Elizabeth Wagner-howe:
CLASS OF 1973
Orange Glen High SchoolClass of 1973
Escondido, CA
Valley Center Elementary SchoolClass of 1969
Valley center, CA
Elizabeth's Story
Well, lets see if I can come up with an interesting story of my life.....nope---can't! (HAHA) My life is nothing like I dreamed and pictured it would be as a teenager. But it hasn't been a disappointment either. So I just keep trucking along in life doing what I can to be productive and stay afloat. I am a simple person as far as material things---was never fed with a silver spoon and at my current age of 54, it's not likely to change. I work hard and always give a 110%, am honest, blunt and to the point, mouthy, and can make a sailor blush with my vocabulary. Guess that could be one reason why I still have to work my butt off to make a living. Not a "Yes Dear" sort of gal. However, in todays economy, I don't think I'm alone in that respect. I pride myself for not having any tickets or driving accidents---EVER...and that in itself is a big accomplishment with all the crazy ass people out there on the roadways.
I was raised in
Valley Center for most of my younger life--working with mom, dad and siblings out in the grove, planting citrus and avocado trees & packing 80 lb crates of fruit up the mountain sides. I may have been tall and slim, but I could arm wrestle with the best of them with the muscles I developed. I actually didn't mind the physical work, considered myself more of a tomboy anyways. When I wasn't working out in the grove, then I was trail riding on my horse, swimming in the pool or playing softball. I sometimes think I should have stayed with the horses instead of boyfriends. They love you unconditionally and don't talk back!!! I married at age 19. My twin sister Barb and I had a double wedding at the Valley Center Community Church--turned out to be the hottest day of the year at 108 degrees. That marriage lasted 18 years and produced 3 children. Bethanne (pronounced Bethany)turned 33 this past February, son Ivan will be 32 on April 18, and youngest daughter Jennifer will be 28 on July 8th. They and the grandbabies (7) are the loves of my life. They all live in Indiana close to their father, but I get to see them atleast once a year if not more....you know what they say....absence makes the heart grow fonder. I married my second husband in 1998 and we are currently going on 12 years.....however...we have some issues...so we will see where it goes....One thing is for certain...if this marriage ends.....I AM SO DONE WITH MEN!!! Its not that I have anything against men, just won't marry again.
Well, I have my health, a job, food, a roof over my head, good friends and all my siblings are still alive and doing well. Larry and Linda, class of 67, are still here in North County, Danny-class of 1970, is in Georgia with his 3rd or 4th wife, (I lost track) but doing well. My twin Barbie is with her second husband Vic and living in Salt Lake City, Utah. They hope to sell their home and move back down to this general vicinity. They love it in Utah, but husband has health issues and the higher elevation is difficult on his well being. Will be nice to have her close by again. Both my mom and dad are deceased. I took care of both of them till they passed away. It was alot of work at times, but so worth it. My mom was my best friend, losing her was extremely difficult. Dad and I always had a rocky relationship...infact I use to forewarn all my friends that he was a really strict and mean sort of fellow...however, he outlasted my mom by 8 years and beings I was the only smoker left in the family (you couldn't tear that man away from his smokes)it was pretty evident he would have to live with me after he sold the ranch..and so he did. Talk about stress.....living with a new husband and a father that felt he ruled the roost, but he wasn't the one paying the rent....there were some rude awakenings for all of us. But in the long run, I am glad I had those 8 years. As he became more dependent on me due to his kidney problems and all the time spent together, I realized my father did the best he could and infact, was a very loving man....he was never taught how to express himself. He died in my arms of a stroke and we both were at peace. I made a career choice after his death, from bookkeeping & accounting to elder care....something about old people....just love them and their stories of life.... Very rewarding.
Ok---that's it for now folks. Hope all is well with everyone out there I know, and even for those that I don't.....
May 27th, 2012:
Just renewed my membership and decided I had best update my story.....it's only been 3 years....hahahahaha.....
I am still living in Vista with my husband Brad---so we are still together, with the same issues, but not worth fretting about anymore. With each passing day I realize that life is just too short to hang onto bad feelings and since I have let go of some of the heartache, we have become good friends and confidantes. The love is still there but at a different level and we both view each other through different eyes, we are not the same people we were almost 20 years ago....I can live with that. Obviously he can too, cause he is still here...(of course, it could be because I pay half of the bills and I still have a job....lol).
