Jan Croutworst (Mattson)Dear friends, Where to begin with what has happened over the last 30
years, that is the question! After graduating from CRHS, I spent one year at Clark
College. I then transferred to Evangel College in Springfield, Missouri.
(Not knowing anyone there was a big adjustment). After two years I met my
husband, Sam Croutworst who was one year ahead of me in College. We were
married the day after he graduated and he worked while I finished my last year
(By the way, we just celebrated our 27th wedding Anniversary). Sam was from Boston, so I began praying that we would find
jobs in the Pacific N.W. And we did. Sam began working at the
Naselle Youth Camp, as a counselor for court committed juvenille delinquents and
I got a job teaching 6th grade in the local grade school. We loved it
there and spent 6 years in that small community. Our daughter, Katrina was
born in Longview, while we were in Naselle. At that time Sam felt like he wanted to go into the
full-time pastoral ministry, so we began looking. We were called to come
to Seattle in 1980, the same time that St. Helen's blew its top. ( I felt
that was significant, Ha!) Sam spent 10 years as associate pastor in a
church in North Seattle. I began teaching school at King's Elementary
(also known as part of King's Garden and Crista Ministries) again when Katrina
entered Kindergarten. In 1987, we had our son, Alex. Two weeks after he was
born we bought a bigger house and moved 15 minutes north of Seattle. After
10 years at the church Sam resigned and tried to figure out what to do with the
rest of his life. After much prayer, he entered a new field - teaching.
He became the Bible teacher at Bellevue Christian School in Bellevue Washington.
He spent five wonderful years there and loved every minute of it. I was still teaching at King's and by that time, Katrina
was a senior and Alex was in 2nd grade at King's. Then an opening for a
Bible teacher came up at King's and we were so happy when Sam got the job.
So now, we were all at one school. Sam and I are still teaching there. I have taught
every grade except kindergarten and am now working one-on-one with children of
all ages that have Learning Differences. Sam is returning to Seattle
Pacific University to get his Masters in School Counseling. Katrina just graduated from Northwest College in Kirkland,
and Alex is wrapping up his 7th grade year at King's. Katrina will be
student teaching in 4th grade in the fall. In 1990, my parents decided to move to Seattle to be closer
to my only brother and me. They moved in with us for a 6 month temporary
stay (a 3 hour tour!!!!) and would you believe that they are still with us (ten
years later)? It has been really great for our kids to have them
here (and us too). God has been good to us although we have had our hard
times. I have had to deal with depression for short periods in my life
since my early 30's, but I am thankful to the Lord for a great doctor and
medication that has helped me in those times. I have great memories from High School, although I am
surely not the shy, reserved person that I was then. I guess life does
that to us doesn't it? I am thrilled to be making contact and although we
are unable to attend the reunion (we are going to be on vacation) I look forward
to keeping in touch. God Bless, Jan Croutworst (Mattson) |