Mary Decker White

We have moved many times since 1965 mostly having to do with my husband, Joe's education and employment. I was first at U of M in Ann Arbor for four years, then in D.C, Boston, Ann Arbor, England, Indiana, Ann Arbor, New York, and for the last 5 years in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
I taught elementary school after college, have held many volunteer positions over the years and taught Reading Instruction at Eastern Michigan University. Joe's jobs in the last fifteen years have involved me and have kept me happily engaged.
I enjoy spending time with my husband, my children and grandchildren, close friends. Activities I enjoy are golf, yoga, exercise, gardening and travel.

I remember the "boy-girl parties" and dancing in people's basements and all the planning for homecoming, the prom and winter formal.

The splitting of our class in senior year was most memorable. I always felt the guys got the better end of that. We were stuck in the old building and had to wear those brown and green plaid pleated skirts. I can't believe we wore those skinny flats in the middle of the winter. I remember the day I wore one brown one and one black one. The shoes were the same except for the color. How embarrassing when Carroll Buckley pointed it out! Or was it Robert Burke?

Why did we walk down to Malnight's Bakery after school? I guess it was just to extend our time with each other a little longer.

I remember the nuns- my favorite was Sr. Gerald Anne, although I am not sure I learned much biology and chemistry from her. I liked her because she seemed to care about us. I was in Sr. Rita Marie's class when we heard that JFK had been shot. We were all pretty torn up and she the most of all. Someone jumped out of the window in one of our Religion Class when there was a substitute teacher there. Was that Nick Graham? Passing notes kept us from being too bored in class.

I spent lots of time talking on the phone at the telephone table in our front hallway. I talked with girlfriends about what we were going to wear, who we "liked" and didn't like. Our parents thought it was a waste of time and kept telling us to get off.

I was so disappointed at not making the cheerleading squad. It was about the only "sport" for girls as I recall. Walking to Howard Johnson's from the basketball games seemed quite daring. I guess I couldn't have done that if I had been a cheerleader.

It was a shock when our senior class musical was canceled. We were told that the director had had a nervous breakdown. I always thought it had something to do with our lack of musical talent.

Does anyone remember the canteen and the "bad kids" who would hang out there? Meeting at the ice rink and skating together when we were younger was really fun except the smell of that chicken soup from the vending machine was terrible.

Girls phys. ed. was pitiful. We would bring records and dance in the old gym.

I am happy to have all that behind me but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.