1

Itrsquos all about Me Karen Soup Eifler Kirby

Began in 2007 revised 10-2010

KEK

This story about Karen Eifler Kirby began as a school project and has expanded way be-

yond that It was the jumping-off-place for my quest into family genealogy and because of this

assignment I was able to document my grandparents John and Sadie Eiflerrsquos lives and their chil-

dren John Irene and Norm Eiflerrsquos lives in an 80-page manuscript

This is a separate document and this one is all about me Karen Soup

Karen Sue Karen Eifler Kirby It may continue to grow as I remember

more but it is a document about my childhood as it was then and how

my past has formed who I have become today The memories are chaotic

and random so ride the roller coaster of memories along with me as I ex-

plore the past

While I was growing up I was aware of how unique the ―Eifler name was but more im-

portantly I was relieved that other kids couldnrsquot make fun of my name in any way that hurt my

feelings No horrible words rhymed with my name and it couldnrsquot be butchered and turned into

anything harmful or nasty The worst taunt I ever heard was ―Eiffel Tower ―Eiffel Tower It

was hard to take name-calling such as that very personally and I was truly thankful for such an

2

obscure name during my tender years I grew up feeling extremely proud of my solid German

heritage

In Alice Walkerrsquos essay titled ―The Place Where I was Born she wrote about her child-

hood home in Georgia She stated that ―It [was] incredibly beautiful where I live[d] Not fancy

at all or exclusive (642) Those words resonate inside of me bringing forth memories of my

childhood home Our familyrsquos abode was a bright yellow one-story house with a walk-out base-

ment apartment prepared especially for my paternal Grandparents who lived with us The resi-

dence was located in a sprawling suburban neighborhood five miles southeast of the Boulder city

limits With two acres to run free on and a safer world to live in back in the 1950rsquos and 1960rsquos

the possibilities seemed endless We lived about five miles to the south

east of the town of Boulder Colo-

rado in a sprawling neighborhood

called Paragon Estates

―Ooah-coo-coo-coo was the mournful call of the Mourning dove that crept into my

consciousness and greeted every warm summer morning in my childhood home of

Boulder Colorado I would stretch myself awake listening to the birds singing in the stillness of

the morning as the sunlight poured in through the window of my bedroom warming my blanket

The lure of another lazy summer day would spur my imagination into action and as I threw the

covers aside and swung my legs off of my bed my head would already be spinning with the pos-

sibilities and planned adventures lined out before me

My Mom was a stay at home Mother with a full-time job taking care of three growing

girls and a household She was also a devoted caregiver to my Fatherrsquos parents and cared for my

3

Grandma Eifler for twenty-five years In those days roles were much more divided than they are

now Mom took charge of the household and the kids and Dad took care of the outside stuff and

earned the money needed to sustain a family of five They both did a fabulous job

My Father made his career in the

Electronics field working first at a

company called Sundstrand in Denver

and then moving between two small

companies Granville Phillips and Sci-

entech

I would look forward to the time that Dad

came home from work Once he unwound a bit he

would get on the floor and let us climb all over him

and tickle us wildly I liked to follow him around

when he worked around the house and in the garage

He would lift me up to sit on his workbench so I could

see what he was doing Sometimes I got to ride along

with him on errands or go to the dump with him and

that was a treat

4

Fashion Show

Dad had some really fun hobbies I remember he built an

extensive racetrack and we would go down into the basement

and race cars on this racetrack that would pull down from its

storage place along the wall He also liked to have a train set up

every Christmas and I loved to watch the train chug along the

track At other times he would work with glue and tiny parts

assembling models of airplanes As we got older we assembled

some models with the help of our Dad Diane remembers a buf-

falo that she made with him

My Mother was a talented seamstress She made beautiful

look-alike Easter and Christmas dress for all three girls and then

we would sit on the fireplace ledge for the Annual lineup On one

occasion all three of us modeled dresses our Mother had made in a

style show at the Harvest House

The event was hosted

by our neighbor Fleta Hatha-

wayrsquos bible fellowship Mom

taught Jan to sew and Jan and

Diane both have my Gramma

Eiflerrsquos talent for needlework

(I received none of that tal-

ent)

5

Mom should have been a schoolteacher and we were blessed by her activities and crafts

She always taught us to make great projects and she had endless amounts of patience I did get

some of her ―craftiness and I still enjoy painting and drawing and writing

We had a real dog which in my mem-

ory was always ―old Wendy Wendy was a

tan colored mutt and she was sweet and gen-

tle with us She died in 1970 when I was ten

years old

When I was small I had a stuffed dog

that was named Penny I think he was passed

down to me from my sisters but I loved the

fur off of that dog I wish I still had him to-

day

I had the Mumps on both sides in February of

1963 when I was 3 frac12 years old I contracted the hard

Measles in June of 1965 the summer before I turned

five In April of 1966 I had the chickenpox Then I

was all done with childhood diseases

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

2

obscure name during my tender years I grew up feeling extremely proud of my solid German

heritage

In Alice Walkerrsquos essay titled ―The Place Where I was Born she wrote about her child-

hood home in Georgia She stated that ―It [was] incredibly beautiful where I live[d] Not fancy

at all or exclusive (642) Those words resonate inside of me bringing forth memories of my

childhood home Our familyrsquos abode was a bright yellow one-story house with a walk-out base-

ment apartment prepared especially for my paternal Grandparents who lived with us The resi-

dence was located in a sprawling suburban neighborhood five miles southeast of the Boulder city

limits With two acres to run free on and a safer world to live in back in the 1950rsquos and 1960rsquos

the possibilities seemed endless We lived about five miles to the south

east of the town of Boulder Colo-

rado in a sprawling neighborhood

called Paragon Estates

―Ooah-coo-coo-coo was the mournful call of the Mourning dove that crept into my

consciousness and greeted every warm summer morning in my childhood home of

Boulder Colorado I would stretch myself awake listening to the birds singing in the stillness of

the morning as the sunlight poured in through the window of my bedroom warming my blanket

The lure of another lazy summer day would spur my imagination into action and as I threw the

covers aside and swung my legs off of my bed my head would already be spinning with the pos-

sibilities and planned adventures lined out before me

My Mom was a stay at home Mother with a full-time job taking care of three growing

girls and a household She was also a devoted caregiver to my Fatherrsquos parents and cared for my

3

Grandma Eifler for twenty-five years In those days roles were much more divided than they are

now Mom took charge of the household and the kids and Dad took care of the outside stuff and

earned the money needed to sustain a family of five They both did a fabulous job

My Father made his career in the

Electronics field working first at a

company called Sundstrand in Denver

and then moving between two small

companies Granville Phillips and Sci-

entech

I would look forward to the time that Dad

came home from work Once he unwound a bit he

would get on the floor and let us climb all over him

and tickle us wildly I liked to follow him around

when he worked around the house and in the garage

He would lift me up to sit on his workbench so I could

see what he was doing Sometimes I got to ride along

with him on errands or go to the dump with him and

that was a treat

4

Fashion Show

Dad had some really fun hobbies I remember he built an

extensive racetrack and we would go down into the basement

and race cars on this racetrack that would pull down from its

storage place along the wall He also liked to have a train set up

every Christmas and I loved to watch the train chug along the

track At other times he would work with glue and tiny parts

assembling models of airplanes As we got older we assembled

some models with the help of our Dad Diane remembers a buf-

falo that she made with him

My Mother was a talented seamstress She made beautiful

look-alike Easter and Christmas dress for all three girls and then

we would sit on the fireplace ledge for the Annual lineup On one

occasion all three of us modeled dresses our Mother had made in a

style show at the Harvest House

The event was hosted

by our neighbor Fleta Hatha-

wayrsquos bible fellowship Mom

taught Jan to sew and Jan and

Diane both have my Gramma

Eiflerrsquos talent for needlework

(I received none of that tal-

ent)

5

Mom should have been a schoolteacher and we were blessed by her activities and crafts

She always taught us to make great projects and she had endless amounts of patience I did get

some of her ―craftiness and I still enjoy painting and drawing and writing

We had a real dog which in my mem-

ory was always ―old Wendy Wendy was a

tan colored mutt and she was sweet and gen-

tle with us She died in 1970 when I was ten

years old

When I was small I had a stuffed dog

that was named Penny I think he was passed

down to me from my sisters but I loved the

fur off of that dog I wish I still had him to-

day

I had the Mumps on both sides in February of

1963 when I was 3 frac12 years old I contracted the hard

Measles in June of 1965 the summer before I turned

five In April of 1966 I had the chickenpox Then I

was all done with childhood diseases

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

3

Grandma Eifler for twenty-five years In those days roles were much more divided than they are

now Mom took charge of the household and the kids and Dad took care of the outside stuff and

earned the money needed to sustain a family of five They both did a fabulous job

My Father made his career in the

Electronics field working first at a

company called Sundstrand in Denver

and then moving between two small

companies Granville Phillips and Sci-

entech

I would look forward to the time that Dad

came home from work Once he unwound a bit he

would get on the floor and let us climb all over him

and tickle us wildly I liked to follow him around

when he worked around the house and in the garage

He would lift me up to sit on his workbench so I could

see what he was doing Sometimes I got to ride along

with him on errands or go to the dump with him and

that was a treat

4

Fashion Show

Dad had some really fun hobbies I remember he built an

extensive racetrack and we would go down into the basement

and race cars on this racetrack that would pull down from its

storage place along the wall He also liked to have a train set up

every Christmas and I loved to watch the train chug along the

track At other times he would work with glue and tiny parts

assembling models of airplanes As we got older we assembled

some models with the help of our Dad Diane remembers a buf-

falo that she made with him

My Mother was a talented seamstress She made beautiful

look-alike Easter and Christmas dress for all three girls and then

we would sit on the fireplace ledge for the Annual lineup On one

occasion all three of us modeled dresses our Mother had made in a

style show at the Harvest House

The event was hosted

by our neighbor Fleta Hatha-

wayrsquos bible fellowship Mom

taught Jan to sew and Jan and

Diane both have my Gramma

Eiflerrsquos talent for needlework

(I received none of that tal-

ent)

5

Mom should have been a schoolteacher and we were blessed by her activities and crafts

