Memorable Days

In The Life of Dr. Howard B. Anderson

Edited and published by

robert b craig

September 8, 2002

Preface

      As I look back over the years I have concluded that I must have had a colorful life in comparison to many people I have known. My years have certainly not all been full of joy but life would probably be boring without challenges, I've had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with some people who I think were great personalities. A little of their greatness can't help but make an impression and help mold a person into the kind of person one turns out to be. There have been times when pressures and disappointments seemed to be almost more than I could handle. Then somewhere out there I saw a glimmer of hope and my faith pulled me along to brighter days. Perhaps those struggling days were good for me. They helped to mold me as they were certainly lessons of my capabilities and trust.

      There are times in life when I feel it is best to not try to be like others. I have done things just because it seemed the thing that was expected. What is right for one person is not always right for another. My happiness has come from being an individualist. I enjoy doing things alone and in being my own boss. That is probably why I have done most of my traveling alone. It is not necessary for me to plan with or ask consent of another person. I just do what I want to do. I live this way at home as well. People have asked me if I don't get lonesome living alone. I don't. I know that I can get into my car and be with someone quickly even if it is only in a shopping mall. I grew up in a large family where I had to share and consider others. It is great now to not have to do that. I don't think I'm selfish even though I've been told that I am. Those persons who told me that were all women. After being stung by one woman I'm very happy to not take chances on taking another leap. My mother, a cousin, and some non - relatives have said that" all women are not like that." My answer to that was " Yes, but which ones are they." So, it seemed best for this old " duffe" to remain happy and finish life the way I am. I may be selfish with not sharing my life with one individual but in my career I have surely shared myself with many people. I still have students who write to me.

      Some of those people were in my life more than fifty years ago I have shared financially over the years in helping people at difficult times. Some of the money was paid back and some I'll never see again. Then there is the huge garden that I share every year. There is no way that I could possibly use all that I raise, but, I get a great deal of pleasure out of watching my vegetables and flowers grow. Then there is the pleasure of sharing what God has given to me in abundance.

      I do not have a diary to refer to in writing about my "Memorable Days " so I am selecting some experiences that Ifeel were very special. . . . . . .

Children Learn What They Live

      If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

       If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

       If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

       If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

       If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

       If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

       If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

       If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

       If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

      My parents were not people who generously passed out praise to the person who had pleased them. Yet, I know they expressed their feelings to other people. . . . . I learned about how pleased my dad was of things I had accomplished, through conversations with other people. He was very proud of my education. I heard that from Johanna Briestensky who worked at the bank where Dad cashed checks and who had gone to highschool with me.

      I remember 1929 - 30 school year when I was in second grade with Miss Margaret Anderson. My dad would pronounce spelling words every evening when he wasn't working evening shift. The next day he was anxious to know how well I did and anxious to get on to my new list. One day I forgot my list of ten words that Miss Anderson had us copy from the chalk board. Dad marched me out to the other end of Emerson St. to see if Miss Anderson had the list at home. One of the words was CHRISTMAS, which was a pretty big word for a second grader. I also had to read to my dad and had to review multiplication tables. Dad was interested in my education. . . .

Schooling

      On November 28,1932 - I transferred from Miss Hazel Orrs fifth grade in the Longfellow School Building in Vandergrift to a one room country school in Barrel Valley. The teacher at the Barrel Valley School was Miss Janet Kunkle. Barrel Valley School was officially known as Zions Valley School. It stood on a property next to the Zion Reformed Church.

      The whole move to Zions Valley School was an eye opener to me. Single desks were in all the rooms in the Vandergrift School System. At Zions Valley School we had four rows of double desks with ink wells on each desk. Writing in those days was done with a stick pen. The desks were graduated from small in the front of the room to large at the back. Girls sat on one side and boys on the other. There was a pot bellied stove in the center between the boys and girls sections. The teacher's desk was on a platform that was one step higher than the rest of the school floor.

      The chalk board extended the full length of the wall behind the teacher's desk. Between the children's desks and the platform where the teacher sat was a recitation bench. There was a pump organ next to the one long wall and a bookcase on the other.

      The number of pupils varied but usually was approximately forty These forty pupils were divided into grades. My class had eight persons when we graduated from eighth grade. Some classes had three, some five, and occasionally there would be a grade without anyone. People moved in and out of the community but most families were permanent. There were no school buses in those days. Everyone walked. We walked about one half mile. Some families walked a little farther.

      There were many January and February mornings that we found an unheated school building after walking in temperatures that were below zero. The building was hard to heat with the high ceilings and no insulation. The teacher was generally the janitor and had to arrive very early to fire up. Occasionally the teacher would hire a boy who lived nearby to come early to fire up.

      Coats were hung on nails across the back of the school room. There was a shelf above the coats where we put our lunch buckets. A bench was underneath the coats where we could remove our overshoes. There was a pail of drinking water on the bench most of the nearly four years I attended Zion Valley School. On the school porch was a hand pump that was used to pump drinking water from a well but it frequently froze up during the winter and sometimes the pump was broken. There were always jokes about the water that was in the pail. That water was carried from the house that stands where the Zion Reformed Church once stood. If anyone gulped too fast and would happen to choke, he was told he had swallowed a bone. The bodies from the cemetery had been moved to South Bend cemetery but it was not forgotten that there had been a cemetery on that property.

      Our physical education amounted to soft ball games at recess and noon.

      Sometimes we played " over ball" or" red rover."

      On those cold mornings while we were waiting for the school to heat up, the teacher would gather us around the pot bellied stove while she read chapters of a novel.

      Classes were conducted by grade level at the front of the room. Each grade and each subject of the grades were heard from the recitation bench. Spelling and handwriting were done at our seats. I was always very good in spelling. I became interested in becoming a teacher when I was in sixth grade. My teacher, Miss Sarah Stewart, had me pronounce spelling words to the younger children.

      Christmas programs and end of the year picnics were parent visitation days. Picnics were held on next to the last day of school. A school hike was held at the end of the school year. Then came the passing out of report cards.

      The school property had two outside toilets and a coal house.

      I was interested in how the Amish Schools compare to Zions Valley School. The one I visited near Old Mahoning Baptist Church is more modem. The teacher there, Mary Kemph, was gracious in allowing me to tour their building. They have a basement with a furnace and a room for hanging coats and leaving lunch paiis. The desks are single and the room is smaller. They have a large table and chairs at the front of the room instead of a recitation bench.

      There are advantages and disadvantages in one room country schools. Pupils are bound to be listening to other grades recite. To listen is a good refresher of things missed or forgotten. It is also a preparation for the material to be presented in the next grade. It does put a limitation on learning experiences that can be shared as is done in the larger schools.

      I had always wanted to teach in a one room country school but in my 45 years of teaching that never happened.

Formal Education

      My schooling began in a two room school in Cherry Lane which is in Kiskiminetas Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The school was a wooden structure with the first four grades on the bottom floor and grades five through eight upstairs. In November of 1928 my father and mother found a house on Longfellow Street in Vandergrift, where we moved. It was less than half a block from the school. I completed my first three years of schooling at the Wilson Building before moving next door to the Longfellow Building. On Nov. 28, 1932 we moved to South Bend Township where I finished my elementary education in a one room country school in Barrel Valley where my father received his education. I graduated from eighth grade in the spring of 1936. There were no school buses so we had a choice of high schools but had to find our own transportation. I chose to go to Vandergrift where I already knew many of my classmates. One week out of every three I rode to Vandergrift with my father when he worked the day shift at the mill. The two weeks when he worked evening and night shift I stayed with Art and Velma Kaufman. After graduation from highschool, in 1940, I attended one year at Indiana State Teachers College - now I. U. P. The following year I was off to war.

      At the end of World War II I was eligible for the G.I. Bill to finish my education. I worked the first year in the steel mill before I returned to school. I hated every minute of the mill work.

      To start a new life I chose to go west. At that time my oldest brother and uncle were in the Northwest. They persuaded me to look into attending Western Washington College of Education at Bellingham, Washington.

      I remember arriving in Bellingham on a Greyhound Bus with my clothes and some bedding, I had found a room in a rooming house run by a Mr. McGinnis who then sold the building to Earl and Helen Buzzell. Earl and Helen were like parents to me. They had no children of their own. Earl was a state auditor and traveled to the courthouses of the different counties. Helen was a wonderful cook and often invited me to eat with them. They never knew how helpful they were in helping me stretch my budget. In addition to my books and tuition that the G.I. Bill paid, I was given a living allowance of $65 per month. It took $30 of my allowance to pay my room rent. Food, clothing and incidentals had to be paid from the remaining $35, There was no way that I could ask for help from home. My parents still had five dependents at home to provide for.

      My living expenses were helped through work I did on Saturdays mowing grass and weeding a lady's flowers in her rock garden. I made sure I had one good cooked meal each day so that I could keep my good health. Other times I nibbled on day old baked goods that I bought at a bakery across town. I walked a long ways to save bus fares. There was a little restaurant next door to where I roomed. Their specialty was hot dogs, so it was named the " Dog House". They served other cooked items and wonderful coffee and doughnuts. I usually had my morning coffee at the " Dog House ". Coffee sold for five cents a cup. When the price was raised to ten cents I had to be more conservative with how much coffee I drank For my senior year I moved into the newly built Men's Dormitory. There, I paid one price for room and board and was assured a balanced diet. My roommate was Jim White who left school at the end of the Fall Quarter. Doug Mclnnes then moved in with me for the Winter Quarter. He, too, left school. For the remaining time I roomed with Grover Ledbetter. Grover and I were friends until he died of cancer at age 47. He taught school in Longview, Washington which was about twenty miles from Battle Ground where I first taught.

      My parents and sister, Jane, attended my graduation from Western Washington College of Education - now, Western Washington University. I attended the University of Pittsburgh the first summer, 1950, after receiving my B.A. Degree.

      In 1951 I enrolled at Teachers College, Columbia University where six other Washington State teacher friends were beginning their summer school pursuit of the Masters Degree. Because of my teaching assignment I could not stay for graduation exercises, so I received my degree in absentia. The mailman delivered my degree to the State University Teachers College at Potsdam, New York where I had begun my new job.

      Summer vacations for the next three years were spent taking courses from noted educators who had written books. In 1954 I attended Colorado State College at Greeley where I took courses from Dr. Paul McKee and Dr. Annie McKown. The following summer I attended the College of William and Mary and took a course on the restoration of Williamsburg. Another year I attended John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Credits from these courses were transfered later to Penn State and used towards my doctorate. Colleges generally like their faculty to have a doctors degree or to be working towards one. I chose to do my work at Penn State. The courses along with the collecting, recording, and writing of my thesis covered several years. Again, I wasn't able to stay for graduation, so my degree was sent by registered mail to California. My mother was visiting at the time and she was the one who signed for and received my degree Doctor of Education dated Sept. 4, 1965.

      Formal education stopped for me in 1965 but learning has gone on

Hay Mow Guest Room

College days at Beliingham, Washington were full of college activities but when holidays came the campus had few people as most students went home. My holidays were sometimes spent about forty miles south of Beliingham with my Uncle Bill and Aunt Alice. They lived about twenty miles out of Stanwood at the south end of Camano Island. The Island was not very wide at the south end At this time, late 1940's, a crude dirt road had been carved past Uncle Bill's forty acres. At the point of the Island the road joined the paved road that ran around the other side of the Island.

      Uncle Bill's cabin was very small. It had a kitchen and one bedroom which at one time had been two separate cabins that had been pulled together in the merging of the cabins after my uncle and aunt were remarried in 1944.

