autobiography | Jane Katherine Sudda

Good luck, and enjoy your new writing adventure. Future generations will be glad that you took the time to write something about your life and that you left them with such a valuable legacy.

1 What is your full name? Why did your parents give you that name?

Jane Katherine Sample Suddarth. My mother liked the name Jane but did not say why and her first name was Katherine so I inherited part of her name.

2 When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew up in.

I was born in the Dry Bayou Community, Pemiscot County, Missouri at home with my mother’s neighbor delivering me because the doctor could not reach our home in time. Dad had to harness two horses and go 2 miles to the highway where his car was parked at a country store and go to town and locate the doctor and come back to the store and each get on a horse and make it back to the house. The roads were dirt and in the winter time a car could not drive on the road. The story was that my father got so excited that he forget to let anyone know I was about to be born. Mrs. New saw him go by her house with 2 horses and knew that my mother was in labor so she went to see about my mother and she was alone with 3 little boys so she had to deliver me because the doctor was not there yet. My mother would have had me by herself if Mrs. New hadn’t been there. I moved from the home I was born in when I was about a year old to another farm home about 1/4th mile west. This is where I grew up. It was a large two story home but the attic was never finished and was a great place to play on rainy, cold, etc. days. The house had electricity run by a Delco system. Large glass batteries were in the garage to store the electricity in. However, it was always broke down for some reason so we had coal oil (kerosene) lamps and I remember when dad bought home an Aladdin lamp and how bright it was when he lit it. The Sorrells lived east of us and Anita was like a big sister to me. All of our neighbors were good people.

3. Tell me about your father (his name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on). Share some memories you have of your father.

My father was George Irvin Sample and was called Irvin or Puss Irvin. He was born in Ayers, TN, which no longer exists on the Mississippi River about 1 mile south of the bridge across the river from Caruthersville to Dyersburg. His family moved to Caruthersville, MO. when dad was about 2 years old. He attended the Catholic School from the first grade through the eighth grade. He then attended a Military Academy in Alton, IL, for one year. His brother, Leo, failed and his father would not let dad go back because he was angry with the school for failing Leo. His father was Thomas George Sample and I was too small to remember him before he died but I have heard stories about him. He worked for the Chicago Lumber and Mill Company and Grandpa measured how much lumber he could get from the trees. The area I grew up in was all swamps and forest but was drained and mostly cleared by the time I can remember. The sawmills would saw the trees into boards so Grandpa could ship them to Chicago. The lumber company did not want the land after the trees were gone so my Grandpa bought several acres for a very low price. He remained in the area and moved to the farm when my dad was about 23 years old. Dad learned to farm and my mother told the story that she had to teach dad how to harness a team of horses because he was a city boy.

4. My Grandmother was Leora Agatha Heard Sample. My Grandmother was born in Dickson, TN, to James Harvey Heard and Elizabeth Julie Burgie. I remember my Granny best of all my grandparents. She was a character and I could tell numerous stories just about my Granny. She lived about a ¼ of a mile from us so it was easy to walk to her house to grab a sweet potato from under the table cloth that always covered the table. They did not have kitchen cabinets like today’s kitchens have so she would wash the dishes and set them back on the table and cover them with a white table cloth and always under that cloth was baked sweet potatoes.

5. Tell me about your mother (her name, birth date, birthplace, parents, and so on). Share some memories you have of your mother.

My mother was Katherine Rosemond Hancock Sample and she was born in Lenox, Dyer Co., TN on July 27, 1894 to Grace Hamilton Mitchell Hancock and William Henry Hancock. Her father was kicked in the stomach when she was 5 years old and did. My Grandmother remarried, Samuel “Buster” Campbell. She grew up in Lenox and moved to MO when she was about 26 years old with her mother, step-father and 2 half brothers. My father was out looked for stock and wondered over into her community. It was open range on stock in those days. He goes to the barn and calls out to see if anyone is out there and my mom is shelling corn in the corn crib and sticks her head out to see what he wanted. My dad saw my mother and fell head over heels in love with her and they were married soon afterwards on March 9, 1921, and her family moved back to TN. Dad and mom got into a buggy and made the trip to the Dry Bayou Community to make their home. My mother had never been there before and the people had heard about dad getting married and bringing his bride to live there and they stood out on the side of the road to see what she looked like and I got to meet many of those people and they all said she was the prettiest woman they had ever seen. My mother was a seamstress by trade and had made herself a beautiful suit to wear to her new home. My mother was a very religious woman and was very kind to all that knew her. She never said a bad word in her life. I could go on and on about my mother but that would be another story. Mom and dad had 3 boys but raised 4 boys, my dad’s cousin, Paul Heard, came to live with us after both his parents died and 1 girl, Me. They were married 60 years before Mom died and they always lived in the Dry Bayou Community.

