In 1963, I Started Teaching Third Grade

“In 1963, I started teaching third grade at Sacred Heart School in Lombard, Illinois. At that time, you did not need a teaching degree in a Parochial School (I had begun pursuing my teaching degree, but I had not finished yet). My first class had 54 students.

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A Career Change - After 20 Years of Nursing!

As a child, I vacillated between wanting to be a teacher like my grandmother and wanting to be a nurse because of the cool uniforms. Nursing won out after I read the Sue Barton and Cherry Ames novels.

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What's the most interesting job you've ever had?

"One day, I was talking to a fireman and he told me to put my application into the Battle Creek Fire Department. I was hired, and it started a wonderful career for me. I loved that every run was different and there were never any two alike.

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A Lifelong Passion for Cycling

“Biking has long been a favorite hobby of mine. I remember getting my first bike from the Marion Gamble Hardware Store as a birthday gift from my parents when I was in grade school. The picture on the right is of my father holding me when I was just a newborn.

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My Most "Memorable" Teacher!

"My brother, Roland, was always my 'other dad' since he was 8 years older than me. He taught me how to ride a bicycle; catch a baseball; and later when I was driving, he helped me get a car unstuck and also helped with cleaning the spark-plugs."

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I was born in 1923, in Tevel, Hungary...

"My name is Katie, and I was born in 1923 in Tevel, Hungary. As a little girl, my family lived on a homestead. We had ten acres and it was called “existence” farming, because we could exist on those ten acres."

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Letters from Home...

"I was working at Sutherland Paper company as a commercial artist and also building our first house when I got my "greeting" for induction on March 2, 1951. I was to report on March 29th."

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Music Therapy and LifeBio Reminiscence Therapy - A Lovely Pairing!

Board Certified Music Therapist Natalie Spencer uses the LifeBio Story Journal in sessions with her students to connect on a deeper level.
Today’s story comes to us courtesy of Board Certified Music Therapist Natalie Spencer of Moorings Park.  Natalie found that she was having challenges coming up with ideas to stimulate meaningful conversation with some of her participants during their sessions.  She mentioned this to the Director of Wellness, Celeste Lynch, who suggested that Natalie consider using the LifeBio Reminiscence Therapy program with her Music Therapy sessions. 

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Share a Christmas Memory...

"One especially memorable Christmas was the year that I was hired to work the Christmas rush at Kresges Dimestore in Elmhurst, Illinois."

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My favorite pet was our family cow!

"Our Guernsey herd was such an integral part of our life… they were like family! We took them to all the local fairs: Urbana, London, Hilliard (which is Franklin County), the Ohio State Fair, and two or three others."

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