Ben Smith:
CLASS OF 1954
Santa Rosa High SchoolClass of 1954
Santa rosa, CA
University of California - Earth SciencesClass of 1959
Berkeley, CA
Santa Rosa Junior CollegeClass of 1957
Santa rosa, CA
Ben's Story
Life
Don't know what happened to the first part of my story. I must have replaced it with the 2/2008 update!
After moving from San Pedro in 1945, the end of the war and my parents' jobs at Terminal Island, I spent my childhood on a ranch in Lake Co. CA, with no neighbors withing 2 or 3 miles. Probably where my loner tendencies came from. After Burns Valley elementary school and Santa Rosa Junior High, I went through the schools on my time line.
From '59 to '78 I worked all over N Calif, mapping soils and vegetation for the US Forest Service. I Lived in Redding, Arcata, Santa Rosa, Crescent City, Oroville, ending up in Sonora.
From '78 to my retirement at end of '89, I worked as forest soil scientist on the Stanislaus NF, Sonora.
Then I spent several years consultin...Expand for more
g, then helped run our Music and Educational Supplies store in Sonora.
Fully retired in 2004, and loving it except for back problems.
Still live in Columbia but looking for a house with one level on 1 acre or so, around Sonora or Pine Grove, to be closer to grandkids in Sacramento and Woodbridge.
4/2008 update: I've been on the Thunder Hill, Willows track 4 times now in my '91 Mazda Miata. Is it a second childhood, or returning to my roots when I used to race my '65 BMW?? Oh well, its lots of fun, since I can't run, bicycle or fly anymore! (Due to back, leg and age, drat it). Two of my sons encouraged me to get back to racing, even bought me wheels and tires!
Also still playing trombone in our community band, and working in my wood shop and on my rowboat project.
Register for Free to view all details!
Reunions
Register for Free to view all events!
Photos
