Christian Photographers Community

   




                       

Marilyn was born in Los Angeles, California on February 6, 1940.  She grew up in the Stockton, Lodi, and Modesto areas, spending summers with various relatives all over that area, plus in Yosemite National Park with her aunt, uncle and three cousins.


Marilyn has one sister, Ruth, born to her father's previous marriage.  Her dad was an electrician and her mother worked at the Port of Stockton army base after 1943.  Her father was born in Odessa, Russia and the family walked out of Russia during the Bolshevik revolution with 7 children.  They walked all the way to LeHarvre, France.  The older children carried the younger ones piggy-back.  They came to the USA through Canada, where immigration gave the father the first name of Arthur.  His name was Anton Petrovich but immigration could not understand Russian and gave him a new name.  Marilyn's mother was born in Modesto, California, while her grandmother was on a trip from Missouri to visit her father.  The entire family moved from Missouri to California in 1936.


Her grandmother taught her to sew and crochet when she was 8 years old.  Marilyn helped her with the canning because her hands were small enough to fit into the quart jars to place the vegetables or fruit just right.  Most of her time was spent with her grandparents, as her mother worked.


It seems Marilyn was a little adventurer when she was a child.  She liked to run off!  When she was only three years old, she took off on her tricycle.  Her grandmother found her by following the trail of her clothing.  Another time, she took off and got lost.  She found her way into a butcher shop and told them her phone number was Lodi 404, so they called her grandmother to come get her.  Still another time she took off again and remembers two little boys saying she looked like Hitler, and that made her cry.


Marilyn attended Jefferson grade school, then 7th and 8th grades at the high school annex, finally receiving her GED at San Bernadino High School.  Attended Junior college at San Joaquin Delta College and one year at the University of the Pacific, but didn't graduate.  She has sometimes wished she had gone farther with her education.  In high school she was in both the band and the orchestra.  He was head majorette and had been twirling the baton since she was 8 years old and had been in several competitions.  In the orchestra, Marilyn played first violin and sat second chair in the all city high school orchestra.


Her favorite teacher was the one she had for second grade, a Mrs. Kilpatrick.


A special childhood memory is of Christmas family reunions at her maternal grandparents' house in Lodi.  She also remembers her mother rolling her (Marilyn's) hair on rags.  She says they got to attend movies on Saturdays, and got in for the "price" of one Pepsi bottle top.


Another memory is of one Christmas when she was about 3 years old, and was at her Great Aunt Rose's turkey farm.  Her great uncle Will played Santa Claus.  Her grandfather had built her a little doll cradle and there was one of those drink and wet dolls, all dressed in clothes her grandmother made; and there was even a little mattress and blanket she had made in the cradle.



Some of the games she played in childhood were card games, Monopoly, and going to catch tadpoles with her friend Carol Fuqua.  When she began to date, they usually went to school dances or drive-in movies.  She married at age 16, so didn't date a lot.  Her wedding consisted of a quick trip to Reno, Nevada.  "No dress, no frills," she added.


Marilyn says in about 1954, gasoline cost 20c per gallon.


Some of the jobs she has held are: waitress, cocktail waitress, caregiver, sales clerk, administrative assistant at Office Depot.  She now volunteers as a Veterinary Recovery technician at S/Nipped Spay and Neuter Hospital.


Marilyn met her current spouse on an internet dating site, and they dated for a year before marrying.[/size]








She says she was married five times, had four children with her first husband and one son with her third husband.


Marilyn  feels the world is much more violent now than when she was young; that now everything has to be locked up to prevent it being stolen.  "We never had to lock our doors when I was young," she added.


Another difference she observes is that there seem to be very few morals or manners now.  "Kids do not say "thank you," they don't return phone calls, and I am talking about my adult children as well as grand children.  Families seem to have disintegrated and it's everyone for himself or herself," she said.


Marilyn's hobbies are making graphic art on the computer, crocheting, knitting, sewing and cooking.


While she hasn't done a lot of traveling, Marilyn shared this story with us:  When she was 15 her parents took her to Canada.  They were sitting in a restaurant and she was looking out the window and turned to her parents and said, very surprised, "They look just like us!"  She thought that because it was a different country, Canadians should look different from Americans.  She says going to Yosemite every summer was her favorite travel experience.


