SANDRA ANN STARR CHUDY HAS A BIRTHDAY TODAY, AUGUST 15, 2012

Sandra Ann Starr Chudy

Much of the following is taken from Sandra's autobiography. A copy was given to all of Lanny's siblings by their mother. Some condensing was done in order to fit it on this family blog.   Sandra was born August 15, 1939, in Tremonton, Utah, to Carl Henry Starr and Nola Lucille Hopkins Starr. She was their first living child, a baby sister (Margene) having died a few minutes after birth the year before. Her father chose her name from one he saw in the newspaper under a picture of a little girl in Kentucky who had survived a bad flood. 

Carl, Sandra, Nola, Lanny

Aunt Dode (Delores Woodland)
Sandra and Lanny

Nola with Sandra and Lanny



Sandra wrote: “Mother says she won't take all the credit for spoiling me as I was the only grandchild on both sides of the family, and I also had an Aunt Dode (Delores) all of whom thought I was pretty special.”

On September 27, 1947 at the age of 8, Sandra was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Boyd Josephson in the Udy Hot Springs at Plymouth, Utah.

In seventh and eighth grades Sandra began playing for the school operettas. After the operetta in the last year, the teachers presented her with a plastic purse containing two silk handkerchiefs and a flower to wear. She was thrilled at this. It was during her year in eighth grade that she began to especially like English and to learn to diagram. These two years she also had a card at the Garland library and read dozens of books. (They didn't have television then!)  During these years she also began learning to play the violin, but as there was no real violin teacher she didn't do too much until she began High School.

Each summer Sandra usually spent a week or two in Brigham and then a while over at Grandpa and Grandma Starr's. She had a great time with Grandpa Starr- even dressing him up like a lady and taking his picture, having water fights, going after the cows, and all kinds of things. 

Sandra, Alexanderina Baird Hopkins, Lanny

going after the cows

Grandpa also taught her to drive the car when she was fourteen. She could hardly wait to be sixteen to get her driver's license and take the car out alone.”

During her second year in High School she took Glee club. She tried out for the Capella choir and was accepted. Her junior year the choir took a trip to the Northwest. Sandra wrote,
“It was a trip I will never forget. I was very backward and it was hard for me to be close to the boys and girls in the choir. I guess this trip was a real growing experience for me. As it turned out, we sang in the chapel which years later turns out to be my “home ward” in Tacoma, Wa. During this year I also graduated from Seminary. I had a new orchid suit and I really thought that I looked snazzy. Mom and Dad gave me a beautiful rose corsage. I also got my driver's license during this year.”

Her favorite hobby was playing the piano. She played for road shows, church, solos, accompaniment for other singers, and for pleasure. Sandra wrote, “Mother said if she didn't get me busy 'Saturday mornings' before I got to the piano I was hopeless as far as work was concerned."

Sandra's elation: 
In July of 1955 I was blessed
with a little sister. Up until this
time I was the oldest with four brothers. We named her Karen Sue. She was everyone's pride and joy and spoiled rotten!"

After graduating from High School Sandra and Carol Adams (Bosch) moved to Salt lake City to go to school. Later on Betty and Deanna Nish moved in with them (they all moved to a larger apartment in the same building).  Sandra and Betty later shared the same apartment alone. There was never a dull moment on Canyon Road after we moved there. In 1958 Sandra graduated from Henegar's Business School with an Advanced Secretarial Degree and began to work full time for Summerhay's Music in Salt Lake City. Later she went to work for Bettylyons a real estate company, and then on to civil service at Dugway Proving Grounds, west of Salt Lake City. Sandra lived in a dormitory on the base with about 15 other women. There wasn't a lot to do, so they danced almost every night until 1 or 2 in the morning then got up and went to work at 7 AM. In January of 1960 Sandra and Mabel Orten, a girl she had met at Dugway, moved to Los Angeles,California to work and live. Sandra worked in the Extension Department of the University of California-Los Angeles for two of the Assistant Directors.

In January of 1960 she met Ronald Lee Chudy. They were married in Las Vegas, Nevada that same year. Their first child Loretta Ann was born in the UCLA Medical Center. Sandra wrote: “She was the most beautiful baby in the whole world!” When Loretta was six months old they moved to Plymouth, Utah and lived in a trailer house on Sandra's parents' lot. In December of that year, just before Christmas, they moved back to Los Angeles, California into an apartment on Market Street in Venice.  Their first son Ronald Lee,  Jr. was born in May, 1962 at the UCLA Medical Center. He had beautiful blond curly hair.  Ron was sure proud to have a boy!

Sandra wrote: “When Ronnie was one year old I took a train trip to Utah to attend mybrother Lanny's wedding. Loretta and Ronnie accompanied me on the trip, and I vowed I'd never take another train trip with two small children. (I've taken many more since then, with even more children!) Loretta was an active two year old who tried to take off down the train isles whenever she got a chance. When I would get up to rescue her, Ronnie (who couldn't walk yet) would take off crawling in the other direction as fast as he could. What a trip!”

In 1963 the Chudy's moved back to Utah and bought a house at the bottom of the hill from Sandra's parents' place. She went to work at Thiokol Chemical Corp as a secretary in the Contracts Department. Nola babysat for her so she knew the children were in good hands. Their third daughter, Lisa Ann, was born in Tremonton, Utah. She was a beautiful baby with very black hair. She was born on her Grandma Chudy's birthday so was very special to her.