6. What kind of work did your parents do (farmer, salesman, manager, seamstress, nurse, stay-at-home mom, professional, laborer, and so on)? My Dad was a farmer and my Mother was a stay-at-home mom. Mom was a beautiful seamstress and made all of my clothes. I got my first store bought dress when I was graduating from high school. My dad had a fit when he found out I had bought a dress because he felt mom could make one better. In fact, I bought 2 dresses and I thought they were the prettiest dresses in all the world. I got married when I was in high school and my husband and I went off to college and came home for Thanksgiving the next year and my parent’s home burned and burned up my beautiful dresses.

7. Have any of your family members died? If so, what did they die from? What do you remember of their death, and what were the circumstances of their death?

My father died when he was 97 from infected bronocial tubes that antibiotics could not cure. My mother died when she was 86 from a massive stroke. My oldest brother died from emphysema that he got from a fungus in the soil when he was 63. He worked for US Testing Company and tested soils. My middle brother died from a heart attack when he was 72. My youngest brother died from leukemia at 49 which was thought he got from handling toxic chemicals used on the farm when they first came out and did not use protective clothing, gloves, etc.

8. What kind of hardships or tragedies did your family experience while you were growing up?

I was born during the depression in 1929 and my parents struggled to pay the taxes on the farm. We always had plenty food because we lived on a farm and grew all our vegetables and meat. Mom and dad canned everything they could in a hot water bath and then the pressure cooker came out and they were able to can more things. My mother was unable to walk after I was born because she had a blood clot in her leg. That was a big hardship on my dad because I had 3 brothers older than me with the oldest being only 7 years older. Dad had to care for them and my mom and a little baby. All of our clothes had to be hand washed on a scrub board in a number 3 tub with 2 other tubs filled with rinse water and the last tub had bluing in it to make the white clothes whiter. Now dad had diapers added to his load. I do not know how long mom was down but I do know that her sister took me when I was 18 months old and kept me until I was almost 7 years old. She lived in TN and would occasionally take me back to MO to see my family. I loved my Aunt Willie and Uncle Shepard very much.

9. Are there any unusual genetic traits that run in your family line?

My dad’s finger nails curled under and he had to keep them trimmed very short and I inherited this from my father and I have to keep my nails trimmed short or they curl under.

10. What are the names of your brothers and sisters? Describe things that stand out in your mind about each of your siblings.

My oldest brother was William Thomas Sample born December 11, 1921. He always called me “Sis” and loved me dearly. No children. Tom served in the Army in Europe.

My middle brother was George Irvin Sample, Jr. born September 3, 1924. He was always sickly and we had to not upset Junior. He was rather sad most of his life and did not have a happy marriage. 2 daughters. Junior served in the Army in the Pacific.

My youngest brother was Sharon Eugene Sample born August 30, 1926. We loved to Jitterbug when we were growing and drove my dad crazy because all of the house would shake. Mom never complained. We did many things together. Sharon served in the Army Air Corp and was discharged and reenlisted in the Air Force. He never went overseas. He married a lovely woman and had 4 sons and 1 girl.

11. What were some of the family traditions that you remember?

My dad always went over on an island in the Mississippi River to cut our Christmas tree. Dad could cut a perfect star and we would save tin foil from gum and cigarette packs, etc. to cover our star. I do not know why the star did not last from year to year but it didn’t. We would string popcorn and red berries to put on the tree. Mom always kept the ornaments stored so we used those year after year. Mother always made a special cake, Amalgamation Cake, for Christmas and I made it up until I got back problems and had to be limited on how long I could stand. Dad always bought a huge stick of Peppermint Candy and would use a hammer to break off chips for us to eat. We only got citrus fruit at Christmas. Dad would buy oranges for us and they were so good. We had an orchard with all kinds of fruit in it but no citrus. He bought bananas, also. Mom always cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I remember we all ate at the dining table and dad was always present and we did not leave the table until dad was finished eating.