      Uncle Bill was a farmer at heart but he always had a struggle. He was a person who apparently had a temper and plenty of determination. At age 18 he had run away from home and never returned until he was 21. He and his father had a "falling out". As a young man he went west and followed the harvesting of crops from the south to the Canadian Border. At one time he had purchased a ranch three miles north of Parker, South Dakota Harvesting was always a gamble. When there were crop failures Uncle Bill wasn't able to repay the bank the money he had borrowed for seed. He lost his ranch. In dry weather he hauled water from Parker. He and Aunt Alice then moved to a property they bought near Spokane, Washington. They thought they were going to have plenty of water but the stream went dry in the summertime and again water had to be hauled. Uncle Bill was a person who always liked children. He and Aunt Alice never had children. It was at this time that a Mr. Stevens told Aunt Alice that he had seen Uncle Bill spending time with the widow lady down the road. According to Uncle Bill's story he had stopped to talk with the children a couple of times on his way home and had no interest in the mother. It is my guess that he probably gave candy to the children. He was always trying to impress people with the wealth that he didn't have.

      Aunt Alice believed Mr. Steven's story and shortly left for Everett, Washington with him. She divorced Uncle Bill and married Mr. Stevens. Much to her disappointment she found that Mr, Stevens had not been truthful and that he was an alcoholic. This marriage also ended in divorce. She then answered a newspaper add that took her to Camano Island. A Mr Jesse Vogel had lost his wife and needed a housekeeper who could also care for his two children. She had a sleeping cabin built across the road as she did not want to "sleep under the same roof with another man". After realizing her mistake in leaving Uncle Bill she wrote letters to him to coax him out to the rainy part of the state. She told him of the cheap land that could be bought on Camano Island. Uncle Bill went to the Island where he bought 40 acres of land with tall douglas fir virgin timber on it. To get to the property he had to walk on a path from Vogel's house as the road had not yet been carved around to the other side of the Island, Several years later my mother and sister Jane visited Uncle Bill and Aunt Alice. They had round trip tickets on the Greyhound Bus but ran out of food money for the trip home. I came home from Columbia University over a weekend in 1952 In the mail to my Dad was a letter asking for money to come home Dad said, "Look at this letter from your mother". She apparently had gotten home sick. Her description of the forty acres on Camano Island was about the way I remembered it. It was very dark through the douglas fir forest. My mother said, "Send money right away. I can't see daylight unless I lay down on my back and look straight up". Some land had been cleared, Aunt Alice's sleeping cabin had been pulled through the woods and merged with Uncle Bill's cabin, and a small barn had been built to hold the hay for the animals that Uncle Bill had acquired. It was in that hay that I found my comfortable guest room. I used a tarp to keep the hay from scratching me. Aunt Alice gave me a blanket. There were outside toilet facilities. Washing and shaving was done in the kitchen. A wood burning cook stove and a kerosene lamp was used. What more could I ask for when I was away from college over the holidays.

CONVOY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC

W. W. 11

     At the beginning of my sea duty experience I was stationed aboard the tanker S.S. Pan Maine. We went to Swansea, Wales with a load of gasoline on my first trip. Swansea was a city that had been badly bombed by the Germans. While we were docked to unload the ship a siren and orders over a loud speaker summoned everyone to duck for cover. I didn't go completely below deck as was instructed. Instead, I stood under a gun turret where I saw two planes being chased by the R.A.F, One plane went into the sea in a ball of fire. The other plane got away.

      On another trip aboard the S.S. Pan Maine, I think it was the third trip, we sailed in convoy to the Northern Scotland where the Pan Maine, and about three other ships sailed on up around Scotland and down into the North Sea to the Firth of Fourth, that is the sea entrance to Edinburgh. We anchored at North Berwick on the south shore of the Firth of Fourth. There, I was taken by launch to shore along with other radio operators and officers from the other ships. We weren't allowed to talk to any of the towns people. There were jeeps waiting to take us up a hill to Dirleton Castle.

      As we stopped at Dirleton Castle the thick heavy doors came open and we entered. Inside the wall was a tower, which we entered. There was a winding stone staircase that led to the top of the tower where we entered a large room. Here we were briefed about our trip through the North Sea to the Thames River. We were given a secret code to listen for as we hugged the coast of Scotland and England. We were kept on twenty four hour duty for the duration of the trip to Purfleet on the Thames River. We made the trip without any mishaps. German U-boats had been coming out into the North Sea from Holland. Our gasoline was needed in the London area.

      The Pan Maine was used to carry airplanes, tanks, landing barges, jeeps, etc, on top deck. In addition to gasoline one type of these vehicles was transported on top. Most of these were unloaded and used in the invasion of Normandy.

Old Soldiers Never Die

Douglas MacCrthur

      During the school year 1950 - 51 I was teaching at Barnard School in Washington, D.C. I had come back from the state of Washington to teach closer to home. I couldn't find the kind of job in Pennsylvania that I wanted so I settled for a job in Washington, D.C. which is only 220 miles from home and enabled me to come home weekends and holidays. Barnard School was located at 5th Ave. and Decatur St. in what was mostly a Jewish community. There were others but no blacks or orientals. The principal of the school was Miss Bernadette L. Dore. She had very good control and the children were eager to please her and the teachers. They were children who were ready for challenges in learning.

      The school system of the District of Columbia allowed for holidays when something special was happening. School was let out April 19, 1951 when history was being made.

      President Truman, as Commander in Chief, had fired General Douglas MacArthur at the time of the Korean War and the general had returned to make a speech to congress explaining his actions in Korea. President Truman did not want General MacArthur to drive the communists across the Yalu River into China and risk a war with China. General MacArthur ended his speech before congress with " Old Soldiers Never Die, they just fade away." With that he retired from military service.

      After the speech there was to be a parade down Pennsylvania Ave. When school let out I drove downtown to see the parade. I was standing at 15^th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. The treasury Building is just across the street. The parade came slowly down the street and I had a good view of the general as the procession turned the corner and went to the Washington Monument on the Mall.

      I followed on down to the Mall where I stood and listened to General Douglas MacArthur deliver a speech to the American people. I had always been impressed with the General's leadership in the Far East. I never thought I might someday be in a position to see him personally. He is buried in Norfolk, Va., in what was the old city hall. I visited there one time when I was in Norfolk.

Assassination Attempt

      It was Nov. 1, 1950. I was teaching fifth grade in Barnard School at 5th and Decatur Streets N.W. in Washington, D.C. In the fifth grade we had begun the school year with a study of American Indians. There was a display about Indians in the Smithsonian Institute that I felt would add a lot to our unit on the study of Indians. A field trip was scheduled and the class was taken to see the Indian display at our national museum.

      After spending a few hours in the museum we boarded our bus and started back towards Barnard School. We had looked at other museum displays in addition to the Indian display. We had traveled just a few blocks when sirens began sounding and police cars seemed to come from all directions. Our bus driver had pulled over to the curb until all the excitement had subsided. We had no idea what was happening but upon arrival at Barnard School our principal, Miss Bernadette L. Dore, told us that someone had tried to assassinate President Truman

      We had been about four blocks from Blair House when our bus driver pulled us to the curb. The White House was being renovated that year and the Trumans had moved across Pennsylvania Ave. to spend about three years living in Blair House. The old State Department building stands next to the White House and Blair House is directly across the street from the old State Department.

      There was a group of Puerto Ricans who had entered the capitol building and had wounded several persons in the House of Representatives as they shot down into the law makers. At the same time other Puerto Ricans had gone to Blair House to assassinate the President Blair House stands close to the sidewalk and pedestrians had to walk on the White House side of the street. One guard was killed and another wounded on the steps to Blair House. A Puerto Rican was also killed.

      That evening after school I drove down to the scene of the shooting I parked my car about four blocks away and walked down Pennsylvania Ave. to where I could look across to Blair House. I could see blood stains still on the steps where the shooting took place.

      President Truman continued to take his daily walks and attended the funeral services of the man who had given his life in defending the Chief Executive.

      Robert and Patncia Cohn wrote in 1960 about their tour of Blair House.

      At the top of the stairs we entered a bedroom dominated by a large Farly American four poster bed with canopy.

      “We call this the President's Room, because Mr. Truman picked it for his bedroom during the three years he was here,” said Victoria Geaney, hostess and manager of Blair House. “He loved the rare Currier and Ives prints of American presidents and he made it his daily chore to wind the old grandmother clock on the mantelpiece. Mr. Truman was taking a nap right here just after lunch on Nov. 1, 1950, when he heard some shots in the street below. He rushed to the window, but the guards outside frantically waved him back.”

      In the gun battle, one White House police officer, Leslie Coffelt, was fatally shot, and another guard and Secret Serviceman were seriously injured as they bravely kept the would-be-assassins from carrying out the plot to shoot their way into Blair House, find the President and murder him. One of the Puerto Rican assassins was killed before he could reach the house. The other was halted at the Blair House steps by a bullet from the gun of the fatally wounded Coffelt.

      “President Truman went right ahead with his day's schedule.” Mrs. Geaney said. Within half an hour he was on his way to a memorial service at Arlington Cemetery. The next morning before breakfast he took his usual brisk walk along Pennsylvania Avenue. He sure is a banty rooster, she remarked fondly. “He isn't afraid of the devil himself.”

                        ---an excerpt from a September 17, 1960,

                                Post article written by Robert and Patricia Cohn.

Eleanor Roosevelt

     It was a beautiful spring day on May 5, 1955 when Mrs. Roosevelt came to Potsdam, N.Y to speak to the college students about the work of U.N.E.S.C.O. (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.) I was teaching eighth grade as a demonstration teacher in Congdon Campus School at the State University Teachers College. In my eighth grade group of twenty-five pupils was Peter Crumb. He was the youngest son of the university president, Dr. Frederick Crumb. I had taught Pete in seventh grade as well.

      President Harry Truman had appointed Mrs. Roosevelt to represent the United States in U.N.E.S.C.O. This was a woman with much insight who received a great deal of respect from all parts of the world. After President Elsenhower took office in 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her post at the United Nations and spent her time writing and lecturing.

      When I attended Columbia University, while working on my Masters Degree, i had two classes from a Dr. Roma Cans who was a personal friend of Mrs. Roosevelt. Eleanor and Roma had much in common and were people I never tired listening to. Both were writers, thinkers, and had concerns for the underdog. I had read many of Eleanor Roosevelt's “My Day” articles that she had written as First Lady in which she discussed all kinds of topics.

      When I learned that Eleanor Roosevelt was to visit Potsdam, wheels began turning in my mind as to how I might meet this woman that Roma Gans praised so many times. My chances seemed to be through Peter Crumb. Since eighth graders study U.S. History, I requested that my class be allowed to join the college students to hear Mrs. Roosevelt. Permission was granted. I then asked Pete what his mother and father were planning to do while Mrs. Roosevelt was in Potsdam. He shrugged his shoulders. I said,“ Perhaps you could ask them to have a tea or a reception so that I can meet her.” He told his parents what I had said. The Crumbs had a reception in their home after Mrs. Roosevelt's address to the student body. The entire faculty was invited.

      When I arrived at the Crumb home there was a long reception line that I had to pass through before meeting the honored guest. There were the Dean's and spouses followed by all the Heads of Departments. Then I came to Dr. and Mrs. Crumb who introduced me to Mrs. Roosevelt As I stepped forward I felt overjoyed to be meeting the former First Lady. I wish I could remember what I said to Mrs. Roosevelt as I shook her hand. It had something to do with what she had said in her speech to the students. She smiled and very graciously said “Thank You.” She was a very tall woman and I had to look up into her face. When she smiled there seemed to be such a charm that one forgot about her looks. As a child the Roosevelt family had referred to her as the “Ugly Duckling”. She had been told that she would have to make her mark in the world in some other way than in looks. That she did!

      As a child I had seen Eleanor Roosevelt once at the White House. It was the beginnings of paid vacations for the mill workers. My father got his first vacation in 1936 during the month of June. My mother, brother Merle, and sister Jane stayed home while Dad took the other seven of us to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. We had a Chevrolet touring car that had side curtains to be pinned on during inclement weather. Dad had learned that White House tours were open to the public. In those days there were fewer restrictions around the White House. There were secret service men but the gates were open. My dad drove right up to the front door of the White House with his carload of children before he was stopped. He told the secret service man that we wanted a tour of the White House. I remember the man saying. “That is fine but you'll have to park out on the street." Sitting in a limousine next to us was Eleanor Roosevelt. She glanced up from the paper she was reading. At that time Mrs. Roosevelt was writing her series of articles called, “My Days.” We presumed that she was making good use of her time while she waited for someone to join her, possibly the President, Eleanor Roosevelt and Roma Gans both made comments that people wasted too much time. Dr. Gans often said that people sleep too much. I suppose that Mrs. Roosevelt felt the same way about sleep.

