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)