A Brief History of the Life and Times
of
Lois Mette Haynes


Life has not been dull!
Fall 1955 Began classes at College of San Mateo
Summer 1957 AA College of San Mateo
Fall 1957 Began classes at U.C., Berkeley
Winter 1958 Met Don Haynes at Berkeley
Summer 1959 BA in Social Work, U.C., Berkeley
Spring 1960 Married Don Haynes at Berkeley

1960-1970
These were our “productive” years when our 5 children were born. We have:
1. Elaine Susan Haynes-O’Toole, now an attorney in Irvine, CA
2. Donald William, who remodels houses for rent or sale, and is an incredible artist, with wood, metal, photography and painting.
3. Kirsten Anne, after many years working with computerization at a hospital system, is a graduate student in theology at Seattle University,
4. Amy Miriam, with a degree in accounting, and extensive experience with hospital computerization, now with Starbucks in Seattle as they internationalize. She just returned from trips to Holland and China.
5. Daniel Timothy, who is an incredible photographer and frame-maker and finances his hobbies by working in a cabinet shop.

1960-1970
These were also years for graduate school for Don. He had gotten his BA from Berkeley and in Fall of 1960 we headed to Eugene, OR where we spent two years while he completed his Masters. We then moved to Portland, OR where he taught at the University of Portland.

In 1965 we loaded our three children into our new station wagon and headed back to South Bend, Indiana where he completed his PhD. Then, in 1968, it was back in the station wagon, for the return to the northwest for Don to teach at Seattle University. By this time we had 4 children.

1970-1980
Daniel was born in Seattle. Our children were really active in sports so we were always on the go to baseball, basketball, soccer games, family camping trips. (sound familiar to a lot of you?) I remained a stay at home Mom (involved in PTA, church, and Scouts) until Daniel turned five. I then went to work for the State of Washington—much of the time working with handicapped and developmentally delayed people.

1980-1991
We remained in the Seattle area (Auburn/Federal Way) until 1983 when we once again set off for South Bend. Don went to work for WNDU, the NBC affiliate based at Notre Dame University, where he was executive director for education and documentary television. On our trip out we went via Texas to see our first grandchild, Joshua O’Toole (who is now 21 and a senior at the U of Oregon.)

I obtained a job working with displaced workers. South Bend had a lot of plant closures and the United Auto Workers contracted with a large local mental health center to assist those being laid off. I directed the program for three years. But along the way we decided it was my turn to go to graduate school, and I was accepted into the counseling program at Indiana University at South Bend. It was strange to be in college again, especially since I was meeting some of my younger children on the campus—they were also attending college there. (All of our children received their BA’s but from a variety of colleges.)

I received my MS in Education—mental health track. I began working as a mental health therapist as an intern and never looked back. As our parents got older and became ill, we decided it wasn’t enough to just fly back and forth for emergency visits. It was my turn this time to decide what job to go to. A major qualification was that it be on the east side of the Oregon Cascade Mountains because of our allergy and sinus problems.

So in December 1991, with the help of our younger children (because Don had fallen on the ice and broke some ribs), we packed in the middle of an Indiana blizzard. The farther west we came, the better the weather got—Nebraska was sweltering in 65 degrees. It was a good omen. I had chosen a job in Klamath Falls, at the largest child and family mental health center in south central Oregon.

1992-Present
I still work at Klamath Youth Development Center, where I have been Program Manger for the Child Advocacy Center since 1995. My work is mainly with children and families who have experienced significant violence in their lives. I also am manager for our expanding Treatment Foster Care Program. Don spent several years writing and then became Executive Producer for the Community Television Station at our local College.

Don recently retired and is looking toward teaching some classes for the Oregon Health Sciences Nursing Program located at Klamath Falls. I’m not ready to retire yet but the time is approaching. In the meanwhile I have begun, with the help of my husband, to work on a book proposal concerning domestic violence and child abuse.

Somewhere along the way, as the inevitable gray strands crept into my dark brown hair, I decided to become a blonde. I have since become more familiar with “blonde” jokes. One of my favorites tells about the blonde who calls the fire department to report a fire at her house. When the dispatcher asks “how do we get there?” she replies “Duh! Big red fire truck.”

I’ve talked mainly about work and family, but what do we like to do in our spare time? I’m an amateur photographer. We both love to garden and enjoy the outdoors. We will be joining our entire family at the coast in late July for a camping trip. For several years, I have been involved in musical theater here. Singing has always been one of my loves and will be as long as my voice holds out.

Don recently had the opportunity to work with a program at the Juvenile Department. He enjoyed working with the kids there and hopes to do more work with them. I guess both of us enjoy working with people. Of course, our children are still a major part of our lives.

We celebrate major holidays together here at our home. We just returned from a trip to Portland to see our oldest son, and from Seattle to see the two daughters who live there. While there we couldn’t miss the Pike Place Market. Our daughters’ present to Don for Father’s Day and his birthday was a trip to a Mariner’s game—like we used to do in the good old days when our children were young.


Dropped off the map after 50th reunion