Life Story of Dorothy Evelyn McRae Keller, fifth installment

During the summer between my Junior and Senior year in high school, I went to San Diego to find a job for the summer. Aunt Minnie took me to the Employment Office and I was hired by a Chinese family who were moving to Los Angeles. To me they were very wealthy and I was to be their maid. I knew nothing about this sort of work but they were very patient with me. The following summer they wrote and asked me to take care of their children. They had three girls and one boy, who were adorable. I was as green as grass and on my evenings off I would take a street car to downtown Los Angeles by myself and go to a movie. Heavenly Father was surely watching out for me because I came to no harm.

That second summer I found they had a black maid. I had never been around blacks before and after a while she looked like everyone else to me. One evening she asked me to go to a party with her and I went. Thank goodness she watched out for me. I had a good time and no harm came to me.

I would like now to go back to my high school days. My favorite subjects were history and English; I also had an interest in drama and was in several plays in high school. When I was a freshman I got an A+ in English because I had an excellent teacher, Miss Skousen. During my later years I had a chance to work for Mr. Guitteau, our Superintendent. I learned a great deal at this time which helped me in future jobs.

Fortunately Gila Jr. College was located in Thatcher, so I completed all of my education in my home town. College was fun for me as I made many friends and I was much happier. All during this time, I worked for several people, doing house work, ironing, etc. Much was going on in the world at this time (1938-1940). Our English Literature teacher, Monroe Clark had strong attachments to France. Often during class he would say we were not going to talk about literature, but he would bring us up-to-date on conditions in Europe. He made the world situation very meaningful to us, for which I was grateful later. Another outstanding teacher was Wesley Taylor, and he made history a living thing. All of this took place in 1939, while the war with Germany was raging.

I recall one experience which taught me how much my Grandma loved me. One night late a group of kids decided to drive to Lakeside, where Elda Hansen lived. We arrived there late and stayed the night in the hotel. There were boys and girls in the car, but all were very well behaved. I felt so guilty that I had gone off without letting Grandma know where I was. I called her the next morning to let her know I was all right. She told me she knew she could trust me and I let that fact guide me in my future life.

A few days before graduation from college, the Institute class made a trip to the Graham Mountain and had a great time. After I returned home my lips broke out in one big scab because I was very sunburned. Grandma had made me a beautiful white lace dress for graduation which was trimmed with black velvet ribbons. Imagine how I looked with that dress and puffy lips. I was sure embarrassed.

After graduation I got a job working in the Court House in Safford with the Soil Conservation Service. I worked as a clerk and the boss was the man who had jilted my mother so many years before. He asked who my parents were and when I mentioned my mother, he said he had known her. I said to myself, “Yes, I guess you did”.

Link: Life Story of Dorothy Evelyn McRae Keller, sixth installment