DIXEE NEUGEBAUER: My name is Dixee Miskin Neugebauer. I like people. I've always said I'd rather fight with a roommate than be alone. So that was me.
I had two years of college. So I had an associate degree, and I got a teaching job in exactly where I wanted — in Blackfoot, Idaho. I did not realize at my young age what I was putting myself into emotionally, and spatially also.
I got all ready to go, my parents took me down to the bus station, and we missed the bus. We were coming from Terreton, Idaho. And we went to the first bus stop in Idaho Falls, and we missed it. And so we kept going to the next bus stop to try to pick up a bus. But they ended up taking me the whole way. And I had already had a place to live. It seemed like it was nice, as long as my parents were there. But when I got there, and was dropped off, I felt very alone.
And it's that time that I realized that I had left all of my clothes, stacked on the bed at home in Terreton. I had no clothes. So I went the first day in the clothes that I had, which was good because they were professional clothes. But the next day wasn't going to be so good. And the next day, the next day.
Anyway, I was feeling quite bad. And I went to the school and was organizing books and things like that. And in comes this very friendly custodian. And he introduced himself as Clawson Hancock, and he saw that I was a young girl kind of close to tears. And he was very kind to me, and that brought tears. And he said, "Do you have a place to stay? Because my wife and I are alone. And you could come and stay with us?"
Oh, that sounded good. And I stayed with them. And they were very loving people. The mother Margaret Hancock made sure I ate breakfast, I could close the door and work on my grades and stuff like that. And sometimes their married daughter and foster children would come and if I wanted to mingle with the family, I was very welcome. So that was homey to me. So that was the arrangement we had.
I went to school, and it was hard for me. It was scary to teach. Even though these are little first graders. There were some times when Miss Miskin (me) had to turn my back and kind of keep from crying because I was so nervous about what do I do in this situation.
And there was a little girl that I remember specifically she would come in and it was a hot summer day, and she'd been out playing, and she would sit down and she would go "Pfffffff!" and her bangs would blow up on her face. And I knew just how she felt.
And I remember a little boy named Matsuri. And he was so cute. Sometimes there were times where this teacher Miss Miskin would have to turn her back to the class. And "hee-haw" because some things were very, very funny because he was so cute. And I wouldn't laugh at him. And kids didn't laugh at him. But if I laughed, maybe I don't know. He was just so cute all the time. The kids. I remember the kids very, very well.
