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Sharon Rotsch Sohns"Big Apache"
Editor Spectator 56; Secretary Student Council 54,55;Cheerleader 54,55,56; Junior Play 54; Prom Committee 55. |
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Sharon Rotsch Sohns"Big Apache"
Editor Spectator 56; Secretary Student Council 54,55;Cheerleader 54,55,56; Junior Play 54; Prom Committee 55. |
2006
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Wow! Fifty years - hard to believe and even harder to remember. But here goes. When I graduated in 1956 I went on to attend the University of Missouri, where I majored in Elementary Education with a minor in English literature. I joined Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority.
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In my sophomore years, I started dating Jerry Sohns and at the end of my junior years we got married. We moved into a basement apartment (bugs, spiders and all). We lived there for a year before moving to a second floor apartment (things were looking up), Jerry decided to go to Law School, so I taught first grade at Benton Elementary, while he finished his law degree. I got a degree in PHTLS (putting hubby through law school.
When he graduated we moved to Philadelphia, Pa. Jerry had a job at Frankford Arsenal for the department of the Army. I substitute taught in the Philly school system where, I swear, some of the 6th grade boys were bigger and taller than I was and almost as old. They were repeating and repeating 6th grade. So I had to tolerate them and them me. Neither of us were too happy there so when the chance game for Jerry to go to Washington, D.C. and work for Congressman Hall from Missouri, we jumped at the chance. We had great times in D.C. and even got to go to an inaugural ball. We had bad times in D.C. also because Jerry's mother was killed in a freak accident and then two years later my bother Phil died.
Jerry worked in a lot of different government agencies and I went to work at an insurance company. I guess Philly soured me on teaching.
After we had been married for nine years we knew if we wanted children we would have to adopt. So in 1966 Michael became a member of our family and the Stephanie in 1967. We felt blessed. I stayed home and became a full time house frau and mother, with kids, dogs and cats the whole nine yards.
In 1977 Jerry sprang the news that we were moving to Colorado, which sounded like the end of the world to me. Jerry went to work for the National Conference of State Legislators and we lived in Boulder. I worked part time in a small retail store selling leather goods and luggage. In 1986 we had the heartbreak of our son's death.
With Jerry's new job we got to do a lot of travel in the United States. We have been in all of the fifty states, except for North Dakota. I think we might not make it to that one.
WE moved to Longmont in 1997. I volunteered at a City of Longmont infant center for two years and also joined a Newcomer's Club. I was president for 2 years and now my term is over but I still go and still love it. I made a lot great women friends in that group.
Jerry retired in 2000. For awhile we did part time handy man work and gardening for other people. But when Dad became ill we stopped and are now just old retired folks, who travel some (Steph is in New York) but mostly just enjoy being home bodies. We have added a new puppy to our family and he makes us laugh daily.
Jerry and I have now been married for 46 years and believe it or not, we still like each other. New challenges arise, but as I told Jerry, getting old isn't for sissies.
