I was born in Callao and grew up in La Oroya in the 40s and 50s. My Dad, Ted Wright, went to C de P in 1924, straight out of Berkeley, and stayed until 1956. My Mom, Margie Wright, married my Dad in 1937, and I came along in 1939. We lived in Chulec 53, my sister Chris (Tinky) was born and we moved to Chulec 4 (?) several houses down from the hospital, and then to Mayupampa, where my sister Stephanie spent her first two years before we all packed up in 1956 and moved to "the States". Growing up in La Oroya was full of adventure, but safe, all ages played as a group, everyone was your parent, but they were all Mr. and Mrs., we took it for granted that there were servants in the house, but somehow we all knew that we lived a different life than those in "The States", and respected it.
Pat Vandel Simon and I were the only two in the eight grade in the Chulec school, and were the second class to graduate there in 1953. Mike and Richard Bemis and June Chancellor had preceded us. We both took off for the states, came back summers, and boy did we think we were the most sophisticated and grown-up teen-agers on earth! Of course, Leah's ...Mrs. Higg's, summer dance lessons helped, so we could look cool at the Inca Club parties. Pat and I have remained in close contact ever since, but I have had little contact with anyone else from La Oroya.
Now 50 some years later, three children and three grandchildren later, retired from a 30 year banking career, I am living in a gold mining town (fancy that!) in Grass Valley, Ca. with my companion of five years, Richard Fernandez. We had planned to go to Peru in 2002, and with all of this reconnection and resulting conversations, we did go back in July with both of my sisters and their husbands. It was wonderful! Unfortunately we were advised not to go up to Oroya due to political reasons. CdeP gringos aren't looked upon with great favor, and I guess the town has become quite sooty, grimy, and run-down. However, we went to Lima (a bit seedy, and has lost its luster), Paracas (still the same!), Cusco (wonderful), Machu Picchu (fantastic) and many small towns, like Pisac, Urabamba, and Pisco that had not changed. It brought us right back to our childhood. It was a very moving and wonderful trip.
What is really remarkable, after all of this time, are the many reconnections that Valerie's project has brought to my life. Valerie found me through my sister in Colorado, whom she found through Mark Mills, who had found my sister through a fellow who worked with her and was Mark's friend.
Whew...now, to top if off, it turned out that Valerie and I only live about 15 minutes from each other! Getting together with Valerie and her folks resulted in thinking of other possibilities, and since last February I have had dinner with Don Koropp, Mike Bemis (came out from WI and stayed a few days), Craig Wadke, and Dixon Clarke. I've talked to Johnny Moses, Margaret Moses Gat, and June Chancellor McConnell. Reliving childhood experiences with those you actually experienced them with has been a real gift. Reliving life in La Oroya with those I never knew while there, has been another joy. To really top this off, I received an e-mail one day from a gal I had hired to work for me about four years ago, who had just received "the" CdeP list, and found my name. This was Renee Walker Laffey, who had lived there, and we had never made the connection until this fall! I hope that 2003 will bring more reconnections and sharing of common experiences. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this project, especially Valerie. Feliz Año Nuevo!
Suzie Wright Bergesen
