Peggy Griggs:
CLASS OF 1968
Waianae High SchoolClass of 1968
Waianae, HI
Waipahu High SchoolClass of 1968
Waipahu, HI
Aiea High SchoolClass of 1968
Aiea, HI
Aiea Intermediate SchoolClass of 1968
Aiea, HI
Farrington High SchoolClass of 1950
Honolulu, HI
Peggy's Story
Here it is 2009 - 41 years since graduating from Waianae High School, Waianae, Hawaii.
I left Hawaii in 1984 for the mainland moving to El Paso, Texas. My husband, at that time, was stationed at Fort Bliss. Though our marriage did not last long (5 years), I remained in El Paso to start a new life. This went well and along came Ben Griggs. We were married and celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past May 2009 - guess you can say this one worked out. Heheheheh.
After my husband retired after 20 years in the military, we decided to retire in El Paso. We purchased our own home and we are close to military facilites.
I belong to a small hula dance troupe here in El Paso. Yes, I still try at my age. The Tahitian is no longer in my line of dancing. My Hawaiian sister, Renee, and I try to keep it up and sometimes perform at small functions.
I was unfortunate to not have any of my own children. Through my husband Ben, I have a 32 year old daughter, Shameka (hanai) with 4 grandchildren and one more expecting in May 2010, a 31 year old son (Ben, III) who has 4 children, a 26 year old son, Gabriel who is a co-producer of the Steve Wilkos Show in Chicago and New York, and 23 year old daughter, who lives in Georgia and has a son. So I have a total of nine gandchildren and one more on the way. They don't live here in El Paso so Ben I don't seem them often.
We also have 14 other children (hanai) who were our children while we hosted them while they were on a 10-month exchange program. They are: Tuya, a girl from Mongolia, Joao and Hugo from Brazil, Jonas from Norway, Ruifeng and
Chenfei from China, Panchanith, Kotchakorn, Ching, and Netchanok (all girls) from Thailand, Bianca from Germany, Vien and Yen (2 girls) from Vietnam. This is all in a period of seven years that we have hosted these students and they remain our kids for our lifetime.
Ben and I have traveled and lived in
Germany for three years. In 2005 ...Expand for more
and 2006, I had the opportunity to go to Thailand and China, on business and vacation to see some of our children again.
Our student, Ruifeng from China came back to go to UTEP and is now in his third year, but he stays at the dorm and comes home every other weekend or when he had a break from his studies and a home cooked meal.
In 2008, Ben and I decided to stop hosting due to both our health problems.
After working for nearly 40 years as a secretary/admin assistant, I am now semi-retired but I still work part-time for two of my friends but I take it easy more. Debating if I should file for Social Security in about three years. I also keep up with my scrapbooking. Recently, I started glass etching and it seems to be going well, trying my hand at etching NFL glasses for football fans and other sports teams.
Ben still works with a military contractor training National Guard and military units despite his illnesses he contracted because of his tour in
Vietnam. Life is taking toll on us. It's been a long hard road now that we are getting up in age. We both own our own pharmacy and take pills like it was candy. LOL
But otherwise, I consider myelf healthy with all my problems despite the fact that I need assistance with the use of a cane every once in a while. That's what happens when we hit our age, I guess. IN SIMPLE WORDS, WE'RE GETTING OLD. I am trying to get in shape and not be unhealthy. Otherwise, my life has been good since I moved to El Paso. I really can't complain. It was rough in the beginning but I know this is what God had in store for me. All these kids and I had no labor pains, hahaha!!!
An update to my profile: I lost my Ben 17 months ago (12/26/2016) because of Prostate Cancer. I am in the process of moving to Lakewood, Washington in the summer and will spend my next life with my high school sweetheart. It’s been a rough two years for both of us as he also lost his loving wife of over 45 years.
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