DENISE WOODYARD

Burbank Elementary

Burbank Jr. High

I was brought home from the hospital to a nice home on Una St. Only one block away from Burbank Elem. I lived in that house until I moved out and got married. I loved that little house!

I actually keep up with a few of my old friends. Some live to far away, but we email, talk on the phone and see each other when we can. The people I actually get to do things with are Cynthia Haley, Rochelle Weaver, Dorthoy Walley, Linda Johnson, and David Sample.I am hoping that through this reunion I can renew other old friendships and hang out some with the northside bunch!

That I have traveled many places by myself (England, Scotland, Ireland, Vienna, Australia, Prague, Slovakia). That I am a country girl now. That I am still short. I bet you all thouht I would grow up to be a tall, skinny, cute girl;)) lol

I loved going to the football games first with girlfriends, then dating boys. They were always so exciting. Danny bought me a stuffed tiger that I took to the games that was as big as I was....OK..ok no snickers...I know I am short! I remember always driving through Jack In The Box and it was always...do you want a jack burger..jack coke, etc. We would say how about do you have any jack asses? I know immature...but we were 16. I went to Northline Cinema at age 15 every week as I had a boyfriend that took tickets. I got in free and made out on his breaks lol. At 16 & 17 it was Surfside beach on the weekends! Got to love the sun, sand and beach:)

Janet Woodyard Tracy 1972

I remember that we used to sit in our cars in the parking lot before school. The school officals did not like this, so they made a rule to ban it. What was funny as a student body some of us decided to protest and not buy food from the cafeteria at lunch. Not sure if it made any difference....but HEY, we were the generation of protesters!

I worked downtown at a department store (Britts) as a gift wrapped. I rode the bus that I caught at Northline Mall. It was a good experience.

What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of our hearts." Plus....."All we need is LOVE"...thanks John Lennon!

I know Peter Noone from the 60's band Herman's Hermits. I would love to meet Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger! Eric Clapton would be nice too. With the recent anniversary of the landing on the moon, it made me remember that I met Neil Armstrong. I got my picture with him and got his autograph. He was amazed that I wanted all this, but I told him...hey there could only be one first man on the moon and you were it!

I used to dance on channels 13's Larry King Show. What a laugh! I would ride the bus to the station on Saturday's. If anyone has seen me dance, you are rolling over laughing about now!

I love to sit out on my deck, watching the deer and read. In the mornings it's with a cup of coffee and in the evenings it's with a margarita or wine. I love hiking around the property, taking my cocker Jagger for walks. I also love taking pictures of what ever I find interesting. I think I am velcroed to my computer and really stay connected!

I love dearly my friends. They keep me who I am. Some I don't get to see as often as I would like (you know who you are), but I missed them dearly. My life would not be the same without my dear friends!

In Dec. of 1968, I turned 18. 1969 was a very full year! I graduated in January the last mid-term class. In February, I got married to a Springwoods boy named Danny Woodard (yes I only dropped the "y" in my name) I went to work as a secretary at Deephole Machine Company. I got a 1964 yellow convertible VW Bug...life was good. The year 1970 was a mixture of good times and bad. March was an example of this. We found out that I was going to have a baby and Danny (whose draft number was 86) got drafted into the Army. We both decided to run away to Canada as neither one of us believed in the Vietnam War, but our fathers talked us out of it. In September Danny got orders to go to Vietnam. We were able to get him a stay however through political people until our first born son Paul was born on November 2, 1970. Within a week we had to move back from San Antonio to Houston and Danny was headed off to Vietnam and I moved back home. Danny made it home and on January 10, 1973, I had our second son Casey. My two sons meant the world to me. In 1974, I lost my mom to lung cancer. This was very hard on me. The boy's growing up years were full of little league baseball, Cub Scouts, Football and soccer. My marriage to the boy's dad did not last but 10 years as he had gotten pretty messed up in Vietnam. So in 1979, I was alone raising two small boys. I decided to go to college while they were both in school. It took me a while, but in 1986, I graduated with an Elementary Teaching degree. I taught First Grade first in the Splendora district, then New Caney. On the dreadful day of May 18, 1991, my never ending nightmare began. I got the news that my first born son Paul had been murdered. On that day a part of me was ripped from my body and I died too. I can't even begin to tell anyone what it means to loose a child, but it has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. The next 11 years were filled with trying to live and fighting early releases at parole hearings. This only opened up the wounds trying to heal. The kid that shot him ended up only having to serve 11 years out of twenty and this still haunts me today. In Oct. of 1991, I married again to a man named Rick Harmon and we moved to Lake Jackson, TX. (this is where his job took us. ) I got a job in Danbury, TX, again teaching First Grade. This is the school I retired from after the 2006 school year. Being a teacher allowed me to take some wonderful trips. I have visited England, Scotland (many times), Ireland, Australia (twice), Vienna, Prague and Slovakia. I love traveling! In January of 2007, I became restless with life, marriage and very lost. I moved to LaGrange to try and understand what I wanted in my life. I love LaGrange and get to see some sort of wildlife every day. I sit out on my deck each day to read and take tons of pictures. I am learning to paint and am boring all my friends and family with emails of my paintings....but hey I am having fun! I love taking my cocker spaniel Jagger for walks each day. I also try to go see as many Astro games as I can with my son Casey or dear old friends. Music has always been a big part of my life (an escape as a teen) and I still go to as many concerts that I can afford! Hard to believe I saw the Beatles in 1965 for $5. ha-ha So this is where I am now...still very lost, but meeting new friends and trying to make the best out of what life has to offer. One day I hope to be a granny and spoil my grandchildren rotten. See you guys at the reunion:)...little did we know those were to be some of the greatest days...peace and love, denise