E ach day in 2006, 7,918 people will turn 60. The oldest wave of
baby boomers
– people born between 1946 and 1964 – has progressed from
relishing the
”
good old days
”
of the ’50s and ’60s to becoming parents, raising families and
now reaching retirement.
Donald Trump, Cher, Dolly Parton and President George W. Bush
are among the celebrities who will turn the big 60 in the new year.
But chances are you personally know someone too, whether a
next-door neighbor, family member or friend. As they can attest,
the world certainly has changed since their childhoods.
Three local baby boomers
– Pat Loe, Stephen Ludewig and Ermelindo Puente – spoke about
the societal changes they’ve witnessed during the past four
decades, as well as what they’re most concerned about for the
future. Each baby boomer also submitted a photo from his or her
younger years. In each profile, the current phot
o is on the right, and their younger photo is on the left.
E ach day in 2006, 7,918 people will turn 60. The oldest wave of baby boomers – people born between 1946 and 1964 – has progressed from relishing the “good old days” of the ’50s and ’60s to becoming parents, raising families and now reaching retirement.
Donald Trump, Cher, Dolly Parton and President George W. Bush are among the celebrities who will turn the big 60 in the new year. But chances are you personally know someone too, whether a next-door neighbor, family member or friend. As they can attest, the world certainly has changed since their childhoods.
Three local baby boomers – Pat Loe, Stephen Ludewig and Ermelindo Puente – spoke about the societal changes they’ve witnessed during the past four decades, as well as what they’re most concerned about for the future. Each baby boomer also submitted a photo from his or her younger years. In each profile, the current photo is on the right, and their younger photo is on the left.
Pat Loe
DOB: Aug. 2, 1946
Hometown: Evanston, Il.; moved to Hollister in her teenage years
High school: San Benito High School, class of ’64
Profession: San Benito County Supervisor
Q: What has changed the most during the past 40 years?
A:I think society has become more open in accepting the differences in people. In the ’60s, we experienced the Civil Rights movement, and looking back now, we’ve come a long way. I remember as a child in Chicago, we’d go on a Sunday drive and I would see children walking barefoot in the middle of winter, and we’d see homeless people sleeping in doorways.
Q: What is your biggest worry for today’s generation?
A: There is so much stress in family life. If you think about children taking guns to school, alcoholism and more, everything leads back to stress in the home.
Q: Do you plan to retire soon?
A:II worked at Tiffany Motor Co. for 34 years and retired from there in 2001, but I will continue working in civil service until I don’t love it anymore.
Q: If you could bring one thing back from your childhood or adolescence, what would it be?
A:II would bring back a sense of innocence. Even if it was false at times, there was a feeling of innocence and a sense of security back then. People took care of one another. I think things really changed when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was so traumatic because things like that just didn’t happen.
Q: During the time you were an adolescent, there was a popular saying “Don’t trust anyone older than 30.” Do you agree with it now?
A:II don’t agree with it anymore. When you’re younger, you see things in black and white, and as you grow older there are many shades of gray.
Q: Why is it wonderful being a baby boomer?
A:II grew up at the perfect time. The ’60s were great. It was a time of social awareness and civil disobedience, and all of those who grew up during that time are a mixture of all those things.
Stephen Ludewig
DOB: Oct. 27, 1946
Hometown: San Martin
High school: Live Oak High School, class of ’64
Profession: Ludewig retired from IBM in 1993 and continues on as a consultant. He plans to give that up in the next two years. Ludewig also works at his family-owned business, the San Martin Christmas Tree Farm and Pumpkin Patch.
Q: What has changed the most during the past 40 years?
A: I think the biggest change as been electrical automation. We went from typewriters to computers, and everything has gone digital. I mean, I don’t know how I’d function now without my cell phone, and those weren’t even a thought back in the day.
Q: What is your biggest worry for today’s generation?
A:I’m concerned about people not staying in shape and not taking care of themselves. People are eating too much junk food and not getting enough exercise, and our nation is becoming obese.
Q: Do you plan to retire soon?
A: I retired in 1993 on a Friday and came back to work as a consultant on the following Monday. I also work here at our family-run tree farm and pumpkin patch. It has been family run since 1920, and I’m the fourth generation to live on the property. The whole reason why we put together the tree farm was because the fields used to be filled with prune orchards, and when they were done away with, there was nothing to look at anymore. The fields were empty.
Q: If you could bring one thing back from your childhood or adolescence, what would it be?
A:I would bring back muscle cars like the 1964 GTO, and I would bring back the $3,500 price tag. I could go out now and buy one, but it would cost me thousands of dollars (more).
Q: During the time you were an adolescent, there was a popular saying: “Don’t trust anyone older than 30.” Do you agree with it now?
A:I don’t agree with that. I trust everyone until they let me down.
Q: Why is it wonderful being a baby boomer?
A:I grew up at the right time. I have a lot of fun memories. Cowboys were heroes and television was good, clean fun.
Ermelindo Puente
DOB: June 18, 1946
Hometown: Gilroy
High school: Gilroy High School, class of ’65
Profession: Puente works in heavy equipment operation for Santa Clara County Roads and Airports. He also serves on the Gilroy Planning Commission.
Q:What has changed the most during the past 40 years?
A: I think the thing that has changed the most in Gilroy is the population. It’s not small anymore. Back then, the end of town was Miller Avenue and Filice Drive. All of it was cherry orchards. Some of the trees lining the streets today are still cherry trees because that’s where they grew. There are too many people, dirty air and too much traffic.
Q:What is your biggest worry for today’s generation?
A: I worry because there is no respect for people or for property anymore. People aren’t as polite as they used to be, and back then, when someone told you what to do, you did it. The music today has no respect for women. I don’t like the lyrics, and the tagging is another example of no respect for property.
Q:Do you plan to retire soon?
A: I think I’ll retire this coming June or July. With my time off, I think I’ll do some stained glass art. I’m a truck-driving instructor, so I’d like to volunteer doing some teaching with some at-risk teens in Watsonville.
Q: If you could bring one thing back from your childhood or adolescence, what would it be?
A: I would bring back my family. My aunts and grandparents.
Q:During the time you were an adolescent, there was a popular saying: “Don’t trust anyone older than 30.” Do you agree with it now?
A: If you’re a girl, you should never trust anyone over 30.
Q:Why is it wonderful being a baby boomer?
A: Things were simpler (back then). I used to walk from where Las Animas (Elementary School) is out to Gentry, where my dad worked, to bring him his lunch. I look out there now, and it’s no longer fields. It’s a Costco and a Target. We didn’t have gangs back then. Things were just easier.
