Jerry Chastain:
CLASS OF 1970
Washington High SchoolClass of 1970
Bryte, CA
Jerry's Story
middle aged and shrinking with lot of metal parts. I HAVE HAD A LONG AND BUSY LIFE!! I'M LIVING IN THE WHEAT FIELDS OF EASTERN WASHINGTON BEEN IN THE AREA FOR 27 YEARS. I HAVE 5 CHILDREN & 5 GRAND KIDS. I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO MARY CHEEVER ( SHE LIVED IN WEST SAC AND WENT TO MARSHALL HIGH) FOR 37 YEARS AND WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN LOVE!! I AM RETIRED NOW. FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS I HAVE BEEN SELF EMPLOYED. THE LAST 18 OWNING AND OPERATING A SMALL GROCERY STORE.
JOBS I HAVE HELD. STOOP LABOR (PICKING TOMATOES,MISC FRUIT, NUTS). PROSPECTOR AND HARD ROCK MINER, ( THAT'S WERE I LEARNED HOW TO USE DYNAMITE(( A LOT OF FUN)). 6 MONTHS AS A DISHWASHER. 2 YEARS AS A WESTERN UNION DELIVERY MAN ( 1 YEAR AS A BIKE MESSENGER & 1 YEAR AS AUTO MESSENGER. THE REASON I QUIT WESTERN UNION WAS BECAUSE I WORKED 70 HOURS A WEEK & 7 DAY A WEEK. AT ONE POINT I WORKED 179 DAYS WITHOUT A DAY OFF.
FIREFIGHTER, THIS WAS MY HOPED FOR CAREER BUT I BROKE MY BACK WHEN I WAS ABOUT 22.
CARPENTER & GENERAL LABORER. CUSTOM KITCHEN INSTALLER.
I WORKED AS A PLANT AND MAINTENANCE WORKER AT A FOOD PLANT ( I GOT FIRED ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER I QUIT WHEN I ASKED FOR MY JOB BACK) I DROVE AROUND SACRAMENTO FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TELL MY WIFE I HAD NO JOB!!!!.
AROUND 1977 OR 78 I GOT A JOB OFFER IN OGDEN UTAH AS A WAREHOUSE WORKER, 6 MONTHS AFTER THAT I WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE IN SALT LAKE CITY AND MADE WAREHOUSE MANAGER. A COUPLE YEARS LATER I WAS THE ASSISTANT MANAGER OF THE WHOLE STORE. AGAIN I WAS MAKING GOOD MONEY BUT NEVER SAW MY FAMILY. MANAGERS WERE ONLY ALLOWED 1 & 1/2 DAYS A MONTH OFF BUT IF SOMEONE CALLED SICK THE MANAGERS HAD TO COVER. ABOUT 1984 WE WENT TO VISIT FAMILY IN EASTERN WASHINGTON. WE FOUND A 3 STORY 5000 SQ FT HOUSE WITH 6 BEDROOMS AND 3 BATHS PLUS 3 FIREPLACES & A POOL TABLE IN THE LOWER FLOOR JUST FOR FUN WE OFFERED $25,000 DOLLARS. TO OUR GREAT SURPRISE THEY TOOK OUR OFFER. I QUIT MY JOB AND MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS & 1 DOG MOVED TO WASHINGTON.
I GOT MY GENERAL CONTRACTORS LICENSE AND WENT TO WORK DOING REMODELS ADDITIONS, DECKS AND ANY THING ELSE PEOPLE WANTED DONE. I TOOK A PART TIME JOB AS A CHURCH CUSTODIAN SO WE HAD A STEADY CHECK DURING THE SLOW MONTHS. I FOUND A 60 ACRE FARM THAT WE BOUGHT AND IN MY SPARE TIME I RAISED PIGS. WE ALSO HAD 2 MORE KIDS.
WHEN OUR YOUNGEST KID ( NOT PIG ) WAS 2 YEARS OLD MY WIFE ( THE LOVE OF MY LIFE ) WAS ASKED TO TEACH MUSIC AT ONE OF THE LOCAL SCHOOLS. SO MARY WENT BACK TO COLLAGE AND GOT A TEACHING DEGREE TO GO WITH HER MUSIC DEGREE AND STARTED TEACHING.
OUR YOUNGEST CHILD JOSH WENT WITH ME TO A LOT OF JOBS. 1991 WE SOLD THE FARM AND BOUGHT A SMALL TOWN GROCERY STORE. WITCH I OPERATED FOR 18 YEARS. DURING THIS TIME MY WIFE GOT HER MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION.
MY OLDEST SON JARED WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AND GOT HIS MASTERS DEGREE IN PROJECT ENGINEERING! HE WORKS FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND IS VERY HAPPY. HE AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE HAS A 13 MONTH OLD SON. SHE IS A BANKER.
MY OLDEST DAUGHTER GOT HER MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND TEACHES IN A LOCAL SCHOOL. SHE IS MARRIED TO A GREAT MAN AND HAS A 7 YEAR OLD GIRL AND A 3 YEAR OLD BOY. THEY LIVE A BLOCK AWAY AND IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WATCH THE KID ALL THE TIME.
