I turned 50 this year and have made it a goal to write my life story. I want to write it now while I can still remember! I was born Ella Marie Rasmussen, on September 22 1957 to Carl Andrews Rasmussen and Hazel Margarette Johnson. In Lancaster California, I have 3 older brothers, Dean, Larry, and Charlie. And one younger brother James. They all still live in California.

The first memory that I have was in a house at 333 E. Lightcap. We lived there a short time before moving to the house I remember most at 212 W. Jackson. We lived there until I was in High School.
 

My father was an "Operating Engineer" that means he drove an earth moving tractor. He had worked for a man and later bought him out to start his own business that my brothers took over until my brother Charlie bought him out and owns it to this day with his sons.

My Mother Hazel was a stay at home mom.  She was involved in every aspect of her childrens life, and most of the time we all thought it was way too much.  She lived for her family.  When she was a little girl she had Rumatic Fever and it damaged her heart.  She grew up in Greeley Colorado where she met the man of her dreams, my dad. Because of her bad heart they were told to move to a lower elevation and warmer climate.  That is how they ended up in Lancaster Calif.  My parents worked hard to make ends meet.  They owned rental property, that they built and my mother managed the rentals.  My mother had grown up very poor and knew how to strech every penny.  My dad was also thrifty, and would say make do, or do  without.  He was very creative.  I think that  is where I get it from.

When I was 10 my mother had a massive stroke & heart attack.  Not much was known then about the heart and she went in to the hospital, where she stayed for a long time, I think over 10 months.  My dad had to keep on working and my brothers all pitched in to help as best they could,  The 2 oldest were in college and my younger brother was only 8.  It was a life changing event for teh whole family.  When my mother finally got to come home, she was not the same.  My dad tried to keep the family together but I don’t think that she knew how much she had changed.  After a couple of years they divorced.  All of us childern have stayed colse and adjusted to the divorce. My parents both tried to remarry, but they never found happiness with another, They are both barried in Newhall, Calif.  I believe that they will be together in the next life, for eternity.