      Eleanor Roosevelt has been dubbed, “The Greatest First Lady.” Considering what she stood for and what she did in her lifetime for the good of mankind, I would have to agree. I feel proud to have come in contact with such a great lady.

Eisenhowers Second Inauguration

January 1957

      I had always thought it would be nice to experience an inauguration in person rather than over the radio or TV. Reception on TV hadn't been perfected much by the early and mid fifties I had remembered listening to Franklin Roosevelt's inauguration on radio in 1933, 1937 and 1941. To attend in person I thought, it would allow me to have another real feel for history in the making.

      Washington DC is always a busy city but especially so on days when inaugurations take place Places to stay were high priced and scarce. Having taught school in Washington I contacted the principal of Barnard School She invited me to stay at her home. She lived with her sister and a maid in the N W part of Washington.

      I drove down from New York State on January 19, 1957 and had a wonderful visit and stay with the Dore family. The next morning I drove to the Capitol Building where I found bleachers and platforms set up for dignitaries and speakers. It was roped off in the area where I chose to stand. I was in the peasant section. Anyone in front me was a dignitary or invited guest. It was a long wait until noon but I didn't want to lose my chosen spot to go sight - seeing anywhere. I began to recognize faces as people began to file into the reserved seating. This inauguration had in attendance Ex-President Herbert Hoover and Presidents to be Senator John F. Kennedy, Senator Lyndon B Johnson, Vice President Richard M. Nixon, and Senator Gerald Ford.

      After the inauguration I walked from the Capitol along Pennsylvania Ave. to Lafayette Park, across from the White House. There I watched the long parade that passed by the reviewing stand where the President and his party sat and stood. It was a long parade and I became very tired from standing most of the day. That evening I drove part way back to New York State.

      This inauguration was held on Monday January 21, 1957, as a repeat of the official ceremony that took place in the White House on Sunday morning January 20, 1957. President Elsenhower's first term expired at noon on January 20^th.

Burial of the Unknown Soldiers

            On Memorial Day, May 30, 1958, I drove from Towson, Md., where I was teaching, to Washington, D.C. It is a distance of approximately thirty miles. Since I had served in World War 11 I felt I would like to witness the burial of the unknown soldiers of World War 11 and Korea.

      The coffins of the unknown had been taken to the Capitol Building on the morning of May 30th where they laid in state under the Capitol Rotunda. I filed past the coffins that morning. Vice President Nixon led the formal congressional ceremonies. While those ceremonies were going on I went across the Potomac River to Arlington Cemetery to await the arrival of the caissons.

      Along the formal route, it was said that more than 100,000 people watched the procession. As the caissons reached the Memorial Bridge, 20 jets flew overhead, minus one plane in the traditional missing man formation.

      A former student teacher Eugene A. Tucker, of my days at Potsdam State University Teachers College was a soldier and on duty in Arlington. After graduation Gene did his military service as was required in those days. I found Gene near the Unknown Soldiers Tomb. He was at “Parade Rest,” and I was able to talk to him until the caissons started approaching and the soldiers were called to attention. Everyone stood at attention as the caissons passed by. It was a moving experience for me. Only dignitaries were around to the front where the services and burial took place, but I could hear the services that came over the loud speakers. Later I did visit the tomb site. President Dwight Elsenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon were both at the services in Arlington.

Barn Raising

      It was a very chilly morning on Oct.23, 1999 when I awoke to drive to the Smicksburg area. Alien Miller was to have a new barn that day. The weather report was “scattered showers with possible snow flurries.” It didn't seem like the best day for building a barn but I was determined to not miss this event. There had been a great deal of preparation in getting ready for this day and I reasoned that Amish people spend a lot of time outdoors and shouldn't be deterred from a task like building a barn.

      Alien and his brother, Dan, built a cement block foundation about a month before the barn raising. I stopped by and watched for a while. That was when I found out when the big event was to take place. I was told that it would be October 23^rd. “if all goes well.” A couple of weeks later I stopped by to see if they were on schedule. At that time the wall was completed and they were just finishing the barn floor. 3"x 8" joists were used to support the heavy loads that might be taken onto the barn floor. 2"x 8" joists were laid across where each section of the frame work was to go.

      I arrived on the Miller farm at 8:05 A.M. on October 23^rd. About half of the Amish men were already there awaiting the arrival of others who were needed for the task. Mr. Mose Hostetler, a contractor, had been there the three days prior to the barn raising to cut and assemble the five sections of the frame work for the barn. These sections were all spiked and bolted together. They were made by spiking "2 x 8" planks together. The center plank in each section was eight inches shorter than the two outer ones. This allowed the two outer planks to fit down over the floor "2 x 8" joists once the sections of framework were hoisted.

      The main part of the barn is 36' x 50'. There is a lean to at the end of the barn which measures 36' x 20'. The lean to is to be used for housing buggies and machinery. There were 650 Ibs. of nails and spikes used in the construction and Allien estimates the cost, after cement work is done, to be approximately $7,000. The only labor cost was in paying Mose Hostetler and his four helpers for the three days of work prior to October 23rd. Everyone worked for their dinner the day of the barn raising.

      My intentions were to be an observer of how a barn is built, but I soon found myself involved in helping to pull the rope. The younger husky men were on the barn floor ready to lift and shove the sections upward when I heard Mr. Hosteller yell and point in my direction. He said they needed help in pulling the ropes. Mr. Abe Miller, Alien's father, said “come on, we can do this.” I thought Abe was an old man but I'm eleven years older. We managed the rope at one corner while two others pulled the rope at the other corner of the barn. Once the sections were uprighted they fell into place over the "2 x 8" joists of the barn floor.

      It was amazing to me to see the activity in sawing and nailing. Everyone seemed to know what needed to be done next Young boys carried boards with nails already started. The barn was soon covered with workers. It was hard to count them. They reminded me of a swarm of flies. I estimated between fifty and sixty men and boys. Alien seemed to think that I was about right.

      I counted eighteen buggies but some people walked up the road and some came across the fields. Women and children also came to help with the cooking. The Miller family is large. Twelve children and the parents were there to help. The two girls and the mother helped with the cooking as did wives of the sons. All nine brothers came to help Alien build his new barn.

      The roof made of corregated gaivalume was about half on the barn when work stopped and I heard Mose yell “chow time.” At the house, there was a long front porch which was about table heighth from the ground. The ladies had put basins, soap, towels, and large cookers of hot water at the edge of the porch. The workers headed for the porch I had taken a sandwich, an apple, and some crackers along as I knew it would be a job that would last more than the morning.

      As I stood looking at the accomplishments of the morning, Alien approached me and said, “Now I want you to come and eat with us.” I said, “Oh Alien, I have something in the car to eat,” and, “those ladies have enough to cook for without me.” Alien said, “No no, there is plenty of food. They prepared for ninety. Come on up and wash up.” I proceeded to the porch and dipped out some hot water into a basin. As I went around to the side of the house I noticed that the workers had all placed their Jackets on the grass with their straw hats placed upon them. I wondered how each man would recognize his own after dinner. All jackets and hats looked alike. I placed my insulated jacket over the back of a swing and followed the line into the house. There was a very large room attached to the back of the house. They had three very long tables set up with benches to sit on. The first two tables were already filled so Alien directed me to the end of the third table. He said, “We'll leave the other end for the cooks and children.” Teenage girls served as waitresses. They did a beautiful job of making sure all serving dishes were kept filled.

      While I was watching the barn construction, I could smell the aroma of food. The wind was blowing gently from the house in the direction of the barn. Each time the kitchen door opened that aroma traveled to where I was standing. It was the meat loaves. They had roasters of meat loaf done with a sauce over top that was made of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and vinegar. Mrs. Miller had mashed potatoes with a delicious gravy made of oleo, lard, and flour that was browned in a skillet. She added the potato water, a little milk, and some salt. To this she added some chopped pieces of the meatloaf. There was salad made of chopped lettuce, celery, onions, diced cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and dressing made of bought salad dressing to which she added vinegar, mustard, seasoning salt, and white sugar Each table had large serving dishes of pearl tapioca cooked with orange jello, sugar, salt, cream cheese, and cool whip. There was a fruit salad of grapes, pineapple, oranges, and peaches with a sauce of instant pudding, orange breakfast drink and pineapple juice. Creamed peas were served. They were creamed with oleo, flour, milk, salt and pepper. There was coffee and water to drink as well as an assortment of pepsi, orange, Mt. Dew, 7 Up, and cola pop. We had bread and butter and an assortment of desserts that included nut cake, chocolate cake, marble cake, white cake, and cheese cake. The sisters-in law and others who came to help brought the pies which included chocolate, raisin, apple, pumpkin, peacan nut, cherry, coconut, vanilla, and crumb pie.

      The barn was completed in approximately six hours which included time out for dinner. Cement work remained to be done in the lean-to and stable.

Interesting People

      Quite often in life we run into people who are a real puzzle. Ruth Smith was one of those persons. Ruth was at the nead of elementary education at Towson State Teacher College in Maryland at the outskirts of Baltimore. I didn't know until sometime after I arrived that I was not her choice to fill a vacancy. She had a friend that she wanted for the position but the friend had been turned down by the interviewing group. I never had a happy moment with Ruth. She went out of her way to discredit me. The administration knew what she was up to. I out my best foot forward in my work and received high ratings from Dean Kenneth Brown and President Earl Hawkins, as well as from my colleagues in the department. At the end of my first year I thought that thorn in my flesh was gone when Ruth received a call to be Minister of Education in Afghanistan. She was delighted to be going to what sounded like a very important job. To my sorrow she was only to be there one year. Even though Ruth was several thousand miles away she had an influence on her friends at Towson who tried to discredit me and any others that Ruth wanted out. About the end of Ruth's Afghanistan tenure she became very sick and had to be flown to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She had a cancer operation. The faculty was called upon to give blood. I gave my pint of blood and those who couldn't collectively gave her a beautiful gown. When Ruth was well enough she wrote thank you notes to those who contributed to the gown but not a word was received by those of us who gave blood. I mentioned the fact to President Hawkins in a conversation I had with him. He in turn reminded Ruth. After several months had passed, Ruth sent thank you notes to each of us who had given blood I wouldn't have mentioned the incident to Dr Hawkins except that he probed in search of my feelings towards Ruth. Ruth Smith was to return to her job at Towson after she recovered but it wasn't meant to be. She grew progressively worse and passed away. I had already decided that Towson was not my place and moved on to Long Beach State in California. I received a letter from Maud Broyles telling me that Ruth had died and was buried on the slopes of Arlington in the National Cemetery. Ruth had been a W.A.C. during W.W. II.

      One of the most interesting persons in Barrel Valley was Frank Matson. He and his wife, Hazel, always had neighborhood children who came to hear stories that Frank enjoyed telling. Frank added so much color to his stories that children were soon in an imaginary world living those events of yesteryears.

      I was always interested in the “Olden Days” and from Frank's stories I felt that I knew the people and places he spoke of. When I visit the cemeteries I'm reminded of Frank's stories when I read the names on tombstones. One story that always amused me was about Fannie Houston who lived up the Barrel Valley Road. Fannie was no longer a young maiden. She was bringing in the cow one day when she over heard Jerimiah George and Lebanna Fulmer talking at the fence where the George, Fulmer, and Houston farms joined. Mr. George's wife had died a number of years before. Mr. Fulmer spoke loudly as he was hard of hearing and didn't realize the volume of his voice. The question Mr. Fulmer asked Mr. George was “Why haven't you married again?” Mr. George chuckled and replied that he “probably would if someone would ask me.” Fannie heard the conversation and appeared at Mr. George's door the next morning. She said, “Mr. George I understand you said you would get married again if someone would ask you.” Mr. George replied that he guessed he did say that. At that point Fannie said, " Well I'm asking you." They were married and had four daughters - Etta, Martha, Emma, and Ella.

