Laura Schmelzer:
CLASS OF 1955
St. Elizabeth SchoolClass of 1955
Ozone park, NY
Laura's Story
My name was Laura Jane Alt and I am now known as Laura Alt Schmelzer. I and my sister Johanna attended St. Elizabeth School from the late 40's to 1955 & 1956. Hanna & I used to hang out on 95th Ave with the Riordans and other kids from that area.
I went to The Mary Louis Academy and graduated in 1959. Fred & I married at St. Elizabeth Church in 1962. Yes, our 50th is coming up soon! We have 3 grown children, all married, and 5 grandchildren.
I completed my Freshman year at Hunter College. When I married Fred, we moved up to Connecticut and I worked at GE. Then came the family: Robert in 1964, Linda in 1966 and Raymond in 1968. For several years, they were my whole life. When I put Raymond on the school bus for the first time, I drove up to New Haven College and registered for the toughest course I might have to take in order to graduate. That turned out to be General College Chemistry and I got a C for both semesters. Then I went to Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport and completed the Medical Lab Technology program. Nothing very grand, but I was always able to get a job because of that program. Eventually I did get my BS from the Medical University of South Carolina.
I worked in Hospital Labs in Columbia, SC and when Fred's job took him to Kennedy Space Center, I went along for the ride! I spent a few years in the environmental microbiology lab, testing the water for the Space Shuttles and all of the drinking fountains and ice cream machines at KSC. Eventually we returned to Columbia and I worked for the Department of Corrections. Really, I was an employee, not an inmate!
Now, Fred & I are retired and this is the favorite job for both of us. We moved to Decatur, GA to be closer to at least one of our grown kids.
We spend our time planning trips, taking trips, recovering from trips, and taking care of our "4th child", Casey, a 3 year old Terrier mix. We also provide child care, as needed, for the grandchildren.
Over the years, the friends from that time that I have stayed in touch with are Barbara Riordan Mann and Mary Ann Swedish Ryan.
I take our dog, Casey, to the dog park. He's my mental health program.
I hope that they just remember me and that the memory includes my irreverence for people who have high titles but don't really live up to them.
I always wanted to have children. I think that everyone thought that to be a good idea. My children are the best thing that I have done.
Madam Katherine Habberton taught German at my high school and she told us that it was more important that we become women than ladies.
I will never forget the snowy night that my sisters & I walked along 91st Ave to where it becomes Fulton St. We bought a Christmas tree in front of the Borden building and carried it home.
My first job was at Kresge's, where I got paid $.86/hr to cook hotdogs. What I remember most about ...Expand for more
it is the older people who worked there & it was their whole lives.
If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have AC, coffee, and some jokes to be able to deal with the day-to-day.
Fred & I are "bonkers" over our little dog "Casey".
I really keep up with laundry because I still feel so lucky to have my own washer & dryer. My Mom always had to walk down to the launderette.
I have lived in New York, Connecticut, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. I was born in NY so I didn't have much say in the matter. Connecticut, South Carolina & Florida are in the mix because my husband needed employment. Georgia was really our choice because our oldest Son lives here, we prefer big cities (we live in the Atlanta metropolitan area) and it has a good airport and NO SNOW (or at least very little and then just for a day or two).
Our kids are always after us about diet and exercise. We usually lie to them and eat and do what we want to.
I would love to talk with Sister Mary Ethel, our 8th grade teacher. She was a very good teacher and she always had a few minutes to talk about other things with her students. She got to know us and we got to know her.
If I won $100 million, I'd give half of it to The American Refugee Committee, then spend the rest on a scholarship program , an animal shelter and my sons and daughter.
My current age is 70. When I was 12, I thought that people my age now would be inactive, needing help. I was so 12 years old!.
My working career has come and gone. I now consider myself to be a wife, mother, grandmother, neighbor. friend and traveler and I aspire to continue at this as long as possible.
My first crush was replaced by the second one!
Style? I'm sorry, I no longer say that word. Nowadays it is all about comfort and concealing what not longer looks so good.
My weirdest job was at a private lab where we had to attach patient name labels to blood samples that were delivered in small paper bags. This is dangerous, wrong and not ethical. The person who collects the sample must be the one to label and initial it. I was there about 10 minutes and I just got up and left and told the boss to keep my money.
My trophies are diplomas and since I don't have a mantel, they are on my wall.
In 10 years, I hope to be still kicking . I'm going to get there by not dying.
My oldest friend is Barbara Riordan Mann. It was fun to go to her house. There were brothers and sisters all over the place. We used to play Monopoly in her basement and a game could go on for days!
I don't think that I would be much of a surprise.
If I could have one do-over, I would finish college earlier in life and go on to a Masters.
Honestly I don't think that there is anything about me that would surprise my classmates. Maybe, if I became a Senator or was involved in some huge scandal I would qualify.
I share my home with Fred which I find perfect.
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