Colleen Moore was born July 20, 1927, on Smith Street, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, to Harry and Elsie Moore, who were also born and raised in Mt. Clemens. There were seven girls and one boy in the family. We all walked to St Mary’s School, a mile away, four times a day, since we could not bring lunch unless we were rehearsing for a play. I worked as a nurses aide at St Joseph Hospital on weekends and all summer during my High School Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. The hospital was a mile and a half walk so it was a happy day when I could afford a new $30.00 bicycle from my $1.00 an hour pay. My interests were Girl Scouts, school plays, and choir, which came in handy for cutting classes to sing at funerals. I wonder what I missed? Maybe I could have been a perpetual honor student? We will never know. After graduating in June, 1944, in a class of 60, I applied to enter nurses training at the hospital, but being seventeen, was too young at the time. I went to work at the Michigan Bell Telephone Company as an operator, along with many of my classmates. Because of the war, they were admitting extra classes of nurses and I was able to begin training in March,1945. After three long years, I received my diploma and studied for the Michigan State Board Exam to become a RN. I had visions of getting a BS degree in nursing and even thought of going to Hawaii, but I went on a blind date and met MR. Right. In October of 1948, I made him the happiest man when I said, “ I do.” Well, time passes on like a blur and we ended up with four daughters: Heidi, Christine, Tamara and Kelly, and six sons: Terrence, Richard, Christopher, Peter, Paul, Craig, all of whom I am very proud. They are talented, nice people and most of all, very good parents. This great parenting skill has past on to our 16 grandchildren whom are wonderful parents to our 17 great grandchildren. Who could ask for anything more? Over the years, I worked part time at the hospital or at Drs. Rivkin and Morris’ Pediatrician’s Office. I enjoyed two bridge clubs, a Child Study Club, and the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. In 1972, with five kids graduated, we relocated to Grayling, Michigan, where our last five kids graduated. Two of the boys still live in that area. I worked part time at the hospital in Grayling for nine years. When the last child went off to college, we flew the coop and visited Alaska for 3 summers in a row where our 3 sons lived. After returning to the cold climate the sun beckoned and we decided to move to Florida where we lived for 27 years. We became Michiganders again four years ago and live in a small farm town near Lansing, in a Senior Center, about four miles from our daughter’s beef farm. Our three youngest grandchildren are here locally and life has been good. At the ripe old age of 88, we push on slower than we want. My fondest memories are from Mt. Clemens and I’m lucky to have three daughters in attendance today.
