I'm going to share The Story of My life

Yesterday I attended an FCE group that I belong to -, It's a women's group and we have fun.  a presentation of one of the ladies and her husband was given.  it was Chapter 3 of their life together.  Wow was it great to hear.  Tomorrow is my 72nd birthday and it gives me pause to think that I have so many stories to tell, things I've seen and experienced, things I want to share with my children and grand children.  Stories that I don't want lost thru the ages as my time here is fleeting.  Things I would have loved to know about my grand parents. How they met. why they choose to come her to america and settle.  what was life like for them growing up.  what difficulties did they face and how did they overcome them.  Wow, it would be so nice to know these things so I am going to share a bit of my life here for all of you.  

Chapter 1

my younger years and what I remember of them. 

I was born at 6am on August 21st 1942 as i recall from what my father has told me.  I was a cute, chubby baby, my daughter Nancy has a photo of me at the baby stage and I will post one when I find it.  I remember a little about my growing up.  I lived in White Plains NY with my mom and dad.  Mom's parents came from Italy and Dad's father from Germany, his mom lived in Pennsylvania.  I remember visiting both of my grandparents.  they both spoke in their native languages of Italian and German.  and I grew very comfortable listening to them talk although only English was spoken at home.  I lived in Elmsford NY on Taxter Rd.  in a secluded area about a mile from town.  my brothers, Eddie and Bobbie and I would play Cowboys and Indians a lot, we loved to play in the surrounding forest and they loved to tease me about snakes and such.  We also loved to play hooky from school at times and in my day they had truant officers that would come to your house to let your parents know that you had been absent.  Ohhh ouch! those spankings hurt... we had to pick own switches from the hedges outside.  Dad tried to be as gentle as he could.  He was a gentle soul and i'm sure reprimanding us was not something he cherished.  I remember my 13th year the most.  That Summer I spent reading books that we had discovered in the attic of the old farm house we rented.  There were books that told about the Greek Gods, and the stories took me on wondrous adventures with mythical Gods and marvelous places.  It was a very delightful year for me and I enjoyed reading these old books.  I graduated from high school in 1960 from Alexander Hamilton High School in a class of 60 students.  My memories of my high school years are sweet.  friends, football, boys, and most of all Art.  Mrs Christensen was my Art teacher and I loved that class.  I received a scholarship to go to Columbia Bible College in North Carolina and I did for a semester.  

 

I met my husband Raymond the day of my Graduation and that begins the next chapter of my life.  

  

My visit to my home town of Elmford NY

On my Road Trip to NY I was able to visit my hometown of Elmsford NY.  I drove down the Saw Mill Parkway and got off just before Taxter Road where I grew up.  My daughter Elizabeth was with me and I got to reminisce about my childhood growing up on Taxter Road.  There were a lot of memories here, most I did have a chance to tell her.  The property was very overgrown with trees, brush & debris, the home had long since burnt down as did the garage.  The driveway was over grown with grass and debris and almost unrecognizable to me except for a partial mailbox strapped to a tree alongside the entrance.  I was able to park in the remains of the driveway now littered with broken glass & twigs.  I took pictures of the areas I remember, the well and wading pool that my dad had fashioned,  the creek were my brothers and I played and caught crayfish in the Garden area and the large rocks that I had spent many a summer day laying upon reading or gazing at the clouds.  So many memories encompassing my growing up years from age 5 or 6 - my early 20's.  After that I drove downtown and was able to find my High School, still in use I remember those hallways well, my eight grade English class, Art class thru my high school years and the memories of my graduation class standing on those center steps for our final photo.  Now a Jr. High School rested alongside of the old building... 

On the back wall of the football field the class of 2013 had written "Lucky 13! - Class of 2013 - Making our own Luck!"  It was nice to see my old alma mater so vibrant! You Go Class of 2013!

 

 

Alexander Hamilton High School - The Girls Entrance, Boys Entrance and middle Entrance -

 I Love the Saying that graces the beautiful Architectural center, "KNOWLEDGE IS THAT INDEED THAT WHICH NEXT TO VIRTUE TRULY AND ESSENSIALLY RAISES ONE MAN ABOVE ANOTHER"

 

After leaving the school area we drove down the long hill that I used to walk up back into town then drove to White Plains NY were Elizabeth and I stopped to eat at Tommy's Deli Café on Broadway.  I did not recognize any of the streets at all on my way there...I felt lost.  Thank goodness for my GPS. I dropped Elizabeth off at the train station were she caught a train into NYC & I filled up my gas tank and headed back to Putnam Valley to my Brothers house.  I did enjoy the drive back and was almost drawn to get off the parkway  in Pleasantville NY to see the Reader's Digest building where I had once worked and Hawthorne NY to see where my Grandparents had lived. 

My recent trip to NY brought back Memories of my growing up years

The past few weeks have flown by so fast.  I took a Road Trip back to NY to visit my Brother's Eddie and Bobby.  While there I took my daughter Elizabeth to Elmsford NY to see the place I grew up in.  It was very overgrown with trees, bushes and debris.  I reminisced a lot drawing from my memory images from the past of how it looked "back then". 

The remnants of an old mailbox for The Taxter Road Property.



The old water well was down here along with a stone wading pool built my Dad Edward G Hess Sr.,  Beyond the rocks there flowed a small stream that my brothers and I used to catch crayfish in.

 In this photo you can see the overgrown driveway leading to the house upon the hill.  Eddie, Bobby and I used to sleigh ride down this driveway all the way to the street in the winter time.  to the Left the tree with the fallen limb resting on it stood on the right back corner of our garage.  we used to climb it back then and sit on the roof of the garage gazing up at the clouds in the sky as they floated by.  The debris covers up the portion of the driveway leading to our house.  you can view more about my vacation this June 3013 here.

My Graduation from High School

Graduation Day June 25th 1960

9

Dianna Elizabeth Hess age 17
 Born: August 21st 1942

June 25th 1960

 Graduate: Diane Hess

The Program

This above picture of me  was taken in June of 1960 for my High School Year Book.  The Program was for My Graduation Eve From Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford, New York.  This program was found in my Fathers Box neatly folded and tucked away.  That was also the Evening I met my Husband Raymond for the 1st time.  A very Monumental Evening for me.