Cathi Uren
Then
Gosh, it doesn’t seem like almost 50 years since we all marched across the football field to get our high school diplomas! In looking back, the years have gone by quickly and here are some of the adventures that I’ve been on during that time.
After high school I enrolled at the then San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) with a major in Spanish and minor in Business. I was also working part time to help pay for my education and eventually I was hired as a student worker in the university’s payroll office. By the time I was in my junior year, I was getting so sick of school and felt like I’d been studying and taking tests my entire life. However, I was encouraged to forge ahead and in June 1969 (eight days before my 22nd birthday) I did graduate with my bachelor’s degree. Since that time I’ve never used my Spanish skills but all the business and accounting classes that I did take allowed me to pursue a career in accounting, so it was all worth it in the long run.
After graduating I continued working in the university’s payroll office as a full time employee and actually enjoyed the work I did there. In 1974 I got married and in 1976 I received the most amazing gift by having a son (Charles). By that time I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom so I left the university and enjoyed the time bringing up Charles. In early 1977, my (now ex-) husband, myself and Charles were in a serious car accident and Charles and I were the ones who received the more serious injuries. Fortunately we all recovered but as so often happens, our physical injuries healed but my marriage did not.
By that time we were living in Lancaster, CA and I was able to find a job working at a bank. While it was an okay job, I truly wasn’t happy and wanted more opportunities to grow for not only myself but also for my son. So in 1980, I packed our bags and moved to San Jose, CA to start a new chapter in our lives. It turned out to be a wonderful move for us and I was able to work at several companies (over a 20 year period) as an accounting manager utilizing all the skills I learned in college. As Charles was growing, many of my evenings and weekends were involved in soccer/basketball/baseball games/practices and life was certainly hectic at that time.
After high school I enrolled at the then San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) with a major in Spanish and minor in Business. I was also working part time to help pay for my education and eventually I was hired as a student worker in the university’s payroll office. By the time I was in my junior year, I was getting so sick of school and felt like I’d been studying and taking tests my entire life. However, I was encouraged to forge ahead and in June 1969 (eight days before my 22nd birthday) I did graduate with my bachelor’s degree. Since that time I’ve never used my Spanish skills but all the business and accounting classes that I did take allowed me to pursue a career in accounting, so it was all worth it in the long run.
After graduating I continued working in the university’s payroll office as a full time employee and actually enjoyed the work I did there. In 1974 I got married and in 1976 I received the most amazing gift by having a son (Charles). By that time I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom so I left the university and enjoyed the time bringing up Charles. In early 1977, my (now ex-) husband, myself and Charles were in a serious car accident and Charles and I were the ones who received the more serious injuries. Fortunately we all recovered but as so often happens, our physical injuries healed but my marriage did not.
By that time we were living in Lancaster, CA and I was able to find a job working at a bank. While it was an okay job, I truly wasn’t happy and wanted more opportunities to grow for not only myself but also for my son. So in 1980, I packed our bags and moved to San Jose, CA to start a new chapter in our lives. It turned out to be a wonderful move for us and I was able to work at several companies (over a 20 year period) as an accounting manager utilizing all the skills I learned in college. As Charles was growing, many of my evenings and weekends were involved in soccer/basketball/baseball games/practices and life was certainly hectic at that time.
Even with that I was able to do some traveling and have managed to see some amazing parts of the United States, especially Washington DC. I was so impressed with all that’s there to see and seeing the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial was deeply moving for me. I can’t thank our veteran’s enough for all they have done to allow me to have a good life. I also was able to do some traveling overseas and enjoyed visiting Turin Italy, Zurich Switzerland and Darmstadt (West) Germany. I had wanted to visit West Berlin when I was there but was strongly advised that as a US citizen it would not be in my best interest to try doing that. This was while the Berlin Wall was still up, so I took everyone’s advice and perhaps I’ll go back and visit Berlin some other day.
In 1996 I was asked to transfer to New Jersey for a year in order to spearhead a payroll consolidation project for the company I was working for. I did make the move and while it meant long hours I truly enjoyed seeing that part of the US and all the historic sites that are there. One of my favorite memories is standing on the sidewalk watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade totally bundled up from head to toe as the high for that day was 25 degrees! Before I returned home, Charles flew out from CA and we had a nice vacation that was baseball themed. We saw the Oakland A’s play the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, went to Cooperstown, NY to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame and finished the trip off with watching the Oakland A’s play the NY Yankees in the old Yankee Stadium.
