Once Upon a Time . . . on a little farm near Lincoln, Illinois, a little girl played day after day with her baby dolls.  I loved babies for as long as I can remember.  Every September 8th, my birthday, I received a doll and every Christmas I wanted dolls.  When I was 12, my parents, Helen and Nelson Betzelberger, told me that I was getting too big for dolls.  They didn’t know that you are NEVER too big for dolls and I still play with them—every single day.

  My grandparents lived on an adjoining farm.  Memories of my first 5 years are of walking down our ¼ mile lane to get the mail and walk to Grandmas house; laying on a blanket in the yard with my dolls to imagine animals and shapes out of the cloud; sitting in the grass making ballerinas out of the Hollyhocks; laying in front of the radio listening to “The Lone Ranger”, and going to New Holland, Il to my other Grandma’s every Saturday night.  I had a wonderful time with all of my cousins who also went to Grandmas every Saturday night.  They had free shows, outside, right next to my Grandpa’s John Deere Store and we would sit on blankets with all of the other townspeople watching the movies.  My favorite was “Ma and Pa Kettle”.  A REAL important day to me was the day we got a bathroom in our house. I was four years old.  We also got a new kitchen that day that had running water.  I was born in 1945.  Some of the neighbors already had those conveniences, but we didn’t at our house.

 

Right after my 5th birthday we moved to my grandparents house and Grandpa semi-retired and moved to town.  He still came to our house daily to help with the farming.  I didn’t get to see Grandma as much—always on Sundays though, since we attended Church right across the street from their new house.

 

Chapter two

I have wonderful memories of my childhood.  My brother, Ron is two years older than I am.  We attended a one-room country school that was 1 1/2 miles down the road from our house.  Often times we walked to school and when I got a little older I used to sometimes ride my pony.  I look back now and realize what a wonderful opportunity it was for me to attend this school.  There was only one other boy in my class the entire 8 years.  The most total enrollment in the entire school was 19.  We had one teacher for 7 years.  My eighth grade year, which was the last year the school was open, I had a new teacher.  There were only a few girls in the school and they were either much older or much younger than I was so most of my play time was spent playing softball, basketball or cowboys.  We had lots of fun with our ponies and cowboy hats.  When I was at home my time was spent playing with my dolls and begging my parents for a real baby to play with . . . . .

Chapter three

I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 years old.  These lessons continued throughout High School.  I also played the accordion during my Grade School years.  I was in 4-H Club and raised Black Poland China Hogs.  I enjoyed showing these at the County and State Fairs. My daily prayers were answered when my parents announced that I was going to get a real baby to play with.  I was absolutely ecstatic!!!!  I was on cloud nine waiting for this "real" baby to arrive.  I was nine years old when my little brother Scott was born.  This baby was in my arms constantly.  I am sure he was glad when I had to go to school so he could get some rest!  He was definitely my real live doll baby.  I even insisted that he sleep in my room.  I now think back and realize how lucky my Mom must have felt that she had a built in "nanny" for the baby.

Chapter four 

 

When I was 15 I was, again, ecstatic over the birth of my new baby sister, Leanne.   I played the flute in the high school band,  accordion in the dance band and  I sang in several different vocal groups throughout my high school years.  No matter where I went my little baby sister was usually with me. I graduated Salutatorian of my high school class in 1963. 

 

Chapter 5, On my own…..

 

I went to Professional Business Institute in Minneapolis, Mn. and graduated a Registered Medical Technologist.  Those years in Minneapolis were the first I was away from home and on my own. I missed my family terribly and was often homesick but made lots of friends and have wonderful memories of that time in my life.  Upon graduation I went back to my hometown and worked in our local hospital Laboratory.

 

Chapter 6….. The beginning of my own family…..

 

I married Gale Doty during the summer of  1964.  My husband was in the Navy and so I traveled with him to live in Virginia and Florida.  When he went overseas I went home to my parents in Illinois since I was now expecting a little doll of my very own.  My sister, Leanne, was 5 when Robyn was born on Sept. 10, 1965.  We stayed with my parents until my husband returned from a Naval cruise. He returned when Robyn was 4 months and  we then packed up and moved to where he were stationed in Virginia Beach, Va.  We got out of the service when Robyn was 2 years old and by this time my second daughter was on the way.  Erin was born on May 24, 1968 and my 3rd daughter was born on Sept. 5th, 1969.  Since I now had 3 adorable little girls I had my hands full and decided I would be satisfied with all girls and no little boys.  With all daughters our house was filled with dolls, dolls, dolls. 

 

To be continued . . . . .

 

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