Kathleen Schultz Stanek

I went to Alaska with my family in August, 1969, the started working right after Labor Day weekend. I got my first disappointment when I was laid off from Control Data during their big lay-off period in 1970. I found that factory work paid more and I didn't have to wear dress-up cloths to work. I met my husband at one of the places I worked. We were married on March 6, 1971. We were working together as caretakers of a large apartment complex in Hopkins MN when I found out I was pregnant. I had terrible morning sickness. We were terminated because the owners didn't want their caretakers to have children. We had a baby on June 9, 1972. My world came crashing down around me when I caught my husband with another woman. We tried counseling, but he wouldn't admit what he did was wrong. I divorced him after three more years of hell. I had numerous factory jobs, office jobs, and even was a coctail waitress at Dan Patch Lounge in Savage MN. I injured my back for the first time in 1977 at Data 100 in Hopkins. I was on medical leave for 6 months and was terminated. Under vocational rehabilitation, I went back to school in 1979 for Business Management and graduated top of my class. I found a job managing a convenience store in Savage MN for two years. I really liked this work and the people I worked with (my employees). I was fired from this job because I couldn't figure out who was stealing money from the store. At this point in time, my daughter, Tammy, was having problems in 4th grade. Since I was not working, I decided to move back to Remer and go back to college at I.C.C. in Grand Rapids MN. I got a two-year A.A.S. degree in Secretarial Science. I graduated with High Honors and a GPA of 3.567. I found a couple of part time jobs but nothing that paid much. I had taken a postal test for a PTF Clerk. In May of 1986, I was hired by the Remer Post Office as a PTF Clerk (Part Time Flex). Workig under the postmaster, Bea Peterson, was intolerable, to say the least. She did every thing in her power to make me look bad and incompetent. After 5 years of verbal abuse, I quit to go work for Wal_Mart Stores in Brainerd MN. They were opening a brand new store and we had to set up the entire building. My job was working in Shipping and Receiving and counting and verifying all merchandise that came into the store. While doing this one day, a tall stack of heavy boxes fell on my head and back. I was knocked out. This injured my neck, left heel and foot, and reinjured my back. I was off work again for 6 months and was terminated. I was living in Brainerd with my daughter who also worked at Wal-Mart, and decided to move back to Remer. I went back to college in Sept. of 1992 for Marketing Management. I finished this course in Dec. of 1993 and graduated in June 1994 with High Honors again with a GPA of 3.671. I got a job at PTI Communications in Hill City (the phone company) until I was awarded a postal mail contract in June of 1994 in Longville MN. I worked this route for 8 years and decided to put it out for open bids. I wanted to raise my contract amount. Well, it backfired on me and I lost the contract by $2000. That was a VERY BIG DOWNER for me. I loved this work. I let myself down and all my customers on my route. I did work two days a week for Jeff Perkins on his mail route out of Remer for one year. Since my postal job, I have not been able to find steady work that pays a living wage. I started Mystery Shopping in Dec. of 2004, but the traveling and time spent doing the work was not worth the small income I made. I still do shops that are close by home unless they pay me a premium for travel and gas. I did work for 3 weeks at Northland Monument until I was laid off again for lack of work to do. I got hired by the Census Bureau in April of 2008 as a Field Representative. This requires a lot of travel the first week or so of the month then mostly phone calls and letters to contact people. I was just terminated from this job because I was able to meet their time limits per case. I was taking too much time to do a case they said. Their standard is 2.69 hours per case and I was at 3.35 hours per case. So right now, I am waiting for unemployment to start. I applied for disability in November 0f 2008. My case should be heard by the end of the year. I am doctoring on a regular basis because of the pain I am in constantly. I am dealing with depression daily. My parents both died in 2005 just 76 days apart and I had my dog, K.T. put to sleep one hour before my Dad's funeral. I just have not been able to cope with the lonliness I feel with all of them gone. So I am a total wreck both mentally and physically. I am sure it has a lot to do with my working ability these days. I have become more involved in my church, but nothing seems to take away the pain in my heart. The lonliness is too overwhelming to handle at times. My Mom, Dad, and K.T. were my best friends besides being family. And now they are all gone and I am left here alone. My faith in God is strong and I do believe HE will see me through this low part of my life. HE has a purpose for me. I just wished HE would tell me what it is so I could do a better job at it. Well, this is the story of my life which leads me to the present time. I am really looking forward to this reunion and talking with each one of you. I hope you all feel free to write down your story here. I have bared my soul to you. I hope you can do the same. We are all human. We make mistakes in our lives. We are not here to judge anyone. We are all doing the best we can with what we have to offer the world. I really want to hear from each of you. Please tell your story. Thanks for listening to mine.