      There was one story told to the younger children about the hills of Pennsylvania. Frank told that when God made this earth he had some dirt left over, so he piled it here in Pennsylvania.

      Two young men dug a grave in the little Houston Cemetery. As I remember, it was the grave of Fannie's mother. It was cold weather and to keep warm the young men had a bottle of whiskey. After reaching a depth of six feet only one man managed to climb out of the hole. The other laid down in the grave and stayed until morning when he was steadier on his feet. Mrs. Houston had her coffin made ahead of time and used it several years as a storage place for her dried apples.

      There were stories, told by Frank, about the cider-press that was on the Matson property. He also had a suspense story about the colt that he “broke.” The animal was dapple-gray and the mother was a gray horse named Laura.

      I never saw Frank move very fast but his wife, Hazel was always on a trot. She hoed corn in her garden with “gusto,” like she was taking her spite out on the earth. Hazel died at age 72, but Frank lived on to age 95. In his later years he made his home with his daughter, Emma.

      Helen Stiles was one of the most colorful persons I ever had the privilege of knowing. I met Helen through her sister, Ellamae Stiles, who taught with me in the Congdon Campus School of the State University Teachers College at Potsdam, N.Y. During the course of my tenure I was invited a number of times for dinner at the Stiles home near Richville, N.Y.

      The Stiles family were all well read people and people who had many lifetime experiences to share in their conversations. As a teacher in the Gouverneur School District Helen had become well known all over the “North Country,” and indeed the state. Her specialty in teaching was in the field of reading and she was called upon frequently to speak to teacher groups on ways to improve the teaching of reading. I went with Helen one time to New York City where she spoke at a meeting of the National Council of the Teachers of English.

      The young people of the “North Country” expected Helen and looked to her as a person who “knew answers to everything.” They came to her for advice on practically everything that bothered them in their short lives. Older people also respected Helen's opinions.

      Helen had never been married but she had observed a lot and tried to guide young couples through their trials. One day, when I arrived at the Stiles home, Helen told me of a young couple she had taught in school. They had come the evening before embarrassed because the girl was pregnant and they didn't want to face that community when the girl became an unwed mother. Helen said, “I told them the thing to do was to get married.” “But,” they said, “We don't have the money to get married.” Helen said she solved their dilemma by giving the couple money to buy a marriage license and a little extra for the preacher. She then looked me in the eyes and said, “Why, I've bought more marriage licenses than any old maid in St. Lawrence County.”

      Helen Stiles was a person who “jumped” into community affairs and did her part just because they needed someone to get things started and because something needed to be done. She was often called upon to groom the girls who had entered the contest to become queen of the Gouverneur Fair.

      When Helen Stiles retired from teaching, at age 70, she assumed a job of writing editorials for the Gouverneur News. She used a pen name as she wrote Helen wanted to be very frank about certain topics and didn't want to offend anyone. She felt that, “If the shoe fits, put it on.” Her articles scanned politics, nature, community affairs, and anything that was an issue at the time. She resembled Benjamin Franklin's style in “Poor Richard's Almanac.”

Travels

      From the time I was a small boy I had an interest in traveling. When I saw a road I questioned where the road led to or what was on the other end of that road. My interest grew as I grew and would hear older people talk of events that happened in nineteen aught two or other years of the beginning of the century. When I heard my dad and people his age speak of the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, I felt that someday I must see that canal. I did so in 1981.

      As a teenager I had been to Washington, D.C., Gettysburg, Pittsburgh, and a few other places that I will call local. It wasn't until World War II came about that I was able to fulfill my dream of seeing those far away places with strange sounding names. The U.S. Navy appealed to me more than the army. I volunteered ahead of the draft and was already through “boot training” when the draft caught up with me. My dad had quite a time explaining to the draft board that I was already in the service and couldn't serve both navy and army. It spoiled their plans but they must have found someone to fill their quota. In the meantime I traveled from basic training at Bainbridge, Md., to Bedford Springs, Pa., where I trained to be a radio operator. That entailed learning the international code, setting up messages, and typing. My next move was to Noroton Heights, CT. where I attended signal school. This schooling was devoted to flag waving which was used to send messages. From Connecticut I was sent to Brooklyn, N Y. where I was entered into the Armed Guard. The Armed Guard was made up of US Navy personnel who were stationed aboard merchant ships that carried war materials to the war fronts There were gunners and communications personnel who served alongside the merchant marines who operated the ships. I served mostly aboard ship for the duration of the war. In all I made thirty-two trips across the Atlantic Ocean. It was a very dangerous duty as many, many ships were sunken by German submarines. My first ship was the S. S. Pan Maine, which earned gasoline. On top deck there were airplanes. The first trip was to Swansea, Wales where I witnessed the shooting down of a German plane by the Royal Air Force. On other trips tanks, jeeps, landing barges, more planes, and crates of war materials were carried on top deck. I don't know how much gasoline was down in the bilge but a direct hit would have made quite an explosion. Other ships I served on were the S S. Patrick Henry, S. S. Mormacrey, S. S. Reginald Fessenden, S. S Mangore, and S. S. Mariposa. These ships except the Mariposa, carried bombs, guns and other war materials. The Mariposa was a luxury liner that had been converted into a troop transport. I traveled to Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, near London at Purfleet, Belfast and a number of other smaller port cities of the British Isles. The trips took two to three weeks traveling in convoy in a zigzag formation across the North Atlantic. There was one trip to Trinidad Island in the Carribbean. I remember a short coastal trip on the S. S. Mangore. Our load was coal that we took through the Cape Cod Canal to Boston. In Boston I was transferred to the S. S. Mariposa which traveled at a much faster speed and had no escort. Our mission was the delivery of troops to France. On one trip the Mariposa took replacement troops to Marseilles, France. From Marseilles we sailed down the coast of Italy to Naples where wounded Brazilian soldiers were carried aboard for their homeward trip to Rio de Janeiro. This was my first crossing of the equator. The initiation was very mild. I received a certificate as proof of my crossing. In returning from Rio de Janeiro a number of civilian passengers returned to France. We unloaded those people at Cherbourg on the Normandy Coast. A short distance from Cherbourg was the city of La Havre. Returning soldiers came aboard in droves. Among them was a neighbor, Stanley Matson. I did not know until after my discharge that Stanley was aboard the Mariposa with me. Ed Stroup of Apollo had gone to Marseilles on an earlier trip. I was able to visit with him, take him extra food, and write to his wife when I returned to Boston. She was a sister of Jack Henry, another neighbor.

      After three years of military travel I was sent again to the Armed Guard Center at First Ave. and Fifty Second Street in Brooklyn, N.Y. The war was over in 1945 and through the point system I was eligible for discharge. My next stop was Pier 92 in New York. Within two or three days I was sent to Sampson, N.Y., for discharge. I had completed nearly three years of duty, from Oct. 16, 1942 to Oct. 8, 1945. Two and one half of those years had been aboard ship.

      After a year of boring steel millwork after World War II and a wife who was unfaithful, I traveled to the state of Washington where I entered college and later taught school. Summers were spent traveling east and west across the United States on my way to summer school in New York City. I tried to take different routes on each trip so that I could see points of interest. Over the years I have crisscrossed all forty-eight states north, south, east, west and diagonally. Alaska and Hawaii were visited in a different way, by ship and plane. My first trip to Alaska was during my college years at Bellingham, Washington. When World War II ended I remained in the Navy Reserve. I was required to spend one evening a week in training at the old Sehome School. Once a year a two-week cruise was required. It was a navy cruiser, the U. S. S. Atlanta that took me on my first trip to Alaska June 26 to July 10, 1948. What a beautiful voyage up through the Inside Passage to Juneau and Ketchekan. Our trip back to Bellingham took us out to sea. The reserve duty made me a few extra dollars to help with my education.

      My travels continued via automobile until 1970 when I boarded the Delta Queen for a riverboat trip. I drove to Cincinnati for my trip down the Ohio River. We sailed to Paducah, Kentucky and up the Tennessee River to Kentucky Lake. This is a part of the T.V.A. so we had locks to go through in reaching the lake. The ship had a wonderful picnic for us when we tied up. We stopped for walking tours at many of the river towns along the Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky shores. My cabin aboard the Delta Queen was on the inside with no portholes. When evening came and I could no longer see the sights along the shore I departed the nightlife for an early to bed snooze. My roommate had very irregular hours. One night he came in and sat on his bunk beneath me. I had the top bunk. He turned on his bunk light, started making a swishing sound and awoke me completely. As I peered down over the edge of my bunk I saw him counting a roll of money in his hands that was big enough to choke a cow. I realized then that I was traveling with a riverboat gambler. He was from Central Missouri and a fine man to talk to but we never mentioned money. His lady friend shared a cabin with another lady next door. I talked more with her than with him. They met for the late seating for meals. I always ate at the first seating.

      My first visit to Hawaii was over spring vacation of 1963. I made seven trips to the islands. On each trip I visited different islands or different parts of islands already visited. On my last trip, 1990, I served as a tour guide for my sister, Jane and her husband, as they celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. There are very few of the tourist attractions that I missed while in Hawaii. In the nearly thirty years I did see growth in the developments on the islands from when I first visited.

      One of my interests was in visiting all the state capitals and homes of our presidents. In traveling to all these cities and homes, I was able to include other historical places of interest. Much of what I saw is recorded in “slide pictures” which I've used in doing presentations for shut-ins at nursing homes and for other senior citizen groups.

      After receiving my doctorate degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1965 I had summers to travel the East Coast from Northern New York, New England, and southward to Myrtle Beach where I visited old friends and saw interesting historical spots and countrysides.

      On July 8, 1975 my niece was married. Due to a shortage of money the young couple decided to take their honeymoon at a later date. Those “later date” honeymoons are the same and often never materialize. So !!! Uncle Howard came to the rescue and offered a honeymoon for three at my friend's motel in Myrtle Beach, S.C. I gave the couple my Buick after we arrived and got checked in. They were on their own until time to come home. I spent my time helping to operate the motel. There was little vacation for me.

      My Panama Canal tour was in January of 1982. On Jan. 15th I flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico where I boarded the Island Princess. We sailed Jan. 16th to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. On Jan. 19^th we sailed to Venezuela. We landed at the port city of LaGuaira where we boarded a bus and traveled up the mountain to the Capitol City, Caracas. It was a beautiful city but like most cities it too had slums.

      On Jan 20th we visited the Dutch Island of Curacao. On the morning of Jan. 22nd I awoke at the entrance to the Panama Canal. When it was our turn to go through the locks I stayed outside to watch every inch of our lift as the water was released from the locks above. It was a real thrill to be experiencing a dream of my life. Passenger ships had priority which meant that the lake and entrances on both Atlantic and pacific sides had cargo ships anchored and awaiting their turns Colon is the little town at the Atlantic entrance to the canal Panama City is at the Pacific. We had a little time to spend at Panama City and of course I wanted to see the home of the famed Panama Hacks. There were taxicabs, really beaten and rattling old vehicles with fenders that almost flapped as we went. The officer at the gangplank advised me to not go alone. He told me of a former passenger who had been dragged between some buildings where he was robbed of his wallet, his watch and jewelry and finally of all his clothes. I said, “What did the poor guy do?” He said the police came by and picked him up He was brought back to the ship. The policeman loaned him his coat to cover himself while they went to his cabin for another change of clothing He said the clothing was probably sold on the black market. There were three women standing nearby who heard the story. They had already engaged a taxi and were a little nervous about going One of them said “Would you like to go with us?” They figured there was safety in numbers. They told me that it was good to have a man along I was glad to have three women with me Our first view of Panama City was of the “Red Light District.” The driver yelled at me, “No Pictures,” when I got my camera ready Our next area was down little narrow streets in an old part of the city. The taxi stopped and the driver said, “Everyone out!” My thoughts were, “Here we go between these buildings.”

