23 What world events had the most impact on you when you were growing up?

The cold war was in full force. We lived in fear of a nuclear attack. At school- we'd have "Bomb drills" - where an alarm would go off and we'd dive under our desks- great protection against nuclear holocaust. 

I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and Khrushchev banging on the table with his shoe. I also remember him saying "we will bury you".

It was a scary time and I had a lot of sleepless nights. I also wrote John Kennedy a letter asking "are we going to have a war". I have it around here someplace.

22. Who were your best friends growing up?

When we lived at Rice, Washington, the Johnson girls, Kiki and Nita were our best friends. We played with them and with Loretta Clinton all the time. The Johnsons had a great house with a big garden, a playroom with lots  of books and no TV. We didn't have a TV either-so it was no big deal.

Many times- my sister was my best friend/enemy. We had a love/hate relationship as children. She was the person who told me "Sissy you have the softest cheeks" and the persons who sold peeks of me in the shower to the neighbor kids at 25 cents a pop.  She plays a big part in some of the best times I ever had as a kid- and the worst. I love her dearly and admire her. I'm glad we grew up!

We moved to Kettle Falls when I was in the 4th grade and I graduated from High School there. So my "best friends" were Carol Weatherman grade school to high school; Susan Ayres middle school, high school; LaVaughn Keenan high school.

21.Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?

When I was 14, my dad bought a Honda 50 Motorbike. I was learning how to ride it, shift gears etc (it shifted like a motorcycle). We lived out in the country- on the Kettle River, near Barstow, WA. There was an old road on the property that just went around in a circle and Dad told me to stay on that road.  I got bored doing that after awhile and took off down a dirt road that was next to the river bank  and headed south toward the neighbors property. When I got to the fence line,  I turned the bike around, not really knowing how tight you could turn, and made a wide turn that had me headed right toward the river bank. I got scared, pulled back on the hand throttle and dove over the side of the 40 foot river bank.   I came-to with my face in the water, I looked up the bank, saw my dad and passed out again. My red and white TV shirt was all red.  I had a skull fracture and a concussion.

 The Statesman Examiner (Colville paper)  came out and took a photo of me with my head wrapped up in a bandage, sitting on my motorbike in my PJ's, with mama standing in the background.

When I was 16, I was a Miss Kettle Falls Princess  and as "royalty"- we had our pictures in the paper.

 At 18 I had a photo in the "weddings section" of the paper.

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!