"A..J." Adams
answers to that name, or to Alice Jane. Our new resident was born
in Los Angeles, California. She went through school in Glendale
until she was fifteen, then moved to Esther Hall in San Diego
until she finished high school. She started in San Diego State
College, majoring in sociology, but it took her fourteen years
and five major surgeries before she would get her degree. With
polio and other problems she hasn’t had good health, but has
lived to help others all her life. She earlier worked mainly in
office jobs, but also in Frances Depauw Home in Hollywood, the
State Department of Mental Hygiene in Los Angeles, and later, the
State Board of Equalization in San Diego.When she finished her degree, A.J. was working in Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, and later worked as a Probation Officer. At the age of thirty-eight she was retired with lifetime disability. For seventeen years she shared a home with Edith Curl, a former resident at Brooks-Howell Home. She was unable to work full time, but did a lot of volunteering, living on her pension all this time. She also worked for one year under the Woman’s Division at David and Margaret Home in LaVerne. Later she volunteered at Esther Hall in Salt Lake for six months when Edith Curl was director there.
A.J. used her social work skills at Thoburn Terrace and helped move the residents there to Robincroft when the former closed, continuing her volunteer work at Robincroft. When the people moved from Robincroft to Mt. Miguel Retirement Home in San Diego, she was hired to work with the Robincroft people, to see that they maintained a high quality of life there. This was done at the suggestion of Betty Letzig, present Brooks-Howell resident. In March 1993 A.J. helped the residents to move again, this time to Brooks-Howell, and she stayed here to work with them for a while. She moved back to San Diego and worked with the United Methodists’ Metro Urban Ministries at South Bay Good Neighbor Center, retiring from there. She has been active in United Methodist churches, singing in the choir, and in United Methodist Women. When she retired, she began a greeting card ministry to former clients and friends and those needing to be cheered. She enjoys listening to music, and likes to read and watch sports on television.
She arrived at Brooks-Howell as a new resident on March 31, 2003. She is a very caring person, a joy to be with. She has kept up with the people she moved to Brooks-Howell during the ten years of her absence, visiting them at least once a year. She is thankful to God for guidance during her life.