Lynn Owen Carter:
CLASS OF 1956
Campbell High SchoolClass of 1956
Campbell, CA
Lynn Owen's Story
Life
For 9 ½ years my brothers Richard (Dick, Class of '54) and Elton (Class of '55)and I lived in the paid foster care of Mr. John Meischke, the Campbel High School chemistry teacher, The most effective teacher I have known; One of his students,DUDLEY HERSCHBACH, won the 1986 NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY. But Meischke had a dark side. The Meischkes publicly concealed their anti-Catholic bigotry; at CUHS, I would often sneak off campus during lunch hours to visit St. LucyÂs Church. While a junior, with the help of Campbell Hich School's Coach Morgan, I was removed from Meischke's care by the authorities. I was about to receive a severe beating because Mrs. Meischke discovered tha I had a silver Catholic religious medal around my neck. She tried to force me to remove it and had it over to her. I refused, and she reported it to John Meischke. I risked an even more brutal beating by threatening legal retaliation and criminal prosecution if John Meischke touched me, but the threat worked. He backed off when his wife said, "John, donÂt! I think that Lynn means to do what he says he will do." During the 9 1/2 years with John and Esther Meischke, my brothers and I were severely beaten about the head and torso on numerous occasions. In my case, it was whenever it was discovered that I had visied a Catholic church or attended Mass. Over the years my brothers received many unjustified brutal beatings. We were all forced to do heavy labor improving the Meischkes' 8 1/2 acres and house in Almaden without compensation of any kind. Meischke was payed adequately for taking care of the three of us, and also paid generous monthly food allowances to feed us, but in 9 ½ years for milk Meischke bought nothing but military surplus powdered skim milk. Try having corn flakes and powdered milk as breakfast every day for over nine years. Lunches were peanut butter sandwiches which we made for ourselves from old bread that was bought for a reduced price. I don't remember having any turkey sandwitches or chicke or lunch meat. We never were given money to eat in the cafeteria. Suppers were poor, made from the cheapest things available. I canÂt forget watching Meischke eating steak while we were given macaroni & cheese. At home a 'minor' admonishment was to have our ears violently jerked back & forth lik...Expand for more
e a dog shaking a rag doll or to be sent stumbling from a staggering blow to the side of the head, or knocked down by a fist to the face. In time, I learned how not to hate the Meischkes, and even to pray for them. When the Children's Agency (now called Child Protective Services) moved me to another foster home in Mountain View, Dick was a freshman at college and living in San Francisco and Elton and I got separated, but, at least the brutality, oppression, and slave labor were were finally at an end, and I could live like a normal kid without fear. I could also now worship openly as a Catholic. After a year, I was adopted and went to Serra Catholic High School in San Mateo. Later, I became a U.S. Paratrooper and went overseas. At age 28 I was blessed with a lovely wife and a happy Marriage. For 24 years, until she died, Katie was my wife, partner, lover, most trusted confident, best friend, and favorite person in the world. She was truly my soul mate. I am deeply grateful to God and to Katie for those joyful years together. In 1969 we were the first couple to ever ride a tandem bicycle coast to coast, across North America, Long Island to San Diego. We later got our own airplane and took vacations camping under the wing. We also converted a split-level 40 foot long Greyhound Scenicruiser bus into a luxury private motor coach complete with bedroom bath, kitchen and parlor. We took many vacations in it all over the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. IÂm alone now. Katie died in 1990. I did undergrad, grad, and postgrad studies on the East Coast many years ago, studying under the nationally syndicated broadcast nutrition and health expert, Dr. Carlton Fredericks. Perhaps some of you remember his daily radio and T.V. lectures. and his Prevention Magazine column, Hotline on Health. I Went back to college again and sudied for another degree. This time it was in Philosophy, History, and religion, with a concentration in Midevil Studies, completed additional grad studies at San Francisco in 2000 and worked as a teaching assistant while studying for a new grad degree. Dick lives in Gilroy, Elton lives in Fremont, and I now live in Menlo Park, an easy walk onto campus at Stanford University where I tutor grads and postgrads from foreign countries. I also make a little extra as a freelance pilot.
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