12. Did your family have special ways of celebrating specific holidays?

My Mom always prepared a big dinner for holidays. Turkey for Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. Candid sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, etc. A big turkey dinner for Christmas with many of the same dishes she prepared for Thanksgiving plus her delicious Amalgamation Cake.

13. Share a few memories of your grandparents. I only remember one grandparent and that was my dad’s mother, Agatha Leora Heard Sample. Granny Sample lived about ¼ mile east of us. Granny caught rain water and I would go to her house to wash my hair in that soft water and used a vinegar rinse. My hair would shine in the sunlight. I always grabbed a baked potato from under the table cloth spread over her kitchen table. She didn’t have any kitchen cabinets like today. She had a standalone kitchen cabinet which she stored a few supplies but not her dishes. Granny would wash and dry her dishes and set the table for the next meal and put a white tablecloth on top of everything plus a white tablecloth was on the table beneath everything. Granny was very superstitious and I remember a couple things she would do. When she would come to our house she always made sure she exited the door she came in because it was bad luck to use any other door. Granny’s vision became very bad when she got older and she would sometimes put her dress on wrong side out and it was bad luck to take it off and turn it so she would put another one on top of the dress she had on. Sometimes she would have several dresses on before she got one right side out. I can remember when she had cataract surgery and had to keep her head still with a sand bag on each side of her head to keep her from turning it. This was done for about a week as I remember. Her glasses looked like the bottom of coke bottles, they were so thick. Now it is simple procedure.

14. Did your grandparents live close by?

My father’s parents lived about ¼ mile east of us but I don’t remember my grandfather. He died when I was very young. My mother’s parents lived near Lenox, TN, her father died when my mother was only 5 yrs. old, her mother remarried, Samuel “Buster” Campbell and had 2 sons and I remember Buster but seldom saw him and her mother died when I was too young to remember her.

15. If so, how much were they involved in your life? Granny Sample visited us a lot and I spent a lot of time at her house. I don’t remember us doing anything together.

16. Who were your aunts and uncles? My dad had 3 brothers, Leo Eugene, Bellfield, Timothy Dodson and 1 sister, Mary Elizabeth. My mother had 4 sisters, Ethel Mae, Effie Elaine “Tudy”, Willie Grace and Ila Eula.

17. Do you have any aunts or uncles who really stand out in your mind? My mother had a blood clot in her leg and the doctor would not let her out of bed to walk. She had to have surgery when I was 18 months old so her sister, Aunt Willie, took me to Dyersburg, TN and I lived with her and her husband, Isaac Leon Shepard, until I was almost 7 years old. Then I moved back to Missouri to live with my parents and siblings. My mother was much better. I would go back to stay with my Aunt Willie and Uncle Shepard ever time school was out until I became a teenager and had to work on the farm. However, one time after I married and was on break from college I did go stay with them for a couple weeks. They were like me parents. They took me to Phoenix, AZ, one winter when I was 9 years old. My Uncle Shepard would winter in Phoenix due to his bad health. My Aunt Willie home-schooled me that winter. I visited Aunt Ethel a little and loved going to Aunt Tudy’s house because I could play with my cousin, Marie Pate. Marie and I tried to get over on the island in the Mississippi River and got into quick sand and almost died. Aunt Tudy found out what we had done and spanked both of us. Aunt Ila lived in Hayti, MO, the small town we went to buy groceries. We always dropped by her house for a visit. Mother didn’t think Aunt Ila had all her mind. Aunt Ila would go around singing crazy songs all day. Mother had two half-brothers, Uncle Buddy lived in Hayti, MO, and we visited them frequently. He was always away from home working. He had 8 children. Mother’s brother, Uncle Shorty, lived in Lenox, TN, in the old home place where my mother was born. He had 1 son.

18. Where did you go to school? I started to school at Jenny Walker Elementary School in Dyersburg, TN but only for a short time because I moved back to MO and started to Dry Bayou School in November. I went to the 6th grade and then started school at Concord Elementary School for my 7th and 8th year.

