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MY BIG
MOVE TO ZANESVILLE!!
I have wanted to write to all of you via our
class website, for a long time, but so far I have not achieved that
goal. Now I am going to do it. I look at all of you on our website, the
55th class reunion and the Lunch bunch reports and photos.
I was especially moved by Linda’s writing about
Henry Lee and his family settling in Zanesville. Now I will tell you my
story. My father, Paul Bjornson, was an immigrant from Iceland. He came
to this country in the early 1900’s. He was 49 years old when I was born
in Evanston, Illinois. He worked for his Icelandic friends in the
transformer manufacturing for all of the time we lived in Illinois.
In the late 1940’s, the Chicago Standard
Transformer Company moved to Zanesville to open a branch manufacturing
site. Thus, my mother, father and I were the last of 18 families to be
transferred to Zanesville in 1952. My Dad was the production manager for
the 3rd floor winding dept. of the new plant. He had, I don’t
know how many Zanesville women working on his floor during the 1950’s.
Let’s ask, Donna Smith Iden, her mother worked on that floor.
Some of the other ZHS students from these
Chicago families who were transferred were Eric Gislason, Marcia
Rutherford and Carol Hoppe.
We did not have an automobile while we lived in
Chicago. We used public transportation and cabs. Well, when we moved to
1365 Pine St in Zanesville, my father had to learn to drive and we
bought a nice Ford sedan. It was great to have wheels. (Dad was 63 years
old)
We came to Zanesville in March, 1952, on the B &
O railroad. Our furniture was enroute so we stayed at the Clarendon
Hotel until it arrived. The problem was that I came down with either
scarlet fever or the measles or both. The folks at the Clarendon were
extremely kind and helped us through this mess. Dr. Cruse was called and
visited me in the hotel and also at our new house on Pine St. Thus, I
was one month late in registering as a new 9th grader at
Grover Cleveland Jr. Hi.
Grover Cleveland was wonderful and my friends
there welcomed me with warm hearts. It gave me a basis and core of
friends before we became 10th graders at Lash. I sincerely
thank all of you.
Then, I had 3 wonderful years with everyone in
our class of 1955. My memories of those years are still very vivid. I
think that is because, I have attended as many class reunions as I
could.
Some of our dear classmates are no longer with
us. But, our class website and reunions have kept them close to us.
Dear classmates, you are very special people. I
am thankful every day for being able to live and go to school with all
of you. My life path has taken me away from Zanesville but I still hold
you in my heart.
As you all know I have not had the greatest year
health wise. But, so far so good. I am still here. My oldest
granddaughter will be married in Elmhurst, IL, on June 4th. I
am planning on being there.
BEST WISHES TO ALL OF MY CLASSMATES!!
Have a great summer and plan the next reunion
very soon.
Carolyn Bjornson Steirer, ZHS Class of 1955
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