In 1966 Ron got a job in Seattle,Washington and the family moved to Tacoma, in the home which they still occupy. Houses were hard to find at that time as Boeing was really booming, so they were very fortunate to find this one.

Sandra wrote: “The first year in Washington was a hard one. I think it rained every day for at least the first six months we were here. Gradually you come to accept it and you learn to do everything in the rain that you used to do in the sunshine. That first summer we took a trip to Utah and Southern California and then came up the coast. As we got closer to Washington and saw how green things were compared to the dried out brown everywhere else, we began to appreciate the rain.”

The next year their fourth child and third daughter was born. Michelle Ann came into the world on September 29. She was another beautiful “Chudy baby”. She was born at Tacoma General Hospital. She obliged her father by coming into the world before 9 PM so that he could get home and watch a Betty Davis movie on television' Sandra worked for “Boeing Aircraft, then for Northern Line/Tacoma Boatbuilding Company. She wrote: “My office was in Tacoma and wasn't too far away from home, but I still missed being home with the children.”

They became foster parents, their hope being that a boy would be placed with them so that Ronnie would have a playmate. A teenage girl named Peggy was our first foster child. Later Virginia Wonser, a year and a half old girl came to live with us. Virginia is severely handicapped having been born with cerebral palsy.  Sandra wrote: “Virginia cannot speak, walk, has no use of her hands, and is not able to be potty trained. In fact, she is about like a two or three month old baby in what she is capable of doing. She must be spoon fed and all food must be blended like baby food. Her beautiful curly hair and her very bright sparkly eyes were her assets. At this writing, Virginia is almost 19 years old and is still living with us. She has not made a lot of progress, but her eyes still sparkle and leads one to believe that she understands and has much knowledge locked inside but just lacks the means to communicate it. She has taught us much by her presence here.”

On September 1972, another daughter came into our lives. Jennifer Ann was born at Tacoma General Hospital. She was another 'beautiful Chudy baby' and loved by all her sisters and brother. 

In 1974 Mary Ann was born but she only lived for five hours and returned to her Father in Heaven. Even though her little body was perfectly formed on the outside, she was just too tiny to survive. Sandra wrote: “I now understood the pain of losing a baby and leaving a hospital without a little one snuggled in your arms.”

In 1976 Stephen Carl Chudy was born. He was a hefty 9 pound 15-1/2 ounce, 23 inch baby boy. What a joy to have another son. Stephen was named for both his grandfathers - - Stephen J Chudy and Carl Henry Starr. His sisters and brother spoiled him rotten. 

It seems the Lord wasn't finished with their family yet, as once again they were expecting a baby.  Sandra wrote: “I sailed through the pregnancy and checked into the hospital the day before the baby was to be delivered by C-section. Jason Lee Chudy was born July 27, 1977 and weighed in at 6 pounds 13 ounces. I remember being elated when told that “it's a boy” by Dr. Huish, and especially when I saw the head of black hair on him. While I was in the recovery room, Jason's pediatrician came in with the news that Jason was not expected to live. He had been born with Hylain's Membrane Disease – a lung disorder. . . After Mary Ann's death, I hadn't thought that I could go through losing another child, but I found that from somewhere you get the strength to do whatever you are called upon to do. I know that someday I will again see Mary Ann and Jason and will be able to raise them, if I live as I should on this earth. I still have many sad moments when I think of my babies, but as time passes, it gets easier.”

This was written when Sandra was 45 years old which would be over twenty years ago. Much has happened since there. There have been marriages, grandchildren and great-grandchildren born into their family. Sandra's husband Ron passed away, and Virginia followed shortly after.

From my personal knowledge, I know that Sandra has had many fascinating and challenging experiences in her life and has helped many people. Our family has adopted her into our little family circle and dearly love her. She is probably one of the most intelligent, talented, capable, patient and caring women I know.  Happy Birthday Sandra.

 

Memories of Sandra Chudy

Sandra is my older sister by 2 years. We were typical brother and sister in that we fought a lot. I remember one time in particular when we were doing dishes and I flipped her on the rear with the dishtowel. She started after me and I ran outside to escape. It was dark outside and she chased after me. I ran around a pine tree in the yard to try to escape and in the dark I tripped over a lawn mower. As I lay wounded on the ground she mercilessly beat me soundly.

We were lucky to have been the first/second born in the family as we got to know all of our grandparents very well. While dad was in the Army we spent a lot of time at grandpa and grandma Hopkins home in Brigham City, WA. Sandra learned to drive by driving the tractors at Grandpa Starr’s place. She tells the story about following him out of the field and when he stopped to open the gate she hit his tractor in the rear. We have many good memories of camping trips with mom and dad when we were young.

I have one bad memory of growing up with Sis”. It was very painful watching and listening to her learn to play the violin. It took a while but she finally mastered the instrument and I took the cotton out of my ears.

I’m very proud of you sis. You have had some tough times in your life but have always managed to come out on top. We were taught the value of hard work as kids and not many could overcome the obstacles and raise the loving family you have. I know our parents were proud and so is your big brother. Happy Birthday big “Sis”.

Lanny Starr