I started out as Sharon Ruth Gregory, born January 20, 19 45, in St. Francis , Kansas to parents, Rich and Alice Gregory . Not long after, I was dubbed “My little Sherri” by my grandfather, Frank Crabtree. The nickname stuck and I have been known as Sherri to friends and family ever since. Whenever someone calls me Sharon, I know it is a telemarketer or bill collector!!
I grew up on a wheat & cattle farm in the very northwest corner of Kansas , 7 miles southeast of Haigler, along with 3 sisters, Leah, Leone and Eunice and 1 brother, Dick. We went to country school at East 10 (Green Valley School ) in Cheyenne county. I learned to drive the tractor at a very young age, milked cows by hand, separated milk/cream with a hand cranked separator, stacked 70 pound bales of hay, fed bucket calves, fed chickens, gathered eggs and learned to ride a horse bareback. I was a TOM BOY!! Loved “kitties” and “puppies” and bugs and snakes! My mother remembers me running everywhere I went, like I never had enough time to do all the things I wanted to do.
I took years worth of piano lessons, but still can’t play very well because I would rather be outside sneaking up on prairie dogs or running barefoot down the pasture path making the powdered dust fly after me or squishing soft mud between my toes than practice.
Whenever it was my turn to do dishes, the water always got cold before I was done, because I kept running off to do something else. Couldn’t stand to be stuck in front of the kitchen sink. (still feel that way!!) When I was very young into my 50s, I had severe migraine headaches so my sisters always accused me of “getting sick whenever it was my turn to do dishes” hehehehe I’m sure there were times it was true. Somehow, it usually happened whenever we went to town. Since we went so seldom and I was a severely shy girl, I think it was very emotionally upsetting for me to be around “so many people”! I still do not like crowds. (a crowd is more than 3 people in one place at the same time).
One of my favorite things to do was go to the library in the St. Francis courthouse. Mamma was an avid reader, so periodically, we would check out stacks of books to take home to read.To this day I love to read. When my kids were growing up, I didn’t have a television set, so would go check out 5 books a week to read while they were playing around the house.
I learned to sew when I was 12 or 13 years old and made most of my clothes throughout high school and college. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had many clothes.We would go visit my aunt Ethel Rath in Brighton or Ft. Lupton where she managed a Salvation Army outlet store. We would get several “outfits” each fall before school started and would modify them to suit our liking. I still enjoy sewing, but stick to doll clothes and things I sell on eBay.
I married my high school sweetheart in 1964, had two children, lived in Lincoln, Valentine, Brighton, Denver , Longmont , North Platte at one time or another and got divorced in 1979. I worked for Union Pacific Railroad in North Platte, Omaha and Salt Lake City, remarried, worked for a couple of Miracle Ear Hearing Aid Franchises, partnered with my husband managing our own computer company and building a pretty large Amway group before divorcing again. I changed my name back to my favorite last name "Gregory." I have 2 grown children and 9 wonderful grandchildren.
Now I live in Lincoln and worked 10 years for Union College as the Office Manager for the Division of Human Development, which includes three departments: education, psychology and social work. I planned to retire in 2010, but instead, began working at the Nursing Division as the Admissions & Progression Coordinator. I worked there for 2 1/2 years before officially retiring to my own business. I started PaperWorX Pro Office Solutions on January 1, 2013. I do office organization, bookkeeping and general office work. My office is in my own home.
In all the places I have ever lived, whenever anyone asks me where I am FROM, I say “Haigler , Nebraska ” because HOME is where the HEART is and I love the Haigler community. That is why I started this blog.
I was so excited when my aunt began writing for the newspapers because she has always been the kind of person who can express herself in writing better than most people I know. I just knew she would do an awesome job. She is the one who encouraged people to write about the “good old days” which prompted the article written by Don Harford and Lillian (Zuege) Kruse. Since the newspapers are limited for space, we came up with the idea of writing a blog so we could publish people’s stories. That is the purpose and goal of this blog. I'm sure it will evolve into a life of its own and include anything "Haigler".
The entries submitted by Dallas and others, is what keeps this blog interesting and moving. It makes things light and humorous and reflects the memories of other Haiglerites. The memories make this blog worth checking back on from time to time.
I sincerely hope you enjoy it and feel like it is "yours" and will write some of your own memories down for us to read. People love reading about “HOME."
I am also host of the Dundy County Genealogy Trails website and helped my mother Alice Crabtree Gregory publish her autobiography, "From Where I Rock." My mother is 101 years old, lives with me and we are currently writing "Lloyd's WWII Diary" about the years leading up to World War II and her brother's WWII service years
I am also host of the Dundy County Genealogy Trails website and helped my mother Alice Crabtree Gregory publish her autobiography, "From Where I Rock." My mother is 101 years old, lives with me and we are currently writing "Lloyd's WWII Diary" about the years leading up to World War II and her brother's WWII service years