More Questions from Randy from LoneTester HQ/ Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

Q6:   When you were young, do you remember what it was that you wanted to grow up to be? 

Yes, I wanted to be a Reporter and a Writer, if not I wanted to be a Teacher. 

My first day at San Jose Mercury News they went on strike. I found another  job.

I actually have one book published by Sweetwater Union High School District. It was a book about words and terms the District used that we parents and lay people needed to know what they were or  meant.

 I may someday get the other books that are started finished.

Q7. Did you have a favourite teacher at school?

I had various teachers I cared for over the years. Sister Julietta BVM was one at St. Vincent's in Petaluma, CA.  

I played competitive Basketball and traveled for them.

Mr John Sullivan was another when at Tomales High School .  Speech competitions with him as mentor.

Miss G Gibson as Band director  also my Basketball coach.

Mr. McDowell who taught us so many classes and so much about life.  My Junior year English teacher was another person to remember.  I loved English and majored in it during High School. 

 Q8. How did you get to school?

Grammar School we were driven from country to town. The same applied for Parochial School. Later we moved to Valley Ford and I hopped over the fence to be in the school yard.  High School I rode with Dad to town with my sister  and then came back to home town school and rode bus  to Tomales High School. K and 1 was one school, 2 and part of 3 St. Vincent's, then American Valley School 3-5, then back to St. Vincent's, then to Tomales High School the last two years.

When going to St. Vincent's we rode with Dad.  The local grammar school was teacherless for a bit, for a good reason.

The last year of school I drove sometimes depending on after school band or play practice or sports events.

Q9 What games did playtime involve?

Grammar School was: Tag, Dodge ball, Basketball, Kickball, Baseball, Tag football,  Three flies up,HopScotch, Broad Jump,  Potato Sack Races.  (There were  district school competitions for some of these events.) I still have my ribbons.

Jr Hi and High School I played Basketball, did some Track, but mostly it was Basketball and Band and Drama. 

At home we played Canasta, Monopoly, Pit, Go Fish, and games varied depending on whom was  visiting.

Yes, we played Ghost also. When at school also played Gossip. 

Q10 Did you have a cubby house?

We did not need one we had trees, and buildings and open space to hide and seek and play in.

One night my neighbor buddies and I were in the trees and part of the path collapsed. Dad was at work and the neighbor had to come help Mom to get us all down.  Our chores we rather late that night.

Q11.  What was something you remember from an early family holiday?

We had moved from the bunkhouse next to my Aunts to our own house on another ranch. We went back to my Aunt's and Uncle set up the trains. Yes, trains, my cousins and I loved the trains. (I still love trains).  We did this until we all left home as adults, will have to ask cousin if his parents ever set it up for the grandkids.  They spit fire and smoke and  made noise and had lights, I was like 3 the first time I saw it and each year a new piece was added. When they (boys) hit high school, a building was built to house the trains and there was four levels of trains running around that inside of building.  We of course contributed to the larger pieces for the display because we all loved it.  Our oldest son  got to see them run but he was not yet 3 so may not remember them.

My other thing was my Aunt put Chestnuts in her dressing and oysters. ARRRGH for the oysters everyone else loved it.

Q14. What was your first pet?

I was the proud owner of a dog, I followed him out of the yard and over to the BigHorn River and scared my parents and the Ranch half to death.  He dug under fence and I dug the hole deeper and followed.

I only remember part of this but the trauma stayed with me.

I have always loved animals. My horse was to big to be a true pet then but I did have a horse when older in California. OLD CROW, a retired race horse that they hadn't cooled down correctly and could no longer race.  We shared many adventures.  She did not like snakes just like me. She flew like the wind when we run into one.

Q15.  Did your grandparents, or older relatives tell you stories of “when I was young ..?”

Yes, they all did. My Grandfather Hoffman on each trip to Wyoming would take me and my two boy cousins (we were the oldest) out to the field and the hay bailer and tell us family stores from the time I was small until an adult.  I was 18 the last time I saw him and then we went to the storage shed to chat, he no longer was on farm and had no hay bailer to set on.  He kept the Picture book I have in that Storage Shed.  Grandma would not allow it in the house because of the Indian picture in it.

My Uncle's and Aunt's and older cousins all shared stories of various events.  Thankfully.

My Great Grandmother wrote to me from the time I was 12 until she died, the year I graduated.

Alas government lost all those letters. Photos etc she had shared.  We had a lot of interesting characters in our family back ground, good, bad and maybe a few uglies.