I am still in the elder care industry. When I wrote the story above I had taken a job as a live in care giver for an Indian man from the Rincon Reservation. I lived with him during the week and came home on weekends. ...Expand for more
My mother used to work down on the reservations for many years, so I knew alot of the people and although I didn't know Mr. Donald Jamison personally, he knew my mother very well. Boy, what a life history this gentleman had. Growing up just over the mountain ridge I lived on for 40 years in Pala, going to the Sherman Institute in Riverside for Indians, coming home for summers. His hunting, tracking and rifle skills took him into the military, working OSS (now called CIA) during WW2. He was sent to the Phillipines via submarine before the American troops came in and worked with the headhunters, tribesmen and islanders setting up communications and stopping the Japanese from taking the island. He saved Ferdinand Marcos's life 3 times in battle, and when Ferdinand became President of the Phillipines, Mr. Jamison was awarded the medal of valor from his country. (compatible to the Medal of Honor from USA). He had medals galore from both the US & Phillipines, but our country would not award the medal of honor because he was a spy. One of ours, no doubt, but they had told him, you get captured, you are pretty much on your own because we don't know you. I could listen to his stories for hours, the war, the reservations back in the 20's, the movie stars that used to live around here and with whom would horseback ride and hunt with. Where roads use to be to get from one place to another, which no longer are traveled. He taught me some Indian words that were favorites of his....he cheated at rummy......hahahaha....I told him it was a damn good thing he wasn't born 50 years earlier, cause he would have been shot twice at the poker table...once for cheating and again for being an Injun!!!!!! He laughed his butt off. He was truly one of the most interesting men I had ever met and I am glad I listened to his stories intently because when his dementia really kicked in, I was able to fill in the blanks when he couldn't remember....he would smile and then doze off. Sadly, after being his companion/caregiver for 3 1/2 years, he passed away last December 1 at the age of 94, at home and peacefully. His daughter Nance and I know that he went that day so he could spend what would have been his 65th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife Virginia, who preceeded him in death by 8 years. Sure miss my Indian friend, but still remain friends with his daugher Nance, and always will.
I took the month of December off to get my emotions in check, re-evaluate what I wanted to do after the first of the year job wise, and applied for another caregiver/companion job on January 3rd, got it and started January 5th. This one is not a live in position but from 8-4 M-F. Hourly, plus gas mileage. This gentleman is fit as a fiddle, infact he out does me when it comes to exercizing and what not... His ailment is dementia, more extreme than my previous one as far as remembering, but he loves to go to the senior center, so we spend alot of time there shooting pool, shuffleboard, exercise classes twice a week, lunch, bingo and chess....I actually hate chess, but I play it for him....the man is unbelievable in this game... He can't remember my name on a daily basis, but he sure knows his chess pieces and strategy behind each move. We also walk Kit Carson Park, Felecita Park, Dixon Lake area (snakes out now so will have to stay on well walked trails) and he loves to garden and pick up leaves. His son allows me to bring him to my house also because I have lots of leaves he can pick up to keep him occupied and out of harms way. When I say "Pick Up", I mean just that...he will not use a rake but picks them up one by one....he is almost 84, but I swear, he could give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money, man never stops. He is from the Ukraine, but has lived in the US since the mid to late 40's. He was taken from his home and placed in a DP camp in Germany during WW2, until the Americans came to his rescue and they brought him to the United States. He also is a wonderful, kind and always smiling gentleman, just like Mr. Jamison was....have been blessed with wonderful clients and it makes my job so much easier. I hope I will have the pleasure of being with him for years to come.
Well, other than that not alot has happened in my life. Still have 3 kids and 7 grandchildren, I should have 8, my stepson and wife just had a baby girl on April 13th....so that makes 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters. I also have another baby, but she is a tea-cup Pomeranian Puppy named Cricket... My oldest daughter bought her for me a year ago Mothers Day, so I flew back to Indiana just before July 4th to bring her out to California. She is the cutest 6 1/2 lb fluffball one has ever seen. Mr. Jamison just loved her and my new client does too. Animals are so good for seniors, and for me too......I hope to have her for a long, long time too....
Only other change that I can think of is that my oldest brother Larry and his wife moved to Oregon this past March, got tired of the rat race out here and he turned 63, so could retire. They love it up there. Brother Dan is still in Georgia, my twin Barb is still in Utah, and my oldest sister Mindy (Larry's twin) still lives in the Country Club area of Escondido.
That about does it my friends.....will try to update this more often than every 3 years....until then take care one and all and God Bless.
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