The "Submit Info" button was pushed by Elva, and she answered with this, Elva V. Templeton, as well as the following:

Your Mother: Jessie Mae (Butterworth) Moore
Your Father: Zina Edmond Moore

Question #1: How much do you know about the family's history from the days before you were born?

Answer: Quite a bit since 1700 & some before that. I know the Butterworths and Rakestraws came from Lancastershire, England, and the Robbins from the south of Scotland. Moores were every place in England & I don't where my roots, there, originate.

Question #2: Where and when were you born? Describe the first home you remember vividly and the city-town-farm where you lived.

Answer: The first home I really remember is a few houses north of Harry St. on Lulu St. in Wichita, KS.

Question #3: What's your earliest memory?

Answer: Playing with the neighborhood kids all about my age.

Question #4: Can you give a physical description and character sketch of your parents, brother &, sisters, etc.? Describe in a few words your relationship with each of them.

Answer: Physical appearance of parents. Both parents were heavy. Mom was 5'3" and Dad was 5'6". Butterworths & Rakestraws were tall (Mom was the shortest one of her family). Moores were tall but my Dad was more like Robbins who were all very short.

My parents & I had a close relationship. I had no brothers or sisters.

Question #5: Where did you go to school and what was it like, especially compared to today?

Answer: All of my schooling was in Wichita. KS. I went to Linwood elementary, Horace Mann Jr. High.,Wichita High School North, and Friends University.

I think school was more structured and we didn't have the technology they have today.

Question #6: What special family memories do you have (holidays, parties, hunting-fishing-camping, other "big events," etc.)?

Answer: My family memories are Sunday afternoon gathering of my uncles & aunts & cousins at my Grandparents Butterworth's home in Wichita, or my Grandparents Moore's farm north of Winfield,KS. All Christmases were at Butterworth's one year, then Moore's the next.

Question #7: Were there any significant storms or natural disasters that you were caught up in?

Answer: We were in the [June 6,]1966 tornado in Topeka and learned a healthy respect for taking shelter when given the warning.

Question #8: Growing up, was money tight? Or comfortable? Can you give examples?

Answer: I did not experience the depression like many did. We didn't have a lot of money, but my Dad had a steady income as a mail carrier, which is more than most of the dads had. My classmates thought I was rich and I considered myself very lucky and I still am thankful.

Question #9: What did you do for fun? Did you have any special places you went to (tree house, swimming hole, etc.)?

Answer: There were a lot of kids in my neighborhood when I was growing up. We had a big side yard at our house so we would all gather there and do gymnastics. We played hide and seek, hop scotch and roller skated on the sidewalks. The girls would also play jacks but the boys did something else.

Question #10: What kind of a child were you? A loner? Popular? Did you play organized sports,, paint, play music or act in plays, etc.?

Answer: I always liked to be around people. I played the violin which I did not like & still don't! My Grandparents Moore gave me a pig & raised it on their farm. When it was sold, I took the money and bought my first piano, which I had always wanted. [Elva took piano and became an accomplished pianist, majoring in Music with a minor in Drama at Friend's University. She also mastered the pipe organ as an adult, practicing that instrument at Topeka's principal Episcopalian church.--Ed.]

I also acted in plays and gave readings sometimes with my Dad and other times by myself.

Question #11: Did you or someone very close to you have any serious accidents or illnesses?

Answer: Son Craig was in 2 very serious accidents. My Mother died of [breast] cancer after long suffering.

Question #12: Who was your first love? Your first kiss? First date? How did you meet your spouse? Describe the courtship and wedding.

Answer: My 1st date was with a guy who later became a well known writer. I also dated a guy that used to deliver Western Union telegrams, so I would often come home and find a telegram.

I acted in plays with the guy that I thought was my "first love", but I know he wasn't the real love of my life. We went to different colleges in different states and there were too many activities for a relationship to survive just on holidays. I'm thankful that I met my real love in the meantime, and he & I both have the mates best for us. I met them all at church.

Question #13: Tell us about your work and raising your children.

Answer: I taught music in elementary school, both at Cheney, KS. and Wichita. I worked for IBM, doing payroll at Boeing in Wichita [during WW II --Ed.].

I taught private piano while our boys were growing up and going thru college. I taught in a daycare center for 5 years before moving to Prairie Village, KS. I enjoyed them all except working 10 hours a day in the office [at Boeing].

We raised 4 boys during this time.

Question #14: What were your brothers & sisters, your cousins, like as a baby or children?

Answer: I didn't have any brothers or sisters but I had cousins by the dozens. My Butterworth cousins all lived in Wichita, so we had a lot of fun when we were together. All of my Moore cousins were boys and lived by Winfield, Kansas.

Question #15: What was the single biggest "adventure" (or misadventure) in your life, so far?

Answer: I think the biggest adventure in my life was going to Kodiak, Alaska, in response to a call to work in the Kodiak Baptist Mission and not knowing what we were getting into. It was a wonderful experience and we made some lifelong friends. We went back 2 more times to do different jobs.

Question #16: Who influenced you the most in your life?

Answer: My parents, in teaching me a Christian set of values. The next would be Lois Blankenship for guiding me through leadership offices in my youth. This laid the foundation for later work. Jeannie Volker, calling us to volunteer in Alaska, then thru her, into the fulfilling & educational experiences in volunteering since retirement.

Question #17: Was there a major turning point in your life? Or more than one?

Answer: Every change in life is a major turning point.

Question #18: What was the one thing you did in your life that made you most happy? What do you most regret not doing?

Answer: I think my most happy moment was marrying my husband and knowing he returned from W.W.II unscathed.

Question #19: Are you active in your church or other organization?

Answer: [In "retirement,"] We are active in our American Baptist denomination, which takes us out of town too much to be very active in our local church. We do what we can while we are home.

Question #20: What advice or philosophy of life would you want to pass on to your children and grandchildren?

Answer: Live to your fullest potential. Make full use of your talents and abilities. Explore your interests as that is probably God's way of guiding you in what you should do.

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