Carolyn Bigler - Webmaster's answers to the Questionnaire:
1. Current name you go by.
Golly gee, too many to count folks.
Currently I go by Carolyn to most people, some prefer to call me
Caroline. However much depends upon the circumstances in which they
meet me. My pen name: Moonlightflower, clown name: Crystal. In Hawaii,
I took on the Hawaiian version of my name and that is KaniLe'a pronounced
as one word kah knee lay ah. It means to sing like the birds. If you have
visited my personal website, then you know of the other names, but then
they are for entertainment purposes only. Bigler was my maiden name and
I changed that as of June 2006.
I married my childhood playmate and high school steady, Alfred Hebert from
the class of 1956. We had an Hawaiian style wedding on a cruise ship in
New Hampshire. I performed the hula to "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" during
the ceremony and the hula to "Blue Hawaii" for our guests and a few people
on the ship.
2. If you are a female, please include your maiden name while in school.
My maiden name in high school was Bigler. Some of you remember me by
my birth name though. That was Burke when in grade school and when I took
dancing lessons from Florence Coleman. Daddy Bigler adopted my brother and
me in 1951.
3. Did you have a nickname in high school and if so what was it?
Oh for sure, Bugler because I played a "mean bugle" in the Hussars.
I play a cow horn now, really, I can still play Here We Come. I taught
my son how to double tongue and how to triple tongue on his cornet.
4. Your email address. If you have more than one, give only the one you
want to be published online. The email address page will be password
protected online but please only include one email address.
Okay, I have about 12+/- email addresses for different websites and
different topics however you may write to me via our website please.
mlfpoetry at moonlightflower dot org
If you want my personal email addy, write and ask for it.
5. Where do you live? City and State please.
Currently, LOL, I have moved more times than my age, for real. I lived
in Honolulu, Hawaii within walking distance of the Ala Wai Canal which
separates Honolulu from Waikiki. And I was working as a special needs
nurse in Waikiki at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School when a knee
injury occured. I am back in Port Neches, Texas. I still love Hawaii.
Alfred and I spent our first anniversary there.
Get ready for this folks, we are going to move. I am tired of running
from hurricanes. It's expensive financially and emotionally. Rita did
her dance before we got married and Gustav didn't harm us but Ike
certainly did. He was no General and he was not an Admiral. Ike took a
lot of Turns and took a toll on the Texas coast. Alfred is ready to
leave the Golden Triangle too believe it or not. We may get another
sailboat after the move. Two boats to two hurricanes in three years
is a bit much.
6. Your occupation or if you are retired, what was your occupation?
That's a good one. For now, I reckon I am semi retired from nursing.
I photograph Alfred at the Senior Games Triathlons and sometimes when
he trains at home.
Update: I am working on a book about my recovery from a brain injury.
The book abour my service dog is complete except I need to add one more
chapter. Since my external drive died during evacuation so my books
are on hold.
Regardng Websites:
I am taking a writing course and building websites is taking a backseat
to working on websites with exception of my personal website. I hope to
publish many books to include children's books, poetry, and nonfiction.
I have several in the mill. Plus I am working with a guy in Australia on
a book he is hoping to publish iin 2010. And I do some consulting.
7. If you are retired, what are you doing now?
I miss Hawaii, I miss the beach, and I miss the things that interest
me such as Classic Car Clubs, Writers Groups, Clown Alleys and water
walking at the beach with my dog. I miss Sunset at the Beach, Brunch
at the Beach and shopping in Waikiki and at Daiei. Some of those things
no longer exist in Hawaii. Alfred and I have a timeshare and we are
doing some traveling with the Senior Games events and taking vacations.
8. Your hobbies and/or pastimes.
Gee do you have time to read them all? I'll just list them: I own my own
Karaoke equipment so singing, sewing, computing, writing, dance, and play
with my dog. Princess is blind now but I still hold her and love her. I
rely on her sense of smell which is still great.
Oh yea, I answer a lot of email. Can that be a hobby? "SMILE"
I listen to my Hawaiian and hula music. Anybody for a luau? Care to hula
with me? Alfred prefers to watch but he can sing The Hawaiian War Chant.