19. What was school like for you? I had to walk to school at Dry Bayou which was about 1 mile west of our house. Dad would take me by horseback in the winter time when it would be deep snow. When I started to Concord, someone put a shell on the back of a pick-up truck and picked us up and took us to school. I started to Wardell High School in the 9th grade and graduated from there in 1947. I rode a long yellow bus. No heat or air conditioning. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Mr. Bill Clayton drove the bus all 4 years and no one dared upset Mr. Bill or off the bus you would go. I rode 45 miles to school and 45 miles home. I was in high school during WW II and tires and gas were scarce. The big load was at Hayward so they were always last to pick up and first to get home.

20. What were your favorite subjects in school? My favorite subject in high school was Home Economics Class. Miss Canada was my teacher and she was always well groomed and I admired her. She was an inspiration to me so I majored in Home Economics in College and got my degree in Home Economics Education.

21. What subjects did you like the least? Mathematics was my least favorite class. I have never been good in Math. Thankful when calculators came out. Why? I had trouble grasping it. Now I manage all of our finances. Who would have thought I would ever be able to do this but that calculator sure comes in handy.

22. Who were some of your friends in school? My best friend was Hallie Suddarth, that became my sister-in-law. We remained friends until her death in 2016. I still miss her very much. I am still in touch with some of my high school classmates. We lived so far apart that we never became real close friends like Hallie was to me. What are they doing today? Most of my classmates are deceased. All are retired. I am still in touch with Dorothy Fisher Wheeler in St. Louis; Phillip Ball (We attended all 12 years of school together.) in Springdale, AR; Lavern Curtis Alderson, TN; Anna Jean Kyle Koon Cape Girardeau, MO and Bobby Morgan MO.

23. If you went on to get a college or vocational education, what school did you go to? I attended University of Tennessee Junior College, Martin, TN for 2 years. Transferred to University of Mississippi and graduated in 1951 with my BS in Home Economics Education. Moved to Phoenix, AZ, and attend school at Arizona State University and received my Master’s degree in 1958. What memories do you have of those years? My four years in college were very tough. We had no money and lived on Pinto Beans, Fried Potatoes and Cornbread. We ate them 3 times a day. It made me appreciate more of what I have now.

24. What do you see as your strengths? I am a very strong willed women and it is a good thing because I have had to learn many things as I have grown older that I never dreamed of doing when I was young. Taking over all our finance management has been my toughest task but I am learning.What were some of the challenges you have had to deal with? My biggest challenge is managing all our finances after my husband got Alzheimer’s Disease and could not help me figure things out.

25. What medical issues have you had to deal with throughout your life? I have had hypothyroidism all my life. This is one of the reasons we live in Phoenix, AZ. My body does not generate heat in the winter and I freeze all winter when it is cold. I have been on medication since in my 20s. I was in perfect health other than my hypothyroidism until 2002 when I had to have surgery for spinal stenosis. The surgery was very successful until I fell backwards in a sunken living room in 2009. I cracked 2 vertebrae and had surgery to repair them but have had pain in my back since then. I had Endoscopic Rhizotomy, severed nerves, in my back in 2011 which helped until about 2013. I had to have a hip replacement in 2012. Fell and broke my other hip on February 13, 2017 due to my heart pausing to long. Needed a pacemaker. My shoulder was completely destroyed in the fall and had Reverse Shoulder Replacement on July 11, 2017 and this disturbed the nerves in my hand and had right hand surgery on October 12, 2017.

26. Was religion an important part of your family life? Yes. If so, what religion did your family practice, and what did it mean to you? My husband and I joined the Methodist in Wardell, MO, about 1954. The church is no long there. My mother always took me to the Methodist church in Hayti, MO.

27. Is it still an important part of your life today? Yes.

28. What foods do you like? Almost everything. What foods do you dislike? Chocolate. Did you have any food or medical allergies? I am allergic to fresh pork, I can eat cured pork such as ham, bacon, etc. Iceberg lettuce in chunks do not digest very well. No problem if shredded.

29. Were there two or three dishes your mother or father made that were especially memorable? My mom made the best Blackberry Cobblers and all her cobblers were good but my favorite was blackberry. She was an excellent cook. Her Yeast Doughnuts were delicious. I could smell then when I go off the school bus.