To my surprise some big doors came open to the entrance of a church. The priest greeted us and invited us to look around and take pictures if we liked. They had beautiful mosaics, tapestries, paintings sculptures, and stained glass windows. Our next stop was at a service station for expensive gasoline. We then came to a beautiful residential area that faced the beach. The driver said, “It's all right to take pictures.” We visited some parks and historical sites before going into the downtown area There was a huge square In the downtown with streets leading into it like spokes on a wagon wheel. There were lots of stores and banks. Graffiti was all over the American based banks, saying, “Yankees Go Home.” We drove past the government buildings and an American built school. Our return to the ship was a release of tensions but I'm glad I was able to visit Panama City.

      After passing through the Panama Canal we traveled up the coast of Central America and stopped at Acapuico, Mexico. Again I was shown the beautiful parts of the city on our city tour and watched the divers who climbed high cliffs to dive into the ocean. It was quite a show. The divers ran up paths to collect tips when they finished each dive.

      The other view of Acapuico was within walking distance of where the ship was docked. We had an afternoon in port to do as we liked I chose to take a walk to the “Flea Market.” The narrow street that led me to a very large market square was lined with open air restaurants, saloons, stores, and a butcher shop that had chickens hanging with blood dripping into the gutter. The smell was rank and the flies were swarming. At the market I saw a woman balancing a large round washtub on her head. As she made her purchases she reached up and dropped the items into her tub.

      At the bottom end of the peninsula, Baja California, is a small Mexican village, Cabo San Lucas. We stopped at Cabo San Lucas on Jan. 28^th I took a walking tour through the dusty streets. The natives had their wares down at the beach where

the ship docked I bought a hand carved turtle made of

ironwood.

      Our arrival in Los Angeles was Jan. 30th at 9:00 A.M. Gwen and Del Walter and Chuck and Elaine Hawk were all there to greet me. I spent several weeks visiting in California before flying home.

      My second trip to Alaska was on the “Love-boat.” I flew to San Francisco on June 18, 1983 where I boarded the Pacific Princess for a twelve day cruise. One of my former students, Jon Larson, drove down from San Jose to see me off. I gave Jon and Norma Jean a tour of the ship before it was time to sail.

      All twelve days of the cruise were sunny and beautiful. It was so nice to see the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge as we saited under it. Now I had flown over crossed over, and sailed under that famous bridge. The skyline of San Francisco stood out nice and clear as did the other Bay Cities and Alcatraz Island.

      After a day and a half at sea we arrived at Juan de Fuca Strait and the city of Vancouver, B.C. I took a bus tour of the downtown, a residential area, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, and Gastown. Our trip through the Inside Passage from Vancouver took us to Prince Rupert where again we took a city tour. Our tour included a ride up a ski lift for a beautiful view of the Islands and the Inside Passage. Our first stop in Alaska was at Juneau. I visited Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau and a Presbyterian Church overlooking Auke Lake and with a beautiful view of the glacier and mountains. There were points of interest in the city itself and a visit to the capitol where I sat in on a session of the legislature.

      The Inside Passage was everything I had remembered about it from my cruise aboard the U.S.S. Atlanta in 1947. Evergreens, snow capped mountains, waterfalls, and blue, blue water were seen on the entire trip.

      I enjoyed Skagway and Sitka with all the history and scenic spots. The highlight of the trip was the day we spent in Glacier Bay seeing the many glaciers, seals, icebergs, and land formations. The National Park Service sent a ranger aboard to give a narration of what we were seeing.

      Our last stop was at Victoria B. C. Since I had been to Butchart Gardens several years before when I was in Bellingham. I chose the trip to see the little gingerbread style house with its unusual flower gardens and walks through the property that overlooked the oceans. A bus tour to the top of a hill took us to a “Castle” that was built by a man from Scotland who made money in the mining industry. The lady he wanted to marry refused to marry and come to the western wilderness unless she could live in a castle. After he died she became a little “loco” and would come down to the city in her carriage bowing to the people along the way. A day an a half later San Francisco greeted us with clear blue skies.

      In the middle of January 1984 I flew to Nassau in the Bahamas. I spent a week on Paradise Island. It was a restful, interesting, and an expensive trip. The Paradise Towers Hotel was on the beach. I enjoyed the restful sounds of the ocean on the sandy shore below my balcony. In February a former Potsdam student, Lee Van Orman, invited me to visit them for a week end at Benton, Pa., where he was a school principal. He and his wife took me to visit a coal mining town, Eckley Miners Village, that was being restored in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania. Much of what we saw was what I grew up with; so there was a bit of nostalgia.

      In April I took my second long trip of the year. I flew to Madrid, Spain where I had a tour of the city and spent some time in the Prada Art Museum. From Madrid I flew to the Canary Islands where I stayed at Santa de la Cruz on Tenerife Island.

      My niece, Helen Louise Anderson, was crowned “Miss Armstrong County” in March. In June she participated in the “Miss Pennsylvania Pageant” at Altoona, Pa. I spent three days in Altoona supporting her. She had stiff competition from older girls. The title went to Miss Lehigh Valley.

      July brought visitors from California. Charles and Elaine Hawk came for the latter part of July and first part of August. I had planned to attend “Old Home Day” at Richville, N.Y.

      The Hawks went with me on a motoring trip to Northern New York and down the East Coast. Our first stop was in State College where we visited my Alma Mater, Penn State University. Pulaski, N.Y. was our next stop. We spent the night in Pulaski at the home of another Potsdam former student, Rev. Earl Smith. The following day was spent taking a 1,000 Island boat trip on the St. Lawrence River at Alexandria Bay. At Richville we had an enjoyable visit with Helen Stiles who housed and fed us while attending “Old Home Day.” We found Lake Placid and the Adirondack scenery enjoyable. Southward we traveled along Lake Champlain to Ft. Ticonderoga, and on to Schuylerville where I visited another former student Malcolm (Mac) Lindahl who was a teacher in Schuylerville. Our next destination was Norfolk, Va. We drove by Albany and New york City on an expressway to New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the eastern peninsula of Virginia where we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel - Bridge to Norfolk. I left the Hawks in Norfolk where they visited friends while I Journeyed on to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to spend a few days with a college friend Jessie Duncan, who owned a motel, “Carolina Tarheel.” When I returned to Norfolk I found Elaine had contacted her cousin in Williamsburg. We were invited to have Sunday dinner and spend a night with them in their beautiful home. My cousin's daughter from Ohio was at the Visitors Center in Williamsburg. She spotted me as we were waiting for Elaine's cousin to guide us to his home. Small world! Enroute to Pennsylvania and my grass and weeds we spent a little time at Bedford Springs. Our next tour was to Oil City to visit Chuck's son and grandchildren. I took them back to Pittsburgh three days later to visit his two sisters before their return to California. Trips of this kind were routine for my summers over the years.

      My first trip to the Holy Land began on December 28^th, 1984 when I met at J.F.K. airport with Rev. Rodney Murray of Vandergrift First Presbyterian Church. The group flew together to Tel Aviv. Our tour also included a visit to Athens, Corinth and a boat trip among the Greek Islands. We returned January 7, 1985. I returned to the Holy Land five years later with Rev. William Thwing of the United Church of Christ in Johnstown. There were some repeats but the two trips were different enough to provide new experiences and visits to Biblical places missed on the first trip.

      Summertime 1985 gave me a memorable trip of beauty to Europe. I flew to Heathrow Airport in London. The following day was spent in touring London. I hadn't been there since World War II and found the city much different from the rubble left from the German Blitz.

      After a bus ride through the English countryside, I boarded a North Sea steamer for an overnight trip to Esbjerg, Denmark. The tour bus went with us. The Danish countryside northward to Arbus was very picturesque with its clean looking farms and lace curtain windowed houses. An occasional thatch roofed house and windmill could be seen. From the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark we took a ferry across the Kattegat to Gothenburg, Sweden and then on our bus to Oslo, Norway. The rest of our trip was full of visits to palaces, castles, museums, stave churches, rides through the fjords, rides on the narrow Norwegian mountain roads, passing through villages and past waterfalls, that were in abundance. I enjoyed the little town of Kinsarvik. Oslo and Bergen were larger cities with many points of interest. In the far north of Norway we were visited at our hotel by an American exchange student who seemed hungry for conversation with people from home. We crossed over into Sweden and traveled southward through Karlstad and to Stockholm for another castle tour. From Halsingborg, Sweden we crossed the water again on a ferry to Denmark and on to Copenhagen. Tivoli Gardens (amusement park) greeted us with all its lights and activities. Of course there were more palaces and castles along with a visit to the Little Mermaid. I enjoyed our visit to Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tale Island of Funen. There was a “Farmers Market” that day on the streets of Andersen's birthplace - Odense. I saw beautiful displays of fruits, vegetables, baked goods, candies, and crafts.

      In leaving Denmark we entered Schleswig - Holstein and on to Hamburg, Germany for a guided visit to the Reeperbahn at night. One of the highlights of Hamburg was our stop at the botanical garden and to see the “Dancing Fountains” at night with the colored lights and organ music.

      In leaving Germany we passed through the windmill country of Holland. We stopped at a factory where they make wooden shoes and at a farm in the polder land where cheese is made. Our trip through Holland included Amsterdam where we had a boat trip through the canals, past patrician mansions, gabled facades, and humpbacked bridges.

      Our last stop on the continent was to visit the world's largest flower auction at Aalsmeer. I can't muster up words to describe the beauty of the flowers at the auction. The building itself was mammoth and provided three walking tours. I took the shortest route, which took me past three auction rooms and through warehouses where I looked down on a sea of blossoms.

      At Vhssingen we boarded a steamer for a daytime crossing of the North Sea to Sheerness, England and a ride again through the English countryside to London and one more night in a hotel before returning to New York.

      July 28, 1986, became the date for a return trip to the British Isles. This trip was planned as a visit to the many places I had read about and wanted to see. My flight was from Boston. Our tour group of 49 people assembled in London with a wonderful guided tour of England, Scotland, and Wales. From London we spurred out to the city of Bath, to Stone Henge, Windsor Castle, Runnymeade, and another city tour of London. Our next hotel was near Glasgow, Scotland on the Clyde. We spent four nights there and spurred out to Loch Lomond, Loch Katrin, Edinburgh the Scottish Highlands, lowlands, bog fields, lots of castles, and to an evening dinner show in Edinburgh. It was an experience to hear the bagpipes, Scottish songs, and to see the many plaids and Scottish dances. A wedding reception was held at our hotel. The groom, best man, and the ushers were dressed in kilts. I pictured my Anderson plaid in such an event as this among my ancestry.

      From Scotland our tour took us back to England with a visit and overnight stay in Carlisle. We toured museums and cathedrals. The lake district was picturesque with little villages and hills dotted with sheep. Our next stop was in Liverpool where we toured a couple of cathedrals and museums. After a nignis rest we traveled on to the beautiful city of Chester and on to Northern Wales. Wales was much different in the north from what I remembered of Swansea and Southern Wales of World War II days. Because of the beautiful weather we were able to take the scenic mountain route through villages and resort areas. We departed Wales from a place spelled LlanfairpwIlgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwIIII-antyshjo-gogogoch. I just happen to have the spelling as my passport was stamped there before leaving for Ireland. Some little boys had a business of pronouncing the name of their town for tourists. They expected tips.

      We had an eight hour boat trip across the Irish Sea to Dublin. Dublin was a nice city but I was expecting taller buildings. I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral and to a beautifully kept castle. Our Irish tour guide took us on a city tour. I remember the beautiful doorways with the polished brass knobs. One evening we went to a cabaret where we enjoyed Irish songs, jigs, and jokes. It was a dinner show.