I am Alfred's photographer and believe it or not, I have been able to help
him improve his athletic skills by finding fantastic videos on DVD and
great books. Those resources are on his resource page in my website.
I was a professional Gospel Clown but my gear is stored in the closet.
9. How many children do you have and where do they live?
Biological ones I have two. Lydia lives in Italy and Bryan moved back to
Texas. He has his own construction business in East Texas. As a nurse,
I've claimed most of the special needs children I have taken care of.
Alfred has four daughters whom I claim as my step children even though they
are grown with children of their own. Only two live near us.
10. How many grandchildren do you have?
Bryan has two, one boy named Keenan and one girl named Stephanie. They
are both teenagers now and live with their mother in Burleson, Texas.
Lydia has one son named Luke. I was fortunate to get to see him graduate
from Pine Tree High School in Longview in May 2003. He was the only boy
with long hair and I mean long hair. Luke spent most of his life in
Arlington, Texas. You can read about my daughter and grandson in my website.
I will be building pages for my son and his children. I need more pictures.
There is one page for Keenan and Stephanie and several for Luke.
My son is a contractor, primarily painting and renovating both commercial
and residential properties in east Texas. He relocated from Kentucky in 2006.
My daughter's website AT YOUR SERVICE MARKETING, is linked in my website
on my Favorite Links page. She lives in Italy, yes Italy the country.
11. Did you hold an office while in high school, participate in sports,
the band, the Hussars, etc.?
I did the GRA thing - tennis; played a bugle in the Hussars except at
break time, I beat on the drums. BC Red Hussars it was the Jackateens.
Other recreational activities: swim at the Pleasure Pier, dance K of C
in the Groves and sometimes the Beehive. Awgee I had to get my yearbook
out for this one. I was in the Cabinet, French Club, and DE. Too far back
to remember some things. Oh, Pat Sabo, Brenda Hill, Kay Elerbee and I
were candidates to the DE State Convention in Austin our senior year.
12. What were your aspirations when you were in high school?
I didn't realize we were allowed our own goals as a female in the 50's
soooo I reckon primarily a housewife. However, I did want to be a costume
designer which I have accomplished. I did the upholstery on the amusement
rides in the Fort Worth Stockyards and have made costumes for professional
clowns and performers. But had I gone to college, I wanted to be a legal
secretary. Interesting how my path has changed so many times and nursing
keeps choosing me. But I started to change my major to counseling and
couldn't see myself working and going to school too, not in my 30's. But
then I have taken continuing education courses almost yearly.
13. Did you accomplish most of the goals you set for yourself back then
or did you alter your direction?
When I think about it I accomplished some I wish I hadn't wished for.
My first marriage was a big turning point changing the direction of my
life's path. But there are some things I learned in that marriage that
I have been able to use in nursing, all the vet stuff, for real. People
are easier to stick a needle in than cattle. Every move has been a
turning point in my life. I have enjoyed almost every job I have had
and I am still setting goals, hitting some and missing others.
14. What was your favorite song during your high school days?
I never really had a particular favorite other than "Make Believe"
from Showboat. I loved them all and had fun imitating Elvis with
"Hound Dog."
15. What was your favorite movie back then?
Show Boat and King of Kings
16. What were your favorite hangouts? i.e. The Beehive, the movies,
the drive in, Pleasure Pier, the skating rink on 9th Ave, etc.
First of all the Pleasure Pier of course. My brother, Ronnie - class of
1960, and I used to swim a lot. Next to that it was the arcades and the
shooting gallery. We went to Peveto's Skating Rink and the Beehive.
Then there was a skating rink that opened up next to Weingartens and
the Root Beer Stand on 9th Ave. I reckon we spent a lot of time at the
Don Drive-in. Oh, my grandpa Dugas's tugboat was a lot of fun too!
17. Do you have photos of any of these events?
Well yes I do but they are packed. When I get around to organizing
the boxes of pictures, I will start adding some to our website. I've
sent some to Paul Fitzner but don't see them on any of his pages now.
Maybe he lost them when he had computer problems.
