Cornelia Connie Alma Milton

I was born in Seattle in 1927 to the two most wonderful parents in the world: Del and Evie Mack. Not long after, I had the best little brother in the world: Bobby; followed the best little sister in the world: Janet. My childhood was wonderful, full of fun and love. I graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1946 and then started a new stage of life at WSC in Pullman. There I met many good friends and best of all, Carl. We were married in 1953 and while Carl served as a navigator for the Air Force, I taught in base schools in Salinas, Kansas and then Limestone, Maine (the coldest place I’ve ever been! 60 below freezing with 182 inches of snow!)

We started the next stage of our life together in Spokane where Carl taught physics at Lewis and Clark from student teaching until retirement. I taught Special Ed out at Medical Lake and then stopped teaching for a number of years while we raised four wonderful children, Ray, Yayalah, Ruth, and Joan. We had Campfire Girls, Boy Scouts, hiking, camping, backpacking, Methodist Youth Group and much more. We had busy, fun-filled years.

In 1968 the whole family went to Castle Hill, New South Wales, Australia on a teaching exchange for one year. I taught art classes at the state school for the deaf. Carl taught High School Sciences and the kids all attended school. It was a great experience for all.

When we returned to Spokane I taught Kindergarten at Westminster Congregational until the Public Schools took up Kindergarten and then I taught at Jefferson until my retirement in 1982.

During Retirement, I received training in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Tacoma Community House and started teaching English in the homes of Southeast Asian Refugees here in Spokane with the Refugee Resettlement Program. Then in 1988, Carl and I headed to China to teach English to University students in Chongqing, China.

When we returned to Spokane we took up a new career in volunteerism. I spent time with Meal On Wheels, Interfaith Hospitality Network, the League of Women Voters, Church Women United, and of course many projects with the United Methodist Women through Manito United Methodist Church.

Finally, when getting around became more of a struggle, we moved in 1999 to Rockwood and took up volunteer jobs around our new community at “the manor”. Carl and I made so many wonderful friends through the years here at Rockwood and I am so grateful for the opportunity to make new friends and grow old in a loving, caring community. As I move on to whatever is next, I leave the adventures of this life to the young and young at heart. I wish you all, oceans of love.