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Vern Larson (1960)
Dear classmates,
I recently heard through reliable sources that Barbara Hanson Petherick, class of 1960, had passed away several years ago, and so I posted her graduation photo in this forum a while back. I, along with others, still desired additional conformation. I have been able to make contact with her husband, Michael Petherick, and he has given me permission to pass along Barbara's early life and beginnings, and their marriage together. The following is my letter to Michael... his response...and my thank you letter back to him.
Dear Michael Aug. 8, 2018
You don’t know me but I went to high school with Barbara Hanson in Woodland, California 1957 - 1960. I have just recently been informed that Barbara passed away several years ago and I wanted to express my condolences to you and your family. I have tried to find you on the internet and Facebook, without any luck, so I am writing this letter in hopes you will receive it and reply.
I would like to tell you a little story of how I met Barbara.
It was in 1956, I was in 8th grade and 14 years old, when her school, Willow Springs, invited my school, Laugenour, to a dance. I danced with Barbara several times that evening and on one slow dance the sides of our heads touched and I was ELECTRIFIED! Barbara was the first girl I ever liked who seemed to like me in return. My feet never touched the ground the following week. I made up a song about Barbara which I sang all around school. It went like this:
“ENE MENE MINE MO, I CAUGHT BARBARA HANSON BY THE TOE, AND IF I SEE HER EVERY DAY, 50 KISSES I WILL PAY”
As you can imagine, the kids soon got very tired of me and that song.
I lived about 6 miles from Barbara and would ride my bike over to a friends house, Bob Bell, who lived across the field from Barbara. Bob and I rode over to Barbara’s and she came out to visit us. She seemed a little embarrassed, especially when her father came out to greet us. He seemed like a very friendly guy.
Our relationship never went much further than that, and Barbara and I never even kissed, but I still consider her to be my first love.
Michael, if you would, I along with her friends in school would certainly appreciate it if you would please contact me by mail, email, text, or phone call to please verify her passing. We would love to also read her obituary if possible.
Thank you Michael, and I hope this has not caused you any heart ache.
Sincerely,
Vern Larson
My contact information is:
858-366-3823
4609 Huggins Way
San Diego, CA. 92122
Good morning Vern,
I want to thank you for you very kind letter, that I received yesterday. In Barbara's stories about the early years on the ranch in Woodland, both you and Bob Bell were part. Those years were her foundation, no matter where in the world we were, and the ranch became my home as well.
We lost Barbara in April of 2016, after a very brave nine year battle with cancer. Fortunately she was able to watch the whales from our home in Mendocino, her second love, during these years.
At Barbara’s very firm instruction, there was no memorial or obituary after her death. She said goodby to those she loved before she left. I’ll try, however, to do an abbreviated one.
Born in San Francisco in 1942, Barbara lived the first 12 years of her life running the hills and beaches of Mendocino. When she was 12, in an attempt to civilize her, the family moved to the family ranch in Woodland (it didn’t work, fortunately). I met her at the University of Oregon and we married in 1963. We both graduated in 1964, she in Russian Linguistics, I in East Asian Studies. I entered the Air Force, first as an intelligence officer, and then after law school at UC Davis, as a Judge Advocate. We lived and traveled all over the world, moving 20 times during our 53 year marriage, with assignments as diverse as Hawaii and the Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. We managed to avoid Washington D.C. my entire career. She was by my side, and leading me at times. I retired as a Colonel in 1990, and we returned to the ranch. I became a California State Administrative Law Judge and she went to work putting the ranch back in shape.
We were blessed with two children, John, who died in 2003, and Michele, who is married to a wonderful guy and has two great children of her own. Barbara and Michele became best buddies, beyond Mother and Daughter, during Barbara’s illness.
After the ranch was surrounded by subdivisions, and the ranch’s birds and critters all went away, we moved to the Village of Mendocino, in 2006.
Hope this is what you were looking for. Feel free to pass it on the your “old” Woodland friends. Barbara was very easy to love, and my best friend. I miss her every day.
Best regards,
Mike
Dear Michael,
Thank you so very very much for your heart felt letter. I read your letter several times very carefully and totally enjoyed every single word. You have brought closure to me and to many of Barbara’s friends. We are having an “All 60’s” WHS class reunion, September 15, 2018, and I will pass this letter along for all to see. Barbara truly was very special to me and to others.
Thank you again for your beautiful letter about yours and Barbara’s life together. I am so happy that you and Barbara had the marriage you had and that you both made each other happy!
Thank you Michael!
Sincerely,
Vern Larson
Barbara Hanson Petherick
March 28, 1942 - April 2016
R.I.P
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