Barbara Ward:
CLASS OF 1961
Dover High SchoolClass of 1961
Dover, NJ
Canfield Avenue Elementary SchoolClass of 1957
Mine hill, NJ
Barbara's Story
School
Attended Mine Hill/Canfield Ave. Elementary schools before graduating to Dover High School. Graduated class of 1961. Took 2 yrs college and 2 yrs business courses. Attended some college, but did not get degree.
Workplace
My first job after high school graduation was at The Mennen Company in Morristown, NJ. I left when my first child was due. After my second child was born and both were 2&3 years old, I returned to work. After some temp positions, I went to work at Thatcher Glass in Wharton,NJ. I stayed there for several years and worked up to secretary to plant manager. Left there for better paying position as adminstrative assistant to owner of Texlon Corporation in Denville, NJ. Was there for about 8 yrs. When they closed due to bankruptcy I found a position at Haverly Systems in Denville (a computer software company). After a divorce and remarriage, my 2nd husband took a job in Wilson, NC at what was at the time the new Kerr Glass plant here. Not having to work I went to cosmetology school. Worked in a hair salon for 6 yrs. After 2nd divorce I returned to office work since I needed a more secure paycheck. I have worked in real estate offices ever since. I am now retired from my office manager job. Thought I would work forever but at 67 I was kind of pushed to retire. The owners said due to economy they needed to cut my hours and pay in half. I thought I needed a FT job so left and went with a competitor's real estate office. Worked 8 months and they closed the doors due to poor sales. Actually they didn't have any real top producers except for the 4 owners and personally I think they got tired of carrying the business and having all the headaches of ownership as well. So I retired even though I continued to look for another job. Unfortunately most companies don't want to hire people who are already past retirement age no matter how good the resume and skills are. I was working on an as needed basis for my last boss. He has an office set up in his house so I would go there about once or twice a month and do his personal business accounting. He had a stroke in October 2014 and recovered quite well. Not 100% but he is able to drive so he gets around by himself. I started having hip pain in January of 2015 so I to...Expand for more
ld him to have a back up plan in case one month I wasn't able to come because at some point I will need to have hip replacement. I guess he took that as meaning I didn't want to work for him anymore because he hasn't been in contact with me ever since. It was a little extra spending money but I wasn't getting rich off of what I made. My ex-husband died suddenly on Dec. 19, 2015. I was getting a small amount of alimony from him so now I'm trying to make a go of it on only my social security. Just when I think it can't get any worse I went for my end of year medical check up with my primary physician today and was in afib so she did an ekg to see if it was intermittent but was still in afib so I'm waiting for cardiology office to call about heart monitor. She wants me to wear for 48 hours to see what is going on. I was just released by cardio doctor this past June after 3 years of seeing him every 6 months from a previous afib episode. It happened one time and never happened again, at least not up until now. Oh well! It is what it is.
UPDATE: Nov. 16, 2016
As it turned out I had to have a pacemaker implanted this past June. Sometime after the first of the new year I will be having a hip replacement. Oh, the joys of growing old(er)!
UPDATE: March 29, 2017
Still living with hip pain. No replacement yet. When I reach a point I can't tolerate it anymore, then I'll have to get it done. No problems with pacemaker. I go yearly for checkup. It will last 14 years before it will require replacement. Hate to sound like an old rinky but now I'm having lower back pain. My primary doctor gave me an arthritis pain relief prescription but too many side affects so I stopped taking it. I go back to her May 2nd. Maybe she can come up with something else. I research on Internet and the only thing with very minimal side affects was Aleve but I can't take it as it upsets my stomach something terrible. Guess I'll just grin and bear it for now. I have some friends my age who take prescription pain killers for arthritis but when researching almost all are opiods and can cause kidney damage from long time use. If anyone else has any suggestions let me know. I've been getting a little relief from the Outback Pain Relief ointment for my lower back pain.
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