It’s a homey little community with many farms & ranches. Much of the nation’s almonds are produced there & there is a high concentration of Basque sheep herders. However; my favorite fact about Bakersfield, which I always boasted proudly, is that it is the home of “Buck Owens & Merle Haggard.” Which is why I am such a fan of Country Music – classic conditioning. I went to school with the Owens boys & babysat Buddy’s (the eldest son’s) kids. Merle’s daughter, Kelly, was in a gymnastics class I taught…brushes with greatness!
11 Facts You Didn’t Know About Bakersfield, California 
1. Bakersfield is the birthplace of the "Bakersfield Sound," a subgenre of country music made famous by legends like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.
2. Bakersfield was once home to one of California’s largest Basque communities, leading to its unique Basque cuisine that’s now a key part of the local culture.
4. The iconic Noriega Hotel, which operated for over 125 years, was the oldest Basque boardinghouse in the United States.
5. Bakersfield has one of the largest collections of intact Victorian homes in California, many of which can be seen in the historic Westchester neighborhood.
6. In 1952, a massive earthquake leveled much of downtown Bakersfield, leading to a wave of mid-century modern architecture still visible today.
7. Bakersfield is one of the sunniest cities in the U.S., with an average of 272 sunny days per year.
8. Bakersfield is one of the world’s largest carrot-producing regions, earning it the title of “Carrot Capital of the World".
9. The city was originally named "Baker's Field" after Colonel Thomas Baker, who created the area’s first watering hole for travelers in the mid-1800s.
10. In the 1930s, Bakersfield was a major destination for Dust Bowl migrants from Oklahoma and Texas, a story famously captured in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
11. Bakersfield was a hub for early drag racing, with the Famoso Raceway hosting the March Meet, one of the most famous drag racing events in the world since 1959.
Fun Facts for those of you who make fun of me being from Bakersfield!
FRIENDS - Friends are always part of fun childhood memories. The very first friend I can remember was a little girl named Arizona. She was a few years older than me, but she liked to come over & play. One time I had “given” her a new toy that I had just received. My mom wasn’t happy about that & made me go get it back from her because it was a new toy she had just given me. I will never forget how mean Arizona was about it, she called me an “Indian Giver!” I wasn’t sure what it meant at the time, but I knew it wasn’t nice & the way she said it truly hurt my tender feelings. I remember that my mom didn’t like me playing with her after that.
The next friends I remember were Lisa & Diane. They were not sisters but they both lived on the same street that my grandparents lived on when we lived with them in Lompoc. I loved playing with them. They were always so nice & their parents were so kind, too. I continued to visit & play with them after we had moved to Bakersfield, every time we visited my grandparents. The silly thing I remember most about Lisa & Diane is that we played “Bonanza” together – we pretended that we were married to either “Adam, Hoss, or Little Joe,” one of the “Cartwright” boys of the TV series “Bonanza.” All I remember is that Little Joe was the favorite because he was the youngest & cutest. Hoss was the least favorite because he was “fat” & not so cute.
When we moved to Bakersfield, there were very few girls my age in the neighborhood, so my best friends were the little Hargis kids across the street. Lorrie was only 4 & Bonnie was pregnant with Cindi when we first moved there, making Lorrie 4 yrs younger & Cindi 8 yrs younger than me. I grew to love these girls, including Bonnie. Some of my favorite things we would play; Barbies (of course), Teacher (guess who was always the teacher?), & “Taco Bell.” The Hargis kids had this cute little playhouse in their backyard that we would use as our Taco Bell & we would take orders, prepare them, & serve them. As we got older, Ben & Bonnie built their home out on 7th Standard but we still played together. They would invite me over for sleepovers & we’d play “cheerleader” & “tumbling.” We swam in their pool & I went with them on their family vacations to Bass Lake. Ben taught me how to water ski. These are my happiest childhood memories of my dearest friends, whom I consider family, & we have remained friends throughout my life.
