Maria Peterson:
CLASS OF 1971
Arcturus Junior High SchoolClass of 1971
Ft. richardson, AK
Eau Gallie High SchoolClass of 1974
Melbourne, FL
Maria's Story
Life
I loved the military life. I always hear how it spawned dysfunctional families - but I can honestly say, it enriched ours - providing the opportunity to live and travel in Europe, the lower 48 and Alaska. I even married a military man. Honestly, being an Army brat was easier than an Army spouse - but living in Germany, Belgium, West Point, NY; Indiana; and Texas was a lot of fun.
I'm the youngest of 5 Gedwed kids. My oldest sister was attending the University of Texas (GO HORNS) when the rest of us moved to Ft Rich. During our time there, my sister Anita was crowned the first Miss Fort Richardson and was the 2nd runner up to Miss Alaska. (Yes, she looked like my beautiful mother whilst I resembled my father.) Dimond HS won the State Basketball Championship which my brother Paul, as a junior, was part of and Bill (a sophomore) played on the JV team and was an all around good guy and very friendly.
In 1971 my Dad was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. That was good news as my oldest sister was now married and living in Austin. Anita began attending Central Texas College and got engaged; Paul, Bill and I attended Killeen High School as 12th, 11th, and 10th graders respectively. Unfortunately in 1972, my father was killed while on a Boy Scout Jamboree after being struck by lightning. A tragedy - yet whenever the kids and Mom get together - he is all we talk about. Anita married and remained in Texas while my brothers and I moved with my Mom to Melbourne, Florida - located near Patrick AFB on the Space Coast. Bill and I entered Eau Gallie High School as 12th and 11th graders. I was terrified since it would be only the second time we had gone to school with kids who had known each other since kindergarten. Bill being a pretty decent football and basketball player - and all around personable guy - made for a smooth transition.
I graduated from University of Florida (GO GATORS) in 1978 and headed to Texas. Ended up marrying a West Pointer (my dad, the SGM, hated West Pointers but always wanted my brothers to go there for the free education!) and continued traveling. Got my Masters Degree during an assignment in Texas and also made a trip to Australia - fulfilling my two life goals. Moved to West Point in 1988 where my son Neill (a lover and musician) was born in 1992. Follow on assignment to SHAPE, Belgium where my daughter Sabrina (finally, an athelete AND musician!) was born in 1995. (Yes, I'm an older Mom but they keep me young.) Jim retired out of Belgium and we came back to Melbourne as a transition to the civilian life. We're still here 13 years later - EGAD - but my Mom is close by and the kids have a great relationship with her.
My husband worked for a defense industry company and a year ago decided to try teaching Language Arts to 7th & 8th grade Honor students. Honor, schmonor - their brains are filled with mush at this age! He is rethinking this new career!
I got involved with the Space and Marine Science Industry (Kennedy Space Center is down the road as well as nothing but coastline) upon my return to Melbourne. I'm currently the Executive Director of the Center for Applied Space Technology with an office on the Cape Canaveral AF Station. I meet with loads of interesting aerospace and marine science type folks and find with my liberal arts background that I'm totally lost! Fortunately I have a great operations director (albeit a Naval Academy grad - GO ARMY BEAT NAVY) who handles all that stuff!
I've got great kids - really - I mean it! Sabrina is kind hearted who suffers from none of my beauty flaws, plays competitive soccer and is a percussionist. Neill is a 12th grader and plays piano, clarinet and the Marimba (basically and oversized piano that you play with yarn mallets instead of your fingers). Both are excellent students (thanks to their Dad's genetic coding) and seem happy. Sabrina thinks...Expand for more
I'm funny and Neill points out my wrinkles and wonders aloud if my temperment is affected by impending menopause.
Despite some major ups and downs, I would say I've been blessed!
written 5/19/07
Updated by Sabrina 11/18/08
School
Arcturus JHS was the only school I actually was able to spend a full three years in. Perhaps it's why it holds the most memories for me. We moved to Ft Rich in 68 and left in 71. In that time many friends moved in and out. Seventh grade was memorable for my closest friend, Dannine Holmes - a petite blonde in contrast to my tall, brunnette self with dorky glasses, even by 1968 standards - and being "called out" for a fight by an extremely tall and tough 6th grade girl who had been a one-time friend. My kids love hearing about my confrontation - how I was scared out of my wits and stayed for the after-school Geography Club to stall the inevitable. The short version of the fight is - I was pushed, which ignited my "see red" temper cultivated over 11 years of being the youngest of 5 kids, managed to land a solid punch to my opponents face before the fight was broken up by the wonderful Geography teacher who no doubt saved my skin. My opponent eventually spent her energies fighting her way through her junior high years at Arcturus - but we never again battled! Eighth grade was filled with great friendships with the cool and not so cool guys who I have every confidence are running major companies today. Ninth grade saw the merging of the Army and Air Force kids from Elemendorf - as we begrudgingly welcomed the overflow kids from Orion JHS. It was a bit tense at first but in no time, a desire to flirt with each other overcame our loyalties to the respective military services. I remember with great fondness Rosemary Fosler as my bestfriend and friends, Kyle Hoyer (a girl - always thought that was cool), Sharon Brown, Sue Duncan, Rick Mason, Dale Kesterson, Kevin, Candy, Mary, and without the benefit of the yearbook since one was not permitted by the administration for some stupid reason - many others whose faces remain but whose names don't. (By the way, that's why I put in that awful 8th grade "then" picture - I'm hoping that once you've finished laughing, you might actually remember me!)
Ninth grade was also memorable for the very cute economics teacher/basketball coach that every girl had a crush on; the girl's basketball team and frequent trips to the Ft Rich field house to shoot hoops; being elected Student Council Secretary-Treasurer and doing a rather below par job at it; and checking through quarters (money) for Vice Principal Ashworth (was that his name?) looking for those made with silver. Somehow that was related to my job?!
Through the years, the Glacier Room snack bar at the PX complex filled many happy hours. They always had good french fries.
I returned to Ft Rich in the summer of 1998 bringing my two kids along for a stroll down memory lane. An exercise somewhat beyond their 6 and 3 years of age! Arcturus Jr High was turned into a day care facility but they kept our great Spartan logo and name intact. Other than the countless decorations and toys one associates with young children, the school looked just the same.
Enlisted quarters which once housed 8 families now were combined to house 4. The SGM quarters our family lived in across from Ursa Minor Elementary School on Hoonah St or Ave is now home to junior enlisted soldiers and their families. Play ground equipment occupies the adjoining field where we played football. Sled Hill looks much smaller than I remembered - but the PX with the Glacier Room and Commissary remain the same - as do many of the buildings on Post.
My children - now 12 and 15 - are returning to Alaska with my brother Paul and his 13 year old son this summer. No doubt Paul will visit Ft Rich and perhaps have a new take on the place.
written 5/19/07
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