30. How did you meet your spouse? We don’t remember. I do remember he came to my 8th grade graduation. He told me he first saw me walking down the old dirt road near my home and my long hair was swishing in the air and he thought to himself I am going to marry that girl someday and he hadn’t even seen my face.

31. How would you describe your spouse? Loving husband and always put me first, kind, generous, patient, loving, great dad, granddad and great granddad.

32. What was your courtship like? My husband came home from the Navy the last day of March 1946 and we dated until we got married on March 1, 1947. Describe your marriage day. We eloped to Piggott, AR, on a Saturday night in rain, sleet and snow. The court house was filled with couples getting married. No blood test needed in AR but it was in MO and a 3 day waiting period. Men coming home from WW II were wanting to get married and did.

33. Share some stories about your spouse.

My husband was the oldest of 8 children. 4 boys and 4 girls. He was very intelligent and graduated from high school when he was only 16 years old. WW II came along when he was 17 his mother signed his papers so he could go into the Navy. He served in the Pacific Area on the USS Honolulu CL-48 until it was hit by a torpedo. He was seriously wounded and was taken off the ship onto the USS Leary. The USS Leary took him to the USS Rixey, hospital ship. The USS Rixey operated on him and took him to Manus, Admiralty Islands, for more bedrest since he was in a body cast from his waist down. He had severe burns to his upper body. After the USS Honolulu was patched up it limped back to the states and through the Panama Canal to Portsmouth, VA, where he was placed in the hospital again. He was released to go home for 36 days. 3 days each way for traveling. When he returned to Portsmouth, the doctors thought he was ready to return to the fighting area since the Navy needed all men to keep serving. He was put on an AOG, Oil Tanker, USS Klaskanine where he served until the end of the war. We married 11 months after he came home and settled down to farming. In the fall after things were settled up, we had no money because we had no land or equipment and had to pay rent on the land and for using the equipment. Since Tom Nick had the GI Bill for college, he decided best to go to college which we both did on his GI Bill for 4 years. It was tough times for us but we survived. Our first teaching jobs were back at the high school we had attended. He became principal and I was the Home Economics Teacher. We stayed there 5 years and moved to Arizona. He got a teaching position at West High School in 1956 teaching business and then counseling for approximately 17 years, transferred to South Mountain High School as a counselor about 1973 and stayed about 10 years and transferred to the Phoenix Union High School District Office as Director of Human Resources in about 1983 and retired in 1991 but continued working for the district about 10 years.

34. How many children do you have? 2

35. What are their names? Katherine Lee Suddarth and John Irvin Suddarth.

Share a few memories about each one. Kathy was a very shy child and very intelligent like her father. She was bored in high school but did graduate did not go to college. She had 2 children, Taylor Nicole Dawson and Katherine Hayden Sangiorgi. John was always very outgoing and never saw a stranger. He did well in school and got his bachelor degree from Grand Canyon University.

36. What were some of the major community, national, and world events you lived through? World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, desegregation of schools, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assignation, World Trade building in New York City Destroyed, Pentagon Building hit by plane and another plane brought down in Pennsylvania.

37. How did these events change your life? It makes me think of the good times I lived through and now my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will live in fear for their lives with all the terrorist killing people.

38. What are some of your life philosophies or life views that you would share with others? I am a deeply religious person and believe that all people are equal, homosexuals are born as such and not made that way and they can’t change, I believe in marriage before sex, I believe in loving your spouse and putting them first even though you don’t always agree with their decisions.

39. What are some of the personal values that are very important to you? Always love your children and all those that follow even though they have made some bad decisions. What have you done (and what are you doing now) to teach these values to your children? I have always set a good example for them in the way I live my life.

40. List at least five people who you would categorize as truly great men or women. Mother Teresa, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Martin Luther King and Doctor Salk. What did they do to be great? Mother Teresa took care of the poor people dying on the streets in India and lived a dedicated Christian life. President Roosevelt started an organization that turned into the March of Dimes, since he had polio, started the WPA, Works Progress Administration, to help the people to be able to work and Social Security Act, economic security for the elderly, the poor and the sick. Harry Truman was vice-president under President F.D. Roosevelt and then became President after Roosevelt died. Our country was in the midst of WW II and Truman had to make a big decision on dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. His response was “it was done to save 125,000 youngsters on the American side and 125,000 on the Japanese side from getting killed and that is what it did. It probably also saved a half million youngsters on both sides from being maimed for life.” Martin Luther King fought for equal rights for all people and helps to desegregate schools in all places. Doctor Salk because he developed a vaccine to prevent Polio.