She always taught us to make great projects and she had endless amounts of patience I did get

some of her ―craftiness and I still enjoy painting and drawing and writing

We had a real dog which in my mem-

ory was always ―old Wendy Wendy was a

tan colored mutt and she was sweet and gen-

tle with us She died in 1970 when I was ten

years old

When I was small I had a stuffed dog

that was named Penny I think he was passed

down to me from my sisters but I loved the

fur off of that dog I wish I still had him to-

day

I had the Mumps on both sides in February of

1963 when I was 3 frac12 years old I contracted the hard

Measles in June of 1965 the summer before I turned

five In April of 1966 I had the chickenpox Then I

was all done with childhood diseases

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

4

Fashion Show

Dad had some really fun hobbies I remember he built an

extensive racetrack and we would go down into the basement

and race cars on this racetrack that would pull down from its

storage place along the wall He also liked to have a train set up

every Christmas and I loved to watch the train chug along the

track At other times he would work with glue and tiny parts

assembling models of airplanes As we got older we assembled

some models with the help of our Dad Diane remembers a buf-

falo that she made with him

My Mother was a talented seamstress She made beautiful

look-alike Easter and Christmas dress for all three girls and then

we would sit on the fireplace ledge for the Annual lineup On one

occasion all three of us modeled dresses our Mother had made in a

style show at the Harvest House

The event was hosted

by our neighbor Fleta Hatha-

wayrsquos bible fellowship Mom

taught Jan to sew and Jan and

Diane both have my Gramma

Eiflerrsquos talent for needlework

(I received none of that tal-

ent)

5

Mom should have been a schoolteacher and we were blessed by her activities and crafts

She always taught us to make great projects and she had endless amounts of patience I did get

some of her ―craftiness and I still enjoy painting and drawing and writing

We had a real dog which in my mem-

ory was always ―old Wendy Wendy was a

tan colored mutt and she was sweet and gen-

tle with us She died in 1970 when I was ten

years old

When I was small I had a stuffed dog

that was named Penny I think he was passed

down to me from my sisters but I loved the

fur off of that dog I wish I still had him to-

day

I had the Mumps on both sides in February of

1963 when I was 3 frac12 years old I contracted the hard

Measles in June of 1965 the summer before I turned

five In April of 1966 I had the chickenpox Then I

was all done with childhood diseases

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

5

Mom should have been a schoolteacher and we were blessed by her activities and crafts

She always taught us to make great projects and she had endless amounts of patience I did get

some of her ―craftiness and I still enjoy painting and drawing and writing

We had a real dog which in my mem-

ory was always ―old Wendy Wendy was a

tan colored mutt and she was sweet and gen-

tle with us She died in 1970 when I was ten

years old

When I was small I had a stuffed dog

that was named Penny I think he was passed

down to me from my sisters but I loved the

fur off of that dog I wish I still had him to-

day

I had the Mumps on both sides in February of

1963 when I was 3 frac12 years old I contracted the hard

Measles in June of 1965 the summer before I turned

five In April of 1966 I had the chickenpox Then I

was all done with childhood diseases

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

6

I remember having cats as well One time we had a mean orange tabby named Mandy

that would sit on the washer and dryer in the breezeway and attack us when we walked by I re-

member one cat that died on the operating table being spayed There was another cat named

Samantha that gave birth to three little kittens We didnrsquot get to keep them but my kittens name

was Nutmeg Dianersquos kitten was Mercedes and Jan named her kitten Linus

To the south of our house was a horse pasture that housed several horses There was a

brown horse I was too young to recall followed by horse named ―Comanche followed by a

welsh pony originally named Whiskey but re-named ―Coke when he came to us My sisters

loved to ride horses but I was always afraid of them I remember forcing them to plod along for

the first half of the ride and being unable to stop them from cantering the whole way back to the

barn I was never the one in charge and I got thrown one too many times to enjoy them Coleen

remembers Coke running up to the fence and throwing her over it Another time Christine and I

were riding up the street when Diane jumped out to scare us scaring the horse instead He reared

up and threw both of us off and I was SO mad at Diane

My favorite memory of the horsesrsquo field is not of the horses themselves but of the tall

grasses that grew in the pasture during the early part of the summer These tall grasses would

grow taller than me and my sisters and I would trample down rooms and passageways through

the weeds creating homes with many extensive rooms to accommodate all of us There we

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

7

would spend hours playing house pretending to be married forming relationships and raising

children I can still recall the feeling of quiet serenity while hiding in the grass with the warm sun

blazing down and the gentle breeze rippling through the tall weeds

Another favorite place to congregate was the playhouse My father built a freestanding

structure in our back yard that had a two-room playhouse in the front for the kids and a green-

house and tool shed in the back for the adults It even had a covered front porch and the outside

was painted yellow to match the house In one inside room was the kitchen complete with a

wooden stove an oven a sink and cupboards to put our dishes in Mom stocked it with dishes

pots and pans and empty spice containers and food cans The second room had two picture win-

dows a table with chairs and even a telephone on the wall On the east-facing wall of the kitchen

was a large window that opened up onto our playground complete with a jungle gym

A favorite scenario was to pretend the playhouse was

a houseboat on the high seas with man-eating sharks in the

water all around We would have to jump from the window

onto the jungle gym without touching the ground so the

sharks wouldnrsquot get us At other times the playhouse became

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

8

a castle an office a home or a schoolroom We played house all the time out in the back yard

making mud pies with grass and water and playing with all of our friends When Liz Tary wasnrsquot

there Coleen or another friend was and we spent unlimited hours pretending

Do you

remember sunsuits

A sunsuit was a fabulous creation children in the sixties wore all summer long A sunsuit

was a simple one-piece garment gathered at the top of each leg and around the waist There were

ties over each shoulder I think of a simple garment for a simpler time and I am convinced that

there would be no wars if all adults still wore sunsuits

We played classic patty cake games with each other where you would stand facing your

friend and sing a tune that went in rhythm with the motions as one girlrsquos hands slapped together

with the other girls hands I remember two songs

Oh playmate

come out and play with me

and bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Slide Down my rain barrel

Into my cellar door

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

9

And wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Oh playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly has the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

I got no rain barrel

I got no celler door

But wersquoll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

And this one that I find very strange now so maybe you can tell me what it means My Mom has

an even crazier clapping song that she knows from her childhood I have to ask her to write it

down for me to keep

I livey up on teeny weeny housetops

I livey up on thirty-first floor

I liveyanna teeny weeny housetops

Ruffles on my petticoats

Ten cents more

Poor Charlie Poor Charlie

Way down south in the penitentiary

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

10

Huge Cottonwood trees surrounding our

property shaded an irrigation ditch that only car-

ried water during the spring runoff In the sum-

mer months my two sisters my girlfriends and I

spent countless numbers of hours in that ditch

crafting palaces created from dirt and mud twigs

and rocks Those amazing structures hosted multiple rooms prepared especially for our troll doll

collections and for the one-to-two inch Leopard frogs that were abundant as the irrigation ditch

began to dry up in June and July

Within those mud walls kings and queens ruled over their populace paupers became

princes magic ruled and kingdoms fell as our imaginations took us far from the confines of our

secure little world Those poor little Leopard frogs were also ―raced across our wading pool

On the bend of the ditch down at the corner was a twisted old Cottonwood tree with a

thick limb extending perfectly over a gradual declining bank of compacted dirt This dappled

green refuge was the ideal host for a strong tire swing and the perfect gathering place for all the

children of the neighborhood The stream running through our ditch flowed peacefully allowing

us to swing way out over the water splash down into the depths and climb laughing to take our

The Ditch

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

11

place in line once again Over and over we would repeat the performance stopping only for a

cold glass of Kool-Aid a bathroom break or a parent calling us in for lunch or supper The tire

swing was replaced by a rope swing over time but it still exists today

Our ditch was an irrigation ditch that only ran for about six weeks until early June My

Dad would blow up three inner tube tires for us and drive my sisters and me to the top on the

Davidsonrsquos Mesa and drop us off We would float lazily along in the quiet current until arriving

at home only to get another ride to the top of the mesa again Again and again we would repeat

the sequence Once in a while we would spot a water snake floating along next to us and that

was alarming

One bad thing happened when I was four years old and I was riding along with my Mom

to buy apples Mommy parked the car facing downhill on a steep driveway on one of the streets

at the base of the foothills around downtown Boulder She left me in the car telling me to behave

because she would be right back I climbed into the driverrsquos seat to pretend to drive knocked the

gearshift out of park and as the car began to move and pick up speed it traveled down the drive-

way across the street through a yard and crashed into a house I have a very vivid memory of a

startled old woman who was walking by stumbling after the car in an attempt to stop it I was

unhurt save a loose tooth and a cut lip but Mommy was pretty shaken up and Daddy was mad

at us both Hersquoll deny it but I remember him threatening to have me pay for the car repairs The

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

12

owner of the house was on vacation at the time so I donrsquot know what transpired when he re-

turned home

I remember beautiful flowers in shaded gardens eating berries right off the bushes and a

little attic room with an angled roof up some steep steps where I slept As I awoke I could hear

voices greeting each other in the early morning and I would smell wonderful breakfast smells

that came wafting up into the room Diane remembers a terrible smell ndash Sauerkraut

When we visited the farm on subsequent visits I remember the tree lined driveway the

barn with a big hay filled loft the cows the barn cats HUGE thickets of blackberries and rasp-

berries Hazel nut trees Grandmarsquos aprons and lap all the wonderful smells and food that came

from the kitchen walking with Grandpa exploring the smokehouse and all the cool buildings I

loved the time spent with all my Aunts and Uncles and cousins

Another very early memory

is of my Grandparents farm in Van-

couverWashington

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

13

Uncle Henry and Aunt Jo lived on Vashon Island in Washington State

My Uncle Henry was a lot of fun and he could always make us laugh

He taught us a cute little song

ldquoI had a dog

his name was Fido

he was nothing but a pup

He could stand up on his hind legs

if you held his front legs uprdquo

Then he would sing it a second time mixing all the words up making us giggle

ldquoI had a fog

his name was Difo

he pus nothing but a wup

He could stand up on his lind hegs

if you held his lunt fregs uprdquo

They had three sons

Nathan Daniel and Mark

We got to ride on a Ferry

boat to visit the Scholz

family on Vashon Island

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

14

Keeping close to family was always important to my parents Many vacations were spent

traveling to see my Moms siblings and their families and her parents and several times we had

family reunions in Boulder Colorado

My Uncle Chuck Sauer died when I was I was twenty-two and my cousins were much

younger than I was My Aunt Norma did a beautiful job of raising her two boys My cousinrsquos

names were Devon and Chris I donrsquot recall traveling to Missouri when I was little but I must

have because I do remember the St Louis Arch I definitely recollect the visits they made to

