Continuing Education, Learning to Drive

Now we had the problem of what John should take in high school, which was in Madison. We decided to put him in the Agricultural course. He had been enrolled for six weeks when my old high school English teacher, Miss Brooks, saw me in the school one day.

She called me aside and said, “Do you know what you're doing?”

I said, “Yes, but I wonder if Agriculture is the best course for John.”

Miss Brooks said, “Mary, your son is too nice of a boy to be with those roughnecks and too young to be taught about mating animals.”

I said, “Miss Brooks, it is six weeks he has been in that course. It's too late to change.”

She said, “Mary, I'm going to a meeting tonight. I will see what I can do for you.”

She got them to change John's course. Now he was taking the college course. He did very well. I am thankful to Miss Brooks for taking that interest in my son.

Two years later our son Tony graduated from eighth grade. We also gave him a party for the two families and friends. He received many beautiful gifts. We did better placing Tony in high school. Now we had two in high school and three girls in grammar school. The girls loved school and did very well. One of Carmela's teachers said she was a born leader; we need leaders and followers.

When the children first started school I didn't drive. An old friend, Janet, used to come to take me to meetings and take me home. I had gone to high school with her.

I would say to Janet, “I think it is too much what you are doing for me; I sure appreciate it.”

She would say, “Mary, you are a good person. I'm sure when you drive you will do the same for someone else.”

Janet was right; I did learn to drive. I was happy I could drive. It made my life fuller. I could visit my relatives and friends. I gave other ladies rides to go to meetings at school. I made a lot of friends. I got along with all of them. The teachers and I got to know each other. They got a new principal, Charles Yentema, in school. He was just fine. He loved children and the children all got to like him.

Our daughter Carmela was now in the eighth grade. The children were growing up. We were doing well; my husband got a raise and we received rent from the house we owned in Madison. My husband bought a new Plymouth.