41. List 20 or more things about yourself.

I was born at home before the doctor arrived. My mother’s neighbor was there to help my mother when she had me; I was the only girl and had 3 older brothers; My mother’s sister, Aunt Willie, raised me in my formative years 18 months to almost 7 years old in Dyersburg, TN; I grew up on a farm in Missouri from almost 7 years until I married at 18 years old; Levee in front of our house to prevent the Mississippi River from overflowing onto our farm; Helped my dad farm after brothers all went off to WW II; I used horses and dad used mules to farm; I attended a one room country school about 1 mile west of our house until the 6th grade. No school buses. Bad weather days dad would take me to school on horseback. Other days I walked; Attended Concord Elementary School the 7th and 8th grades; Rode school bus 45 miles to and from Wardell High School 9th through 12th grades; Married while senior in high school in 1947; Started college at University of Tennessee Martin, TN for 2 years; Moved to Oxford, MS, to attend University of Mississippi better known as “Ole Miss.” Graduated in 1951; Moved to Wardell, MO, and taught Home Economics at Wardell High School for 5 years; Moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1956 and taught 2 years at Orangewood Elementary School; Had first child, Katherine Lee Suddarth, in 1959; Followed by John Irvin Suddarth in 1961; Substituted teaching from 1967 to 1975; Taught Home Economics to special needs students from 1975 to 1978 when the government closed the program; Worked Good Samaritan Hospital from 1978 to 1991.

42. List 20 things or more that you think the world would be so much better off without.

Gasoline burning cars to put bad substance into the air; Computers that control the world; Remote controls on ever thing; Jet planes forming bad air; Wars; Fast Foods getting people over weight; Alcohol causing people to become alcoholic; Gambling; Houses of prostitution; Texting; Chemical grown vegetables; Antibiotic in animals and fowl that we eat; Easy access to illegal drugs; Bad parenting; Bad language; Being selfish; Terrorist; School shootings; Border Fences; Bad Laws.

43. List 20 interesting things you’ve experienced in your lifetime.

No electricity; No running water; Outdoor toilets; Farming with a team of horses; Milking cows by hand; Chopping and Picking Cotton; Marriage to a wonderful man; Having 2 wonderful children; Traveling over most of the world; Riding a big yellow school bus 45 miles to and from school; Attending a one room country school with all 6 grades in one room; Having grandchildren; Having great grandchildren; Cruising to many places; Having all brothers; Teaching school; Being in Eastern Star, P.E.O., DAR, many bridge groups; Loving parents and family; Going to Jerusalem twice; Many friends.

44. If you could spend a day with any famous person in the world, who would it be, and what would you do during your day with him or her? Queen Elizabeth. Let her talk to me about world affairs and what she thinks we can do to improve things. How to make our world safer? I think she is a very smart, level headed person.

45. What scares you? Nuclear warfare.

46. What makes you stop and go, “Wow!”? Birth of a baby.

47. What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time? Genealogy, watching some TV Shows, Facebooking, writing emails

48. What kind of health challenges have you experienced? I have been fairly heathy most of my life. I had 2 C-sections and total hysterectomy. I have had some physical problems like spinal stenosis surgery, severed nerves in back, left hip replacement, heart pausing to long causing me to fall on Feb. 13, 2017and breaking right hip followed with surgery the next day, left arm severely damaged in fall and had to have Reverse Shoulder Replacement followed by hand surgery due to nerves in shoulder being moved.

49. What advice would you pass on about raising children that you learned by raising your own children? Don’t try to be their friend. You are the parent and you are to guide your children into being good citizens by being a good citizen yourself.

50. What are some of your talents? I was a great seamstress when I was younger. I love doing genealogy and I think I am good at it.

51. How did you discover them? My mother was a seamstress as a young girl and I think I learned this trait from her. She was interested in genealogy which sparked my interest in our family history.