Boulder

Aunt Norma was a lot

younger than my Mother so

she would come out to Colo-

rado for visits when we were

very small We traveled to

her wedding in Chebanse

Illinois when I was about

four

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

15

My parents always tried to put one child in the front cab with them to cut down on the

fighting We had an intercom set up from the back camper to the front cab and we would con-

stantly ―tattletale on each other There was an ongoing battle of who got to be up top in the

bunk overlooking the cab of the truck I thank my parents so much for putting up with continu-

ally fighting children in the back of the camper and the whining children refusing to hike Mom

and Dad made a game out of hiking by having us count out ten paces in front of them During

quiet times I loved to find a secret place in the woods near the camper to make my little home to

play in within the trees Many trips included a lake to swim and boat in and we loved that

When I was five or six years old on a camping trip Dad had warned me to

stop playing in the fire with my stick I disobeyed him when he wasnrsquot look-

ing and went back in to poke a stick around in the coals A hot coal landed on

my hand between my thumb and first finger burning me badly I didnrsquot want

to be in trouble so I determined to tough it out but my hand ached badly all night long and I

didnrsquot get much sleep We were on a walk the next morning and my mom reached down to hold

my hand and discovered a huge water blister Then I really was in trouble

Every summer we would

take a two to three week

camping trip

I have such a love for

camping as a result of

those years

A plaque on the wall in

the camper said something

like

―Kwitcherbelyakin

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

16

When I was about six years old we embarked on a long three-week trip to the west coast

We went to the Grand Canyon and then stopped in Las Vegas Jan Diane and I got to be ―on our

own in the upstairs area at Circus Circus watching circus acts and playing games while Mom

and Dad tried gambling in the casino below

We continued on to Disneyland in Anaheim California where we stayed in a camp-

ground near the amusement park We would go into Disneyland in the morning come back to

rest during the heat of the day and then go again in the evenings Diane has a funny memory of

being called ―grumpy by a man in a golf cart because she didnrsquot want to go see a berry farm It

was actually Knottrsquos Berry farm and I have a memory of trying to walk through a mixed up

house that defied gravity All the angles were wrong and I was dizzy Mom recalls that we forgot

our swim towels that were hanging on the clothesline

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

17

After we left Disneyland we went to the Redwood forest

where I met Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe They were

huge statues that talked to us We drove through a hollow red-

wood We took a tour of the redwood forests on the Skunk

Train and came back

on a commuter train

We took many wonderful road trips throughout the years On one trip when I was about

eight years old we visited Southern Colorado and stopped at the Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde

and the Four Corners monument On another trip we stopped at the Craters of the Moon on our

way to Washington State to visit our Grandparents While we were at the farm in Washington

we went to the beach with our Gradparents to the Science Museum and to the Portland Zoo

We went on another great trip to Dinosaur National Park the Grand Teton Mountains and

to Yellowstone National Park We explored Canyon Lands and Arches National Park in Utah

and we took trips all across the Rocky Mountains

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

18

One of my favorite trips ever was a three-week road trip to Florida Along the way we

stopped in Alabama to tour the battleship Alabama and we stopped and collected seashells at the

Gulf of Mexico Our main goal was to see the Hauser family They had four kids Rhoda Eric

Ernie and Rachel and a beautiful home with a built in swimming pool I remember palm trees

and air conditioning swimming in the pool a lot and Eric finding me a coconut to take home as

a souvenir We all went to the Everglades and took a boat ride to see alligators On the way

home we drove through New Orleans where Dad knocked out the glass in a side window of the

camper while parking next to a sign My only memory of New Orleans is of a plump black

woman ―Tsk Tsking in an apron wielding a broom as she swept up the glass

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

19

I wish I paid more attention to where I was going as we traveled Jan used to like to look

for different States License plates I would sleep a lot play games or read Sometimes we would

play the ABC game looking for a sign with a word starting with an ―A then a ―B etchellip Some-

times we would play travel bingo or ―I see something you donrsquot see and it is hellip Another favor-

ite thing to do while looking out the window from the bunk over the cab was to try to get truck-

ers to blow their horns and to get drivers to wave back at us when we waved at them At the

campgrounds my sisters and I would make friends with other children and sometimes we would

have a baseball game Other times we would collect different kinds of bottle caps My Mom did-

nrsquot want to carry our collections with us so she would trade them for a piece of candy and then

they would disappear

My Dad would grill steak and potatoes wrapped with bacon chicken with corn on the cob

cooked in the campfire coals ribs fresh trout and always SrsquoMores After dinner My Father

would build the fire up and we would all gather around and tell stories or attempt to sing songs

When we went to sleep we slept three across on the top bunk Many kicking fights were broken

up by tired parents as we struggled to claim our territory Sometimes when we had a long way to

drive Dad would get up really early and leave us all sleeping He would drive several hours (in

peace) before we awakened to find ourselves on the road again

On the road trip back to Colorado in the

camper Jan put her knee through the

window of the top bunk showering

broken glass down on the hood of the

truck That scared my parents who

thought a body would surely follow

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

20

My Mom liked to bowl on a league At the Thunderbird bowling lanes I spent one morn-

ing a week in the daycare at the bowling alley I can still clearly see the cinderblock walls and

the bright yellow and orange checkerboard lockers I still kind of like the loud noises in the

bowling alley with balls rolling and pins smashing together I guess they remind me of those

early memories

I was lucky to be born in the year 1959 as I had al-

most one dozen girls my age that lived close to our

neighborhood My sisters had a few good friends each

that lived close by but by the time I started school

friends my own age surrounded me Liz Tary was my

first Paragon Estates friend who spent countless hours

playing with her sister Mary my sister Diane and me

She lived right across the street

My sisters started school two and four years

before I was old enough to go While I got Mommy

to myself while my sisters were at school I also

missed my sisters I remember twirling in the tire

swing out in front of the house waiting for the bus

to come I also had a bright yellow push peddle hy-

draulic dump truck that I wish I still owned today I

have a photo of me sitting patiently in my dump

truck waiting for my sisters to step off the bus

Snow Turkey

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

21

I met my best friend Coleen Androvich on the first grade school bus

As I entered my Elementary school years my close friends expanded to include Dana

Burdick Terri Washington Kristine Steinhauer Shelli Allen Theresa Steele Lynn Lamontagne

Lauren Weinstein Gretchen Lockwood Kim Harrison Betsy Mack and Nanette Heidt We rode

our bikes everywhere we went because the neighborhood was spread out on acreage and houses

were far apart Theresa Steele and Betsy Mack lived in the Spanish Hills Subdivision Dana Bur-

dick and Nanette Heidt lived in Fairview Estates Liz Tary and I lived on the ―Upper Loop in

Paragon Estates and Shelli Allen Gretchen Lockwood and Kim Harrison lived on the ―Lower

Loop As you climbed up the hill towards Davidsonrsquos Mesa you would first pass Christine

Steinhauer and Lena Aweidarsquos homes on the left and then Coleenrsquos house was a branch off to

the right on Spring Ct As you continued the trek upward Terri Washingtonrsquos house was on the

ME

Kristine

Coleen

Liz

I had two little friends early

on by the name of Ellie and Jeff but

they moved away after a couple of

years and I never saw them again

They lived on the lower loop by the

Korans

Jeff Ellie Karen

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

22

right and then you would turn left to the top of the Mesa to visit Lynn Lamontagne and Lauren

Weinstein It was a different world back then so I must have checked in periodically but most of

us were ―on the run until dinnertime At my house dinner was Six orsquoclock sharp

Coleenrsquos house was my second home and her parents were my second parents I can still

picture the layout of that house as if I were there just yesterday Coleenrsquos bedroom was upstairs

and when you came down the stairs the formal living room was off to the right (Off limits I

think the couches might have been covered with plastic) Coleen had a Siamese cat named Mia

and older sisters and a brother who thought we were little pests She had Russian Grandparents

living in the basement for a time (when we were older) My favorite memories were the times we

spent in the basement playroom She had an extensive play kitchen and lots of fun toys to play

with One favorite set of dolls collected back then were called ―Liddle Kiddles and from my

memory these dolls were about 2 tall resembled pixie or fairies smelled scented and were en-

cased in a lockets or perfume bottles

The Kiddle had their heyday in the late

1960s Many little girls during that time had

several Liddle Kiddles to their names The

Kiddles could be worn (Lucky Locket Kid-

dles) sniffed (Kola Kiddles and Kiddle Ko-

lognes) and even shot into outer space (well

figuratively with Kosmic Kiddles)

When I started school I always rode on a full-sized yellow

school bus I think the elderly bus drivers name was Mr McCutchen

and he was a kind man that we all loved My bus picked up kids

from Paragon Estates Spanish Hills and Fairview Estates Regular

riders included all the girls I mentioned earlier as well as Allen Ab-

shire Greg Gapter Todd Clynke Denise Negler and Eric Peterson

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

23

Coleen had other really cool toys too I remember baking little cakes

and cookies in her Easy Bake Oven and she had a similar oven to make

Creepy Crawlers in Creepy Crawlers were plastic bugs flowers and other

assorted shapes made by pouring ―goop into a mold and cooking it

Shelli Allen had a bunch of brothers and sisters and I thought that was very cool Her

Mom was always very welcoming and offered freshly baked goodies to snack on Her family

was very religious and I remember kneeling down on the floor next to our chairs to pray before

dinner I liked the strong sense of family I felt when I visited there

I wasnrsquot a bad student but I wasnrsquot the best one either I think I was more interested in

the social aspects in school than the academic ones I started Kindergarten at Burke Elementary

School and my teacher was Mrs Liddle I then moved to Arapahoe Elementary School for first

Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven was

introduced in 1963 by

Kenner Products a Cin-

cinnati Ohio based toy

company The early mod-

els were designed to look

like miniature conven-

tional ovens

The Easy-Bake Oven

currently a product of

Hasbro is a working toy

oven that for many years

used an ordinary light

bulb as a heat source but

now has a true heating

element Eleven versions

of the Easy-Bake Oven

have been sold It comes

with packets of pastry

mix and small round

pans (Additional mixes

can be purchased sepa-

rately) After water is

added to the mix in the

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

24

grade with Mrs Johnson and second grade with Mrs Bentsen I was definitely bad the day that I

was laughing and giggling in class with Coleen Donnelly and was sent to the principals office I

thought I was going to get a spanking but only got a talking to instead

I went to Douglas Elementary School for third through sixth grades My teachers were

