Fortier Class 1955 Classmate
Memory Book 2/10/10 Updated 7/30/14
1980
Interview
Walker, Gloria Conlin 
Walker, Gloria Conlin
1)
Name of Classmate: Walker, Gloria Conlin, Abbeville, LA. Married to
Arthur ‘Mike’ Conlin, Jr. (deceased). Married
for 47 years.
2)
Further Educational accomplishments. Was on my own by 18. Later
went to UL in Lafayette for one year and then Gulf South Trade School.
3)
Family history: Three children, Tim, Colleen & Erin.
All 3 graduated from college. Tim
has own company & works in Africa. Colleen
(stay at home mom) has 3 children, Drew, Tori & Alex.
Her husband is helping Israel set up their antimissile defense system. Erin has three children, Ashley, Joey, and
Haley. She & her husband both work and live near me. Ashley is graduating from UL in the spring
and will work on her Masters. Drew is
a freshman in engineering at U of Florida. All
six grandchildren have a 4.0 grade average. Am I proud, you bet!!!
4) Achievements and Occupational History: Wow that is a hard one. Worked
at a bank, bookkeeper, secretary and manager of a company.
My greatest achievement was being able to stay married to my husband
who was a teacher/coach. We moved around, but when we came to Abbeville
we loved it and finally retired here. Teachers and high school coaches do not make much money but there
were so many more things we had in return.
Our family took in a high school boy for 1 ½ years. Over the years
he told us how much he appreciated that.
In 1968 my husband and I were one of six couples invited to U of Alabama
as guests of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant. The
SEC would allow them to do that then. Got
to meet the man! My husband, because
of his great football team, had a Proclamation by the City of Abbeville proclaiming
a ‘Mike Conlin Day’. The State of
Louisiana, Senate & House extended its heartiest congratulations to Mike.
In April this year, there will be a ‘Mike Conlin Memorial Track Meet’ in Jefferson
Parish. My life has been rewarded in so many ways. Sad to say I lost Mike
after a four-year courageous fight with cancer.
In 2000 we moved back to Abbeville
after 13 years away. That is when
I became a political activist. This
was not by choice. Sometimes you just
can not set back and do nothing. The Parish government was going to build a
burn site less than 2 miles from a school.
I, with other members of our community battled and won. After the last election 11 out of 14 police
jurors were replaced and there would be no burn site. We won. I live in a community
outside of Abbeville, which is considered the Meaux area. I am proud to be known as the ‘shit stirrer
from Meaux’.
Before that there was the renewal tax for the libraries in the Parish, which did not pass. The Parish was getting ready to loose their libraries. There was going to be another chance to save them in an election. Well, we worked on that and saved them from being closed.
I remain involved, going to hearings at the capital in Baton Rouge and meetings elsewhere concerning environmental problems in the state.
In April, 2014 I was honored by being inducted into
the Acadian Museum Living Legends.
5) Fortier Reunions attended: Missed one, but will
attend the next one,
6)
Other personal comments: Lessons that I have learned from life are:
I’ve
learned that my life has been blessed.
I’ve
learned that things could always be worse.
I’ve
learned that life is full of ups and downs.
I've
learned that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life
that counts
I've
learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I've
learned that learning to forgive takes practice.
And
I wish I would learn to be more patient when I am in line and someone cuts in
front!!!
I’ve
learned that the reason there are such things as teenagers is that when they leave
the nest it does not hurt as much.
I’ve
learned that the reason grandchildren are called grandchildren, is because they
are grand!!!
I’ve
learned that I have written enough and life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Glo"
<conmikeglo@cox.net>