May 12, 2021 – “How I Got My First Job!” – I Remember When
Have I ever mentioned my Mom, Anna Daisy (Suderman) Siemens? Mother was the original Super Mom, with the ability to play the piano or organ, then there was writing, teaching piano and Bible. Then later she began painting to illustrate her poems, and painted her differently shaded purple mural of mountains on the living room wall. 
All the while she sewed all her children’s clothes as well as a suit for her beloved Herman.
She played for weddings and funerals alike. She made homemade bread, cinnamon rolls and two-inch-high meringue chocolate pie. She taught us memory verses, heard our prayers and kissed us good night each evening. I remember sitting cross-legged in the evening on the lawn outside as we had serious family discussions.
When I was about twelve, mother met a young couple at church who both worked. The next thing I knew I had my first job cleaning their apartment weekly. I don’t remember any pay. Several years later I learned about the baby-sitting gig for the gigantic sum of 50 cents an hour.
One day I walked down a street with many small businesses, and found a sign advertising, Help Wanted for Filing. Not quite sure what filing entailed, my favorite saying zipped through my mind. “How hard could it be?”
The man who hired me asked how much I received in my last job. I said, 50 cents an hour. He didn’t ask what the job had been. So, that is what I received. I had a job in a lawyer’s office with quite a library of law books. I tried to read one or two, but never found plot. My respect for my boss grew for being able to read these books and bought so many. In between I learned some about filing.
Later, after several years in Bible College, I began traveling to various churches in several states to lead singing and sang solos during evangelistic meetings. I don’t recall how much I money I earned, but it was immaterial. Singing about Jesus delighted me.
It was at one of these evangelistic meetings that I met my husband in a small town of Kansas. I changed from traveling to raising four children and teaching some piano lessons. It was then I my interest in teaching music in school grew. In Dodge City, KS, I applied for a job teaching vocal elementary music after completing my degree majoring in Vocal Music.
Then came the first Spring Musical Program. Mother helped me write a musical play, I taught my students. Squeaky the Mouse. Just checked and in my file cabinet and I found the program for 1966 – for the presentation of Zee Zoo’s Live Five. The melodies were written by the students…based on Dr. Seuss animals – Yertle the Turtle, The Wumps, The Yings, Hop, Yop, Hop, plus Blue Bell Bugs. The title of the finale – Mother’s Day Song, lyrics by Mom. Who else?
After three years, we moved to Illinois, and no music teaching jobs were available. I taught in a sixth-grade classroom in Illinois and Arkansas for the next 31 years. The sixth grade, the second grade, and identified gifted children.
I loved teaching and always felt I should pay for the privilege of spending time with my students, who became like family to me. My students taught me more about learning, than I ever taught them.
As time passed, I understood why Mother helped me, both my parents were teachers at heart. I remembered when Mother wrote she taught a class in bread baking.
The first job led to many more and life has been filled with the joy of teaching. And my favorite job and activity has always been singing a new Song!
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! Psalm 96:1-3.