Mrs Feldman Mrs Purcell Mrs Kienzle and Mrs Phillips The only teacher that really sticks

out in my mind is my fourth grade teacher Mrs Purcell I thought she was mean and she scared

me to death Whatrsquos interesting about that is that I got reacquainted with her as an adult and

found out she was really a decent person

When I was in grade school my Mom gave me a little notebook in the shape of an orange

that I used to collect autographs from my friends and family I carried that little notebook with

me for 40 years until my dog got ahold of it in 2009 and decided to maul it I am going to trans-

fer some of the writings to this page to preserve the memories

To my stupid

sister

Jan

To a nice but

mean sister

Keep that

way

Diane

To a nice little girl who does everything

shersquos told

Grandma

To a nice little girl who is sweet kind lov-

able generous helpful friendly nice enjoy-

able co-operative and willing

Anyone answering this description please let

me know

Dad Dear Karen

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Friends are nice

And so are you

Betsy (Mack)

Teresa Goodwin

Yoursquore nice 0)

Irsquom not going to say anything special

But I like you

Love amp peace forever

Coleen

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

25

When you are old

And out of shape

Remember that

Girdles

Are $498

Liz Tary (not Really)

To a good friend for-

ever

Lauren Weinstein

Roses are red

Violets are blue

And sugar is sweet

And so are you

Margaret Adams

Now I lay me down to rest

I pray I pass tomorrowrsquos test

If I die before I wake

Thatrsquos one less test I have to

take

Kristine

To one of the nic-

est girls I know

Good Luck

Kim K

You are a real nice

kid and I like you a

lot

Denise Negler

Have a nice spring

If it ever comes

Gretchen Lockwood

Valerie Jones

_________________

Hi Karen

I like you a lot Good luck

Yours Forever

Leann Brown

Read down will

Up and see

And you that

I LOVE

YOU

Teri

To Karen

Roses are red

Violets are Blue

You are my cousin

And I like you

From Julie Eifler

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

26

More Gradeschool friends

Dana Burdick Eric Peterson Alan Abshire Theresa Steele

Tom Vidamour Doug Meneley Tim Campbell Bart Woodiel

Todd Parish Steve Peterson Mike Compton Mark Wolny

Laura Cyphers Kim Medaner Jim Keene David Nelson

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

27

David Fransean Brett Fransean Chris Edwards Barb Swisher

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

28

One little ―Karen oddity was due to the three operations I had before the age of ten I

really liked the amount of attention I was given as a result of those operations For years I would

fashion crutches made of sticks and hop around on a pretend broken leg creating injuries in my

mind For a long while I thought I wanted to be a nurse inflicting injuries on my dolls and patch-

ing them back up again Coleen and I would play nurses on the playground at school fixing up

the boys who got hurt in the battlefield In school during those years I was always acting out to

get noticed The Kindergarten teacher called one time to ask my Mother whether I was getting

enough attention at home

I was a bed wetter as a child I think I really tried the patience of my parents who tried

everything to stop the behavior unsuccessfully I have several traumatic memories of sitting mis-

erably on my foot knowing without a doubt that if I got up I was going to have trouble I did

have a few small tense moments in class but another girl Tammy REALLY created a puddle

under her desk and I was SO glad it wasnrsquot me Kids are so cruel My problem ended up being a

medical one that was corrected through surgery when I was nine years old

Memories of my hospitals stays are varied I had my ton-

sils removed when I was six my Appendix removed when I was

seven and an operation to repairs a leaky Urethra valve when I

was nine I had the Tonsillectomy because I was sick with strep

throat a lot and back then it was very common to remove in-

fected tonsils The Appendectomy was much more unexpected

One day I had terrible pain in my abdomen and recall lying down on the couch by Grandma and

Grandpa Eifler for hours and hours (I think Mom and Dad thought I was faking) before heading

to the hospital with acute Appendicitis

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

29

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

30

That day remains very clear in my mind I saw the sign at the hospital that said ―no children

allowed and told Mommy that I wasnrsquot supposed to go in I remember my doctor playing ―Dr

Kildare pushing me on a gurney through double doors into the operating room He painted a

smiley face on my scar when he removed my stitches All the kids at school sent me get well

cards and that was very cool

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

31

This was back in the days when parents were not encouraged to stay

with their children at the hospital and I remember feeling very frightened and

alone after Mom and Dad went home Dad wrote down his phone number at work and gave me

permission to call him when I got scared He also asked me if I wanted a cute present or a funny

one and when I chose ―funnyrsquo he brought me a fuzzy purple furple which was basically a

fuzzy stuffed animal with arms legs and a funny face I loved it

As I felt better I made friends with other patients and played Score Four

with them and with Mom and Dad All the kids at school made cards and sent

them to me to read as I recuperated The worst pain I remember is when they

removed the staples from the incision after the third operation

OWWWWW Diane remembers being very scared when I went into

the hospital for one of those operations She thought I was going to

die

In the winter time my Dad and Mom would drive us up to Pactolus Lake near Nederland

to ice skate I remember skating as early as 1965 at the early age of four or five holding on to

both of my parentrsquos hands

Pactolus Lake was a world of itrsquos own with a warming hut built over part of the lake

and an indoor skating area downstairs Sometimes we arrived to silent peaceful

frosted beauty Sometimes it was very cold and windy out on the ice and we

would fight our way down to one end of the lake and let the wind blow us back

to the other side At other times it was clear and mild and beautifully sunny

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

32

When the weather was bad I loved to

practice my spins and spend time alone inside

the ice house which was dimly lit by a few incandescent bulbs The warming house was a large

barn-like edifice that once was used to store ice blocks cut from the lake The blocks were loaded

aboard railroad cars and taken to Denver to cool the meat lockers in the days before mechanical

refrigeration was available There were about a dozen posts that held up a very high roof (about

30 ft tall) and although the wind was blocked out it was always cold I would eventu-

ally find my family and we would sit and rest on the warming house bench sipping hot

chocolate together The warming house was a one story addition built on the west side

of the ice house Pactolus Lake is a favorite winter memory of mine and the begin-

ning of a love for skating that all three girls developed and maintained for many years

The lake closed down eventually I found the ruins of the old warming hut when Chris and I

were on a road trip in recent years and it brought back a flood of warm memories for me

As a little girl I remember pretending to be a world-

class ice skater in the summertime using the patio as my ice

skating rink to practice my jumps and spins As teenagers we

transferred our skating passions to the flatirons skating rink in

Boulder Flatirons became a major hangout in our teenage

years

The California Zephyr train ran between

Los Angeles and Chicago and it used the

tracks that ran right by the lake When-

ever a train came by all the showoffs on

the lake would perform our best tricks for

the passengers and trainmen The passing

of a train was exciting especially when

the silver cars of the Zephyr glided by

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

33

Sledding was another great favorite Our

house was on a hillside with a dirt road that had

very little traffic It became the perfect sledding hill

after a decent snowfall I remember piling three

high on top of my father and sledding down the hill

on a flexible flyer on our bellies Half the time we

would go flying off and get up laughing and ready to go again I also remember him attaching a

flying saucer to the back of his truck and pulling us behind the truck through the whole neighbor-

hood When he whipped us around the corners we felt as if we were almost flying (He probably

was going fairly slowly in reality) Today that probably wouldnrsquot be considered safe but it was a

blast

Speaking of unsafe Fireworks Dad always care-

fully supervised us but we had some really great fireworks

when I was a kid We had cherry bombs and we blew up pop cans with them We had awesome

fountains loud pop bottle rockets and always had sparklers

We would usually go to Folsom field to see the fireworks display and the sing-along was

as good as the show ―There was an Old Woman who swallowed a fly ―Deep and Wide and

―Old Mister Ford were my favorites The Lutherans always had an ice cream social nearby and

we took our grandparents with us to all of the festivities

My sisters and I would carry little

American flags and have our own

parade around the house and then all

the way around the block

4TH OF JULY

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

34

I have always loved holidays and I have several favorites particularly Easter and Christ-

mas I felt extremely blessed to have the kind of Mom who always bothered to transform the

whole house into ―holiday mode At Easter she put together the perfect Easter baskets for the

Easter Bunny to deliver and there was always a great Easter egg hunt at church and at home We

always had shiny new shoes and pretty new dresses to wear to church and Easter dinner was a

wonderful celebration

In more recent years she started filling plastic eggs for the grandchildren and she had the

best system where each kid knew to look for only a certain color Each childrsquos eggs were filled

with age appropriate items and we would hide the older kids eggs in difficult places while setting

the little kids eggs within easy reach It was pure genius

Christmas was heavily steeped in traditions We would go to the mountains and cut down

a tree We would decorate the tree together handling treasured ornaments carefully and gently

draping tinsel over the ends of the branches My Mom taught us all to make German Stollen

bread that is sweet bread filled with candied fruit and nuts

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

35

On Christmas Eve we got to go downstairs

to see my Grandparents and open presents with

them We always listened to a parent reading

―Twas the Night before Christmas before bed

and then we would set out the milk and cookies

and go to sleep like little angels waiting for Santa

Claus to come

Mom helped us to make Gingerbread

houses I liked the frosting the best

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

36

My parents took us to Crossroads mall to sit on Santarsquos lap every year I think I believed

in Santa until I was eleven or twelve years old On Christmas Evening we went to bed in new

jammies freshly bathed and our hair set in curlers for Christmas morning services at church

In the morning first thing we were allowed to open the stockings lining the mantle

bursting with goodies My Mom would make a yummy breakfast and my Grandparents would

come upstairs to watch the chaos and flurry of unwrapping presents from under the tree It was

glorious Church services and a special family day with a wonderful meal would always follow

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

37

My parents raised us in a Christian home where I have always believed in God and en-

joyed all the rituals that went along with church and Sunday school On Saturday night we would

bathe and then have our hair set in curlers My Mom was a talented seamstress and she sewed

some beautiful dresses for us to wear sometimes dressing us all alike On Sunday morning Mom

and Dad would take us to services We knew not to misbehave in church If Dad took me outside

it was certain he was going to give me a spanking and that was not desirable My parents were

very smart and sat me in between them with a sister on either side of them With no one to fight

with the worst thing I ever did was to fall asleep and I did that very well sitting up When I was

very small I used to cuddle on my Daddyrsquos lap and play silent games with his hands He would

lace them together and we would play church and steeple or he would start with all his fingers

down and as I touched each one he would pop it up until I would touch it again to bring it back

down to rest

Once church was over it was time for Sunday school The best part was seeing my friends