OUR 3RD CHILD AND MIDDLE GIRL WENT TO COLLAGE AND HAS A D...Expand for more
EGREE IN OFFICE MANAGEMENT. SHE HAS A 13 YEAR OLD SON AND WORKS IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD.
OUR NEXT OLDEST DAUGHTER WENT TO COLLAGE AND RECEIVED HER MASTERS DEGREE IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY AND IS A HIGH SCHOOL COUNCILOR. SHE IS MARRIED TO ANOTHER GREAT GUY WHO IS IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD. THEY HAVE A 2 MONTH OLD SON
WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR YOUNGEST SON WHO IS STILL IN SCHOOL. WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL HE PLAYED FOOTBALL AND HAS 3 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS. HE ALSO LETTERED IN 4 VARSITY SPORTS. HE IS LEANING TOWARDS A DEGREE IN ART BUT WHO KNOWS.
I AM NOW RETIRED AND SERVING AS A TRAVELING GRANDPA. I BOUGHT A NEW MOTORCYCLE AND WAS A BIT CARELESS. I CAME INTO A CORNER TOO FAST AND HIT SOME LOOSE GRAVEL. THE BIKE SLIDE OUT FROM UNDER ME AND I JUMPED. WHEN I STOPPED BOUNCING I HAD A SHARP PAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BACK AND MY RIBS ON MY RIGHT SIDE DID NOT FEEL GOOD AT ALL. I ALSO WAS HAVING A HARD TIME BREATHING. WITH THE PAIN IN MY BACK I WAS AFRAID I HAD BROKEN MY BACK AND I KNEW I HAD TO LAY STILL. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 2 PM IT WAS ABOUT 97 DEGREES. I WAS LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF A DEEP ROADSIDE DITCH NO PART OF ME OR MY BIKE COULD BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY WE ALWAYS CALL SOMEONE WHEN WE LEAVE A PLACE AND WHEN WE SHOULD ARRIVE. WHEN I DID NOT SHOW UP AT MY SONS HOUSE ( ABOUT 70 MILES ONE WAY ) HE CALLED HOME AND SOON A LARGE SEARCH PARTY WAS LOOKING FOR ME. ALL I COULD DO WAS LAY THERE AND PRAY AND I DID. ABOUT 11PM THAT NIGHT I HAD ALMOST GIVEN UP BEING FOUND THAT NIGHT. THE TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING FAST. I HAD LISTENED TO PEOPLE DRIVE BY ME ALL DAY LONG BUT NO ONE COULD SEE ME. I HAD LEFT NO SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD ( SO MUCH FOR ANTI LOCK BRAKES ).
I GAVE A LAST AND VERY HUMBLE PRAYER AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT DAY I ADDED THY WILL NOT MINE BE DONE.
I COULD HEAR COYOTE PACKS YIPPING AND HOWLING NEAR BY. WITHIN ONLY A FEW MINUTES AFTER MY PRAYER I COULD HEAR A TRUCK COMING DOWN THE ROAD. IT WAS MY SON-IN-LAW ON HIS WAY HOME. HE WAS GOING TO START LOOKING AGAIN AT SUNRISE. PEOPLE HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR OVER 9 HOURS. 2 AIRPLANES WERE GOING TO START SEARCHING A DAWN ALSO. AS STEVE GOT CLOSE TO WERE I WAS A VERY STRONG IMPRESSION CAME TO HIM THAT HE HAD TO STOP!! HIS TRUCK STOPPED AT THE VERY SPOT WERE I LAY. HE SAW MY BIKE FIRST AND WAS VERY AFRAID I WAS DEAD. HE CALLED AND I WAS ABLE TO CALL BACK. HE WORKED HIS WAY INTO THE DITCH AND ASKED ME WHAT HE SHOULD DO. I SAID CALL 911 AND THE COME BACK AND GIVE ME A PRIESTHOOD BLESSING. HE DROVE TO THE NEAREST HOUSE TO CALL ( NO CELL SERVICE ). HE THE CAME BACK AND LAID HIS HANDS ON MY HEAD AND BLESSED ME THAT I WOULD RECOVER FULLY. WELL LOTS OF PEOPLE STARTED TO SHOW UP THEN. THE EMT'S GOT ME ON A BACK BOARD AND GOT ME IN AN AMBULANCE. WE DROVE TO THE NEAREST SPOT THAT THE LIFE BIRD HELICOPTER COULD LAND. SO I GOT A 90 MILE HELICOPTER RIDE.
MY BACK WAS NOT BROKEN BUT A RIB HAD BROKEN OFF MY SPINE, I HAD 3 OTHER BUSTED RIBS AND A COLLAPSED LUNG, A BROKEN BIG TOE AND A BROKEN FINGER & LOT'S OF ROAD RASH. I HAVE HEALED AS GOOD AS NEW THANKS TO A KIND AND LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER AND A FAITHFUL PRIESTHOOD HOLDER!!
JERRY CHASTAIN
PS THANKS TO THE DEDICATED EMTS AND THE LONG HOURS THEY VOLUNTEER AND THE DRS. AND NURSES & AIDS
AND YES I'M STILL RIDING----;-) ;-)
Register for Free to view all details!
Reunions
Photos
Register for Free to view all photos!