Susan Wilkinson:
CLASS OF 1961
Bellevue High SchoolClass of 1961
Bellevue, NE
Brigham Young University - MathematicsClass of 1965
Provo, UT
Susan's Story
Life
I was born in Rexburg, Idaho, while my father was in India during WW II. When I was 2, my dad returned from the war and we moved to Reno, Nevada. We lived there until I was 7 and then moved to Las Vegas for a couple of years. By then, I had 2 younger brothers. My father had been recalled into the Air Force because of the Korean War. He was then sent to Germany where we lived for 3 years.
Germany was bombed out and still a war-torn country in 1953. I loved it though. We toured Europe. I made some German friends. I even corresponded with my German teacher (Herr Van der Haar) for 30 years after we returned to the States.
In 1956, my family moved to Bellevue, Nebraska. I had been out of contact with things in the States for 3 years. I remember Jeff Laughlin coming up to me and asking if I liked Elvis Presley. I said, "I don't know him." That gave him quite a laugh. I was clueless. My family lived in Bellevue for the next 10 years. For me, Bellevue was great. I had good friends--Evonne Agena, Ann Shuman, Jeannie Thrasherr were among them. I had some good teachers and some bad teachers. Education was important to me, so I studied and graduated at the top of my class.
In 1961, I went to BYU. I had a great time there. I studied math and German. I was offered a job for $10,000/year as a computer programer when I left BYU, but I took a job teaching high school for $4,800/year. What was I thinking??? I loved teaching though and taught for 3 1/2 years in Salt Lake City. In the meantime, I married, and when my husband finished school, he joined the Air Force (it was Viet Nam time and he had been in ROTC to avoid being drafted).
We had the opportunity to live in Montana, Lousisana, Turkey, Utah, Italy and California while he was in the Air Force. We had 5 children and had a great time takin...Expand for more
g them to all kinds of wonderful places--including Berlin and East Germany when the wall was still there.
I taught part-time for the University of Maryland, City Colleges of Chicago, and Weber State College. Then in 1985, I went back to work teaching high school. I taught in California for 7 years and then back in Utah for 15 years. I retired and worked for a few years as an adjunct at Weber State University. I finally gave that up at the end of 2011 so I am really enjoying reitrement.
My children have all married and at this time (February 2012), I have 24 grandchildren. I've really had a wonderful life so far. My oldest son is an endodontist, his twin is a lawyer, and my third son is a civil engineer who does the engineering for all kinds of big buildings. The older of my two daughters is a dietician who works part-time and cares for her five children and my youngest child is a teacher who also teaches part-time and cares for her three children. My husband retired from the Air Force, worked as a hospital administrator, then worked as a school technology specialist, and is now retired completely. We love to travel and to putter around our house. We remodeled my parents' home and have two acres that we are trying to get landscaped. It is a challenge.
I've learned a lot from my children. I've been blessed because they are all self-motivated in the right directions. However, they taught me to be patient. They weren't always ready to do what I wanted them to do when I wanted them to do it!! I have also learned that, much like their parents, they were not perfect children. They came pretty close though and it's a good thing because their imperfect mother needed good kids!
I'm so grateful for all the experiences I've had, the friends I've made throughout my life, my family, and my Savior.
Life is good.
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