Kerry Steed:
CLASS OF 1965
Redondo Union High SchoolClass of 1965
Redondo beach, CA
Union Mine High SchoolClass of 9999
El dorado, CA
Ponderosa High SchoolClass of 1999
Shingle springs, CA
El Dorado High SchoolClass of 1989
Placerville, CA
South High SchoolClass of 1965
Torrance, CA
Kerry's Story
Life
Part way through college I got married to Shanna Sage. She worked as a teacher and I finished school. I got my credential in 1973 and moved to Placerville. We had one child at that point. Through the next few years we added to the family quite regularly until we tallied 4 girls and 3 boys. I have continued to teach and when not working in the summers we would travel and camp. We have taken two cross-country drives with the family. We love the Sierra Nevada. I worked as a teacher for 32 years, finishing up as the student activities director at Union Mine H.S. I have been able to travel to Belarus on a teacher exchange and I served on the local elementary school board for almost 15 years. I retired from teaching in 5/05. I worked part time as a consultant for Pearson Ed - a textbook company until 2011. Shanna and I then went to Bergen, Norway on an LDS mission until 12/2012. We worked at a "Center for Young Adults." I am now retired full time. All of our kids are married. We have 26 grandchildren as of 2022.
School
I went directly to El Camino CC in 1965 but after one semester I stopped attending. In the Spring of '66 I left for Norway as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.. I lived there for the next 2 1/2 years. I came back to El Camino in Jan of '69, finished an AA degree and transferred to CSULB where I graduated in '72 with a BA in English and History. I picked up a secondary teaching credential in 1973. I went to Sac. State in the later 70's and added two more teaching credentials in the area of Special Education. Since then I have taken random course work to advance on the pay scale but no more degrees or credentials.
Workplace
I taught school at 3 great high schools near or in Placerville, California. I also helped to negotiate labor contracts for the teacher's union. I have also worked as a janitor, painter, framing carpenter, airline passenger service agent, UPS clerk and driver, since I graduated from High School. I enjoyed getting up each day and going to work. I lost my best friend to cancer in 2000. I used to visit him often in his final year of life. I realized what a great opportunity I had every day to go to work, solve problems, and get all of the little stuff done that I had to do. All ...Expand for more
he could do was sit around and wait to die. I have really appreciated work since then. I am enjoying life.
Travel
Shanna and I love to travel. We traveled and camped with our children most summers from 1970 until they had children of their own. We have taken a number of road trips since I quit teaching. We pull a travel trailer or fly to the east coast. We went to China for a couple of weeks in 9/08. We cruised to Mexico in 9/09. I bought a Dodge diesel truck so we are still committed to trailer travel - Colorado and Utah one summer and Oregon & Washington the next spring. We have stayed for a few weeks of baseball Spring Training in Arizona in 2010 and 2011 and 2013,14, and 2017. What a great break from the last serious month of cold in Placerville! We also want to go to the Cornwall Coast in England and a river tour of western and central Europe.
A Nordic Adventure
We served a mission for the church from July 2011 through Dec 2012. We served at a Young Adult Center in Bergen, Norway. We worked furiously to learn/relearn the Norwegian language. This was a volunteer service mission. We pay almost all of the costs except the flights over and back. Many of my ancestors came from Norway and Denmark so I kind of reconnected with my roots. Norway was fantastic! We also spent time in Sweden and Denmark.
After returning home we continued to travel in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. We sold the truck and travel trailer in Dec. of 2020 so sadly our camping days are done except for some local trips into the Sierra Nevada.
A NEW CHALLENGE
I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in June of 2017. It is the pits but I am going to hold it back as long as I can with exercise, diet, and by keeping busy and positive. I am moving pretty well but it is a struggle to fight this problem. I am a proponent of Rock Steady Boxing as a way to fight PD. I do four rock steady work outs every week.
Shanna and I also serve as docents at Marshall Gold Discovery State Park in Coloma CA. We volunteer mostly at the Mill Worker's Cabin telling the story of the discovery of gold in 1848. All of our children and grandchildren live in California. We drive to visit them whenever we can. They are wonderful and very supportive of us.
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