When I returned back to CA I started working for a payroll service company doing payroll implementations. While I was still headquartered in California, I did a lot of traveling back and forth to client sites which actually provided me with more adventures. By that time, I was starting to think about retirement and where I’d want to live when that happened. By then the housing market was really hitting its peak so I got out a map of the US, started researching some areas and after a long weekend of actual on-site exploring I decided to move to Nampa, Idaho (Nampa is about 20 miles west of Boise, is the second-largest city in ID with a population of 87,000). Charles was on his mission to Rome, Italy at that time so once I got his input I packed up my bags again and made the move to Spudville (which is what I call Idaho). I just LOVE it here in Idaho, especially the cold weather. I ended up doing accounting work for a major engineering/construction company in Boise and on Friday, July 13, 2012 I retired. The last act I did was exit my office, rip my nameplate off the wall, snap it in half and tell the rest of the team “Cathi is leaving the building” and off I went.
Since then I’ve not looked back and have been totally enjoying retirement. I keep busy doing counted cross stitching, reading good books and keeping busy with my church callings as well as sing in our ward choir. This year I’m teaching the Old Testament to 9-10 year olds and that definitely keeps me on my toes. My son is married now to a wonderful woman (Angeline) and I have two amazing grandchildren (Ruby and Russell) who call me “Granny Spud” since I’m the only family member living in Idaho. Works for me!
As I look back I can’t say that I’ve done anything earth-shattering but I’ve had a good life and have been enjoying each day of my retirement. Life is definitely a gift and each day is spectacular! I’m really looking forward to the reunion and it will be such a blast to reconnect with some of my former classmates and compare notes. Hope to see everyone in 2015!
In 1996 I was asked to transfer to New Jersey for a year in order to spearhead a payroll consolidation project for the company I was working for. I did make the move and while it meant long hours I truly enjoyed seeing that part of the US and all the historic sites that are there. One of my favorite memories is standing on the sidewalk watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade totally bundled up from head to toe as the high for that day was 25 degrees! Before I returned home, Charles flew out from CA and we had a nice vacation that was baseball themed. We saw the Oakland A’s play the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, went to Cooperstown, NY to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame and finished the trip off with watching the Oakland A’s play the NY Yankees in the old Yankee Stadium.
When I returned back to CA I started working for a payroll service company doing payroll implementations. While I was still headquartered in California, I did a lot of traveling back and forth to client sites which actually provided me with more adventures. By that time, I was starting to think about retirement and where I’d want to live when that happened. By then the housing market was really hitting its peak so I got out a map of the US, started researching some areas and after a long weekend of actual on-site exploring I decided to move to Nampa, Idaho (Nampa is about 20 miles west of Boise, is the second-largest city in ID with a population of 87,000). Charles was on his mission to Rome, Italy at that time so once I got his input I packed up my bags again and made the move to Spudville (which is what I call Idaho). I just LOVE it here in Idaho, especially the cold weather. I ended up doing accounting work for a major engineering/construction company in Boise and on Friday, July 13, 2012 I retired. The last act I did was exit my office, rip my nameplate off the wall, snap it in half and tell the rest of the team “Cathi is leaving the building” and off I went.
Since then I’ve not looked back and have been totally enjoying retirement. I keep busy doing counted cross stitching, reading good books and keeping busy with my church callings as well as sing in our ward choir. This year I’m teaching the Old Testament to 9-10 year olds and that definitely keeps me on my toes. My son is married now to a wonderful woman (Angeline) and I have two amazing grandchildren (Ruby and Russell) who call me “Granny Spud” since I’m the only family member living in Idaho. Works for me!
As I look back I can’t say that I’ve done anything earth-shattering but I’ve had a good life and have been enjoying each day of my retirement. Life is definitely a gift and each day is spectacular! I’m really looking forward to the reunion and it will be such a blast to reconnect with some of my former classmates and compare notes. Hope to see everyone in 2015!
With Dick Eyster at the Vice Versa Dance in 1963
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With Brian Kerr at the Senior Prom (1965)
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Me in 1999
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Our Family's Three Generations Photo: Front Row starting on the left - Ruby Fife (my granddaughter), Me, Russell Fife (my grandson)
Top Row starting on the left - Angeline Fife (my daughter in law), Charles Fife (my son
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Comments
What a great life you made for yourself, Cathy. I envy all of the traveling you've done. A successful career, travel and children and grandchildren. You're so lucky. And isn't retirement wonderful? Thank you for having the courage to share your adventures since high school with us. I really enjoyed reading your story.
Jeff Davis
Jeff Davis
I loved your story Cathy and wanted to thank you for sharing. I have to say I am very envious of you: I have been to Fenway, saw the Angels win, but I have not seen the Baseball Hall of Fame. I want to know all about that experience. We have just expanded from our Church ward on the Northshore of Oahu, with the new Sunset Branch, a great bunch with lots of love in action to emulate.
Hope to see you at the reunion!
Scott Brown
Hope to see you at the reunion!
Scott Brown
Hi Cathi. Could we have been so young at that Vise-Versa dance back in 1963. Thanks for remembering such a big event starting high school. Having just recently moved, I know I have my copy of that photo as well in a box somewhere. Your story of the last 50 years has been one of success and determination to succeed. I would say you have done that quite well. See you at the 50th event.
Dick Eyster
Dick Eyster