I was born to a very poor family in Kansas City, Missouri in 1940.
I didn't know we were poor because we did all those family things people use
to do. Tag, hide and go seek, checkers, picnics in the park and swimming in
the local pool, which was free. Movies were 5 cents to 10 cents. We always
went to grandma's house for Sunday dinner after church and of course all
holidays were spent there. We had lots of fried taters and beans. Still
love them but they don't like me. I had two sisters and one brother. Our
family use to get together and the adults played cards. Mostly canasta. In
those days children were to be seen and not heard and we played outside a lot.
We walked to school and it was safe. We laugh now because remembering how
small we were we get to talk about the snow being up to our behinds. I use to
walk behind my older sister who was walking backwards against the wind.
Living in a four-season state we did everything in season.
Planting, harvesting, canning. Every Saturday we heated big kettles of water
in the back yard and did laundry with a washboard. You had to have four tubs
in those days, washtub, rinse tub, bluing and of course starch. We hung the
clothes on the line and when they dried they smelled so good, even in winter
when they mostly froze on the line, we took them down, sprinkled the clothes
and Sunday after church we ironed. What a weekend. I guess that's why we never
got in trouble. We were busy.
My childhood had unhappiness in that we didn't have a dad around.
He was always in jail. He would come home beat my mom, steal and whatever.
We'd see him about twice a year. Mom finally got a divorce and I only saw him
once after that. Mom was lucky. He killed his second wife and spent most of
his life in the Jefferson City, Mo. prison. Mom remarried and we moved to
Indep. Mo. Boy did we think we were rich. We lived on a farm with a truck
garden, fruit trees and cows. I loved milking. We then rode a school bus 6
miles to school, which always seemed to pick us up at dark and brought us home
when it was dark. I graduated from the same high school Walt Disney attended
for a while in Kansas City, Mo. they bussed us over there. I was very active
in all phases of school and sports and graduated with honors.
Went two years to college at K.U. in Lawrence, Kansas. Quit to get
married. Had four children and an abusive hubby for eight years. The police
escorted me and the children out of the house one too many times and I never
went back. He shot himself but survived. Two and a half years later I met my
current hubby, had a child with him (he had none) and we got transferred to
Fresno, Ca. We both worked for IRS. He retired four years ago after 34 years
service. I retired from running a daycare June 13, 2003. I love to travel,
read, watch old movies, but my favorite thing is my friends. I love people. I
dearly love and believe in our Lord and attend Woodward Park Baptist church. I
had 5 children, raised two grandchildren. I have 17 grandchildren and two
great grandchildren. I have been a Beta Sigma Phi since 1969 and am a
Laureate. I have held every office many times and had every honor even won a
local contest and Mrs. Ross found out about it and sent me a lovely note and
one of her wonderful cookbooks. I have visited International many times and
usually when I go back to visit family I visit there. Not much more to
say except God bless all of you and I am so happy to be a part of
OLL.
Since I have already written about my
childhood, marriages, family, children and home when we were first getting
to know each other I'd like to tell you something about my sorority
life. Which in fact is a giant part of my life.
I was rushed in Kansas City, Missouri in
the fall of 1969. I had no idea what sorority was but a good friend of
mine I worked with at IRS just kept telling me about this club she belonged
to and I would love it. At the time I was just out of an abusive
marriage, kind of wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere and be left alone but
Kathy just kept insisting.
Finally, I went with her to a meeting.
Loved the girls, but was a little taken back by the handholding and
ritual saying, although it seemed nice, and of course God was mentioned so
that helped.
She also talked me into going to a social
and it was there I started forming friendships. Now at this time even
I was in my twenties so we were all young and the parties were fun, fun.
We ate, played games, danced and had a wonderful time. I attended
another meeting and then they had me hooked. They were planning a
family Christmas party and the whole family was invited. One of the
hubbies was going to dress up as Santa and the chapter purchased gifts for
every child. My children were thrilled. I was hooked now.
When my hubby asked me to marry him I let
him know he had to go to the sorority events with me and he couldn't grump
when I went out to sorority functions. He agreed. John loves
sorority and is an envoy. Every friend he has is the hubby of a
current or a former Beta Sigma Phi.
I really found out what Beta Sigma Phi
meant to me when we got transferred to California. I almost hated John
for moving us. I was 5 months pregnant, no one had ever left the state
of Missouri in my family and I had to leave my obstetrician.
Arrived in Fresno the eighth of
February. Flat, gray, foggy and ugly. Cried a lot. That
was in the days when our local paper published many social items on the
society page. I picked up the local paper one day and there was an
article about the sweetheart ball, the name of the chairman and her phone
number. I called the number, introduced myself as a crybaby Beta Sigma
Phi totally lost and lonely from Missouri. She was so nice.
Asked my name, phone number, address and family info. Said she'd get
in touch. One half hour later, four women were at my door with chips,
dips, sodas, and a cake. That was it. I was found again and of
course joined their chapter. There were 29 members and what an active
group they were. I became the rec. sec. almost immediately because the
current one got transferred.
The rest is history. It is so much
of my life. John traveled for 33 years of our marriage and they were my
support, my family, the ones I called on in an emergency. They
kept me from being lonely.
I had 17 years of perfect attendance here
in Fresno then purposely missed a meeting since I decided I was possessed.
The girls had picked me up in a van three weeks after I had a stroke (three
days after leaving the hospital). Drove me to the meeting, laid me on
a couch, waited on me hand and foot and then took this totally
exhausted, thought I was going to die person home. I knew I had to
miss a meeting.
Well, here I am, still alive and kicking,
headed toward 36 years of being a Beta Sigma Phi. Just as much, if not
more, involved than ever and loving it. I'm a Laureate now, almost
eligible for masters. They'll probably drag me to my grave kicking and
screaming I have a report, I have a meeting or I forgot my pin. What
can I say? I had a son on April 30th, Founder's Day, a grandson the
same date, married in Venita, Oklahoma one of the first BSP chapters formed
there. It was meant to be. What more can I say. I'm lovin
it. I'm a Beta Sigma Phi. I am thy sister.