UPDATE: If you wish to see any of these photos they are in our Kodak
Gallery Photo Album. The link is in our site. There are before and after
photos too of some of our classmates.
18. What was your favorite subject in high school and why?
Algebra-Once I thought I wanted to be a math teacher until Geometry
came along. Haaaaa!
19. Who was your favorite teacher or was there a teacher who inspired
you?
Ms. Pfeiffer, our French teacher. She said if you want to remember
something, write it down at least 5 times. That helped me through my
recovery from a brain injury that occured in December of 1988.
20. What was your most embarrassing moment or your worst nightmare
during high school years?
Lillie Bartlett knows this one. The Hussars were on the football
field waiting to go on to the field and perform. There was a fire
truck behind us. One of the guys turned the lights on and that literally
frightened the *P* out of me. When I marched out on the field, it was
'slush, slush, slush' in my beautiful polished white Hussar boots. Lillie
wouldn't let me forget it because she wrote it in my yearbook.
21. Where did you meet your mate if you are married? (not necessary
to include previous mates if you are divorced or separated).
Which one? First one, his mother introduced us. I was their paper girl.
He is still alive but buried in his money in east Texas.
Second one: met him in college. He was the drama and speech teacher
and a preacher. He is buried somewhere in east Texas.
Third one: We met in Sunday School at First Methodist Church downtown
Fort Worth. He was an Okie and is buried in Norman, OK.
Fourth one: waiting on this one. I believe there will be a match made
in heaven. After 2 failed ones and one dying, I can handle another one.
However, meeting men at our age now is not easy. There are too many
controllers out there, they are just no longer ambitious, they are bed
hoppers, they think they must be Ken because they are looking for Barbie
Dolls. Look under Barbie's skirt, there ain't nothing there. Drop Ken's
slacks, ooops 'nuff said. Or the good ones are taken. Suggestions?
UPDATE: I married the most wonderful man on this planet. For shame I
didn't continue going swimming at the Pleasure Pier because he was
working as manager there and didn't have much time to date...or so
I was told 50 years later. Whatever...... We met when I was only 10
years old. We played in my family's front yard and in the drive way
of Tommy Stewart's who lived behind us. We played kick the tin can,
hide and seek, red rover, blind man's bluff, and many other childhood
games. I even rode piggy back on Alfred's back...can't do that now.
During TWIRP Week our Sophomore year, I asked Alfred out on a date.
Within a few days we were going steady. However, he caught my mother
wearing his letter jacket and hanging out the clothes and took his
jacket and his senior ring back. It took 50 years and him marrying
somebody he met at the swimming pool and her dying before I found
this out. But once he learned I had moved back to this area, it took
him only a few days to decide I AM a keeper. We got back together on
July 31, 2005 and he proposed on August 9, 2005 with the official
proposal on August 19, 2005. He was wondering if I would remember
our dates and our kisses. I was wondering if he would accept me in
my physical condition, riding a motorized scooter and having a Service
Animal. Neither of us had a thing to be worried about.
22. Do you know of any classmates who are deceased? If so, please relay
the information so it can be added to our memorial page.
I depend on you all to answer this one. I built the website and have
learned the list is not complete. Plus I found a couple that were not
deceased. Elliott Bray really handled it well. He wrote back, "In the
words of Mark Twain, the news of my death has been greatly exaggerated."
If anybody can validate that Linda Ulbrich is still alive, please do so.
I wrote to the subdivision where she supposedly lives but they can't get
the information for me. Two of our classmates have Alzheimers and I ain't
telling. There is another who is in a nursing home. And another suffered
a brain injury several years ago. I wish he would get in touch with me.
Without permission, I won't release this information.
23. What are your favorite websites. Please list no more than three and
please no "Adult" sites.
Gee, our website http://tjhs1958.com is really great.
My personal website is pretty good too. You can spend literally days in it.
http://moonlightflower.org
I enjoy reading the poetry in the the starlite cafe when they don't
lose people's backgrounds. I do have poems posted there but then I have
my own Love Poems site too which will be turned into several books.