Betsy Mack Lance Enholm Nanette Heidt and Scott Freeman As we grew up we went to mid-

week school and confirmation class and I made many of my friends through youth group and an

evangelism program called Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ

We were charter

members of Mt

Hope Missouri

Synod church in

Table Mesa in

South Boulder

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

38

Around Labor Day we would look forward to the Lafayette Days celebration There was

the Little Britches rodeo at night and booths and games and activities during the day The fes-

tivities took place at the end of summer right before school started and the officials would kick

the event off with a Kiddie Parade from City Hall to the Lafayette Park Many kids would dress

in costume and my cousin Tommy dressed up as Huck Finn

My sisters and I would wind red white and blue crepe paper through the spokes of our

bikes and join the opening parade At the end of the parade we received a free ride coupon and a

bag of goodies One time my sisters and I walked all the way there from our house in Paragon

Estates Diane got heat exhausted and we had to stop in the shade of a strangerrsquos tree and sip cool

water until she recovered

My Uncle Johnny and Aunt Joan lived in Lafay-

ette They had four kids of their own and they had such a

huge heart for children that they took in Foster kids as

well I remember a little blond girl but donrsquot recall her

name and a sweet little boy named Buddy They eventu-

ally adopted my Cousin Ken My aunt Joan loved Basset

Hounds as well Their house was filled with constant

movement of children and dogs and I loved it there

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

39

A favorite activity to do with our grandparents was to picnic in the mountains We would

take a drive up various canyons surrounding the Boulder area and wade in the streams skip

stones and watch Grampa and Dad fishing My Grampa Eifler loved to fish Gramma was con-

tent to sit with Mom at the picnic table and watch all the activity going on Mom would pull out

the checkered tablecloth and picnic basket and we would sit down to a scrumptious lunch at a

table nearby the stream

Once in a while we would travel up Trail ridge

Road and see big horn sheep and tundra and snow in the

middle of summer On the way down we would stop to

shop in Estes Park see the herds of wild elk and eat

freshly pulled taffy

Grandma and Grandpa Scholz at Flag-

staff Mountain During a Colorado Visit

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

40

My Grandparents were very talented people My Gramma could knit and crochet and she

played the piano My Grampa could play the fiddle and perform magic tricks Later in life he

took up oil painting Birthday parties were always special when my Grampa was alive He

would entertain my friends with his magic tricks

My birthday parties were cool anyway because of being the day before Halloween

Sometimes everyone would dress up in costume and I always felt like the entire Halloween holi-

day was simply part of MY special day My Mom made every birthday great by planning birth-

day parties with fun activities and themes and by baking cut-up cakes and decorating the fun

shapes in frosting and coconut I remember a clown party with a clown cake and animal cakes

such as a elephant and a bunny

Kristine Steinhauer

Diana Warren

Nanette Heidt

Teri Washington

Coleen Androvich

Betsy Mack

Liz Tary

Janrsquos Party

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

41

Saturday nights were exceptional around the Eifler household because Uncle Johnny

Aunt Joan Uncle Bud Aunt Irene and my cousins David Linda Johnny Tommy Bambi Julie

and Ken would arrive at the house We would have dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and the

male adults would play Pinochle and watch the Lawrence Welk show together My cousins

would play outside with us until we were called in for baths (and curlers) at dusk We would

play on the tire swing or in the ditch and my favorite thing of all was when we would organize a

baseball game in the field The baseball games would draw in neighborhood kids as well and

sometimes even the adults would join in Later at night my Cousin Tommy would sometimes

entertain us with scary ghost stories We would get scared silly

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

42

Gramma and Grampa had pets of their own Gramma always had a Parakeet singing in the base-

ment apartment where they resided They had a mean yellow kitty named Ginger Ginger chewed

through an electrical cord and lost half of her mouth She wasnrsquot ever quite right after that Next was a

crabby old (rather round) black dog by the name of Taffy who tended to snap at me whenever I came

too close Finally there was a sweet little

white dog with big ears named Mickey

and he and I were friends

My Grampa Eifler died in

February of 1968 when I was

only eight years old but I re-

member him well and can pic-

ture him to this minute My

Gramma Eifler lived into her

nineties and was a great pres-

ence in my life until my early

twenties She liked to play cards

with me once in a while and I

could talk to her about anything

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

43

Having grandparents in the home was the best thing ever Gramma and Grampa were warm

and loving and I could hang out with them and play in their house Whenever I got in trouble upstairs

I would run downstairs for laps and hugs and a butterscotch candy from Grammarsquos apron pockets

My Grampa liked Horehound candies but those had a strong flavor and werenrsquot as popular with the

kids My sisters claim that I was the spoiled youngest child and that Gramma would give me enough

candy to share with my sisters and I would run back behind the barn

and eat all of it

I claim I donrsquot remember that

Candy When we were very good Mom would take us to a store called Ben Franklinrsquos and

hand each one of us a dime With one dime I could buy a bag full of candy picked out from bins with

many kinds of candy to choose from Remember candy dots wax filled bottles of syrup candy ciga-

rettes taffy and tootsie rolls and pops MMMMM

When I was a little girl people didnrsquot eat out very much and when we were taken

to a restaurant we knew we had to behave well MacDonaldrsquos was my kind of place and it was a

huge treat to go there The whole family could eat there for under $1000 ―Shakeyrsquos Pizza Parlor

was another great favorite with a player piano I remember eating at the ―Denver Drumstick where a

train ran around the top of the room and my fried chicken was served in a train car The best break-

fast place in the whole world was the Pancake house We would get a plate full of very small ―dollar

pancakes and a Lazy Susan filled with different kinds of syrup such as maple honey strawberry

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

44

blueberry apricot blackberry and our favorite boysenberry (pronounced poisenberry) I recall des-

sert outings to A amp W Root Beer Dairy Queen Baskin Robbins and an Ice cream parlor called

―Swensonrsquos

I donrsquot think there were a lot of

injuries as my sisters and I were

growing up I DO remember

Jan being kind of a klutz on a

bike (sorry Jan) It seemed like

she would make it around half

the block and have to walk the bike home nursing skinned knees quite often I remember her stepping

on a nail one time and having to get a tetanus shot I remember Diane crashing her bike into a wall

Dad was building along on the back driveway of the house and having to get stitches in her thigh

There was another instance when girlfriends and I were playing in the ditch and the tire swing got

stuck in the tree One of us (Coleen) was poking the rope out with a big stick and lost her grip The

stick came down on Christinersquos head creating a tiny puncture wound that bled and bled and bled

scaring all of my parents and us to death

My sister Diane and I always shared a bedroom But she and I did not often get along with

each other I was a slob and she was a neat freak I wore all the clothes she forbade me to take I

thought she was prissy and un-cool and a tattletale during our high school years and she worried

about my immorality and hated my bad choices I remember drawing a line down the middle of the

floor and forbidding each other to cross that line We didnrsquot start working at a friendship until our

mid-teens but we are very close today Jan and I got along better because of our age differences but

it was always two against one and someone was always left crying or mad Poor Mom and Dad

Jan

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

45

I may have been the spoiled little sister but there were times that I took the brunt of punishments unjustly I

vividly recall my fatherrsquos hairbrush being off limits to girls The poor man was surrounded by women and probably

had precious little that he could call his own Diane used his hairbrush and when confronted she blamed me I got

spanked with that hairbrush and I resented my sister for a time

I remember being in the Wonderland of Junior Cooking School with Diane when I was ten years old and

Diane was twelve It was sponsored through Public Service our utility company I remember mastering the art of

cracking an egg all by myself I also spent time in the kitchen with Mom learning how to bake cookies and cakes I

have a cruel and wonderful recollection of the time Diane was making cookies as a young teenager and her hair got

caught in the mixer winding it up and pulling her face closer and closer to the beaters as she screamed bloody mur-

der at the top of her lungs I (being such a good sister) rolled on the floor laughing hysterically while Mom finally

pulled the plug on the mixer

Jan got laughs from the whole family when she began dating and decided to bake her boyfriend a cof-

fee cake She had never made one before and folded in coffee grounds instead of the liquid I donrsquot

think the cake was a big hit but the man married her later in spite of that I hung out with Jan and her

DIANE

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

46

set of friends by the time I got to High School but in my Jr High School years she probably thought

I was a huge pest

Mom and Dad tried to find things for each of us to be good at I think I was a challenge I re-

member taking a pottery class once and although I do remember liking it I didnrsquot keep doing it I

also tried to play the Clarinet until it became dreadfully apparent that I had no musical talent whatso-

ever Diane liked cooking and baking things a lot and participated on the Wrestling team Mod Squad

for several years in High school My sister Jan was good at playing the piano and eventually the vio-

lin but I remember covering my ears when she was first learning

My parents always enlisted the help of all three girls at dinnertime One would set the table

all three would clear the table another would wash the dishes and the third child would dry the

dishes My Dad loved to say ―Who needs a dishwasher I have three He finally purchased a dish-

washer for my Mom after we all grew up

We always had a big garden with lots of fresh vegeta-

bles I liked to eat carrots and tomatoes straight from the

garden All we would do is rinse them with a hose before

munching on them We all learned to help with the plant-

ing and weeding One fabulous summer job (not) was

picking tomato worms off the tomato plants and drown-

ing them at five cents a piece When the corn was ready

to harvest it became a family event My Mother would

have all three girls sitting out under the Silver Maple

trees in the back yard shucking corn for what seemed like forever Then she would take the corn and

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

47

blanch it cutting the corn off the cob with an electric knife and freezing it in Ziploc Baggies All

winter long we ate the corn we had fixed from the garden

A favorite place to be in the summertime was the Boulder Reservoir Aunt

Irene and Uncle Bud lived right up the road from the Boulder Reservoir

and they always had season passes we could borrow Grandma and

Grampa would picnic with us under the shelter along the shore Our two

families would arrive early and claim a dock in the middle of the lake

Then we would spend the day picnicking swimming sun bathing and wa-

terskiing

Diane

Aunt Irene and Uncle Bud taught all of us

how to water-ski I took pride in being able to take

dock starts and to land back on the dock without

getting wet I remember Diane smacking into the

dock one time but she was fine

Me Pouting

Never

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

48

My Aunt Irene was always the comedian She could make us all laugh and she always had

fun things for all the kids to do She continued to be the ―party Aunt to all of our kids as they grew

up as well My Uncle Bud was the strong silent force behind her gentle patient always kind

