20.What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?

We were Christians- in the generic white person in America way. (as in "if you're a white person in America, you must be a Christian" era). We went to Sunday school when we lived in town. Mostly the Baptist Church in Kettle Falls.

My Grandma Williams belonged to a "holy roller" church.  When Donna and I were little, she took us to church  and had us up at the altar praying for our sinner  parents. This was the last time Mama let her take us to church in Colville. I do remember visiting her in Kent, WA when I was about ten.  On Sunday morning, she gave me a couple of hankies because it would be a "two-handkerchief" service. After the first hymn, the minister got up and started ranting and raving, jumping up and down- wrestling with the devil. I burst into giggles and stuffed the handkerchief in my mouth to stifle the laughter. Grandma thought I was in the throes of the holy spirit. It definitely was a "two-handkerchief" sermon for me!

More questions & answers!

17.Who were your childhood heroes?  Nancy Drew,  Superman and Wonder Woman.

18.What were your favorite songs and music?  "PineapplePrincess" by Annette Funicello, star of the original Mickey Mouse Show.   "Tan Shoes & Pink Shoelaces" by Dodie Stevens and "Ramblin' Rose" by Nat King Cole.  (maybe 10 or 11 at the time).

19.Did you have any pets?  If so, what kind and what were their names? When I was 10 I had a cat named "Elvis Sundae Fitzgerald Richard David Somersault Jr. The First.  It was during the 1960 presidential race. So it was Elvis for Elvis, Sundae because I liked 'em, Fitzgerald for  JFK, Richard for Nixon, David for my (first) boyfriend, and the rest just because it thought it added a certain flair.

Keri's Question 16- do you remember any fads from your youth? popular hair styles, clothes?

"The Rock 'n Roll". It was a dance published in a teen magazine with footsteps you cut out and put on the floor. Donna and I were sophisticated first and second graders who introduced the dance to our school. It was about the same time Elvis burst on the scene. My Grandmother, Esther May Riley Gilmore & I saw him on "The Ed Sullivan Show" . I remember my mama sighing.  

When I was little, movie stars and older girls wore sun dresses. spaghetti straps, tight tops, big full skirts that stood out with lots of slips under them. It was one of my favorite looks, but by the time I was old enough to wear them - those sundresses were out of style. I did wear 5 slips under my skirt to 5th grade though.

Baby doll pajamas, pettipants, thongs (now known as flip-flops), patterned hosiery, BIG hair. Black eyeliner. white or pale pink lipstick. Donna and I slept on huge pink brush rollers cushioned with folded up t.p.I remember dad having a fit about the bills for TP. I mean - how could anyone could use that much toilet paper in a week?

The bunny hop was still happening. When I was in high school, we'd bunny hop through all the taverns in town on Home Coming night. Long lines of kids hop hop - hop,hop,hopping past barstools crowed with smokers, women wearing too much perfume and creepy old guys. Hopping and singing the "Hop, Hop, Hop-hop-hop" at the top of our lungs.. out the back door and on down the street.

"Dragging main" in Kettle Falls. Kind of like in "Grease" but we just drove from the high school to railroad tracks and then back to the high school. 

More about school

Donna Marie Reese  would walk by our house every morning on her way to first grade. Hair in braids, lunch bucket swinging at her side, nose in the air. She was in school and I wasn't and she wouldn't even look at me anymore. I really hated that.

I ached to go to school.

I remember the first day of first grade. Little kids holding tight to their mama's hands, peeking out at each other through a sea of  full skirts and pedal pushers. The crowd was so tight and the mom's so tall I don't remember seeing heads!  

The next thing I remember is being deposited in a classroom while mama talked to the teacher. No one was there. Just me and a little bitty girl at the front of the room. As mama was wrapping things up with the teacher, my throat closed, my chest got tight. Just as I was about ready to cry the  little girl started  sobbing.  I went right up to her and hugged her and told her not to worry that everything was going to be all right.