Dena's Life's Story Introduction

Dena, was born in Yakima Washington May 1943. Carole, her sister was born nine months and twenty days latter on March 1944. Carole was born, prematurely. To save to her life, she was placed inside an oxygen tent. The oxygen burned the tissues of her eyes, causing partial vision. When she went home, because she was so small, her mother placed her inside of a shoe box. Because of contaminated water in Yakima, she developed Paratyphoid fever. Latter on she developed Polo, which caused her to crawl until she was four. At four years old, she received her braces. She kicked Dena's legs with them all of the time and she gave Dena bruises on her legs all of the time. Carole was never punished for kicking Dena. Dena, Carole and family moved from Yakima Washington to Seattle. Their dad Arnold built his first house in Seattle. They did not live in Seattle for too long. They moved to Edmonds Washington where their dad built another house. It was a twenty-four by twenty-four house which by this time the family has grown. They now have two brothers during this time Arnold started his own company. It was a very small house for six people to live in. We had two sets of bunk beds for the children and it was pretty crowded. But we got by, For a living, he was a cabinet maker. He built beautiful cabinets with very satisfied customers. Dena has blocked out most of her childhood just because she didn't want to remember. Dena started school in first grade at Edmonds grade school. When she was in first, second and third grade, she did very well. She started fourth grade and she was left handed. Her teacher tried to change her into a right handed person. Dena, could not handled that. Her school days went down the hill after that, she flunked the fourth grade, and had to retake the fourth grade in the (Esperence) grade school also in Edmonds. She loved to sing and so did two other girls. They would go from class to class and asked if they could sing for them. Most of the teachers would say it was okay. Our teacher at the time would chase us down and bring us back to class. We would sing happy songs like Tea for two and two for me and also Little red robin. Those two songs are the only ones that Dena remembered. We also played baseball with the boys. My girl friend at that time and myself played with our boy friends. We both had boyfriends so the four of us would play together. together at recess time.