September 2024

(seated) Jacque Donaldson Kjelberg. (standing) Kris Gjerde Flynn, Janis Irvine Ricards, Meri Pierce Knight, Joanie Clark Hafer

My family moved to East Falls View Drive from Minneapolis in 1955 when I was in 3rd Grade.  Jacque Donaldson and I became best friends, as did our dads and our families. We built a bigger house in Del Cerro in 1959 and I transferred to Lewis Junior High.  At Crawford we formed a great group of friends, combining some of my Lewis friends, with East Falls View friends and those in ASB and other activities. Joanie, Jacque , Meri and I were all on ASB. When I moved to Del Mar from Santa Barbara in 1979 I started reconnecting with my Crawford friends for lunch -- and our group is growing.  We went coed when Bob Lutz joined us in December, and four more men from ‘64 will be joining our July lunch.

Lots of Crawford kids on this map. The Aults lived on East Falls but by 1958 had moved to Campanile, and Ray Gibbs lived on Adobe Drive (both Campus Lab classmates). The hand-drawn map shows the Smithsons at 5320 West Falls View Drive, but the 1958 directory shows Paul Overton living there. The Smithsons bought the house new in about 1952, but Johnny -- which is what Carole and Jerry called their dad -- took a job in LA when Carole was in 9th grade (1957-58). Luckily for me, they moved back to West Falls before the start of 10th grade. I finally screwed up the courage to ask her on a date in early February 1961 — Bob Richardson ’61. (Bob left out the part of him and Carole getting married — JF)

My wife — Barbara Adams Ek ’66 — and I bought a house in 1975, located at 5104 East Falls View Drive.  It was the northwest corner house of East Falls View Drive and Montezuma. We were not familiar with the families on the list of residents you posted.  By 1975, many of those listed had moved on.  Dr. Reilly Jensen and Eleanor, with their six sons, lived north of us where West Falls View Drive turns west.  Further down West Falls View Drive there was another family we knew well, the Gardner family.  One of their sons went to Hollywood, Carey. He acted and then went on to direct and produce films. We moved to Everett, Washington in January 1980 — Richard Ek

Just to show how “out” of the “in crowd” I was, I lived on West Falls View Drive  from 1954 through 1961 and never even knew most of the ladies in this group  Makes me laugh now — Aletha McGregor Dellamo '60