Other than that, I surf the net in search of graphics and interesting
articles. There are no really favorite sites. My favorite search engine
uesd to be Comet Cursor Companion. But that turned out to be a spyware
program which was highly debatable too. Now I usually google things.
24. If you could change history, what would you do differently if
anything at all? Keep it brief and you do not have to share, you don't
have to have anything you would do differently either.
That's an easy one. I would never have married my first husband and
would have gone to college. Plus I would have continued with singing.
Not pursuing a music career is one major thing I do regret.
I was a member of the Bell Canto Singers for the Dallas/Fort Worth
Metroplex. We sang not only in English but in Greek, Latin, Spanish,
Italian, and German. Did I know what we were singing? Nope unless it
was English. I have sung at weddings, funerals, and had my own concerts
as both a singer and a professional clown. Plus I sang with a few
small time Country Western Bands.
25. If you could go anywhere in the world and be any thing you wanted
to be at this stage of the game, where would you go and what would you
do and why?
I dream big so I am not limited to one thing. I would take my clown
ministry around the world. That eventually will be done via the Internet.
Other than that, be a published writer for real money. And I would put
my own 50's sock hop band together even if only for jamming; something
similar to The Party Crashers in the Dallas Fort Worth area. The leader
is my grandson's uncle. God has richly blessed me with many creative
talents and I believe in sharing them. If He gave them to you, they are
meant to be shared or He can take them away and give them to someone
who will use them.
26. If you could go back to our high school days, which year would you
go back to and why? Considering our high school days were 1954 to 1958
including Woodrow Wilson Jr. High years.
I would go back to my junior year. That was the first year to get to
actually participate as a Red Hussar. That was truly fun days. On second
thought, I'd like to go back to my Sophomore year and ask Alfred why he
took his jacket and ring back and hopefully continue dating him.
27. Is there anything in particular you would like to see on this website?
Yes, pictures of then and now. I have a few photos but need more please.
28. Do you have any photos of yourself then and now? If you don’t know
how to scan or don't have a scanner, would you be willing to send copies
of the photos so I can scan them for use in the website?
I won't answer this one because everybody should know I have a scanner,
photos, and am the creator of our website. I have plans for many more
pages. There are several fifties jukeboxes in our website. I created the code
for them. I need the questionnaires answered please. I have only received a
few some of which are in our site as of this date, January 2008. I would like
to upload more so send them on please.
29. How computer literate are you? Do you need help with any of this
computer stuff? I won't mind helping.
Some people call me an expert but I know there is much more to be learned.
I give a simple step-by-step list of how to. I'm not talking instructions,
just help if needed. Come to think of it, sometimes it is instructions.
This still applies. You would be surprised at how many people I have
tutored. One guy in England had his wife send me some money. It was sealed
in a zip lock bag and in a greeting card. I wrote and asked if they lost
something. There was a $50 bill with the card.
30. What is your favorite color, number, and movie of all time?
a.) blue but primarily turquoise b.) three c) Cross Creek - a movie about
Marjorie Rawlings, the author of The Yearling. I identify with her
as an author.
NOTE: I am in need of reunion pictures. I do have to rely on the planners
of our reunions and you for information. Please reply. I do this out of
the goodness of my heart as a free service.
The 2003 reunion was fun but Hawaii and Alaska both became a state in 1959.
Hawaii was considered first however Alaska became a state on January 3,
1959 with Hawaii following on August 21, 1959. It's a big state holiday.
I still consider myself to be part Hawaiian.
Hula performance December 15, 2001. I was the only haole (white person)
in the halua (hula troop). This was a childhood dream come true.
Not only did I make my hula dress, but I designed and custom created
all the dresses for my class. The gosset under the sleeves was the hardest
to create. This was for extra room for arm movements. A friend of mine took
the pictures. Aloha a hui hou! Hawaii and I will meet again some day.
UPDATE: Alfred and I celebrated our first anniversary in Hawaii summer 2007
after the National Senior Games. Alfred's first trip and my third trip,
I lived there remember. Alfred got to swim on the Bonzai Pipeline in
Haleiwa. The water was flat and he was the only swimmer.
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