My Father bought a Go-Cart and all of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would either go out

to the racetrack or up to the top of Davidsonrsquos Mesa At the top of the mesa were some turn-a-rounds

where houses were planned but not yet built We raced up and down those roads over and over en-

joying our first attempts at driving a vehicle First we rode with an adult and then as we gained ex-

perience we were allowed to navigate the path alone

Cousin

Linda

Grampa

Eifler

ME

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

49

My Mom and Dad signed all three girls up for swim lessons every summer at Scott Car-

penter pool at Arapahoe and 30th St I thank my parents for my love of water The only trau-

matic memory was of the instructors trying to get me to dive out past a metal pole they would

hold out over the water I never did get the hang of diving There was a big slide in the water

and THE best park there with a spaceship and that spaceship still exists today Itrsquos very cool to

think that my children climbed through the same park playground equipment that I played on

when I was small

That rickety old building has been refurbished but still exists today and holds all kinds

of shows Amazing Mt Hope would always have itrsquos annual picnic at the shelter next to

the theatre After we all ate an abundant spread of potluck food dishes the kids would

run off to the playground

Another summer treat was go-

ing to the movies up at Chau-

tauqua Park Our dairy was

Watts Hardy Dairy and if we

took the cardboard insert from

the top of the milk bottle we

would get into the movies for

free

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

50

My parents liked to go to the MotorenaDrive-in on Arapahoe Avenue near the

public Service plant They would pile three children in pajamas into the back of the car

with pillows and blankets and the whole family would go to see a double feature There

was a playground down in front for the kids to play on We would usually only make it

awake through the first movie I remember seeing a movie called Cat Ballou (1965)

when I was little and I must have been older when I recall seeing a really odd set of

movies Soylent Green (1973) and Westworld (1973)

Boulder Theatres Trivia and History

This is a great link httpwwwinternationalfilmseriescomtimelinephp

Chautauqua Auditorium (1300 seats) opens on July 4th 1898 first place in Boulder to

show moving images via the Kinetoscope

The Temple Theatre (540 seats) was the first place to project a film (Hooligans of the

West) in Boulder (1906) for twenty-five cents admission It was located on the third

floor of the Masonic Temple Building on the southwest corner of 14th and Pearl Built

in the 1890s it later burned down on April 5th 1945

The Isis (607 seats) formerly known as The Rex became in 1916 the first theatre built

specifically for motion pictures and was located at 2022 14th Street It later became the

The Fox on January 13th 1951 and burned down April 18th 1960 Only the marquee

and sign remained so the management moved both to the old Rialto Theater on Univer-

sity Hill which they reopened as the New Fox It now is a venue for live perform-

ances

The Sink opens in 1924 originally named Somers Sunken Garden Many decades later

(in the 50s) it would provide Robert Redford with a job as a janitor while he attended

CU on a baseball scholarship (which he then lost due to alcohol-related infractions)

In 1935 the Curran Opera House closes It reopens as The Boulder Theater in Janu-

ary 1936 and would continue through the 70s with Chuck Norris martial-arts films

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

51

Robert Redford titles (eg The Great Waldo Pepper) and Sinbad movies featuring the stop-

motion magic of Ray Harryhausen - but would close as a dedicated cinema house in 1979

A 650 seat Varsity Theatre was opened by Fox Intermountain in 1941 then closed for nine years

beginning about 1961 and then was remodeled and reopened as the Boulder Art Cinema in 1970

The Boulder Art Cinema was on Pearl Street between 13th and 14th

On October 1 1948 the Moterena Drive-In opens on East Arapahoe east of 63rd Street The

Moterena Drive-In closes in 1977

The Flatirons Theater opens on University Hill (1950)

The Holiday Drive-In theatre opens July 9 1953 The theater serves 650 cars and has the latest

in-car sound receiver sets It features elevated ramps so that the car windshields are in line with the

screen The Drive-in was moved to 28th St and Lee Hill Rd in 1969

Sidney Poitier wins an Academy Award for his performance of Homer Smith in Lilies of the Field

(1963) The film is inspired and based on the Convent of St Walburga located in Boulder

In 1967 an 800 seat house called the Village 70 opened in the Arapahoe Village Shopping Center

In December of 1977 the Village Theater transforms into a 4-plex and opens three more screens

In 1970 Basemar Twin Cinema opens on Broadway and Baseline in the Basemar Shopping Cen-

ter

Woody Allens Sleeper (1973) makes use of NCAR and other Boulder locations

The Mann Arapahoe Village 4 opens across the street from The Village (1979)

There was a United Artists Regency Theatre a downtown house which was taken over by an in-

dependent operator in 1968

The Holiday Drive-In closes in the early 1980s and the property is slowly converted into low-

income housing the marquee is still standing on Hwy 36 Manns Crossroads Common 6 opens

on Pearl Street (1986) The Fox on the hill closes and reopens as a concert venue In the summer

of 1989 the Art Cinema and United Artists Regency close

The Shining (inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park) was mostly shot in Mount Hood Ore-

gon but it also had a few pickup shots in Boulder (shot by IFS projectionist John Templeton)

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

52

I loved the TV shows we had when I was a child probably because we were not allowed to

watch the television very often and when we did it was the whole family gathered around together

eating popcorn My favorite memories are of the Sunday night regulars ―Hee Haw Bonanza Mu-

tual of Omaharsquos ―Wild Kingdom and my very favorite ―The Wonderful World of Disney (1954mdash

1966)

Do you recall these episodes Davey Crockett Toby Tyler The Ugly Dachshund Charlie

The Lonesome Cougar The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

Those Calloways Escape to Witch Mountain Absent Minded Profes-

sor Parent Trap The Shaggy Dog That Darn Cat The Love Bug

I have SO MANY favorite shows from that time period Gilliganrsquos Is-

land Family Affair Gentle Ben My Friend Flipper I Dream of Jeanie

Bewitched Get Smart Adams Family Brady Bunch Flying Nun

Johnny Quest Lost in Space Hogans Heros The Jetsons Petticoat Junctions Andy Griffith Beverly

Hillbillies On and on

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

53

Our good grades got us into the roller skating rink

The roller skating rink was in downtown Boulder across from central park between

Arapahoe and Canyon Blvd at 14th street I donrsquot remember exactly how it worked

but I remember that ―As got more free admissions than ―Bs would get Roller-skating was harder

for me than ice-skating I always thought four wheels were heavy and awkward I DID love the

games they played though I liked the ones where you would try to freeze when the whistle blew

and the four corners game and the Limbo

When the school year ended (1971) my

parents chaperoned a class trip for my sister

Dianersquos science class Mr Hudiberg took his en-

tire class to the Sand Dunes and I got to ride

along I thought it was very cool hanging out with

the older kids but I bet I embarrassed Diane

In the spring of 1972 I was confirmed in the

Missouri Lutheran church That was a big deal since it

involved years of midweek school instruction two ver-

bal questionings in front of the congregation and a writ-

ten essay I got a new dress and high heels to wear for

my confirmation and we all wore a white gown and had

our photo taken being blessed by Pastor Reiss

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

54

As we approached our teenage years Coleen and I talked about boys more and more I re-

member that she went to New York one summer and when she came back she educated me about

what sex was She had learned all sorts of important information from her New York cousins

I loved sleepovers at my friendrsquos houses Terrirsquos house was great because she had a built in

swimming pool Coleenrsquos was fun because her Mom would always fix us pop and ice cream sand-

wiches and frozen Banquet dinners or Totinorsquos cardboard pizzas That was a real treat for me be-

cause my stay at home Mom didnrsquot buy foods like that Sleepovers usually involved six to twelve

girls and as we morphed into teenagers they involved glamour make up and dress up ghost stories

seacuteances and Ouija Boards and lots and lots of talk about boys At one sleepover at Kristinersquos house I

recall ―practicing kissing (yes itrsquos true I kissed a girl once) Once in a while we would ―sneak out

to meet the boys in the fort by the ditch Remember the evil black dog Coleen We egged or TPrsquod

our share of houses and once we even tried ―streaking (a seventies fad) through the neighborhood

That was hilarious because we didnrsquot want anyone to see us so we dove into bushes and off into

ditches every time a car drove by Coleen has a memory of us breaking the fish tank in my parentrsquos

basement during a sleepover but I donrsquot recall that I DO recall jumping the fence once at the lake by

Platt Jr high school (with Laura Cyphers) to skinny dip one moonlit night

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

55

A couple of sad losses occurred in my Jr High years In January of 1973 my Friend Don Don-

nelly was killed in a sledding accident He had a twin sister Colleen and I was really affected by this

loss I think it was the first time someone my age had died Then I had my first experience with a

friend committing suicide when Randy Thomas died I had some guilt about his death because he

took his life shortly after I said I didnt want to go out with him

Dana and Coleen and I all had nicknames we would

call each other Donrsquot ask me how it started but I can imagine

that it was just silly girl talk on a school bus riding to or

from school one day Coleen was ―Andy as in ―and he I

was ―Iffy as in ―if he and I think there were other friends

with similar nicknames like ―Coudy (could he) and

―Woody (would he) Maybe those friends can remind me

who they were so I can correct this Dana was always

―Burdo simply because

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

56

When I was thirteen I went to Dianersquos friend Cindyrsquos church camp for a week It was my first

experience away from my family and I really loved it It was a Christian camp and they talked a lot

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Although I was raised a Christian I never

knew I could accept Jesus into my heart and have a personal relationship with him I accepted an alter

call and will always pinpoint that time as the point at which I gave my life to Christ I remember

Mom being upset by this when I returned home as she felt I was a cradle Lutheran and was raised as

a believer and therefore had no need to convert

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

57

I went to the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) summer camp with Dana in 1973 and with

Coleen in 1974 and I really have

great memories of those times

We learned how to navigate through the woods made crafts went swimming and horse-

back riding played capture the flag and played wonderful pranks on fellow campers We got

―boyfriends that we kept in touch with through letters for a while and we always had trouble

wanting to go back home when the week ended

When we sat down to eat meals in the dining hall there was a rule ―No elbows on the ta-

ble If someone caught you with your elbows on the table EVERYONE would sing

―Karen Karen strong and able

get your elbows off the table

This is not a horsersquos stall

but a peoples dining hall

Round the building you must go

you must go you must go

We made great friends

with counselors by names such

as Rattle-rat Bobcat Grizzly and

Squirrel

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

58

Round the building you must go

you were naughty

Out the door you would run all the way around this massive log cabin If you were forgetful

enough to repeat the infraction out the door you would go again Only this time when you came in

everyone would sing ―Back around the other way

other way other way

Back around the other way

you were naughty

Each cabin would get awards for being the cleanest or the messiest We got the messiest

award Each cabin would have to make up and perform a skit at

the closing ceremony Ours was really lame

I remember getting to go camping to Yellowstone with the

Androvich family and having Coleen travel with us on a trip to

Sand Dunes and Mesa Verde I also remember traveling with

Shelli and her family on vacation but canrsquot remember where we went (Utah) What I DO remember

is that Shellirsquos Dad accidentally hit a dog while driving and he had us stay in the car while he tried to

track down the owner Coleen and Dana and I also went to the YMCA camp in Estes Park

