It was back in 1955 that my family moved to rural Northfield. I started school at Castle Rock and met classmates Edith Fredrickson, Linda Nelson, Marilyn Strachan and through them met Sharon Volkert, and many from the class of ‘64. I went to church and school in Castle Rock, so hung around with the neighborhood kids. I remember riding my horse over to Linda Nelson’s and we’d go riding. What Fun days those were! I can also remember finding the “old” Castle Rock Cemetary. Well, the years flew by and during our middle school years met up with Pat Stanton. We rode the same school bus, and began spending time together. I have fun memories of hanging around during the summer and going to the drive-in movies at night with our group of friends. Once in high school I added many more friends to my social circle and after all those years we still get together. I live so far away now and only make it to a couple meetings a year, but oh how special they are! After high school, I like many others, decided the cities were calling. I got my own apartment and moved near the U. of M. There I received my training in the medical field and began working as a medical secretary – loved every minute of it. While there, Edith Fredrickson (who also lived by the U) and I joined a fast pitch softball team and low and behold, that is where I met my husband Don. After we married in 1969 we lived in the Minneapolis area and had two children. After almost 20 years of city life we moved back to the Northfield area. I took a job at the Northfield Hospital and although Don still worked for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and yes drove the sixty miles one way to work, he also became the Chief of Police in Dundas. Quite a schedule for our family. Our kids loved the area it was kind of neat to have my kids go to the same school I went to. In 1998, Don decided it was time to retire and so he did. I was too young to retire, so just quit. We sold everything and bought a motor home and toured the country for five years. We ended up in Yuma Arizona where we have been ever since. The traveling continues. We have gone on 5 cruises, the last was in January 2008 a trip of a lifetime – 30 days to Hawaii and the South Pacific. Our next jouney is a 34 day ” Tour of the Vikings “, leaving from Boston in July 2009. Our son Craig live in Las Vegas, so we see him during the winter and our daughter Jenni and husband live in Minnesota, so we see them during the summer. Last year, we bought a RV lake lot near Annandale and our daughter and husband live next door to us, which makes for a great summer. During the summer we travel in a 17′ trailer and love it. Good thing we get along! We have also been priviledged, because of Don’s Law enforcement backgroud, to have worked a summer in Yosemite National Park and if all goes well, the next couple of years should find us in Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon.
I can remember helping plan our 50th birthday party and then going to our “60th” last year. We are all so fortunate to have such a great class – no other class, as far as I know, in the history of Northfield High does what we have done and will continue to do! 
Submitted by Pat Nelson
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=832af728-4196-4678-9cd8-a5423740287c)