She also took the Amtrack train to California last year to see one of her sons.


The achievement of her life that gives her the most satisfaction is working with the animals in the clinic where she now volunteers.  "I have always loved doing medical things," she said.


A valuable lesson from life Marilyn would like to pass along to younger folk is:  Stay close to your family.  Put God first, then Family, then yourself.


Marilyn feels these past 13 years have been the best time period of her life, seven of which she spent in McKinleyville close to her youngest son and the past five years being in Oregon with a man who loves her, and working with the animals.


The first thing she remembers saving up her money to buy was a crinoline petticoat, when she was 15 years old.  And the wildest thing she did as a teenager was skipping the first three weeks of the 10th grade and getting caught by the truant officer.  (Do we even have truant officers any more?)


When Marilyn was a child, they always ate their meals at the table, with her step father serving each plate from the head of the table.  Sometimes he did the cooking and sometimes her mom did it.  Their laundry was done with a wringer washing machine.


Marilyn was in a play in the 6th grade.


Her favorite song is The Star Spangled Banner.  She says it makes her cry every time she hears it.  Her favorite movie is One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Things she remembers being delivered to their home include big blocks of ice for the Frigidaire, the Jewel Tea man, the Fuller Brush man and Watkins products.

Marilyn loves food and her favorite kinds are Mexican and Indian dishes.  Her favorite desserts are ice cream and cheesecake.


Something she regrets is having married at such a young age.  She says she didn't really get to grow up and have all the normal fun of a teenager.  But on the other hand, she does not regret having her four oldest children.


Her step father taught her to drive when she was 15.


Marilyn's scariest moment or time was when her first husband took her to the mountains, put her out of the car and told her she'd better run, because he was going to shoot her.  He did fire, but missed.


She disagrees with the way this country is being run by the Obama administration.  The biggest change she has seen in her lifetime is prices.



The person she most admired was her grandmother, and that grandmother is also the one who most inspired and influenced Marilyn's life.


The first president for whom she cast a vote was Ronald Reagan.


The worst crime she remembers was a family of nine who were murdered in Victor, California.  Her favorite comic strip is Dagwood and Blondie.

Marilyn has taken lesson in piano, violin and Native American flute, and has used music in her life.  She remembers sugar and meat being rationed during the war.  She also has memories of lots of earthquakes in California.
She attended church as a child and still does attend.  One special thing God did in her life; He did twice—healed her of a breast lump.



The worst thing that has happened to her was mistreatment at the hands of the men in her life.  And the best thing is that she has been able to leave the past behind her, and her salvation is the best of all!  From these things, Marilyn learned that God loves her.


Marilyn would like to be remembered as a kind, loving person, one who loved God and all his little creatures.


Her favorite scripture is Philippians 4:8 which says, "Finally, Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about these things." (NIV)


Marilyn's nickname was Ostrich Legs.  (She says she was teased unmercifully by the kids at school because her legs were so skinny.)  Her pet name for her spouse was Daddy.  The best pet(s) she ever owned were all her dogs, past and present.


Her favorite flowers are roses.  She says the first thing she does if she starts getting depressed is to eat.


She says if she could do one thing over she would stay clean and sober.


The best decision she ever made was to finish school, and the worst decision she ever made was to use drugs.


If she could offer one piece of advice to an 18-year-old, it would be this:  Stay clean and sober and stay close to your family.  The most important thing is to love God with all your heart.

Janet, nice job on the story of Marilyn's life.  Marilyn, I feel I know you more than in the past although we have communicated on these boards for quite a few years now.  Thanks for sharing. 

Thank you for your kind comments, Larry.  They are appreciated.

Thank you Larry and again Thank you Janet for telling my story. I'm sure there are things in my story that  my friends here don't know about me or my past.  I have been a member of the  site for about 13 years, so I pretty much feel like this is my family.

Lovely bio, Marilyn and what a great job by our Janet!

Marilyn, what kind of camera do you use when you take photos?  Do you use a camera or your phone?  And what kind of photography do you like best?

Marilyn thanks for sharing and Janet what a great job.

Great job, Janet.... Thank you Marilyn for letting C.P. know you better.