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

59

Back in the seventies my friends and I all kept in touch through postcards and letters sent

through the US Postal Service I still have the letters my friends and families wrote to me when I

went to camp love letters written by early boyfriends and postcards from my friends sent during

their summer travels

-

These are all my

―Best friends How

come they canrsquot spell

my name

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

60

Coleen and I were capable of getting into a lot of trouble We experimented with smoking

cigarettes in the fields behind my house We began by trying to smoke ―Pull Apart weeds but they

tasted terrible Somehow we got a hold of cigarettes and managed to set the field behind the rope

swing on fire I donrsquot know how we managed to get the

flames put out just in time to see my fatherrsquos car round

the corner but that was a VERY close call

I have a letter in my scrapbook promising never

to smoke cigarettes again It was a contract between

Lauren Coleen Dana Teri Kristine and Teresa and I

signed by all of us

Another time a group of girls decided it would be a great idea to

experiment with drinking all kinds of alcohol Each one of us stole liquor from our parents and

brought it to school We took a sip of this and a sip of that out on our lunch break A friend who will

remain nameless got falling-down drunk and we got busted Every one of us was hauled into the prin-

cipalrsquos office and our parents were called Oops

My Father signed a similar contract

with me and he promised to pay

me $100 if I never smoked another

cigarette before I was twenty years

old I must have been serious be-

cause I collected that $100 when I

turned twenty Smoking other sub-

stances didnrsquot count did it

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

61

Elitch Gardens was a family owned

seasonal amusement park theater

and botanic garden in the West High-

land neighborhood of Denver Colo-

rado United States at 38th and Ten-

nyson streets For more than a cen-

tury Elitchs was one of the most

popular entertainment destinations in

Colorado It was nationally known

for its lush gardens the Trocadero

Ballroom the Theatre at the Gardens

and the premier wooden roller

coaster Mister Twister

Coleenrsquos Dad was very cool because he worked at IBM That meant ndash IBM DAY AT

ELITCHES every summer The original Elitches Gardens were located at 38th and Tennyson

streets in Denver Coleen and I would run around the park from the minute it opened until it

closed at night dressed in tight shorts and little tops teasing and flirting with all the boys IBM

had the best food spread ever and we would run back for food every now and then Coleen and I

loved the old wooden trestle roller coaster and we would scream through the tunnel a million

times getting bruises on our arms from holding onto the bar so tight and taking the same ride so

many times

One summer when I was eleven years old Diane was thirteen and Jan was fif-

teen we were on a family camping trip through Montana Dad decided to stop for the

night and passed by all sorts of cool campsites with in Janrsquos opinion ―cute guys to

choose a boring campground with nothing to do Jan was resentful and she came up

with a great idea of hitchhiking into town Diane was all freaked out and refused to

go so Jan stuck out her thumb and she and I were picked up and taken to town Un-

fortunately the town consisted of one boring gas station so we bought a soda and

thumbed our way back to the campground Diane ―told on us to Mom and Dad but

they didnrsquot believe we actually did it (until years later) Good thing that was a better

world back then and no harm came to us during my first hitchhiking experience

62

When I was about thirteen we got a German shepherd puppy and we

named her Sara She was a wonderful dog but she did some really strange

things She loved the Sprinkler and she actually ran a rut into the grass in

the circular pattern that followed the spray of water She loved to catch

rocks You could keep her entertained forever throwing pebbles for her to

catch I remember a car stopping to ask for directions and when the door opened she jumped in the

car She just wanted to go for a ride The oddest thing she loved to do was to catch bees on the patio

She would finally get one in her mouth and make the most horrible face as she was most likely get-

ting stung while she chewed that bee up Then she would come right

back and do it again Sara only lived for five years She died while we

slept one night and my Dad thought she had choked on something I

really missed my dog but we were all moving out by then so they

never got another one

My very first ―boyfriend in fifth grade when I was twelve was Mike Warren My

first Jr High school boyfriend was a boy named Doug Meneley and he was so much

shorter than me that he would stand up a step from me to kiss me Budding relation-

ships were fairly innocent but fast and fleeting in those days as we all experimented

with what kind of guy we even liked or wanted to date

My early relationships that lasted a little bit

longer were with Jim Chrisman and Dave Vermillion

They brought me presents and gave me love notes

63

In Junior high Shelli and I would go to Mormon dances together at various churches She and

I both had boyfriends for a time that we would meet at those dances When we were apart we wrote

letters back and forth My boyfriend was named Darrin and I still have some of the love letters he

wrote to me

I went to my Nevin Platt Jr High School dance

with a bunch of girlfriends Shelli Allen Coleen

Donnelly Lauren Weinstein and Dianna Warren

all dressed up and looked beautiful in our long

Gunny Sack ndash like dresses My parents snapped a

photo as we arrived at the dance Lauren moved to

Arizona after ninth grade and we wrote back and

forth for a long time

I have a photograph of Lauren Weinstein Coleen Androvich

Shelli Allen Amy Jensen Michaela Lochran and I practicing

cheerleading I really wanted to be on the 9th grade Cheerlead-

ing team but wasnrsquot really surprised when I wasnrsquot chosen

What DID shock me is that Coleen didnrsquot make Cheerleader

either I thought for sure she would Terri Washington and

Christine Steinhauer were both 9th grade cheerleaders We had

to live vicariously through them

64

Here is the Nevin Platt Fight song

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Fight for victory

Fair and square wersquore always there

To win this game yoursquoll see Rah Rah Rah

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Loyal wersquoll always be

Stand and shout for Trojan power

Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight

65

I tried out for 9th grade girls Basketball team

with Coleen and we both made the team I was

so excited The truth was I had a really ―on moment the day of

the tryouts and I could never repeat it Coleen actually played

games while my main job was warming the bench

A fun winter activity was learning to Ski Coleen and I

took the YMCA Bus up to Eldora for at least eight ski les-

sons I loved to ski and thank my parents for finally finding

an activity I enjoyed doing I have continued to ski now

and then through the years Although I

never progressed past the intermediate

level I really enjoy being out in the fresh crisp winter air bundled in warm

clothing looking out over the snowcapped mountains and taking on a beautiful

slope covered in fresh white powder Amazing

In the summer before I turned fourteen I got

involved as a Candy Striper at Boulder

Community Hospital Coleen Dana Liz

Kristine Theresa and I all competed at least

one year of volunteer work I know both

Dana and I completed all three summers

66

I remember making a lot of beds filling water jugs running errands for the nurses and hav-

ing a few wheel chair races when we got bored I got really into it and earned 300 hours of service

over three years After that I became a Jr Auxiliary girl and volunteered some more There was a lit-

tle old lady named Dora Moorehouse (who had painted on eyebrows) who mentored me She was a

very special person and she blessed the hospital with her presence

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

63

In Junior high Shelli and I would go to Mormon dances together at various churches She and

I both had boyfriends for a time that we would meet at those dances When we were apart we wrote

letters back and forth My boyfriend was named Darrin and I still have some of the love letters he

wrote to me

I went to my Nevin Platt Jr High School dance

with a bunch of girlfriends Shelli Allen Coleen

Donnelly Lauren Weinstein and Dianna Warren

all dressed up and looked beautiful in our long

Gunny Sack ndash like dresses My parents snapped a

photo as we arrived at the dance Lauren moved to

Arizona after ninth grade and we wrote back and

forth for a long time

I have a photograph of Lauren Weinstein Coleen Androvich

Shelli Allen Amy Jensen Michaela Lochran and I practicing

cheerleading I really wanted to be on the 9th grade Cheerlead-

ing team but wasnrsquot really surprised when I wasnrsquot chosen

What DID shock me is that Coleen didnrsquot make Cheerleader

either I thought for sure she would Terri Washington and

Christine Steinhauer were both 9th grade cheerleaders We had

to live vicariously through them

64

Here is the Nevin Platt Fight song

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Fight for victory

Fair and square wersquore always there

To win this game yoursquoll see Rah Rah Rah

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Loyal wersquoll always be

Stand and shout for Trojan power

Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight

65

I tried out for 9th grade girls Basketball team

with Coleen and we both made the team I was

so excited The truth was I had a really ―on moment the day of

the tryouts and I could never repeat it Coleen actually played

games while my main job was warming the bench

A fun winter activity was learning to Ski Coleen and I

took the YMCA Bus up to Eldora for at least eight ski les-

sons I loved to ski and thank my parents for finally finding

an activity I enjoyed doing I have continued to ski now

and then through the years Although I

never progressed past the intermediate

level I really enjoy being out in the fresh crisp winter air bundled in warm

clothing looking out over the snowcapped mountains and taking on a beautiful

slope covered in fresh white powder Amazing

In the summer before I turned fourteen I got

involved as a Candy Striper at Boulder

Community Hospital Coleen Dana Liz

Kristine Theresa and I all competed at least

one year of volunteer work I know both

Dana and I completed all three summers

66

I remember making a lot of beds filling water jugs running errands for the nurses and hav-

ing a few wheel chair races when we got bored I got really into it and earned 300 hours of service

over three years After that I became a Jr Auxiliary girl and volunteered some more There was a lit-

tle old lady named Dora Moorehouse (who had painted on eyebrows) who mentored me She was a

very special person and she blessed the hospital with her presence

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

64

Here is the Nevin Platt Fight song

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Fight for victory

Fair and square wersquore always there

To win this game yoursquoll see Rah Rah Rah

Go you Trojans Go you Trojans

Loyal wersquoll always be

Stand and shout for Trojan power

Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight

65

I tried out for 9th grade girls Basketball team

with Coleen and we both made the team I was

so excited The truth was I had a really ―on moment the day of

the tryouts and I could never repeat it Coleen actually played

games while my main job was warming the bench

A fun winter activity was learning to Ski Coleen and I

took the YMCA Bus up to Eldora for at least eight ski les-

sons I loved to ski and thank my parents for finally finding

an activity I enjoyed doing I have continued to ski now

and then through the years Although I

never progressed past the intermediate

level I really enjoy being out in the fresh crisp winter air bundled in warm

clothing looking out over the snowcapped mountains and taking on a beautiful

slope covered in fresh white powder Amazing

In the summer before I turned fourteen I got

involved as a Candy Striper at Boulder

Community Hospital Coleen Dana Liz

Kristine Theresa and I all competed at least

one year of volunteer work I know both

Dana and I completed all three summers

66

I remember making a lot of beds filling water jugs running errands for the nurses and hav-

ing a few wheel chair races when we got bored I got really into it and earned 300 hours of service

