accidnetly shot him through the neck.  He died later that evening.  We all felt very sad but we were glad we had had the association we did with him for nine short years.

 

My earliest memories of school are of pleasant happy hours.  I have always enjoyed school very much and think it is a necessary part of growing up.  I started school in September of 1951.  Starting with kindergarten my teachers have been: La Donna Horner, Lily McWhorter, Kathryn Schoen, Shirley Brooks, Patricia Jerry, Martha Stanley, Marilyn Waldron, seventh grade: Margaret Burgess, Donald K. Neal, Inez Bailey, Marcella Mann, Philip J. Harvey (home room) eighth: Viola Werne, Nellie Peeler, Jo R. McFadden, and Della Caldwell (homeroom), plus numerous gym, music and art teachers.  I used to like History and Geography and Arithmetic and Science least. Now I can't decide which are favorites but Reading I've always enjoyed.  I've always gotten fairly good grades and was honored in eighth grade by being Salutatorian of our graduating exercises.  I was nominated to the office of student-body president for Junior High and was elected Secretary-Treasurer by my eighth grade home-room.

 

My interests and hobbies are quite varied.  My biggest interest is in music.  I've had eight years of piano lessons.  My hobbies include reading, collecting old pennies, stamps, and sewing.

 

Books I like are about people my own age and I read quite a few books written and published by people of my own faith.  Magazines I like include Time, Life, Post, and the Reader's Digest.

 

I am a quiet person and quite serious.  I dislike people who attract attention to themselves by their manner of speech, dress, and their actions.  I haven't much respect for people who think only popularity is what to look for in a friend.

 

I like people who are religious, sincere, thoughtful, kind and clean in thoughts and action.

 

I'm happy when I know I'm liked for what I am and not under false pretenses.  It also makes me happy when people give me compliments.  I'm unhappy when people who are dear to me are ill or have moved away.  Sometimes I'm unhappy when my parents and associates don't understand me.

 

I babysit quite a bit.  I also have a paper job each Sunday morning for an hour and one hour the first of each month to collect.

 

Procrastination is my worst habit and enemy  One of my good habits is to do things nicely.  I think there is no sense in doing something if you don't do it well.  You only waste time that way.  Coming home from school or anywhere promptly and reporting to my parents where I have been, what I have been doing, where I'm going and what I'm going to do is another good one.  I also like to be neat.

 

To me the biggest influence in my life is my religion.  I was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was eight years old.  I dearly love it and I have a testimoney that it is true.  It shows the way to good health through the Word of Wisdom and it sets up goals toward which to work thereby bettering yourself.

 

My Philosophy of Life is simply that this earth is a testing ground for us to prove ourselves worthy to go back and again dwell with God after we die.  Therefor it is to our advantage that we live good lives.

 

I would like to go to college to continue my education and go into the guidance phase of education.

 

Three things I would like most to have are a good education, more knowledge of music and to have a good husband and a large family.

 

Three things I would like most to do are go to college, tour the United States and live a good life.

 

Georgia Huggins