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Helen (Filliol) Aardsma Family History
.....in progress........
Birth Place
Here I am at six week old with my Mom. August, 1954.
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Four months old.
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Six months old.
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One year old. I love those smocked dresses!
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Two years old.
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Our family's trip to Maine in 1959. I was five years old.
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My kindergarden class at Gladstone Public School in 1959.
I am in the second row on the right, fourth one in.
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Fifty-seven years after the photo above, in 2016, the Gladstone Public School was closed.
The windows on the left are the same kindergarden class windows that you can see in the photo above, on the right.
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The school looks exactly the same as I remember it as a child.
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These 2016 photos are exactly as I remember the school in 1959. I had many happy hours there. Many of the children in the kindergarden photo were in my same classes all the way up to graduating from high school. I attended this school until Grade 6, then moved to Central Public for Grade 7 & 8, where I was in the first junior high graduating class. They did not have junior high schools before that time.
I remember the same front gates and playing marbles in the dip where the gates attached. I believe those are the same gates that were there so long ago!
My grade school years were a time when we had Bible reading first thing in the morning, sang hymns, memorized scripture and said daily The Lord's Prayer, all during class time. Christmas was all about Jesus' birthday and we all had a least one turn playing the coveted Mary role by the time we left grade school. I'm grateful for this godly heritage.
The worst crime we kids did back then was to put gum under our desks. I think the shootings and drugs, etc that are now common place are a direct reflection of the godless education of our times.
I was a good student but every report card I got (I still have them!) says pretty much the same thing. "Helen is an excellent student, but she talks too much!" I hope my heavenly "report card" will reveal that I have used my words to uplift, encourage, and bring joy to other people's lives.
My Mom says I was more energetic than all of us five kids put together!
You can see what an imp I was.
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My sister and I were good friends with Jane, the one with the headphones on.
Jane and I are still in touch today.
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Grade 6.
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I loved sports and enjoyed playing in the local leagues.
I am holding the baseball bat, on the right.
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I started growing my hair out in the eighth grade.
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I remember when the next picture was taken. My parents had two Christian student boarders living with us. They both attended our church. One was named Miriam and the other Helen. Helen took this picture of me and told me that she was going to give it to Gerald, a teenage boy at our church that I had a crush on. I laughed at the idea and she snapped the photo. (I ended up marrying Gerald.)
Gerald and I began dating during high school.
Here I am visiting in Gerald's home.
This rocker was passed down to me by my mother-in-love.
I used it to rock all ten of my babies and now I rock my grandbabies in it.
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Here I am receiving "Female Athlete of the Year" during my 12th grade.
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My graduation from Grade 13.
(At the time, Canada had five years of high school). Gerald still has a well worn copy of this photo in his wallet.
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Gerald bought me this pet rabbit. May, 1973.
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I was a bridesmaid at my good friend Kathy's wedding. August, 1973.
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My best friend Jane got married and I was honored to be a bridesmaid for her.
Summer 1973.
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