Yes … I am a “come here”!

Although my mom’s side of the family can easily be traced to New Kent County and the Shepherdstown area from the middle 1600s, I was born a California Girl (in my defense, “Southern” California). At the early age of barely 5 my family moved from Los Angeles about 75 miles to the northeast high desert area of Lancaster.

Besties: Marilyn Iglesias, front above and right below, and Gwen Wood.

Wanting to raise their daughter away from the big city, they purchased 40 acres of alfalfa fields and began raising hay. Our closest neighbors were the Doughertys who lived about ½ mile up the road. They welcomed us to the rural life and much to my delight brought their daughter, Gwen, to meet me. We instantly connected, beginning a friendship that has endured more than 65 years and across a continent!!

In 1966 Gwen married a young Marine from Hampton and moved back to his homeplace a few years later. Although our lives took very different paths we managed to kee...