Johnson

I have lived a long life, having been born in North Dakota in 1918. I have survived two World Wars and the big Depression as well as minor wars and recessions. I was the first daughter of my parents after four husky sons. I was very welcomed by the whole family. My brothers dearly loved having a baby sister.

Three years later my sister was born and in 1927 my beloved baby brother came. My folks raised seven healthy and happy children. I left North Dakota in July of 1941 and went to Detroit, Michigan where my betrothed had gone to find work. We left there in February of 1943 in order to be near my family which had moved to Washington State. My son was born two weeks after we got here. I have lived in the beautiful Skagit Valley in Washington ever since to eventually raise my family, my son and two daughters.

I had never had a job of my own until my children were in school. I applied for a job as a traffic manager and bookkeeper at my local radio station. I stayed there until I retired at 65 years of age in 1983. Meanwhile, in 1962 after 21 years of marriage, my husband had died suddenly and I had been left to fend for myself and children. In 1966 I married a local farmer and we happily built a home on the farm and I have lived here ever since.

After losing him, in 1995, I rent my land out to a bulb grower and am surrounded by beauty in the spring. My son died in 1999 and to console my self, I started writing poetry. I have written many, many, poems since, successfully publishing some of them.