      Our last hotel was at Limerick, which was about half way across Ireland. I enjoyed the Irish countryside with its stone fences and rolling hills. From Limerick we spurred out to Killarney seeing mountains, lakes, more castles and thatched roof houses. Killarney is a nice town. Another day was a trip to Galway and Galway Bay. We saw “traveling people” ( gypsies ) along the way who had beautiful trailer homes parked along the highways with laundry strung out on lines. We were warned to keep our money and valuables well concealed. The bus parked near a large park in the center of town where President Kennedy had spoken. There was a stone replica of the podium he used. The park had crisscross walks with grass and flowers between Benches were spaced along the walks for people to rest and to enjoy the outdoors. A young girl about fourteen years of age approached me asking for money as she said she was hungry. I didn't know if she was being truthful and should have offered to take her to a restaurant to buy her something to eat. Instead I told her I didn't have money to give away. She said, “Well you must have money or how would you get here in the first place.” Then I saw her approach another man who was reading a newspaper. I told the tour guide about the girl and she replied that I was very wise. She said that the girl would probably have grabbed my wallet and I never could have run fast enough to catch her.

      There were more castles and thatched roof houses on that tour. Of course those who wished could kiss the Blarney Stone. I didn't choose to put my lips where other people put their slobbers. That castle is near Cork.

      One evening was spent at a Medieval Banquet in an old restored castle. The entertainment was a musical telling the story of Ireland and its struggles up through the ages.

      Ireland also had bog fields. We were told that there is enough bog to last about forty years as a fuel supply. Limerick was a nicer Irish town. I took a couple of walking tours in the evenings.

      In July of 1988 I flew to Europe for a tour of the Alp Region of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. I toured Frankfort, Munich, the Black Forest region, Bavaria, a Rhine River cruise, and many small towns of Germany. Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria along with the little principality of Liechtenstein made my Alp tour complete until I would return to Switzerland at a later date. From the Alps I traveled to the lower elevations in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Holland.

      In Brussels, Belgium I had a dinner of mussels. It is a specialty there and I will have to say that I enjoyed my dinner. We visited the quaint old town of Brugge, which is famous for its Belgium lace. The war memorials for the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne were interesting, as was the military cemetery in Luxembourg where General Patton is buried. On this trip I did a complete tour of Holland. In Amsterdam I was able to visit the Anne Frank House. In Delft we visited a factory where the blue and white china is made, a diamond cutting business, a fishing village and resort on the North Sea. The Hague, Aalmsmeer, and its flower auctions that I had seen before, the polderland, a cheese factory, a factory where we watched wooden shoes being made. Another tour of Amsterdam and the city of Utrecht completed my stay in Europe.

      On Nov. 8, 1989 I flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico where I boarded the Sky Princess for a cruise on the Amazon River. Our ship sailed to the Virgin Islands for our first stop. The next stop was at Fort of France, Martineaque where I took a bus tour of the Island. Our next stop was off the coast of French Guiana where we dropped anchor and took launches to visit the abandoned penal colony where the story and movie Papillon took place. There are three small islands - St. Joseph, Royale, and Devils.

      The Amazon is a very muddy river We found places near the mouth where we couldn't see land. It spreads out over a wide basin. We crossed the equator at 51' 3" W. It was a fun time when King Neptune came for the initiation. Not at all like the paddly – wacks I got on my way to Rio de Janeiro in 1945 while in the navy.

      Poverty is a big problem in Amazonia. Indians came in their little canoes to scoop things out of the water that passengers threw to them. The captain said it was a custom to do this. I had nothing but fruit to toss' overboard. They especially liked apples and pears, as those fruits don't grow in that hot jungle climate.

      Our first stop was at an Indian village – Alter da Chaos. We went ashore in launches and mostly explored the beaches. These people were very poor and appreciated the gifts we left.

      At Santorem I took a city tour which also took us out to an Indian farm where they were tapping rubber trees and were also making tapioca from the manioc or casava root. The family was very poor but they were trying to make their way. One of the boys could speak some English and was glad to explain what they were doing. Grandma was baby sitting so that the mother could help peel manioc roots. We left tips for allowing us to visit.

      Up the river we visited another Indian village - Boca da Valeria. Again we anchored out and went ashore on launches. Our money was of no use to the Indians so we took gifts for bartering. The people were happy to show us their homes and a small one room school “Escala do S. Francisco.” The school had one chalkboard, crude seats, and desks, and very little else. One little boy begged for one of my pens to use in “Escala.” My heart went out to him. Had I known the poverty I could have taken pencils, pens, and paper that I have here at the house. They speak Portuguese so none of my books would have been appropriate. I traded an apple for a hand carved mahogany alligator. There were no stores but the natives had their wares spread out on blankets. An old lady spotted the apple I had taken along in case I would get hungry before the launch brought me back to the ship. Through sign language I understood that she wanted my apple. She in turn handed me the alligator. We were both happy with the trade.

      About half way across South America the Niger River flows into the Amazon. Near the mouth of the Niger River is the city of Manaus. It is a rather large city. This was our port of debarkation and from where we flew back to Florida. In Manaus I had a city tour and a walking tour to a zoo. Shopping was very poor in Manaus. The people retrieved things from our garbage as it was carried ashore.

      Earlier in 1989, January and early February, I took a trip to Spain. I had a wonderful off season deal for senior citizens which took me to Madrid and then on to a resort town on the Mediterranean. I was to fly from Madrid to Caliente and then by taxi to nearby Benidorm but when we landed in Madrid we were told that the local airlines were on strike. After waiting several hours the airlines offered bus transportation. It took longer but I saw the countryside and felt it was a better deal than flying high over the land. They fed us a wonderful steak dinner at a restaurant enroute. At the airport in Caliente my taxi was waiting to take me to the “President!” Hotel in Benidorm. From Benidorm I took day trips to Valencia, Caliente ,Costa de Sol, and a number of small towns where the fishermen came in with their catch to be auctioned off, another village where they made shoes, and another where they had a guitar factory. One weekend I took a trip to Gibraltar where I climbed to the top of the rock. Before arriving at Gibraltar we visited cave dwellers at Gaudix. We visited the city of Grenada and then into the Andalusia country of Southern Spain. I saw a Flamenco Dance in Andalusia where the dance originated.

      In the fall of 1990 I was off to Italy on a wonderful trip where I met a special group of travelers who still write to me. The weather was beautiful in November, our tour guide was terrific, and the tour group expressed concerns for me since I was the oldest person in the group. I kept up with the group and didn't miss a thing. I had been to Italy in 1945 at the end of World War II and remembered Naples and Pompeii. It was good to see the rebuilt Naples and to revisit the excavations at Pompeii. Our hotel in Southern Italy was at Sorrento. It was a nice hotel built at a villa overlooking Naples Bay. From Sorrento we took a boat trip across to the Isle of Capri. Capri is truly a beautiful spot.

      Our stay in Rome upon arrival was at the Leonardo di Vinci Hotel which was a short walk from the Vatican. The Vatican City is located entirely within the city of Rome and consists of St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, the Vatican Cathedral, and the Vatican Gardens. The Vatican Palace, where the Pope resides, houses the Staze, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Art Collections. Pope John Paul 11 appeared at his window, which was marked with the Papal hanging. He spoke and blessed all of us who were down in the square. I enjoyed the artwork in the Cistine Chapel, the gardens, and St. Peter's Basilica with its statues. Rome was full of historical places and many fountains.

      The most famous of all the Roman Fountains is the Trevi. I tossed a coin and made a wish. This fountain depicts the God Neptune riding his seahorse - drawn chariot through the cascading waters flowing from the Acqua Vergine Aqueduct. The tradition of the Trevi is to throw a coin into the fountain before leaving the city to ensure your return to Rome. We were told there are fountains for most all purposes. One balding man in our group asked if there was a fountain for growing hair.

      The Colosseum was completed in 80 AD. It was the largest building of its kind in the ancient world. It seated up to 50,000 spectators. Colosseum events consisted of animal fights, gladiator fights, chariot racing, and even mock naval battles.

      In Florence we saw lots of art museums. My highlight was in seeing Michaelangelo's “David.” It was here that a gypsy attempted to rob me. She had a small baby in her arms. I was at the end of the line. She stuck her hand into my side pocket where I had pinned my money. I yelled and alerted a policeman. She moved away without being escorted.

      On our way to Milano we visited Verona and the balcony that had been designated for tourists “Juliet's Balcony.” Verona is quite large and a nice city with more Roman Ruins. Milano was a large smoky city with lots of industry. The cathedral in Milan is beautiful, La Scala Opera House is huge, but the main attraction for me in Milan was seeing Leonardo di Vinci's frescoes of The Last Supper and “The Crucifixion” preserved by sandbag during World War 11. The rest of the church had to be rebuilt.

      La Torre Pendente Di Pisa which is better known as the “Leaning Tower” of Pisa, is one of the most fascinating monuments in Italy. It was built between 1173 and 1350. The tower stands 117 feet tail, tilts 10 degrees (17 feet) off center, and has 294 steps to the top We weren't allowed to enter the tower. The tower has stood for over 800 years.

      Venice was a much different kind of city. We taxied by boats instead of buses. Our group enjoyed the gondolas and the serenade we received on the Grand Canal. An accordion player and a man with a beautiful tenor voice serenaded us.

      Venice is known for its unique mode of transportation. It is the only city built in a lagoon on more than 100 islands. Waterbusses or “Vapoetti” and traditional gondolas carry thousands of residents and visitors around the city. The most popular sites to see in Venice are the Basilica of San Marco, the Grand Canal featuring the Rialto Bridge, the Piazzetta San Marco, the Santa Maria Dei Frari and the Basilica of Saints Giovanni and Paolo.

      We spent a day and night on the Swiss - Italian border at Lake Lugano. It was here that I made my debut tickling the piano keyboard. The tour guide wanted us to sing on our last night together. No one could play the piano so I volunteered providing they would all sing loud and cover sour notes. My try - out passed and we had an enjoyable evening in the hotel lobby.

      My visits to Presidential Libraries included the Adams Library at their home in Quincy, Mass. Most of the presidents had collections at their homes or in the Library of Congress. The more recent presidents have more elaborate buildings that house their papers, books, and museum pieces. The Hoover Library is at his birth and burial place in West Branch, Iowa. The Franklin Roosevelt Library is at his birth and burial place at Hyde Park, N.Y. This library was helpful to me in getting the exact date of Eleanor Roosevelts visit to Potsdam, N.Y where I heard her speak and later met at the reception given by the university president. The Truman Library is located a few blocks from his home at Independence, MO. He is buried at the Library- The Elsenhower Library and burial place is at his boyhood home at Abilene, Kansas. John Kennedy is buried at Arlington, VA. but his library is on the shore in the south part of Boston, Mass. Lyndon Johnson chose to locate his library in Austin, Texas. He is buried at his ranch near Stonewall, Texas. The Nixon Library and burial place are at his birthplace in Yorba Linda, Ca. President Carter chose to have his library in Atlanta, Georgia. The Reagan Library is in-a remote rocky spot in the valley about half ways between his Bel Air home and his ranch. It is said that the wild west appearance of this land reminded him of what California looked like when he first went there.

      In May of 1993 I completed my tours of the presidential libraries that had been completed to date. I flew Grand Rapids, Michigan to see the Gerald Ford Library and Museum and to attend the tulip festival at Holland, Michigan. My rented car took me to the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, and to Henry Ford's Greenfield Village.

      After getting a taste of the beautiful country of Switzerland I vowed I must return and do a complete tour of all parts of that country The country has three parts that speak different languages. I had been to the German speaking section in the north when I took my Central European tour. On my Italy tour I had been to Lugano. The French area at Bern and Geneva had been missed and of course I felt I had to see the Matterhorn. The weather cooperated as we traveled over mountains and through tunnels in that small country with the most scenic landscape ! had seen. It was at the small Alpine village of Engelberg where I first saw the edelweiss flower growing. We stayed overnight in this small village in the mountains that was reached by shifting gears and winding up narrow roads. Interlaken was a beautiful resort town in about the middle of Switzerland. I enjoyed visiting Lucerne, Zurich, Lugano, and Geneva but the highlight of this Swiss trip was the day we went up the valley as far as the bus would go. From that point we had a train ride to Zumwalt where we took a tram-wheeled train up the mountain to see the Matterhorn. At first it was all clouded in and our prospect of seeing the mountain seemed bleak. Then the wind seemed to shift, blowing the cover a,way. There the Matterhorn stood in all its majesty. It was on this Swiss trip that I met a wonderful young couple from Easton, Connecticut, Gary and Debbie Meno. Gary was so helpful in carrying some of my luggage. I was the elderly one of the group and sometimes got winded in the high elevation. We have continued to correspond at Christmastime. Other people of the group looked out for my welfare as well but I haven't heard from any of them since the trip.

