LIFE HISTORY
Having been raised under the
premise that college was a requirement, not an option, I spent my high school year in
college preparatory courses. This continued until the beginning of my senior year when my
boyfriend, Bob, asked me to marry him. This was 1962. I was ready to drop everything and
get on with this new and exciting development in my life; however, since I was only 16, my
parents had control over the situation and insisted that I complete high school. At that
time I was the junior princess of Job's Daughters, the third of five elected positions in
a Masonic organization for teenage girls. My parents reminded me of the obligation I had
undertaken when elected to and accepting the first position of Marshall the previous year;
this obligation would not be fulfilled until my term as "Honored Queen" was
completed at Christmas time following my graduation from high school in 1963. My parents
convinced me that business college would be a productive way to spend the remaining six
months between graduation and the end of my obligation to the Masonic organization.
I would not be 18 until the following November
and I could not marry without my parents' permission which was not forthcoming. Therefore,
I enrolled in Auerswald's Business School in Seattle, Washington, and endeavored to
complete their curriculum as quickly as possible. By December I had completed everything
they had to offer except court reporting, which I never started, and accounting. I did,
however, learn enough in the accounting class to competently handle the bookkeeping for
several companies throughout my career.
In mid December, I began my first full-time job
at Showalter-Judd, Inc., a manufacturers' representative for electronic equipment. I as a
"girl Friday" and I learned a great deal in the three plus years that I worked
there. Bob and I got married as planned and he began working for the U.S. Forest Service
in 1963. When he was transferred to the southern district of the Snoqualmie Forest, we
moved to Sumner, Washington. Shortly thereafter, I went to work for The Boeing Company as
the secretary to 42 planners on the 747 aircraft project. This position also had me
performing a wide variety of tasks, and it was my first opportunity to learn how to
develop charts and graphs. In 1966, our first daughter was born.
In 1970, my husband was transferred to Eugene,
Oregon, and since I was pregnant with our second child, I left Boeing and made the
decision to become a homemaker for a time. Our son was born in 1970.
During the years of being a full-time homemaker
and mother, I ended up being busier doing volunteer work and recreational activities than
I had ever been while working full-time. In addition to serving on several committees and
projects for our church and at the children's school, I was active playing bridge,
bowling, golfing and even belly dancing (great exercise to keep you limber and in shape!).
My creative outlet was decorating cakes for everything from birthday parties and showers
to anniversaries and weddings. At this time I also designed and drew the plans for our
dream house which we built in 1974, on the McKenzie River about 35 miles east of Eugene,
Oregon. Shortly after moving into our house we were introduced to Amway and managed a
moderately successful business until 1978, when "Smokey the Bear" decided we
would love to live in Baker, Oregon. Baker is very small and isolated and we had to spend
three to four nights a week plus most weekends traveling and felt that losing that much
time with the children made the price of my husband's promotion too high. When that
chapter of our lives closed in 1980, we were able to resume family camping trips and
hunting expeditions.
By the spring of 1980, we realized that school
expenses were about to escalate as our daughter entered high school. I decided it was time
to re-enter the work force (one that paid!) and spent the next six years working for three
companies in secretarial positions ending as the assistant to the president of a research
and development company. During this time I also chaired several committees and served as
secretary to our church's Board of Elders. I was asked to create the women's ministries
council for our church setting up various committees to meet the diverse needs of a
congregation of over 350 members. When completed, the council consisted of six women, each
overseeing the functioning of two committees whose purpose ranged from providing meals for
families in need to setting up Bible studies and arranging wedding and baby showers. At
the same time, I was the Mutual Disciple Director. My responsibilities included locating
appropriate materials and pairing compatible individuals for a study period of three
months. My physical activity during this time consisted of aerobics classes, bowling in
leagues and taking long walks.
While in Baker I had two opportunities to take
the children on extended historical field trips. The first was to Seattle in April 1978,
where we had hands-on experiences with various scientific exhibits at the Seattle Science
Center. We toured underground Seattle and learned how ships are transported from one water
level to another as they travel through the Ballard Locks. The second historical trip was
in the fall of 1982 when we visited Washington, D.C., while my husband was on two weeks of
active Army Reserve duty at the Pentagon. We spent a week touring the various Smithsonian
buildings and a second week touring the Capitol, the White House, Ford's Theater, the FBI,
Mt. Vernon, and observing the Senate in session. We also spent a few days in Williamsburg
and Jamestown where the children were able to see history come to life.
In March 1986, I contracted what is now known as
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a debilitating illness that had controlled my life for five and
a half years now. It is an insidious disease that leaves one looking well while greatly
reducing physical and mental abilities. It waxes and wanes. At times I feel energetic and
hope rises that I am finally well only to have the symptoms return with a vengeance
leaving me weak and struggling to complete the simplest tasks. As of yet doctors have not
been able to determine the etiology, although a virus is suspected; a cure is elusive.
Since becoming ill, I have learned a new definition of tired. It is not that I don't feel
like exerting the effort to function; when the symptoms are present my body does not
respond to the simplest command and I am, at times, unable to stand without assistance. I
am one of the fortunate ones whose condition has been improved through the use of a
medication which masks the symptoms. This enables me to function although there are very
few times that I have enough energy to look forward with anticipation to the day's
activities. At the present time, I am able to work a 35 hour week and attend one class a
semester. I am looking forward to the time when I can return to volunteer work in our
church and to entertaining again. At the present time I am preparing to enter an
experimental therapy which has reportedly been used quite successfully.
Due to yet another promotion for my husband in
1988, we moved to Washington, D.C., where I am presently employed as the executive
assistant to the president of an international trade association. Part of my duties as the
executive assistant include preparing all correspondence pertaining to membership issues
and maintaining the membership records of our 370 corporate members as well as the
individual records of each member's representative. I oversee the planning of meetings
held in the various locations around the country including the annual meeting (2,800
attendees) in March of each year, the Board of Directors (130 members) in March and
September, and the Executive Committee (10 members) in March, September, and November. In
addition to arranging the business portion of the meetings, it is my duty to see that
meeting rooms are reserved, menus and floral arrangements are selected, and speakers,
directors and representatives have appropriate travel arrangements and hotel
accommodations. While at each meeting, I supervise the on-site office and have the
responsibility of taking care of situations as they arise, which usually includes such
things as last minute changes in travel plans for a speaker, difficulty with the caterer,
or obtaining and preparing additional information required in the Executive Committee or
Board meeting.
My immediate goal is to pass the national
Certified Professional Secretaries Examination, obtain credits for this, and apply them
and PLACE credits toward a degree in Business Management or Office Systems Technology.
This history has allowed you a brief glimpse into
my life. When combined with other facets of this portfolio, I hope there will be an
opportunity to learn about and appreciate my life experiences in greater detail leading to
the awarding of some credits.
