Spouse:

I married William E. Bjork Jr. I met him when Cheryl Elshire and I were going to Mr. Lee's Beauty School in Moses Lake. One night Cheryl and I were tired of driving around so we were setting at her Dad's Texaco Service Station and were having fun with a couple of high school boy's that tried to hit on us, Cheryl called them bubble gummers so every time they drove by we honked. Well one time we honked and got a car load with guys from Moses Lake. The rest is history. We had our 48th anniversary this year 2012.

Family Life:

We have three children. Bill III is our oldest born in 1970. Graduated from High School in Moses Lake. Served two years in the Army, When he returned home he attended a Junior College in Seattle for two years. Reunited with high school sweetheart. The Sweetheart was from Warden and her name was Dr. Janeen Ross. He has discovered the fine world of Tournament Bass Fishing and is really a very good fisherman.

Eebekka is our only daughter; she was born in 1974. Went to Big Bend Community College her first two years. Moved to Spokane due to her love interest. They married and moved to Seattle. She was accepted at the University of Washington. She got her Doctor of Clinical Psychology there. Then off to the east coast, did her post doctoral at Yale. Her husband is Jeff Palmer from Moses Lake - high school sweetheart. Jeff got his Masters in business at University of Connecticut. They now live in San Carlos and are the proud parents of Katarina Bjork Palmer who is three.

Derek is our youngest son born in 1978. Derek attended two years at BBCC in Mechanics and is in the Vista, Central, Hall's Towing business here in Moses Lake, which at some point in time will be his business. He is married to Jessica Pooley who is a school teacher of the 3rd grade at Lakeview School. They are the proud parents of Basil Michael who is four, Emma Lynn who is two, and last but not least, is Andrew Martin pushing eight months.

Military Service:

Husband served two years in the Army. Six months at Fort Ord in California, one year in Viet Nam, six months at Fort Lewis in Washington. Son Bill served two years also in the Army. It has been a while back but I remember him being in Kentucky and then he was sent to the DMZ in Korea for a year.

Career:

I had a successful Beauty Salon called B. J. & Co. Was a hairdresser for 27 years. Chose to pursue a McDonalds restaurant. Went to work at McDonalds here in Moses Lake. I attended the schools offered by McDonald's in Seattle and at the completion of those three courses attended Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. Managed the Kittleson store for eight years. My Husband Bill Bjork was with the PUD in Ephrata for twenty two years and took an early retirement.

After a brief down time we chose to purchase Vista Service Towing. Then Hall's Towing and just recently Central Towing. Our son Derek has been with him in the business for quite a while If you know Bill you would understand he would not have made a good Mrs. McDonald so I decided I would make a better Towing spouse than he would make a McDonald spouse.M

y parents were in a retirement home so I helped with their care. Then as the grandchildren came along the first two years of Basil and Emma were cared for by Jessica's grandmother and myself. I have one year in place with Andrew. I cannot imagine not being a part of their little lives. Katarina also makes visits and I go occasionally to where they live as well.

Residences:

Shortly after we were first married we lived in Ellensburg. Viet Nam came along; my husband went into the service and I moved back to Ephrata. When he returned it was decided he would go to college, so back to Moses Lake. Two years later we moved to Spokane to finish his four years and get his degree. After graduation, back to Moses Lake. He got a job with the PUD so we went back to Ephrata, then we bought our home in Moses Lake and that is where we have been and still live.

Travels:

I went to Hawaii to meet my husband for his R&R from the military when he was stationed in Viet Nam. My brother Tom was stationed on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor at the time so I got to get some visiting in with him. While Bill was a PUD Commissioner we made trips to Washington, DC; Anaheim, California; Hartford, Connecticut; East Haven, Connecticut;. Nashville, Tennessee. We got to see the Stattler Brothers one night. Also Tahoe, Nevada.

Bill and I have made trips to pick up Tow Trucks. One was in Oodltewah, Tennessee just outside of Chattanooga, TN. We drove it home by way of Arkansas; Texas; New Mexico; son Bill lives in Page, Arizona; Utah; Idaho and Oregon. Once we brought back two C6500's from Hagerstown, Pennsylvania. We went through Ohio; Indiana; Chicago, Illinois, nine o'clock at night almost bumper to bumper with nine lanes in the same direction. I really don't want to do that again. Next Wisconsin; Minnesota; North Dakota; Bill has an Aunt Luella that lives in Kulm, North Dakota; Montana; Idaho and home. We have made more runs but this is enough of that.

My good Buddies Kathy Smith (Walsh) and Lynn Brockway (Tyler), and at various times others, joined us for a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In 2007 I joined my son-in-law Jeff and daughter Becky on a trip to Lyon and Paris, France. That was the trip of a lifetime. Jeff was attending a class in Lyon While Becky and I saw some of the sights. We went to the Basilique De Notre Dame and went through the museum of Silk cloth. Went inside Cathedral St. Jean; observed an Ancient Roman Amphitheater close to the Basilique. Paris here we come. We saw the Arc De Triomphe, The Louvre, Napoleon's Apartments were elegant. The Effiel Tower, took a boat tour, saw Notre Dame, The stained glass was just unbelievable. We went to the Palace at Versailles, it was very opulent, and to top off the whole trip, we went to the Moulin Rouge for dinner and a show. The next day we flew home. AWESOME TRIP.

Hobbies/Interests:

I enjoy doing children's quilts, knitting, a bit of crochet. I have found the world of Ancestry.com. I love talking to my Dead People. It is research I could go on doing the rest of my life. Needless to say I also love to travel. Bill and I have experienced four cruises to Alaska and we are going to do the Marine Highway (ferry) with another couple for a month up to Alaska and travel the Alaskan Alcan Highway back home May of 2012.

Retirement:

I most certainly have not retired, instead of getting paid for a job I work at home. I thought when you retired you got to set around and sip drinks, read books and anything else you WANTED to do. Not that it takes twice as long to get half as much done. I do watch our soon to be eight month old grandson daily for our youngest son and wife, while she teaches school.

EHS Influence:

I must say "Mabel Thompson" was the best teacher I ever had. She made English interesting. I moved to Ephrata in the middle of my sophomore year. The friends I have made there have turned into lifelong friends that I hope I am never without.

Final Word:

We have had an interesting life. I have said we lived our lives in reverse. I went from being a Professional Beautician to an employee, then Manager to the Kittleson McDonalds here in Moses Lake. Bill went from being a portfolio manager for Grant County PUD to owning three Towing companies. We have had our ups and downs as has most everyone. I had colon cancer surgery and have not had any negative results. Bill has Diabetes and yet I would take those any day compared to the path that has been traveled by some of our classmates. I had no idea how our children would turn out. I am extremely proud of them all they have certainly passed my expectation. I once told them I really didn't care what they were as long as they did a good job, even if it was digging a ditch. It better be an outstanding ditch. All I ever wanted was for them to be happy and I think they are. I am very content with my life and am looking forward to anything else that happens to enhance it further. Thanks for contributing to the fabric of my life.