Barbara & Walter | Ft. Worth, Texas
Barbara: March 21, 1930 | Walter: August 7, 1927
2) Birthplace?
Barbara: Chicago, Ill.
Walter: Oak Park, Ill., a suburb of Chicago
3) Parents names and work?
Barbara: Father: William – High school teacher and coach. Later, a safety engineer for Chubb and Son.
Mother: Herma-homemaker
Walter: Father: Orlando – crude oil producer, oilman
Mother: Dorothy – teacher and homemaker
4) Siblings, birth order?
Barbara: William
Sharon
Walter: Chuck
Byron
5) Fondest childhood memory(s)?
Barbara: Visits to grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins. Mother’s family was from Minneapolis, Minn. Dad’s family was from Hartford, Conn.
Walter: Trip, at age 9, from Glen Ellyn, Ill., on the train, to San Antonio, TX. We later moved to Kerrville, TX.
6) The biggest change(s) for the best you remember?
Barbara: End of World War II
Divorce from 1st husband
Walter: End of World War II
College years
7) Name(s) of spouse(s) and the number of children?
Barbara: 1st husband: Robert
Children: 7
2nd husband: Walter
Walter: 1st wife: Margie
Children: 2
2nd wife: Barbara
8) Things you miss the most?
Barbara: Respect for all life, especially human life. The ability to trust other people, loyalty to our country. Wish there was less busyness. More communication, but without technology. Music that was more soothing. That people had more humility.
Walter: The quieter and more simplistic life of the ‘40s and ‘50s. Wish there was less traffic, less urgency and less busyness.
9) What you hope for the country or world, your children and family?
Barbara: More love between family, friends, coworkers, and politicians. Less selfishness and more cooperation. More cooperation between employers and employees. Truthfulness in the media. A return to morality.
Walter: Enough food for everyone, an end to global hunger. Global peace, in our homes and with our neighbors, local and global.
10) Your Profession/Occupation?
Barbara: Degreed nurse – Taught nursing and was head nurse admitting ward of a state hospital. Mother, to seven great children, and the greatest job of all.
Walter: Petroleum engineer. Oil company
11) First job you ever held?
Barbara: Babysitting, at age 12, 3x per week for five hours, 2 pm to 7 pm, for five children ranging in age from 6 mos. to 9 years.
Walter: At age 16 was a grocery store clerk in Kerrville, TX
12) What was your hourly pay?
Barbara: 50¢
Walter: 50¢
13) Favorite job and why?
Barbara: Mother – Employs love, physical touch, management, nursing hurt bodies, psychology, encouraging, disciplining, praising, educating, listening, forgiveness, taxi driver, and sports fan.
Walter: Petroleum engineer. I like to work on studies of geology and engineering. I like to plan, design and (later) evaluate a project. Also, like to solve problems and figure out how things work.
14) Least favorite job and why?
Barbara: House cleaning because I am not only a perfectionist but also obsessive/compulsive about any work I do and how it appears to others. I find it hard to just sit and relax.
Walter: Preparing statistical reports for management; reports that required no evaluation or analysis. Do not like jobs that are repetitious and produce nothing that can be evaluated.
15) Schools you attended?
Barbara: Broad Street Public Elementary, 1st & 2nd grades
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Elem, 3rd -8th grades
West Jr. High school, 9th grade
West Sr. High School, 10th – 12th grades
Ohio State University 1948-1952, BS in Nursing
Walter: Tivy High school, Kerrville, TX
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX
16) Favorite subjects?
Barbara: High School-History, English, Typing, Phys ed., and Chemistry
College – Nursing Arts, Ob-GYN, Psychiatry and Pediatrics
Walter: High School – shop class
College – Petroleum Engineering, Algebra, Drafting, and History.
17) Least favorite subjects?
Barbara: Genetics, Philosophy, and Music Appreciation
Walter: English
18) Favorite place you’ve lived and why?
Barbara: Washington, D.C. – many historical sights to see and most were free. The political atmosphere was electric because that was the year John Kennedy was elected president.
Walter: Kerrville, TX – Worry free. Hiking and exploring the Hill Country with friends. Adventure of leaving for college.
19) Favorite President and why?
Barbara: Ronald Reagan – He related to the people, understood their needs, and implemented changes for the nation beneficial to most citizens. Most important, he was a moral man and stood by his word.
Walter: Truman – He ordered the dropping of the atom bomb.
20) Least favorite President and why?
Barbara: Obama – Embraced everything I was opposed to and did not hold to Christian values. Thought him to be arrogant, sly and a deceiver.
Walter: Nixon – He brought China into our world.
21) Fondest childhood memory(s)?
Barbara: Mostly all things summer; swimming, playing with neighborhood friends, annual street picnic in August along the river, traveling as a family, board games on the porch, roller skating at the outdoor rink, reading and making money at jobs.
Walter: Playing outside, trips, and Boy Scout campouts. Later, serving in the Texas State Guard. When I was 8, I dug a 5-foot-deep (underground) hut.
22) Best invention(s) during your lifetime?
Barbara: refrigerator, gas heat, private telephone lines, electric dishwasher, record players, non-iron fabrics, automatic shifting for cars, washing machines, copy machines, and electric typewriters
Walter: Model “A” Ford, radio, engine-driven lawnmower, simple cell phone, washing machine, microwave oven, and copy machine.
23) Worst invention(s) during your lifetime?
Barbara: computer and cell phone
Walter: flamethrower
24) What event impacted you the most, making you the person you are today?
Barbara: Experiencing a divorce. It was devastating, but it taught me to look inward, evaluating my qualities and self-worth, understanding how and who I am today. Realized through the pain there were many blessings to be found, and hopefully, in the Lord’s eye and mine, I am a better person for that trial.
Walter: World War II, entering the Army Air Corps.