Life Story Part VI
My Thoughts on Each Child—Annett
I intended to write about each of my children’s births, childhood and early adulthood in connection with their birthdays in this year of 2007 as this is the only year that they will all be in their forties. It is now November and I have yet to write about Annett. I’m not sure why it has been so hard to get this started—somewhere in my brain, I have been hesitant.
Maybe I have just been lazy. I think the problem has been that most of Annett’s history has already been written in my other three children’s stories as her birthday is the last one of the year. Also, very recently, I ran across a history she had written herself dated July 8, 1987 that I found in some stuff she sent to Grandma Nonie. I started to think that I would use it to get me going on her story.
And so, Annett was born on August 13,1960 in Lovell, WY while we were living in the little cement block house next door to Wally’s parents. She is our second child, but a first daughter. She is two years and five months younger than Andy and twenty-two months older than Jay. As Annett wrote in her personal history, we were all very excited to have a little girl in the family. We had struggled with Andy’s birth while in the Army in Virginia so far away from home with no one to help or advise us on taking care of a new infant, so the birth of our little girl right in Lovell was very different. We, as parents, were a little older with a little more experience, and we had Granddad and Grandma next door in case we needed anything.
Her birth was difficult as she was breech, which meant her feet were down instead of her head. I had been going to Dr. Tom Croft, who was the town’s old doctor, for my pre-natal care. As luck would have it, Dr. Croft was out of town at the time of my delivery and the infamous Dr. Story had to coach me in pushing her head around during the labor and delivery. Finally, after a tough time, he gave me a spinal and she was born.
In Jay’s story I have already described Dr. Story as the Lovell doctor who was later convicted of raping his patients. It was a sordid tale of a man with a sick compulsion. He was tried and convicted of several rapes and sent to the state prison in Rawlins for 20 years. The last I heard he has been free for at least the last five (now 10) years and is living in Lovell with his wife.
We had already picked out the name Annette for a girl when we had Andy. I liked the middle name Kay because of the alliteration of Annette Kay Averett. Before we put the name on the birth certificate at the hospital in Lovell, I decided that it would be nice to drop the e on Annette to be consistent with Averett since our last name had no e on the end of it. I guess it was a stupid thing to do as she has had to tell everyone her whole life her name was Annett with no e on the end, and it didn’t matter about Averett when she assumed the Loveridge name after she was married.
Annett came home from the hospital to a little pink bedroom that she shared with her brother Andy. We bought a single bed for him and Annett got the baby bed. Right from the beginning Wally was thrilled with this new little person as he grew up an only child. He wanted to hold her and play with her most of the time when he was home. He got up with her in the night and was always willing to help care for both children. She was such a perfect baby. Andy was wonderful, but Annett was a girl—a whole new experience.
I don’t remember Annett being fussy or difficult in any way. She took her bottle without problems and was soon sleeping through the night. It wasn’t long before she was eating baby food and growing bigger every day. I turned 22 years old in September that year and Wally was 27. We had no problem adjusting to the additional responsibility of another child. We had our little house, Wally had a steady job, our children were healthy, family was close, Lovell was safe and life was good.
Just a month after Annett turned one year old I discovered that we would be adding to our family again. In a way, it was too soon, as she didn’t really have the time she should have had to be the baby after Jay was born in June 1962. At first, she was jealous, but got used to the idea and became very helpful and protective of her little brother. That was a role she assumed during her whole child and young adulthood before she was married.
We soon realized that Annett came to us from the pre-existence with a very special spirit. She loved Sunday School and as a small child always insisted that we go in Lovell. Her disposition was sweet and good from the beginning. Both Wally and I firmly believe that she was born with her special spiritual gifts that had nothing to do with us or how she was raised. As a young child, I don’t remember any situations where she was naughty or disobedient. As a mother of four children, I was totally convinced that girls were much easier to raise than boys.
Being the middle child, Annett worked and played mostly with Andy and Jay. In her personal history she remembers playing on the tall swing set in our big backyard in Lovell. We also had a basketball court and access to the banker Pearson’s tennis court that bordered our lot. Because Wally always had such terrible allergies, Andy was recruited to mow the grass and Annett and Jay together pushed the lawn sweeper to pick it up. One summer Wally built an ice cream wagon pulled by a small tractor that went all over town selling ice cream from a freezer mounted on a trailer. All three kids worked on the ice cream wagon at one time or another.