I do not recall too many memories from my high school years. My memory is definitely failing me. I do remember all the fun times I had in band. I really enjoyed playing the drums. That was something I did well at the time. I do remember the sit down groups us girls had in the entry way by the heaters. I remember the razzing that Joe
Ratcliffe got from some of the guys in class. You really liked to get him worked up so he stuttered. You all thought that was quite funny. I didn't. I felt sorry for the man. I remember my horse, Dolly. My sister, Patty, and I had so much fun riding even in the winter on the lake. I remember Dolly decided she was going to lie down right underneath me and roll in the snow on the lake. I just straddled her and got off. She did her roll and I got back on and we continued home. That was really strange. I remember a sleep over I had in the fall of 1967 or 68. I had 8 girls spend the night in one of our cabins at the resort. Our Steno teacher, Miss (Roberta) Lawson, and home-ec teacher Miss (Roxanne) Carton, stopped over. George Fletcher and Art Tobiason tried to scare us by scratching on the screens. We caught them, though. I remember Mary Ollmann and I riding bikes out to Little Sand Lake. One time we went down to see her brother, Paul, and sister-in-law, Judy, when they lived in Owatonna. We were playing on the elevator and running up and down the stairs. Well one time in the stairwell, there was a man standing in the dark because the light was out on that floor. I got so scared and ran down the stairs. I did not go back in the stairwell again after that. My Memory really fails me about anything else funny or memorable during my high school years.

No

Yes. I communicate with Mary Ollmann Lattimore through email.

I took a family vacation in mid July to mid August of 1969. We (six of us) drove to Anchorage AK in our 1965 Ford stationwagon to visit my brother, Carl and his wife, Janice Witthoeft, while they were stationed there in the Air Force. What a wonderful trip.

I wanted to work for a few years, then meet a dependable, hard-working man who would take care of me and our three children. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. That never happened.

I have had a wide variety of jobs such as, clerical, secretarial, receptionist, typist, billing clerk, courier-driver, vocational evaluation assistant, shipping and receiving, caretaker, silk screen printer, customer service, mail room clerk, postal clerk, postal mail contract carrier, manager, lounge waitress, factory assembly, Census field representative.

I would like to see and visit all 50 states.

Update 4-5-19

With my mobility issues, I will not be able to travel like I wanted to do. My brother and sisters come here to see me about every two years.

Getting my first job as a secretary/receptionist for Control Data's Printed Circuit Operations in St. Louis Park MN. Getting my first apartment. Getting my first car which was a Gold 1969 Ford Maverick that got 60 miles to the gallon and cost $1995.00 brand new.
When I became a self-employed postal mail contract carrier in July of 1994.

Yes, I married Charles Stanek on March 6, 1971 and divorced him on June 11, 1975. I have been single since my divorce. I have never found my decent, hard-working, dependable man.

I spend a lot of time on my computer. I like my flower gardens and yard.

I do not travel a lot. I have been to Texas to see my sister, Patty, and to North Carolina to see my sister, Jeanette, and my brother, Carl.

My home in Remer Minnesota. I am a lot like my father, Russell Schultz. He always said there is no place like home. And he was so right.

I want to visit all 50 states yet. There is so much to see right here in the US.

Update 4-5-19

Can't travel now due to mobility issues.

My favorite memory of high school was all the band trips and concerts. I had so much fun in band.

English class. The boys used to get Joe Ratcliffe so riled up that he would stutter. They thought that was so funny. I felt so sorry for Mr. Ratcliffe.

I cannot think of anything I would change at this time. I feel that my high school years were the best time of my whole life.

Update 4-5-19
I would stand up for the underdog more often. Why? Because there is too much bullying going on in schools and someone needs to make the first move to change this behavior.

My secret crush was Ken Witthoeft.
My most embarrassing moment was any time I had to get up in front of the class to talk.
I cannot remember a funny thing I did in high school.
I did not have a favorite hang out.
My favorite teacher was Rob Bruckbauer.
My favorite activity was band.

Margaritta or Lambrusco red wine

Shrimp and Rib-eye steak medium rare

Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze

Country, Gospel, and gool old Rock & Roll

Survivor, then Big Brother

Christmas, then Easter

Green

I do not have a special way to relax. I can relax by doing almost anything.

I just met the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, on January 1, 2009, in Crosby MN at a small cafe. I had stopped for supper on my way home from Patty's on New Year's Day.

Update 4-5-19
I saw Jonny Cash in Greenway at a concert.

One of the coolest things I have done is catch a 6 1/4 lb. large mouth bass on my first bass fishing trip on Big Sand Lake with my boyfriend, Al Hochhauser.

Cherish your parents and your family. Make lasting memories you will cherish forever. Believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Believe that Jesus was born into this world. He lived to teach us right from wrong. He died for our sins, rose again and will return to earth to claim His believers. The only way to heaven is through Jesus the Christ. Believe in this fact.

Update 4-5-19

High school is the best time of growing up. You are becoming an adult with adult decisions to make that will effect the rest of your life. Take education seriously because it will take you places you only dreamed about.

Yes