Hadley Story Corner: #8 Childhood Memories of Venezuela (Karen)

Today’s story is told by Karen about childhood memories in Venezuela. We moved from California to Venezuela in 1956.

I can’t believe I managed to find a photo of Dave and Karen inland traveling in Dave’s VW Beetle!

This was the most favourite car he ever had. He would often tell of how he could take that car over every terrain, even through streams and rivers. I think this is what Karen is referring to when she says they drove through something with water on both sides.

Karen ends her story with us getting robbed. This was a very central experience in our family.

I wonder whether that robbery was the impetus for Dave deciding to move away from Venezuela. 

(Lia, Karen, and Kim, 1951 in Venezuela)

Dave was hired by a telephone company who was installing the first telephone system inland. Not only did he go for extended periods of time inland, he also travelled all over South America and the Caribbean. In particular, he loved the times he spent in Cuba.

Since there was a political coup in 1958, they were very troubled times. For this reason, whenever Dave went out into the field, Pat would take the three girls and go any live for those weeks or months in Grenada.

Thank you, (cc) Andy Blackwood for your music.