Lovell still didn’t have a kindergarten when Annett turned five years old, so we arranged for her to go to Mrs. Wessel’s private kindergarten. I can’t imagine it now, but we let her ride her bike to the Wessel’s house across town by herself. That was typical of the independence and responsibility that was always part of Annett’s character. Friends in Lovell were Becky and Chad Cowan who lived next door and Michelle Cook. After Annett started school, she had a group of girl friends who were her age. I remember one incident when she and a friend, Sherry Lundberg, were playing on the playground at school and Sherry fell and injured herself quite badly. Annett, in her usual role as a little adult, picked her up and carried her into the school where she could get help for the injury. Annett just knew she had to handle the problem and did.
In 1966 we moved to Calgary, Alberta where our second daughter, Julie, was born on April 11, 1967. It was a big event for all of us, but especially Annett who had a beautiful baby sister to love and help take care of. I have been so happy all these many years later that Annett and Julie are still close. I can see that they both have similar loving and giving personalities I’m sure they inherited from their father.
Annett was always the best, most willing worker of the three older children. When they were growing up each one was assigned one night a week for clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher. After we moved to Casper, I rebelled and made them all help with the housework on Saturday mornings before they could leave the house. When I fell and wrecked my knee in Casper, Annett made lunches for herself and Jay to take to school every morning. That was a hard time for everyone as I was in a cast for the next four months and couldn’t do much walking or anything else.
Annett remembers going to at least four different schools before fourth grade. When she was in first grade we moved from Lovell to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Nine months later we were back in Lovell and then moved to Cody where she attended two different schools. Finally, we moved to Casper in 1971. It’s a good thing school was easy for her. She was always ahead of her grade in reading and she got good grades in all her subjects. Her IQ tested in the gifted range.
Annett was active in Distributive Education in high school and also served for a while as editor of the school newspaper. She took piano lessons from Mrs. Layman and organ from Carolyn Duel. Like Andy and later Jay, Annett left Casper early in her senior year. She attended BYU the winter semester before she even graduated from high school. She was only 17 years old but was able to handle the pressures of bad roommates and persistent boyfriends.
Our store Turquoise Unlimited and later Turquoise and Gold in Casper was a big part of Annett’s teenage years. She worked there every summer, every vacation and all day on Saturday as long as we had the store. She was the perfect sales person. I always said that she could sell to people who didn’t even know they wanted to buy something. Annett has the perfect personality for interacting with people. It has been a gift that has helped her throughout her life in her employment and personal relationships. Wally and I always had confidence that Annett would accomplish every expectation that we had for her.
We knew she would pick a worthy man to marry as nothing else would do. And, I think she and Jim are a pretty good match. They waited a long time before Addie came into their lives. Addie was such a blessing to all of us. We love her so much. Then a second miracle occurred when Alex was born. We didn’t think that Annett and Jim could have children, so that was a nice surprise. Alex has added blessings to Annett’s life, too.
Annett writes in her history, “My mother and I are very similar, sometimes I feel like a carbon copy.” Now, twenty some years later, I am sitting here thinking how different we are. Sometimes, I think Annett is trying to repeat my life, but I hope that isn’t the case. Annett was never a damaged person as I have felt at times in my life. Thank the Lord I am emotionally healthy now. Wally was our teacher, helper and best friend. Annett has these same character traits. She is a giver and a peace maker in her family. She is the best daughter I could ever ask for. And, I thank you, Annett, and Jim for the past seven years (now 12 years). I love my little place of sanctuary in your house. I know it’s not easy for you.
I want to end by referring to Annett’s personal history written by her in 1987. It is reassuring to me. She writes, “I am a very fortunate person being blessed with good parents, brothers and sister that love me and a husband that is a wonderful person and makes me a better individual. He loves me. My life started out with a great deal more than others. I feel it is my responsibility to take what I have and do great things with it.” Annett, I always knew you would do just that. There was never a doubt. I love you very much.
Mom
Written November 15, 2007
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