      In Geneva there is a park with statues of all the reformers of the reformation period. I was so happy to have time in Zurich before the trip began to visit the mother church of my denomination. I attended a harvest home service at the Grossmunster Church where Ulrich Zwingli preached. It was a beautiful service with the children parading down the center aisle with baskets of fruit, vegetables, and flowers to place at the pulpit. I remember the booming organ as the large doors swung open for the children to enter. There were six baptisms that day. The service was done in German. I recognized the Lord's Prayer when it was repeated. An English speaking lady took me to meet the minister who also spoke English. My big trip in 1993 was to Germany in October. My brother, Bob, and I flew to London where I had a short enjoyable visit with a former student, Jon Larson, and his wife Sally. Next day we flew on to Frankfort. At Frankfort we met our tour guide who guided us by bus to the north, east, west, and south. It was a fairly complete tour of Germany. Some of it was a repeat for me as I had been inside northern Germany and southern Germany on two other tours. Our tour included a Rhine River cruise that stopped at Bingen and then getting off the boat at Boppard where the Winefest was being celebrated. I had wanted to see the site of the Remagen Bridge that once spanned the Rhine River. The bus driver went out of his way to take us there. We went on to Bonn and then spent the night in Cologne and visited the Cologne Cathedral. It was a long ride to Hamburg where we spent our next night. I enjoyed the city tours of all the cities we visited throughout Germany. From Hamburg we traveled to East Berlin for a two night stay. Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenberg Gate, the Bundestag, a show, and our visit to Potsdam were among the many points of interest in that area. Leipzig, with its Martin Luther ties, and our overnight in the rebuilt Dresden was a nice experience. We went back to the west for an overnight stay at Nurnberg, Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuhl, and the concentration camp at Dachau were stops we made on our way to Munich. Two nights in Munich gave us time to spur out to the beauty of Bavaria and to Oberammergau, Friedrichs - haen, the Ludwig Castles, and Triberg. We stayed overnight in Lahr which is in the Black Forest. Heidelberg was our last stop before going to Ladenberg and our last night in Germany.

      My big trip in 1994 was the three weeks I spent in Finland and Russia. My California friend, Charles Hawk, wanted to go to Russia. His wife did not want to go so we planned the trip when I visited in California during December 1993. During the spring of 1994 Charles had a stroke. He made a quick recovery and the doctor said there was no reason why he couldn't go on the trip. He came early and spent three days here resting before we flew to New York and then overseas. We spent two days in Helsinki, Finland before flying on to Moscow. The Moscow terminal was drab and dark. The lights appeared yellow rather than bright light like other airports. Our hotel from then on was aboard the boat, Lev Tolstoy. It was a nice clean boat and the food was good. The Lev Tolstoy took us 1499 miles on the Volga River, lakes, and canals. We traveled north and then west to St. Petersburg. I enjoyed my three days in Moscow and our visits to the many cities and villages where we stopped along the way. The countryside was beautiful and the people were very friendly. There were numerous museums, castles of the Czars, Orthodox Churches with their Icons, a concert, a Moscow Circus, and a ballet at the palace in St. Petersburg. My walking on Red Square and inside the Kremlin walls seemed unreal. Lenin's Tomb was closed but I saw it from outside. On our third day out of Moscow the boat stopped at a village named Irma. It was planned that we would have a bar-be-que on the shore. We arrived early that morning so Chuck and I decided to climb a path to see what the village of Irma looked like. It was mostly residential with a couple of small shops. When we returned to the boat Charles said, “I don't feel well.” I suggested seeing the doctor aboard the boat. He didn't want to at first but finally consented when he began feeling worse. The doctor couldn't speak English but he had a medical assistant who could speak beautiful English. The doctor didn't like what he heard when he listened to Chuck's heartbeat. He suggested a cardiogram which cost $50 but if a second one was needed it would be free. The office call was $5. The doctor said ‘you have had a light heart attack.” He then told Chuck to walk slowly to our cabin and lie down. He and the girl followed and gave a shot in the arm. The shot was to make Chuck drowsy or even fall asleep. He fell asleep and was snoring in a few minutes. The doctor returned but said he would be back later when Chuck awakened. This time the doctor had a pleased expression on his face when he listened to the heartbeat. He said I want you to come down for another cardiogram just to be sure. When that cardiogram was read the doctor said your heart is good and you'll be all right. Chuck replied, “Anyone who knows me knows I don't have a heart.” The girl interpreter burst out laughing. The doctor looked puzzled until she repeated in Russian what Chuck said. Everyone then laughed together. I was use to his remarks so it wasn't as amusing to me as it was to the Russians. When we came aboard Lev Tobstoy we found our cabin and got settled in. while he was unpacking his two huge suitcases I used the toilet. The cabin and bathroom were both very small. Chuck was all shook up when I flushed the toilet. There was such a suction it sounded like a jet plane taking off. When I told him what the noise was he couldn't believe it until he tried it. He came out laughing and said, “Don't ever flush that while sitting there because it would suck the hemorrhoids right out of you.”

      Tourism has become a big business in most countries around the world. Russia is restoring much of what the Nazi's destroyed in World War 11. Catherine the Greats beautiful palace, Pushkin, and the Hermitage were highlights near and in St. Petersburg. It was interesting that a Russian band played the Star Spangled Banner for us as we entered the grounds at Pushkin.

      The highlights of my travels in 1995 were to Northern Ireland in search of roots. My Anderson ancestors came to America in 1816 from County Derry in Northern Ireland. I had always wanted to see the land that they left to come to hilly Pennsylvania. At the genealogy center in London Derry I found that the spot I was wanting to see was in a very remote part of County Derry. There was no public transportation to go out there. After getting that information I felt let down until I met a young man in a restaurant. God works in mysterious ways. The young man is Kevin McLucas, and he is married to an Irish girl he met in New York. She didn't want to leave her family here in London Derry so Kevin followed Catherine to Ireland where they were married. Good jobs were taken by the Irish. Kevin had to take restaurant or bar work. I noticed he had no Irish accent In our conversation I told him of my disappointment He immediately offered to take me in his car All he, asked was a little gas for his car It was raining on Sunday but Kevin came to the Bed and Breakfast home where I was staying and took me to his house for a second breakfast, as it was nearly noon. They slept late on his days off. Kevin wanted to hear all about my travels, as he had never been outside of New York State except for one hunting expedition with his father to the Pocono Mts. In Pennsylvania He hadn't traveled in Ireland, as he had to work. On Monday he came again to pick me up. It was a beautilul sunny day. There was not a cloud in the sky. Catherine gave us directions and we were off to Meave Manougher. For the details of my trip I'm going to finish with the diary I wrote in 1995. There were so many “Memorable Days” on this trip.

“The Diary” – Sunday Oct.22, 1995 - I had the experience of a bath in a long tub this morning rather than a shower. Never again! The tub is long and narrow and up on legs, and I had trouble turning over to get out. It was drizzling this morning. Kevin came by about 10:30 and gave me a ride to his house. His wife, Catherine, was preparing breakfast. Since it was so close to noon this breakfast was actually my lunch. Because of the weather Kevin had decided to take me on Monday to Meave Manougher, We visited all Sunday afternoon. They were interested in my travel stories. After their two little girls, Katlie and Rebecca, are grown, they hope to travel.

      Monday Oct.23, 1995 - Kevin came for me at about 10.30 and drove me to Ringsend which has a little store, a few houses, and a post office. A little beyond Ringsend we stopped at a farm and talked to a Mrs. Millen. She was doing her washing. She allowed me to use her bathroom. Mrs. Millen was very talkative and appeared very happy that we stopped. She said Meave Manougher is a town land of about 80 acres. She showed us where it was and directed us to the Presbyterian Church where she attends at Ringsend. The church dates to 1845 and has been renovated. It is an off shoot of an older church called Killaig. She directed us to George Haggerty down the road. The Haggerty's were also very friendly people and invited us into their home to talk. Their house is an old stone house that has been renovated. He said it is more than a hundred years old but hasn't always been a Haggerty farm. The Haggerty's came from farther north near Castlerock. The name was spelled Hegerty. They offered us a cup of tea but I felt we needed to keep going. Mrs. Haggarty referred us to a Mrs. Linda Gilmore who came here from Connecticut in search of ancestry. She met and married an Irishman fourteen years ago. They have three children. They have some of the Presbyterian Church records of the old church. The information is from Rev. Bryces notebook of 1805 - 57. He listed baptisms dating to Jan 16,1810. Tuesday at Meave Manougher in the course of visitation he baptized a daughter to John Anderson born Dec. 27, 1809 and named her Margaret and another to James Young of Meave Manougher bom Dec. 28, 1809 named Mary. March 8, 1812 Sabbath after sermon baptized children as follows... a son to J. Young of M. Manougher named William.

      Jan. 19, 1815 Thursday after " cateching " in M. Manougher - Baptized a son to J. Young born a few weeks before named James.

      Dec. 3, 1815 Sabbath. After sermon baptized a son to ... Wm. Young of M. Manougher born about two weeks ago named John.

      Land was owned by English companies. Apparently the Andersons were tenant farmers who wanted to own their own land, so they went to America. Thus the large tract of land at Parkwood, Pa.

      Meave Manougher is beautiful farmland where they raise cattle and sheep. The fields are a beautiful shade of green fenced in by stone walls and hedgerows.

      All the people I met were very friendly and helpful. The Andersons apparently left Meave Manougher but there are still a lot of Andersons in Northern Ireland. The roads are mostly narrow black top roads around Ringsend or Meave Manougher. Mr. Haggarty said I did a very good job of pronouncing Meave Manougher. He said it is a hard name to pronounce.

      Kevin is coming for me a little before seven to take me to his house for dinner. Dinner consisted of Irish Stew, milk, and cake with a pudding topping.

      I came back to Mrs. Cassidy's at 9:30 P.M. Tuesday Oct. 24, 1995.

      This was check out day from Mrs. Cassidy's. It poured down rain most of the day. They say its typical Irish weather. I guess that is what keeps things so green. After packing my luggage I paid102 pounds for my six nights at Mrs. Cassidy's and caught a bus into the city center of Londonderry. The maid carried my suitcase and put it on the bus for me. She hailed the bus driver as he had already left the bus stop. He only charged me 27 pence. Seniors go half price. Before, I paid 53 pence. She did the talking and he didn't hear my American accent.

      I arrived in time to catch the 10:00 AM. bus to Belfast with no waiting. Bus fare was five pounds and seventy pence. It rained all the way which is an hour and forty minute trip. We came through Dungiven enroute. At the Belfast Bus Terminal the girl at the travelers Information Center called a taxi for me to take me to a Bed & Breakfast. The taxi fare was two pounds. I am at the George's. The rate here is 18 pound per night. I paid 17 pounds at Mrs. Cassidy's. I will be here two nights before flying back to London, England. I have reservations already made there at the Holiday Inn near Heathrow Airport. Wednesday Oct. 25, 1995.

      I'm staying at the George at 9 Eglantine Street in Belfast. I took a bus to the Public Records Building on Balmoral Ave., where I found very little information on the Andersons before 1835. I was told that records were destroyed by fire in Dublin during the uprisings of 1916 & 1922 - 23. The exodus of Andersons and other Presbyterians of Northern Ireland during the early 1800's was mainly due to religious persecution. All people were required to tithe to the Church of Ireland. Presbyterians didn't believe in tithing to a church they didn't belong to. Some people did own land but companies owned large tracts. Sometimes companies paid the passage of people who wanted to go to America. I read letters from Andersons of Allegheny, Pa. who wrote to relatives to tell of their lives in America, about the health of family members, and about hardships in getting settled. They gave the price of land at $1.00 to $1.25 per acre. The cheaper land being in the hilly places away from Pittsburgh.

