Lewistown clan includes students at top of classes: The combination of unemployment and divorce in a family can add up to some pretty tough times for children as well as their parents. A family in Lewistown has death with both problems, but rather than fall apart after their mother’s divorce and their stepdad’s becoming unemployed, the whole family has worked hard to better themselves through academic achievement. The Howerter family of Lewistown underwent four graduations in one week, with three family members receiving high honors. Linda Howerter, 36, the mother of four children, graduated from Graham Hospital’s School of Nursing as the class salutatorian. Her 18-year-old daughter Kelli Hellyer was the valedictorian at Lewistown Community High School, and 14-year-old Bill Hellyer graduated as a salutatorian of his eight grade class. A step-son, Kevin Howerter, 18, also graduated from LCHS. “One rule the kids have is that no matter what they start, they don’t quit,” said Linda. “And they do their homework right after school.” She feels this has made her children very mature at an early age. Linda also cites another reason for their responsibility. “Divorce makes children adapt. They can handle it a lot better than we adults can.” Kelli said that after her parents divorced and the family moved to West Virginnia, she was unfamiliar with her new home so she concentrated more on her studies. In West Virginia, before she married Kenneth Howerter, Linda and her children, then ages two, six, and 10, lived in a trailer with no electricity, telephone, or running water. Despite those difficulties, the family agrees the past three years, while Linda was in school, have been harder than the divorce. Linda’s return to school became a real family project. “I had to do the dishes, laundry, and take out the garbage twice a day,” Bill said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Linda said her household is sometimes like Grand Central Station, especially around mealtime. “Kenneth and Traci helped a lot,” she said. Nine-year-old Traci is her youngest daughter by her previous marriage. Kenneth, a former employee at Sunspot Coal Mine in Vermont, hurt his back and has not worked for three years. Linda said the family’s favorite graduation card of the many they received was a card that congratulated Kenneth and Traci for the help they gave the rest of the family. Not surprisingly, Traci also receives very good grades in school. “It feels good to make an A,” Traci said, her face breaking into a shy smile. Linda said she has never pushed her children to get good grades. “I was always an overachiever,” she said, “and I think it’s just in your blood.” “It helped a lot that we weren’t pushed,” said Kelli, who smiled affectionately at her mother. “I do it for her as much as I do it for me.” However, Bill said that he feels some personal pressure to live up to the achievements of his older sister. Linda credits her high placement in her class at Graham to late night studying. She seldom studied until after her children went to bed, and usually did not close her books until about 3 a.m., averaging two or three hours of sleep per night. “Nothing I geared toward divorced parents,” Linda said. “For example, whose income do you put on Pell Grant applications, and Kelli gets a look of panic on her face when she is asked who her parents are.” Even at school functions where the parents are invited the children are forced to choose between their natural father and their step-father. “It means a lot more to have both of them with me,” Kelli said. “I always said that she will have a father on each arm when she gets married,” her mother added, laughing. “You even hurt their feelings when you call them both ‘Dad,’” little Traci added. Now that the hectic week of graduations has passed, Linda said she feels a little let down that the excitement of the honors, the house full of relatives and pressure of studying for finals is over. However, she is looking expectantly toward the future. A job as a registered nurse awaits Linda on July 2 and preparations must be made for Kelli’s entrance to Bradley University next fall. Bill will be starting high school in the fall. This family’s pride in each other is obvious. A divorce, unemployment, and busy mother have not changed that. If anything, those forces have helped to strengthen the love, pride and achievement of the family as a unit. Perhaps Linda was not joking when she said, “Someday Bill is going to be a doctor and hire me. Kelli can be the hospital administrator.” “And I’ll be the secretary!” Traci chimed in.
Caption: Top graduates: Three members of the Lewistown family of Linda Howerter were top graduates in their schools recently. From left are: Bill, 14, a salutatorian in his eight grade class; Kelli, a valedictorian at Lewistown Community High School; mother Linda Howerter, salutatorian for Graham Hospital; and Traci, 9, who is also a top student in her elementary school.
Graham Hospital School of Nursing Library
