Chapter 9 of Family Memories-what did you do for a living

What do you do for a living or what jobs have you had?

Lorraine: I worked in a bakery once and ate a lot of doughnuts. Other than that, I’ve always worked at home.

John: I worked at a small dairy, pasteurizing milk and bottled it and delivering. Also worked for a fire sprinkling system outfit at the mill. I was in the Marine Corp for three years and then Crown Zellerbach paper mill.

Marcella: I had a summer job in Kent at a frozen pea manufacturing plant. Also worked at Boeings during college, for Bell Telephone, then Sears Roebuck catalog store. I also had a daycare center for a while. One of my jobs was working at the Spanish castle up near Midway. The building was shaped like a beautiful castle and I sold pop. All evening long I wished I could dance but I couldn’t and it was awful because I really wanted to dance. I worked there on Saturday nights.

Jim B: John was the flagman and I was the pilot car driver for the county working on the roads.  I worked on the old Charles L. Willard (army ship) as a wiper and then as an oiler. It was a little boat that pulled targets for the forts to shoot at. I worked at Rayonier in Port Angeles for a couple years and then I came to the Crown Z mill in Port Townsend.

Lillian:   I was a soda jerk in Chimacum but the place burned down.

Arlie: I’m retired. I’ve worked at the mill, Harpers Super Service, 28 years in the Navy flying, 6 years Civil Service for the Army as electronics technician.

Denny: 34 years of life insurance selling. About half in management, half in personal production. Started in 1968 with Prudential, did 10 years there. Also did group insurance sales with Nationwide. Owned an insurance agency in Salem, Oregon. Was state field manager for a fraternal insurance company, Royal Neighbors of America for 7-1/2 years. That's the reason I’m living in Anacortes now. Was downsized in March of 1998 and now I’m starting all over for myself.

Joyce: My very first job was feeding Mrs. Franklin’s cat. I got a dollar bill. From there I did babysitting, worked after school in a small newspaper office, picked strawberries one month in Bellingham, worked in the college office for a few months, worked at a change of beneficiary desk for Standard Insurance in Portland, Oregon. Handed out flyers door to door in San Diego, took in ironing in Kirkland, WA. Was secretary to 5 doctors at the clinic in Port Townsend, owned my own daycare for four years, worked in the billing office at the mill for 23 years, and am now going into home health care for the elderly.

Dale: For the last 32 years I have installed communications equipment in central telephone offices and wireless offices. Most of that time has been as a Senior Communications Services Technician installing computerized switching systems. In high school I worked as a stock boy in a variety store. While attending college evening classes, I worked as a shipper/receiver at a wholesale business. Later I did a four-year stint in the Navy as an aviation electronic technician. Afterwards I performed on-site repairs of office copiers and other business machines.

Janie: Apartment manager, administrative assistant, receptionist, gas pump attendant, fabric sales clerk.

Jimmy: I worked for Crown Zellerbach paper mill in Port Townsend for five years on the paper machines. Transferred to Camas in 1971. Worked in the wood mill part of it until I retired with 31 years in. I was a crane operator and cat operator on the piles. Great jobs.

Sue S: I am a teaching assistant and custodian. I have been a library clerk, seafood seller and canner, assistant bookkeeper for a copper and brass company, Avon representative, manager of diet center, substitute teacher, and Crisis Center phone person.

Lill: I work in the mental health field as a social worker. Currently I am an adult mental health therapist helping people with such things as depression, anxiety, phobias, anger management, self-confidence, life transitions of any sort. I did babysitting in high school, dishwashing at a church camp, dental assistant for 13 years, case manager of the chronically mentally ill for 11 years, early intervention parent trainer for 5 years, foster care provider for 2 years.

Marlee: I am a secretary at a high school. I started out at the high school as an instructional aide in the math department. I was the receptionist for the school for a while, then a full-time office assistant in the attendance office. I became an instructional aide in the special education department for severe behavior problem students—that was my year from HELL! Before I worked at the school, I was a stay-at-home mom. In high school I worked part-time in a small insurance office. After marrying, I worked in a large insurance company, then moved to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I was a mail sorter and copy machine operator there.

Cindy: After graduating from high school, I went to Clover Park Vocational Technical Institute to learn how to be a dental assistant. I worked in the same dental office for 22 years. I also worked part time for an orthodontist in Gig Harbor.

Bill: I am a Business Development Manager for Sprint. I support the Prepaid, Directory Assistance, and International Operator Services divisions. Most recently, I was the manager of the Leadership Development for Sprint’s Consumer Services Division. I traveled a lot with this job and was responsible for developing current and future leaders into the organization.

Sue W: I am now an Infection Control Technician. I worked in restaurants, grocery stores, mostly labor jobs.

Mary: I am currently manager of customer programs for Western Wireless. I do marketing, customer communications and web content management. Jobs in the past have been mostly accounting: Sears (accounting clerk), Francis & Co (bookkeeping), Jefferson County auditor’s office (chief accountant), MSW Corp (manager finance/accounting), Western Wireless (business analyst).

Tiffany: I worked for the cannery for one summer, worked at Fred Meyer in customer service, and as a grocery cashier, at K-Mart n the layaway dept, and at GI Joe’s as door greeter/cashier during the Christmas season. I am now a stay-at-home mom.