The summer of 1965 my dad and I took a really awesome trip, which was his high school graduation present to me. We went to Egypt, Greece & Jerusalem. It was very special for the two of us to spend time together before I left for college (and he went to Viet Nam to fly for Air America). HELEN KENYON BARTALAMAY
I went to school at Florida Southern just outside of what is now Disney World but was then sand and lakes. Bill Buckingham, who some of you will remember, got himself assigned to a nearby base and we were married after my Freshman year. Our daughter Christine was born soon after. When she was six months old, Bill was reassigned to Spain! This time to Sevilla. I was delighted. I continued to take college classes mostly through the University of Maryland and to travel when I could. I even got to “visit” Viet Nam in 1969 to see my dad and my brother Jim. Jim’s “visit” wasn’t nearly as pleasant as he was there courtesy of Uncle Sam. I decided being married wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and moved back to my mother’s (who was then still living in Madrid). The time came when I figured I’d better return to the states and complete my degree. I really had no idea which state to return to since from the age of 13 to 24 I had lived in Spain for all but 1 1/2 years. My brother Jim and his wife Linda Gibson, class of 68, talked me into coming to Spokane, Washington. I protested at first since I’d never liked cold weather but thought it would be for just a short time. Ha, 25+ years later and I’m still here but no longer mind the cold, it is often beautiful and the skiing is great. I completed my bachelors in education in 1973 and my first masters in 1980 and taught special education classes for 15 years before doing a counseling masters. I’ve been a junior high counselor for the last 11 years. In 1978 I married a fellow teacher, Tom Bartalamay, and also acquired two more children Christopher and Anne (odd coincidence, my daughter’s name is Christine Ann). Christine is married, recently moved to Texas, and is the mother of the delight of my life, my grandson Jared (almost 7 yrs. old). I never imagined myself as a doting grandmother but I learned quickly. Anne and her husband are in Seattle working for Bill Gates, and Christopher is here in Spokane. Tom and I enjoy spending time at Lake Roosevelt where we have property and long summers to laze on the water, caring for the too much of a house and yard we own, walks on snowy nights, and trips to Texas. I am also into genealogy and recently traced family from two different branches back to the late 1600’s. The tragedies of my life have been the deaths of my brother Jim and that of my father. The joys are many: my family, Jim’s son Sam (almost 13) & his 2nd wife, Keri, my brother Paul, his wife Candice (Moon, MHS class of 70) & their 3 children, Tom’s nieces and nephews and our own family. My job is (usually) another joy, every day is different and every child unique.
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