After graduating from PHS I worked for Airotary Supply Co. as a secretary- receptionist. I became engaged at Christmas of 1959 to Tom Pullen. Tom and I were married the following July in my former hometown of Metropolis, IL. My very good friend and classmate Joyce Speeter Sfetku was my Maid of Honor. We will be married 49 years this July. The years go by too quickly!!!
We lived in Champaign, IL for a couple of years while Tom was finishing school at the University of Illinois. He took a job in Houston, Texas where our son, Mike, was born in 1963.
We enjoyed and liked Houston but Tom’s father took seriously ill, so we moved back to Metropolis to help run the family business. We operated a Thoroughbred horse farm which was fortunate to have bred the 1970 Kentucky Derby winner, Dust Commander. Unfortunately, we sold the mare and colt before he ever raced. Our daughter, Lynda, was born in Paducah, Kentucky in 1964.
In 1975, Tom decided to leave the farm and go into banking. He became President of the City National Bank of Metropolis. I worked for the Water and Light department when the kids got older. We are now retired and enjoying what we want to do. Much of our lives revolve around the kids and grandchildren. We are a very close family. Our son, Mike, lives in Metropolis. He and his wife Lisa have three children – two girls and a boy. The oldest girl is graduating from the University of Mississippi this May and their boy is a sophomore at Ole Miss while the youngest daughter is a sophomore in the local high school. Our daughter, Lynda, lives in Jefferson City, Missouri, so we travel there a lot to be with them. Lynda and her husband Joe have three children – two girls and one boy. Their son is graduating from Helius high school and plans to attend Purdue starting this fall. The oldest daughter is a sophomore at Helius while the youngest is in the fifth grade. We are very proud that all of the family are active practicing Catholics.
I was a stay at home mom. Between car pooling, PTA, home room mother and all the sports the kids were involved in, I led a very busy and fulfilling life. I kept three of the grandchildren until school age. I took some college courses for my own enjoyment. My hobbies are gardening, crocheting, quilt making, decorative art, reading and best of all - my six grandchildren. I do volunteer work for the Red Cross Blood Mobile, Shawnee Development Council, and St. Rose the church where Tom and I were married.
I have enjoyed reading the blogs of my fellow classmates. What an amazing life you have had. We should be very proud of the class of 1959!!!!
A special thank you goes to Devi Savitt Bellows for reuniting Joyce Speeter Sfetku and me. Thank you to the reunion committee for all the hard work you have put into this reunion. I am also very thankful for the catholic education I received at PHS.
I know that some of you have had very special remembrances of our teachers and I have a few to add. I remember Sister Cecelia Mary during piano class - I thought she was going to crack her wand on my hands at times. Lol She scared me!! Once I was practicing my music during class and I was so sleepy that I kept playing the same song over and over. Well, Sister jerked open the door to the music room and said “ Virginia, would you play another song.” Needless to say that woke me up!! Sister Esther was my favorite teacher. The thing I remember the most about her was her smile and sunny disposition. I remember in Foods class we would hurry to get there so we could make French fries to eat in class.
For those who are going to make the reunion, I will miss not getting to be with you. Have fun and enjoy one another.
PHOTOS: #1 me & my daughter & granddaughter, #2 Lynda & family at Thanksgiving, #3 Mike & his family at last Thanksgiving, #4 Tom & family in Hawaii
Virginia Keefer Pullen
Married July 21, 1960
Children—2 –Mike and Lynda
Grandchildren—6—Ages 11 to 22
Two granddogs
POSTED BY VIRGINIA KEEFER PULLEN
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