52. What have you done to cultivate and improve them? I sewed all our clothes including my parents for many years including my husband’s suits and many sports coats and slacks to match. I visited a Mormon Family History center to learn how to do genealogy because I had a lot of information my mother had given me before she died and I had no idea how to record it and then I got hooked on it. How have they affected your life? When I finished a piece of clothing, I admired my accomplishment. When I traced an ancestor back to the American Revolution I was happy or even farther back. I have about 15 ancestors that fought but haven’t proven all of them.

53. What did you do for a career? Taught school. Why did you choose that career? Not sure why I chose teaching but enjoyed my years in this occupation.

54. What were some of the jobs you had throughout your life? Being a good wife and mother. Teaching Home Economics and Pharmacy Technician at Good Samaritan in Phoenix. What were some of the memorable experiences you had with these jobs? I am still in touch with students I taught back in the early 1950s.

55. List five significant events or experiences in your life, and explain what effects they have had on you. Marriage for 71 years has taught me how to not be selfish and to share with your mate, Teaching School and being in touch with many of my students that I taught in the early 1950s, Being a Mother to two wonderful children, my religion has been my guiding light and helped me through many times in my life and my civic organizations has taught me leadership and how to deal with others.

56. What are some of the life lessons that you would like to pass on to your posterity? I think being kind to others and not say hurtful things to them and include them when needed in the conversation and always be present to listen to others needs. God gave us 2 ears and one mouth so I think he meant for us to listen more than we talk.

57. In how many places have you lived during your lifetime? Four. Provide a brief description of each place you’ve lived, why you lived there, and why you moved. I was born in Missouri, moved to Tennessee when I was 18 months old, returned to Missouri at almost 7 years of age until I was 18. Returned to Tennessee to attend college in Martin, TN. Moved to Oxford, MS to attend college at Ole Miss from 1949 to 1951. Back to Wardell, Missouri to teach high school for 5 years. Moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1956 until present time. Lived in the same house in Phoenix.

58. If you could go back in time and do things over again, what would you change? Nothing. I have had an amazing life and would not make any changes.

59. When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? Being a good person to my family and friends. What would you like your legacy to be? Being a good wife and raising two wonderful children. What are you doing now to make that happen? Setting an example how to live life in the Golden Years.

Extra Questions

If a newspaper wanted to do a story about you, what would the story be about? My integrative and faithfulness. I never took a penny from anyone that was not owed to me and was faithful to my family and friends.
If someone gave you $100 and told you that you had to give it away but you could NOT give it to your family, what would you do with it? There are many worthwhile places to donate money. At the present time, I would donate to the Honor Flights of AZ that takes our veterans to Washington, DC, to see their Memorials, all expenses paid for them. The Veteran can’t even tip.
Have you traveled to any place outside of your home country? My husband and I traveled many times overseas and many cruises out of the country. My favorite countries were Italy and Thailand. What was the reason for the trip or trips and what memorable things happened on some of those trips? Our trips were for joyful vacations. In Italy, I was able to see where my brother, Thomas Sample, was married in Caserta, Italy and visited the Isle of Capri where he honeymooned. Rome and the Vatican alone are worth the trip to Italy. Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a lovely experience. Thailand was a memorable experience because we took a raft ride down the River Kawi and road the train on the tracks that Prisoners of War built in WW II.
What were some of the popular fads you experienced during your life? I never was one to copy people so can’t recall any fads for me.
How did you spend your summers? When I was very young my vacations were going to Tennessee to stay with my Aunt Willie and Uncle Shepard and my mother’s sister. When I got old enough to work in the field, I chopped and picked cotton and during the WW II years I worked in the fields with my dad plowing behind a team of mules to help dad farm.
What were some of your more memorable vacations? To many to list.
How would you describe your personality? Faithfull to family and friends. I am my own person and do not gossip, run people down or try to copy anyone. I am a happy person with what I have and not always wanting things.
Describe your philosophy about money. If you do not have money to pay for anything do not buy it. Large items such as homes, cars, etc. may need to be set up on a time payment but be sure you have the money to make the payments when they are due. Don’t live on credit.
Did you ever have pets? Tell about them. Yes, I have had many pets. My best pet was Slick, a Siamese Cat, that I adored. The neighbor lady across the street hated cats, kids and people so put out poison and killed my beautiful cat.

​