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| Idella Ashton Allen 1960 |
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| Idella Ashton Allen 2011 |
CONTACT INFORMATION
109 Barton Heights
Joseph, OR 97846
PHONE/E-MAIL:
541-432-5211
LIFE SINCE MCCALL DONNELLY
After high school graduation I attended and graduated from El-Cel-Cis Beauty College in Boise, Idaho. In June of 1961 I married Herb Allen, (our 50th wedding anniversary will be celebrated this year.) We lived in McCall, Moscow and New Meadows, Idaho. Our two children were born in Valley County, Idaho. Bobi, April 23 1962 and Rusty, June 22, 1965. Herb was transferred to Duchesne, Utah, in 1966, where we lived for 7 years. In 1973 we moved to Joseph, Oregon. We have called Joseph home for almost 40 years, love it here, and hope to live out our life in this very spot.
I spent the early years, mostly as a stay at home mom, practicing the art of cutting and styling hair at home, as a “kitchen sink operator”. Worked for a short time clerking in a drug store, very short time sorting potatoes on a potato digger. (Everyone should have to do dirty, manual labor, for a reality check!) Then in 1977 I found my dream job. I started work at the Joseph School District as the assistant cook, making all the breads and desserts. Oh yes, I washed my share of cafeteria trays as well. In 1983 I became the supervisor of the lunch program, worked with a staff of three other people and on most days we fed upwards of 300 students and 30 adults. Joseph schools had the reputation of having one of the best hot lunch programs in Oregon. This was made possible by the support of the school administration and the Joseph community. In the 1990’s, laws changed, money was tight and cuts were made to all school programs. Our prized lunch program would never be the same.
In March 1992 I fell victim to a viral infection of my inner ears, spent the next year with my world literally spinning in circles. I was forced to cut back on my working hours as I spent most of my days sitting, staring straight ahead trying to avoid yet another dizzy spell. In 1993 I spent many days in the “dizzy clinic” at Oregon Health Sciences University undergoing tests. Final diagnosis was, bi-lateral loss of my vestibular system. In laymen’s terms, my bodies balance system no longer worked. I continued to work part time for two more years using a years worth of sick leave in the process. I retired from the school in 1995 and with my body adjusting over the years, I now live a fairly “normal” life. I am no longer able to ride a bike, ski, hike etc., but I count my blessing everyday for the things I am able to do.
Retirement for me has been good. Time spent traveling to Australia, Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona and other states. We have a small acreage in Joseph and have tried to fill it with many gardens, vegetables and flowers. We do some volunteer work, scour yard sales, read, and work at learning the computer, (not easy at our age.) For three years, (2005-2008) Herb and I sold (Oma’s Grainy Bread) at the local Farmers Market. It was quite an undertaking as we made 40 loaves of bread every week in our home kitchen. Although not lucrative, it was a very satisfying experience. We met new people and made new friends and found out just how many people had never eaten a really good loaf of bread. Most weeks we sold out, at the 4-hour market.
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| Cienna Ashton Wall |
Our daughter Bobi, stay at home Mom, part time manager of a Farmers Market. She has one child, born in July 1998, thus we assumed a new identity, Oma and Papa. Time with our granddaughter Cienna “Ashton” Wall, is very precious. She and her parents live in the Portland, Oregon area, 350 miles from Joseph. Her parents have been very generous and she has come for an extended stay with us once, and sometimes twice a year for the past 13 years. Since she is nearing high school age, is on a swim team and plays violin in the school orchestra, we know those long visits won’t last forever, so we make the most of every one.
Our son Rusty, not married, has a home in Bend, Oregon. He works in a specialized construction business (for LTW-Doppelmayr), assembling stacker cranes and the tracks for them to run on, in distribution warehouses. His job has made him a world traveler. Back home in Bend he works on and restores old cars.
I, along with the rest of the class of 1960 am wondering where have all the years gone? It seems like only yesterday that we, after the graduation ceremony embarked upon our new life. Little did we know that we had lived a carefree life, especially when compared to the life of our grand children.
What, with the freedom I enjoyed, for me it was an idyllic time growing up. I knew when I was expected home and as a child living on a farm, I knew what my responsibilities were. But beyond that, I had unlimited freedom. The transition was a little tough going from a one-room schoolhouse and trying to blend in with others who lived in town, were more sophisticated, and had known each other from first grade. For the last 5 years I had been wearing jeans and t-shirts, so for me high school was a foreign world filled with “Jantzen skirts and sweaters”, and more than one pair of shoes. I, like other’s survived all that and grew into a stronger person because of it.
I probably won’t make it to the reunion but if anyone would like to get in touch, please email me and we can reconnect about old times and/or life as senior citizens. I recently joined the “blogging world”, if interested in my daily “ramblings” you can find me at; omanumber1.blogspot.com
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