FEARS – I have always been afraid of the dark…even still…not beeing able to see what is out there, imagining someone or something “jumping out” to frighten me. I have always felt an evil presence in the dark & safety in the light. At night time, I would pull the covers over my head & be as still as possible so “no one/thing” would know that I was there & “get” me. Perhaps, way too many monster movies? My brothers collected those monster models that were popular growing up; The Mummy, Frankenstein, Swamp Thing, Phantom of the Opera, Wolfman, & Dracula, etc. They displayed them on the fireplace mantle in our family room (of all places!?) & I remember that I would “run” past them so they wouldn’t “get” me – unless, of course, my brothers were in the room. If they saw me do that, they would tease me mercilously & then they would “taunt” me with them!
My greatest childhood fear came from my Dad. He was an alcoholic & I never knew what to expect when I came home from school. Would he be sober? Would he be drunk? I NEVER invited friends over to my house because I was ashamed/embarassed & didn’t want anyone to know that he was a drunk. Funny how people know those things anyway.
PROUD MOMENTS – Being the baby sister to three older brothers, I grew up a “tomboy.” I wanted to be like them & do the same things they did. My brothers were very good athletes & I learned to play sports, too. They would never let me play football or basketball with them, but our entire neighborhood used to play baseball in the open field on Norris Rd across from Pounds Grocery Store. It was owned by Ed Angel’s Trucking Company, so we had our own “Angel’s Field.” The point is, I grew up to be a pretty good athlete which added to my “tomboy-ness.” I was pretty coordinated & I learned new skills quickly. In junior high, we played against other schools & I was one of the few 6th graders chosen to play with the 7th graders. I excelled in volleyball, basketball, & softball. I was pretty small, but I was quick. I also was an outstanding tripple jumper in track & ran on the relay team. I took pride in being an athlete (because that’s what my brothers were) & I was extra proud when I was selected “Outstanding Female Athlete” at my 8th grade graduation in 1969. My mom made my dress, it was one of my favorites. It was white with olive green polka dots & an olive green satin ribbon.
Unfortunately, they did not offer competitive sports for girls at my high school back then unless it was swimming or tennis & I never learned how to do either of these until I got to high school. So cheerleading was the closest thing I could get to competitive sports. I knew I was coordinated enough & I had the confidence that I could be good at it, but in those days, becoming a cheerleader was a popularity thing – the student body “voted” on who would be on the cheerleading squad. We learned a cheer & performed it for the entire student body at an assembly & they voted the following day. It was very unusual for a freshman to make the squad, but I wanted to do this more than anything! The Townsends were always popular, they were star athletes & their baby sister (whose name was also Jennifer – it was the only other Jennifer I’d ever known!) was also a freshman trying out. The day of the assembly, Towney went out before me & every athlete in the school stood up & cheered so loudly for her, I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach knowing that if any freshman would win, she would because she had such great support from all the “jocks.” I was next & I’d decided to give it all I had…when they announced my name, my brother Dickie stood up with ALL of his friends (dopers, cowboys, geeks, jocks, & more – Dickie had a lot of interesting friends, he accepted everyone & everyone respected him for that), they ALL stood & cheered louder than the ovation that Towney received! I couldn’t believe it! It didn’t matter if I won or not – my brother, stood up for me, & that was by far the proudest moment of my life! To top that off, the next day after elections were posted after school – Towney & I BOTH made the squad…two freshmen! When they posted the results, Towney & I screamed & hugged each other. When I turned around I saw Dickie a ways off, smiling at me. He came up & asked me if I wanted a ride home – it was the only time he ever offered me a ride, he usually made me walk (we lived across the field from the school) – he was just as proud for me, too.
This is my first cheerleading uniform, probably taken the night of my first football game which was the night my brother, Dickie, was killed in a car accident. We are standing in our front yard with no grass & you can see my dad's shadow as he is taking my picture. I love that you can see the house across the street because we moved into it a couple of years later.)
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