I have very few memories of elementary school but I do remember my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Hall. I idolized him but I don’t remember why. But I even tried to comb my hair like he did. I got frustrated because I couldn’t get dandruff flakes.

I also remember that I was Mr. Walker’s (the school principal) “pet”. I didn’t and still don’t know why but it had some advantages in that I didn’t get in trouble but it also had disadvantages in that he was always checking up on me.

In the 3rd grade we had a “science fair” so I decided to contact a favorite uncle (Uncle Ernie) who worked as a mine inspector he had traveled the world inspecting mines. I thought and hoped that he may give me a couple rock samples which I could use for a rock collection. As you can see from the letter, my handwriting back then was much better then it is today. Uncle Ernie came through like no body’s business! I received rocks from virtually EVERY continent on the planet and each was categorized as to what it was and which mine it came from. My dad helped me make a large wooden box and mount each rock in its own individual compartment.

I think it was in the 5th grade that I became aware of girls...Denise West in paticular. She was a small petite girl, not nearly as tall as me, and she didn’t seem to care for me one way or the other. Barbara Taylor, on the other hand liked me. I will never forget the time she called me at home. My mom answered the phone and had me come in from playing kickball out in the road and told me in no uncertinn terms, “you be nice to her!” She asked me to a dance and carnival. I didn’t know how to be nice and say no. We went to a carnival and then square dancing (we were in a dancing troupe in school) and then to a movie. I always say I was the only 5th grader whose mom made him go on a date. I think it was not only my first date but probably the most fun date I ever went on. Unfortunately, we didn’t do much together after that. But we do keep in touch on Social Medi.    

At the time I went to PGJHS the school was so old that it had been condemned while my geography teacher was a student there. During this period of my life I started to rebel against the school system. I was tired of being called “Wayne’s little brother”. So I started deliberately doing poorly in school. I now regret that decision but it is a little to late to change it.

What can I say about High School? The saying “It was the best of times — It was the worst of times” seams to really fit. Everywhere I went, I was referred to as “Wayne’s little brother.” Oh how I hated that!!! But the problem was we shared interests, so some of what I wanted to do, he had already done.

I became the Stage Manager in the school and as both a junior and a senior, my signature could get students excused from class. I always had an abundance of friends on test day. I enjoyed working on the Stage as much as anything I have done to date. I learned much in this position.

I had one of, if not the worst teacher in the history of education for 9th grade English. Her name was Ms. Adams and her first statement on the fist day of school was

I immediately shut out any and all listening to her for the year. I was not a good student in her class and about 1/3rd the way through the 4th quarter my parents received a note from Ms. Adams explaining that there was nothing I could do. I would flunk the course for the year, but I was to come in and see her after school the next day. Well, since English was immediately following Lunch and I was flunking anyway I figured why go to class. When I showed up for the ‘after school meeting’ she said some thing to the effect that, if I would agree to NOT attend class for the remainder of the year, I would receive a B for my final grade. I got my B.

I also had some of the best teachers in the history of education, Jeri Craner and Dave Larsen come to mind. Jeri (Mrs. Craner) had a way with us if she was not yelling and swearing at us things were bad but if she was then everyone knew that things were gong well. Because of her way of associating with the students we all learned much from her. Dave Larsen was my drama teacher and it was he who got me the position as Stage manager. Some years later Mrs Craner actually traveled about 100 miles to attend my wedding.

Surprise yes I actully did graduate from school.

After leaving the Navy in 1974 I determined to leave the food service field and become a high paid Diesel Mechanic. I used the GI Bill and went to school at Weber State. I found that I enjoyed college and received an associates degree in Diesel Mechanics. I quickly realized that I had destroyed any interest I had in “back yard mechanics”. I took a job at Cummins Intermountain Diesel, and learned to HATE mechanics (both the person mechanic and the field of mechanics). When I was laid off it was one of the happiest days of my life and I couldn‚t wait to get to the pawn shop and pawn my tools. I have not ever enjoyed working on a car since, and was thrilled to get back into food service.

I have been interested in computers and working with them since the old Commodore 64 was around. I seem to have a natural ability with computers so it came as no surprise when I ended up going to school at Utah Career College. I went through the Graphic Arts Program for the Associates Degree of Computer Science — “Multimedia/Computer Graphics”.Instead of leaving school with the degree intact, I enrolled in the “E-Commerce” Program. After completing the program I started teaching Photo Manipulation and Web Design at the college part time.

They were bought out by Broadview University a few years after I left the school.