Hughson Ca 8th Grade

     As I said  Dad Pat and I moved to the "Free Housing" on the Mathews Bros. Ranch.  It was a rundown old place but the roof didn't leak.  Downstairs was the Kitchen/dining area, and a small add on room that we made Dad's Room. and you had to go outside to go upstairs to what was my bedroom and Pat's bedroom, you had to go through my room to get to Pat's, There was no Bathroom, it had an outhouse!   Yes a two-holer outhouse out by the garage. It had no hot water, we had to heat water on the stove.
It had a shower, out in the garage, with a metal tank on top to fill with water so it would heat in the daytime sun.  The floor was a pallet, and yes there was some grass growing in their. LOL During the winter, we would use a #3 wash tub in the kitchen to take baths.  Also going to the Bathroom could be tricky in the winter.  But it was FREE!!.  
     I as you might expect do not have a lot of fond memories of this place.  But it was home and I was forced to make do with the accommodations.  I got used to the bathroom and shower part, but hated having to get up in the middle of the night to go out there.  We lived there for the next four years.
      I remember my our dog having pups, then getting her head stuck in a jar and dying. I raised those pups on small bottles. I hated it when I would feed one in the middle of the night just to have another wake me a few minutes later, and My sister Phyllis was visiting and told me when one wakes up, wake them all up and feed them. This worked great.  Also I remember there were Walnut trees lining the drive way. We would gather the nuts as they fell, and bag them for the owners. and he would pay us for them. Then the Shaker would come in and harvest the trees, and any nuts that fell after that were ours. Also we had Lemon, and Orange trees that we got all we wanted of. 

    I had started the 8th grade in Ceres but soon transferred to  Lebright Jr. High in Hughson.   Things were fine at first and I made some friends, but just before Christmas, the new Jr. High was ready and we helped move our classrooms to Emilie J. Ross Jr High. Lebright them became a middle school for 5th and 6th Grades. After Christmas Break, I managed to make an enemy of one of the "In Crowd" girls, and all of a sudden my popularity dropped. I still had a few friends, but mostly I was a loner. The bullies were always sure to get on me a lot, and this was to continue for the next 4 years. I never got hurt bad, but was pushed around and humiliated often. Mostly just threats to keep me in my place. I got to where I hated going to school and would miss every chance I got.  All I wanted was to return to my hometown where I still had friends and relatives.  In June 1962 I graduated to Hughson High School.
     Other memories of living here were"

1 "Fog Holidays"  yeas the fog would get too thick for the buses to run so we would get Fog Days.
2. Dad using a broom handle to pound on the ceiling to wake Pat and I up.
3. Pat and I deliberately missing the bus not to have to go to school.
4. My first snow storm.
5. Weekends at Turlock Lake
6. Movies at the Starlight Drive In in Keyes.
7 the Births of many of my nieces and nephews.