Life in South Gate, California, 1946-47

After returning to the States from Uruguay, we stayed a while with my Aunt Bessie in South Gate, California, then moved into our home on Dorothy Ave, also in South Gate. I attended South Gate Junior High, attending from January until graduating from ninth grade in June of 1946 and then had one year at South Gate Senior High. What a contrast to Crandon! We didn’t wear uniforms and there were boys in our class! From 7th on up in Crandon, boys went to the equivalent of the Uruguayan school system and we followed the American system.
Nancy and I shared a room and Gina and Freddy shared another. I would take the kids to the movies on Saturdays; we saw a lot of westerns. I really loved them and Freddy did too. I had a little
boot on a chain that I wore on my Levi's and would let him borrow it sometimes. One of Freddy's problems when young was that he would get sick when he went to the movies. Nancy would put newspapers down by his bed for when he got sick. I don't know why he didn't use a bowl. When Nancy was little, she would hold my fingers over her eyes making a gap between two of them and when a scary part came she would close up the gap. This was one of the few times Gina and I weren't good friends, I guess I was too involved with girls my own age; Joyce Slack was my best friend. I had my 15th and 16th birthdays here.
I enjoyed going to Mutual; my first experience with the full program of the Church. I sang in the stake choir and Jay Welch, who directed the Tab Choir for a while, was our director. In my Junior year of Mutual, I represented the ward as the Princess at the Stake Junior Ball. My escort was Don Guynn; I had had a crush on him so this was quite a thrilling experience. I think he gave me my first kiss. I have seen him several times in later years; no thrill!
Dad was the Stake M Men leader and when he took the Stake M Men and Gleaners on a temple excursion to St. George, I got to go too. I was baptized for the dead about five times. We also went on a side trip and visited Boulder Dam, now Hoover Dam.
One fun experience was serving the tables at a banquet for the High Priest and their partners. There was a dance afterwards I danced with several of the High Priests and enjoyed it very much.
Every once-in-a-while we would drive down to San Diego and visit Mona, my favorite aunt. Her husband Byron was a Pennys Manager and before we returned home on Sunday evening, he would take us to the store, which was closed, and let us shop. It was nice having the store to ourselves. It seems like it was always foggy on the drive home as the highway went along the ocean. I enjoyed the drive but I’m sure it was harrowing for my Dad.