over three years After that I became a Jr Auxiliary girl and volunteered some more There was a lit-

tle old lady named Dora Moorehouse (who had painted on eyebrows) who mentored me She was a

very special person and she blessed the hospital with her presence

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

65

I tried out for 9th grade girls Basketball team

with Coleen and we both made the team I was

so excited The truth was I had a really ―on moment the day of

the tryouts and I could never repeat it Coleen actually played

games while my main job was warming the bench

A fun winter activity was learning to Ski Coleen and I

took the YMCA Bus up to Eldora for at least eight ski les-

sons I loved to ski and thank my parents for finally finding

an activity I enjoyed doing I have continued to ski now

and then through the years Although I

never progressed past the intermediate

level I really enjoy being out in the fresh crisp winter air bundled in warm

clothing looking out over the snowcapped mountains and taking on a beautiful

slope covered in fresh white powder Amazing

In the summer before I turned fourteen I got

involved as a Candy Striper at Boulder

Community Hospital Coleen Dana Liz

Kristine Theresa and I all competed at least

one year of volunteer work I know both

Dana and I completed all three summers

66

I remember making a lot of beds filling water jugs running errands for the nurses and hav-

ing a few wheel chair races when we got bored I got really into it and earned 300 hours of service

over three years After that I became a Jr Auxiliary girl and volunteered some more There was a lit-

tle old lady named Dora Moorehouse (who had painted on eyebrows) who mentored me She was a

very special person and she blessed the hospital with her presence

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

66

I remember making a lot of beds filling water jugs running errands for the nurses and hav-

ing a few wheel chair races when we got bored I got really into it and earned 300 hours of service

over three years After that I became a Jr Auxiliary girl and volunteered some more There was a lit-

tle old lady named Dora Moorehouse (who had painted on eyebrows) who mentored me She was a

very special person and she blessed the hospital with her presence

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

67

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

68

Coleen and I worked two summers in a Summer Playground Program with the City of Boul-

der We were Playground Assistant Leader Volunteers at Burke Elementary We helped with the chil-

drenrsquos program playing games and helping with crafts and activities We rode our bikes all the way

into town every day to volunteer One time I hit a pushed up piece of pavement on South Boulder

Road and went flying over the handlebars of my bike Traffic stopped and I was probably lucky a car

didnrsquot hit me as the road hardly had a shoulder to begin with I actually continued on my bike and

worked that day but had to call for a ride home My poor bloody knees wouldnrsquot bend with the

freshly formed scabs covering them

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

69

I had really busy summers Another activity for quite a few years was to participate in the

March of Dimes walkathon This was no small feat We collected donations from everyone we knew

and walked twenty full miles in one day I wonder why they stopped having those races We had a

little card that had to be stamped when we stopped at check stations along the way

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

70

When I was fourteen my Dad had to go to Los Angeles on a business trip and he took my

Mom Diane and I with him Jan was working by then so she stayed behind That was a wonderful

trip I had camped all of my life but this time we stayed in the Disneyland hotel in Anaheim and

Diane and I went on our own each day to Disneyland Mom took a tour of Universal Studios one day

Diane and I would ride the Monorail back and forth from Disneyland being adventurous riding

rides swimming in the hotel pool Diane and I actually got along well together for a change and

bonded a bit as sisters The best part is that we got out of school to go on this trip

This is the portion of this document that segues back into the ending that

was written for my journalism class Irsquom going to stop here in before I

enter the high school years and beyond when life became WAY more complex

Reflecting back I donrsquot know why I was such an insecure creature throughout my younger

years When I read through my yearbooks journals and report cards I see evidence of a pretty well

behaved student with good manners and decent grades The common themes throughout my friends

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

71

yearbook signatures were ―sweetest girl I know cute good looking always nice cool sexy (yes)

and good friend I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime I was good at some things learned a

ton accomplished a lot and have fond memories of fun times I had a really great life (even if I do

say so myself)

The strong sense of family within me has become so profound that one of my passions in life

today is preserving the past and documenting the present I am the historian who journals researches

ancestry writes poetry scrapbooks memories and photographs every special occasion I am part of

the family glue that sticks my extended relatives together keeping people in touch through written

communication organizing activities and honoring life events and mo-

mentous occasions My sisters and my Mother and I all love to take photos

and make photo albums These photo albums weave the fabric of our lives

into tangible records of times gone by My journals hold valuable records

of my childrenrsquos lives detailing the progression of my pregnancies through

the first five years of milestones

So what does all of this tell the reader about who I am I am the product of a secure child-

hood surrounded by generations of love My upbringing was steeped in German traditions and I was

made to be proud of my name and my heritage My parents maintained the bright yellow house I was

raised in until they moved to Longmont in the summer of 2008 Whenever I spot the vibrant yellow

house color as I round the corner to visit I continue to feel the peaceful presence of home envelope

me Although the neighborhood nowadays hosts large mansions and wealthy landowners our farm-

style house remains greatly unchanged The town has grown outward to join together with the coun-

try neighborhood but the tranquil peaceful quality of this little world resonates deep inside of my

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

72

inner being The old swing has been replaced with new rope and the neighborhood children

still congregate underneath the huge Cottonwood tree

As I sit quietly watching the neighborhood activity and reflecting on the past the breeze

gently swirls the autumn leaves around the wheels of the car and down Paragon drive I place

the gear shift into drive and slowly travel away from my childhood home without a backwards

glance As I face the future I am reminded that all is right in the world and the continuity of life

flows on

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

73

Retro Toysmdash

Remember playing

with any of these

I DO

Chatty

Cathy

Sewing Cards

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

74

Tulagirsquos

Remember these Places around Boulder Colorado

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

75

Colorado

Building -

Joslins Colaccirsquos

Restaurant

In

Louisville

CO

Arapahoe Elementary school

Burger King on 28th St

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

76

NeodatamdashLouisville CO

1910mdashjust thought it was coolmdashKirby

Bros

Der Wiener schnitzel

Colorado Book Store

Boulder Drug

Original

Mikersquos Camera

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

77

Campus Liquor

Lumber Mart

Watts Hardy Dairy

Pow Wow

The Boulder Christmas Star

Boulder Band Shell

The New Denverndash Boulder

Turnpike

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

78

Art Cinema

Baseline Safeway

Boulder Drug

Hi Mar Post Office

Boulder Bus Station Downtown

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

79

This picture

cracks me up

Look at all the

long haired

Boulder Hippies

hanging out in

front of the bar-

ber shop

Merynrsquos in Crossroads

One of my favorites Roman Village Pizza

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

80

Mustardrsquos Last Stand

Wrangler 2 BBQ

JC PenneymdashCrossroads Mall

Public ServicemdashArapahoe Rd

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

81

Rocky Mountain Records and Tapes

Before Pearl Street Mall

Majestic Savings and Loan

Lolitas

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

82

PINBALL 1975mdash1976 Games

Baby Pac-Man 1982

Photorsquos are from

Lyons Classic Pinball

Go and visit itrsquos a great

place

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

83

History of Pinballmdash Bally Hoo was a countertop mechanical game with optional legs released in 1931 Bally Hoo was

the first coin-operated pinball game and was invented by the founder of the Bally Corporation Raymond MaloneyThe term

pinball itself as a name for the arcade game was not seen until 1936

Tilt- The tilt mechanism was invented in 1934 as a direct answer to the problem of players physically lifting and shak-

ing the games The tilt debuted in a game called Advance made by Harry Williams

Powered Machines - The first battery operated machines appeared in 1933 Harry Williams made the first

By 1934 machines were redesigned to be used with electrical outlets allowing for new types of sounds music lights

lighted backglass and other features

Bumpers Flippers and Scoreboards mdash The pinball bumper was invented in 1937 The bumper

debuted in game called Bumper made by Bally Hoo

Harry Mabs invented the flipper in 1947 The flipper made its debut in a pinball game called Humpty Dumpty made by D

Gottlieb amp Company Humpty Dumpty used six flippers three on each side

Pinball machines during the early 50s began to use separate lights behind the glass scoreboard to show scores The 50s also

introduced the first two player games

The Future of Pinballmdash In 1966 the first digital scoring pinball machine Rally Girl was released Rally

In 1975 the first solid-state electronic pinball machine the Spirit of 76 was released by Micro

There was the Crystal Arcade where Grand Rabbits is now

There was Tommys Pinball Wizard on Broadway before University

There was Aladdins either in Crossroads or on the Hill

I always hung out with my sister at an Arcade in the basement of a building on the hill

What the heck was it called My sister Jan thinks it was the Silver Unicorn

Chris Jay and Gus all worked at the Sport Center pool hall It was owned by the

mobster Fast Eddie Marchiandohellip

Pinball was just getting popular by the mid 70rsquos Foosball was another favorite

84

Works Cited

―Eifel Encyclopedia Britannica 2005 Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service 31 Jan

2005 lthttpwwwbritannicacomebarticletocId=9032121ampquery=eifelampct=gt

―John Eifler Died Tuesday Evening Boulder Daily Camera Newspaper14 Feb 1968

Section A

Walker Alice ldquoThe Place Where I was Born The Presence of Others Fourth Edition New

York Bedford 2004 Page 642

by Stan Dyer

Believe it or not there was a time in this country when visiting a restaurant was a rare special occasion The only fast

food was either walk-up or drive-up there was no drive-through and it was not that fast It was the age of the

Four Food Groups and many people had the idea that fat was not only one of those four groups but also an essential

nutrient In those times one of Denvers favorite sit down family restaurants serving a variety of deep-fried com-

fort foods served the old-fashioned way (with plenty of saturated fat) was the Denver Drumstick

In every Drumstick restaurant (or at least every one I visited) there was a model train that made its way around the

inside perimeter of the restaurant on a track built near the ceiling People (especially kids) could watch the train as it

traveled on the track through a painted mural of Colorado scenery around the dining room through a tunnel into the

kitchen and back out again It was a good way to keep fidgety kids entertained and occupied while waiting for dinner

and was a sort of theme for the restaurant

Expanding on the train theme the Drumstick featured take out that came in boxcars Well not real boxcars but big

boxes that looked like small boxcars complete with a brakeman waving a lantern that held boxcar loads of chicken

fish or hamburgers These boxcar take-outs were the complete meals of the era featuring not only enough of the main

entre for the entire family but also potatoes gravy and their signature Texas Toast I do not remember if the food was

good but I do remember getting excited about the cool boxes and the big Texas Toast we all covered with the Drum-

stick thick chicken gravy before eating

This wasnrsquot writ-

ten by me but it

perfectly describes

one of my favorite

childhood dining

experiences