      From Balmoral Ave. I took a bus to the City Center of Belfast. The cost was 73 pence. When I went up to the Public Records Building it cost me 21 pence. I asked the bus driver to let me off at Balmoral Ave. He said aye, its just down the road a bit when I asked him the fare he looked at me and said " oh 21, would be all right! It was as long a ride as my 73 pence rides.

      I shopped downtown and had lunch before coming back to the George. I bought a Leprechaun for Laikin and Lexie.

Thursday Oct. 26, 1995

      I'm leaving the George in a taxi in about Vs hr. to go to the bus terminal to get the aerobus to the Belfast Int. Airport. It is raining again this morning. Yesterday was free of rain but a bit windy. The taxi cost me 12 pounds as a senior citizen rate. Otherwise the rate is 16 pounds, I was able to take an early flight at 10:30 AM. My flight was to be at 1:00 PM. It is cloudy but not rainy here in London.

      After checking in at the Holiday Inn. I went back over to Heathrow where I bought a Travel Pass for three pounds eighty. It enables me to travel anywhere in London on buses, trains, and subways up until 12:00 midnight. It is good for one day. I can get on and off as often as I like. Jon & Sally invited me to a chicken dinner at their home. It took about 1 1/2 hours to get to their house on the skyway and train. I met Olivia Jane for the first time. She was two years old Oct. 22nd. She was all over me and wanted to give me hugs. Sally's mother came by to visit and to meet me. Jons aunt phoned. She has been traveling all over Europe and will be visiting here a few days before going back to California.

      I came back to Heathrow in time to catch the next to the last bus that Holiday Inn sends to the airport. The Holiday Inn buses run every twenty minutes all day long, starting at 6:00 AM.

Friday Oct.27, 1995

      After taking a shower I went to breakfast. A buffet breakfast is included with my room There is a large selection of foods of all kinds. While at the swimming pool lounge, I see a little red headed girl (about three years old) who smiled at me during breakfast and said to her mother (“That's a nice man.”) Her mother was telling her to stop staring at people \.

Saturday Oct.28, 1995 & Sunday Oct.29, 1995

      I didn't do anything except nurse a terrible cold or flu. My muscles are sore from coughing, my eyes are watery, and I keep wiping my runny nose. I talked to Sally on Sat Eve. As I didn't want to carry my germs to Olivia Jane or to them. I'll be glad to head home on Tuesday. I tried to change my reservation to go home early but they want too much extra because of my economy class ticket that I have.

Monday Oct.30, 1995

      I awoke feeling a little better but my cold is still with me. I phoned Jon Larson but he had already left his house for an interview. Sally said his aunt is there from California and she has a cold too. She was still in bed. They had been to Sally's mother's home Sunday Evening, Olivia stayed overnight as Sally's mother baby-sits on Monday and Friday. There is a nanny up the street who takes care of her Tues., Wed., & Thurs, while Sally is working.

      After breakfast I took the Underground to the City Center. The French President is visiting Prime Minister John Major. There was a demonstration taking place at 10 Downing Street against the French atomic testing in the Pacific. I took a walking tour around Parliament, West Minister Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Berkeley Square, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, etc. in the City Center. I'm tired so I'll be in bed early to rest up for my trip home tomorrow.

Tuesday Oct.31, 1995

      I'm up early. This is the day to go home. I feel somewhat better but my cold still lingers. Breakfast was a buffet as usual.

      It took 6 hrs. 45 minutes to fly from London to New York. The Virgin Atlantic plane wasn't as full coming to N.Y. as it was going over to London.

      When I arrived home I had some English coins and a ten pound note. Northern Ireland uses both Irish and English money. The English money is worth more. I wrote a thank you letter to Kevin and Catherine McLucas and sent along the ten pound note saying, “I can't spend this kind of money in Spring Church.”

      I have continued to travel with the cane that I started using three years ago. I wouldn't leave home without it. After breaking my leg I feel more secure using the cane. In traveling I'm always at the front of the lines in getting on planes. People open doors for me and offer to carry my luggage. I'm very leary of the latter, but there still are wonderful and thoughtful people out there.

      In April 1996, I had hernia surgery. After the doctor released me in May I drove to Erie to visit with a cousin, James Anderson, and to see a city that I had only known from glimpses as I traveled through on other trips. My next short trip was to Mechanicsburg to visit Jim and Joyce Parfet. Jim had been a roommate when I attended Penn State. Enroute I stopped in Huntingdon to meet another cousin, Neva Jean Hardin, who is an aunt of Jim Anderson of Erie. We had a nice visit and lunch together. Since then, her husband has passed on.

      January of 1997 will always be remembered for the long tiring ride to Hong Kong and to Tokyo. The plane was full and there was no where to walk if I could get out of my seat. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. All I could do was shift from one hip to the other as numbness set in. Once I arrived in Hong Kong I was able to relax and partially forget the ordeal. I was met by a Chinese girl who spoke beautiful English. She conducted me on tours. My hotel in Hong Kong was centrally located in the downtown. It was an expensive hotel and provided all the necessities, including a bathrobe and slippers. I ate in their dining room rather than take chances out in the city. Hong Kong has many skyscraper buildings and the city is surrounded by high mountains. It is a very clean city. One of my tours took me on a cogwheel tram ride to the top of a mountain where I could look down on the skyscrapers and the harbor. We had a boat tour of the harbor and saw where many of the poorest Chinese live. Houseboats seemed to be lined up in streets. The city tour was slow because of the heavy traffic. One day was spent visiting a nice shopping area across the water in another part of the city. I had walking tours to the tunnels and to the site of the new arena that was being built for the celebration when the Chinese take over in July. In the 100 years the British made a beautiful city that grew from a tiny fishing village.

      World War 11 had taken me to three port cities in France but I never had a chance to see Paris and the interior of that country. I had been in De Gaulle Airport enroute to Israel but hadn't enough time to go into the city. 1998 was my year to travel throughout France. On Oct.25th, I flew directly from Pittsburgh to Paris. I was in France until Nov.8th I had always wanted to visit the Normandy beachheads of World War 11. At the end of the war I was in Cherbourg, Le Havre, and Marseilles. At that time I was on a troop transport delivering replacements and bringing soldiers home. Before the invasion I was assigned to ships that delivered gasoline, airplanes, tanks, landing barges, jeeps, bombs, etc. to England in preparation for D-Day. I was a U.S. Navy radio operator in the Armed Guard. My tour in Paris included the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre to see Mona Lisa, Champs-Elys'ees and the Arc de Triomphe. At Caen we visited the Memorial Museum for Peace. Our tour continued on to the Normandy American Cemetery, Abbey of Mont St. Michel, wine factories, perfume factories, Chateaux's and castles, more cathedrals, the rout of Napoleon through the French Alps, the French Riviera at Nice, and Monaco- It wasn't planned but I was at the right place at the right time to see Prince Rainier as he was driven in a limousine within five or six feet of where I was standing. My slide pictures show so many other memorable sites.

      1998 was a busy year of traveling here in the United States as well as that wonderful trip to France. Beginning in January, I drove to our Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. While east of the Alleghenies I continued my trip to Hamburg, Pa where I located the family of a former pastor of our church. I was collecting pictures of our pastors to include in a 100-year anniversary booklet that I was preparing for our celebration. I also visited Lee and Marylou VanOrman in Reading and Jim and Joyce Parfet in Mechanicsburg Lee did his practice teaching under my supervision at the State University of New York campus in Potsdam. We have always remained friends. It was Lee who encouraged me to do this writing.

      In May I drove to Michigan to visit and to see my nephew, Billy Anderson's new home. While there we attended the Scottish Highland Games and parade at Alma, Mich. Billy's wife teaches at Alma College. Enroute home I visited a cousin Tom Anderson, at Niles, Ohio. My brother, Bob, and I had attended Tom and Estella's 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1996.

      The first part of October I had visitors from Bellingham, Washington. Rolf and Darlene Valum came in their camper for an overnight stay. They had their engagement announcement party at my home in Battle Ground, Washington when the three of us taught there. Two weeks after the Valum's visit I was off on my trip to France.

      1999 didn't offer any overseas trips but I did fly to California in April to visit friends and relatives. I rented a car and traveled all over Southern California. I even saw some shows in Laughlin and Las Vegas, Nevada.

      In June I flew to Seattle where I rented a car and drove to Bellingham for a college class reunion. I had attended a class reunion out there last year when the class ahead of me had their reunion. There was overlap as many students in the classes before and after knew each other. It was a joyful time for me. The university rolled out the red carpet for us both years. Before I left Bellingham I had breakfast with Darlene and Rolf Valum. After leaving Bellingham I drove down Chuck a Nut Drive along Bellingnam Bay and across to Sedro Woolley to visit Bob Johnsen who had gone to college with me at Bellingham and at Columbia University. Bob had a stroke and was not able to attend the reunion. My pilgrimages into the Northwest always include a visit to Stanwood and Camano Island where my uncle and aunt had lived and are buried.

      From Stanwood I drove to Seattle to spend a few days with my friend Jim Hatton. He also attended Columbia University with me.

      One of the most memorable days of my life was on Oct.23, 1999 when I attended a barn raising in the Amish community near here.

      The year 2000 started out with overseas travel tor me. My European trips had taken me to Spain but I had missed Portugal. The only tour I could take included both countries. Since I didn't want a lot of repetition I asked if I could take half the trip. My trip was all and everything I had hoped for. I flew to Lisbon and then by van to Estoril on the coast where I was housed in the Atlantico Hotel. My room faced the ocean and had a balcony where I could sit and watch the ships come and go.

      The highlight of my bus tours was the day we went to Fatima where three children had been visited by Mary “the lady” as they watched their sheep. There is a large paved area with smooth marble down the center where people crawled on their knees praying and carrying their rosaries as they approached the shrine and farther on to the cathedral. Some people had a person walking along with them carrying a thermos of water. It was a warm pleasant day Services were being held at both the shrine and the cathedral with standing room only Just off the plaza was a section of the Berlin Wall. I was told that a message and prediction had been made warning of a country to the north, presumably Russia. The tourist town, Fatima, that has grown up around the shrine plaza is very neat and clean.

      A second impressive tour was our ride through the countryside to the medieval walled town of Obidos and then to the fishing village of Nazar'e. The narrow cobblestone streets with all kinds of shops made interesting walking tours in all the towns. The city tour of Lisbon was by bus as was the one to Sintra, We visited castles in Lisbon and Sintra. The group exclaimed, “Oh, another castle.” There is no shortage of castles in European countries.

      This was the year to celebrate my 60^th anniversary high school class reunion and the big reunion of all people who had graduated from the old Vandergrift High School. There were people from the classes of 1922 through 1962.

      More reunions in July and September “Attendees” of our little one room country schools, that we once had in South Bend Township, met for our September reunion.

      On October 7^th, I attended the 65^th wedding anniversary of my cousin,-Eva and husband John. It was held at a restaurant on a hill overlooking the Allegheny River. Their children and spouses grand and great grandchildren made up the group. I felt honored in being invited. I was the only one outside the immediate family.

      Every day of my life has had memorable events. There have been ups and downs, pleasant memories and some not so pleasant, happy times and sad times, but: on the whole I think I have lived a pretty rich life. There were many days that I might live differently if I had a second chance but perhaps I wouldn't have had the same learning experiences.

      People, on the whole have been good to me. In return I have tried to be helpful and good to others, both in deeds and in finances.

      As I traveled to places in far off countries, I became more appreciative of the land that I call home here in the United States.

      I also thank our Lord for keeping me healthy so that I could do, see, and enjoy all the things I have written about and shared throughout my life.