Nov 22, 1963

I was at work at Brunson Instrutment Co. in downtown Mpls. MN.
There was a connecting door between us and the hardware store next door. I was walking from the hardware and in that doorway when it came over the radio.
Seems like yesterday.
Bernie

The first time I remember hearing about it was when I was in the first or second grade I think, in 1996 or 1997, when I was watching a document..

Apparently, I was in my infant seat in front of the TV when it happened. I was only two months old.

I grew up with the understanding that we had been robbed of our president - that things were not the way they should be and never would be.

Cheri'

I was in the 3rd grade. The schools were all closed on the day of the funeral so that we could all stay home and watch. I think that it was the longest day of my life at that point. 9 year olds are not big on the gravity of the affairs going on in the adult world.

I was in 9th grade, last class of the day and they announced it over the pa. Nobody said a word on the way to their lockers. The silence was deafening. I walked home and my mom and older sister were crying. It was a typical nasty cold rainy November day. I know we were out of school for a few days the following week but I don't remember how long.

I was in kindergarten and believe it or not, remember like yesterday. Was sick that day and stayed home. My Mom always "sprinkled" all the ironing in the morning, rolled them and ironed for several hours each day (9 kids). She let me bring a pillow and blanket to the living room where the small B/W TV was since the President was going to be in a parade. I saw it all with my Mom live. She sat next to me and cried and got my Dad on the phone. We walked up the street to meet all my brothers and sisters coming home from school. Everyone in the neighborhood was crying.

To this day, the smell of clothes being pressed by a steam iron and I think of that - the power of a smell.

I was in first grade and remember the teacher crying. I remember watching JohnJohn on TV, he was saluting the casket as it went by, I was crying. I was 6 yrs. old. Even at 6 yrs. old I knew enough about the president to know that many people liked him and he was a good man. Seeing that film strip every year brings me right back to the day.

I also remember being so sad as my grandmother passed away that year a few months earlier. I remember the sad feeling of losing her and thinking that Caroline and JohnJohn must be feeling the same way.

This message was edited Nov 22, 2003 5:35 PM

I was in my 10th grade History class and our wonderful teacher had to tell us the sad news. That was the first time that I can remember that the TV news took over all the programing for days. I think we all have this event stuck in our head for the rest of our lives....just like the 9-11 disaster.

Donna

I was in 11th Grade Chemistry. The PA System announced the death of President and said school was dismissed until further notice. No one said much, everyone was crying and we walked home and saw all the flags in town being lowered to half staff it became even more emotional. I remember going home and watching the interviewers on TV interviewing the people from the parade route. All said shots came from two directions. The next morning it was like someone had waved a wand and all those interviews were gone and there was only one shooter. My father called the TV station and asked why the story was different from what the witnesses told the world the day before. He was told all those witnesses were "mistaken". I quess we'll never know for sure if there was a conspiracy, but because of my father ranting about the change in news coverage from one day to the next, I'll always wonder. Lou

Sadly I remember it very well also. I lost my closest grandmother also the same year which was devastating to me. I was 8 years old and my grandmother was the best. We (4 children at the time) took turns staying weekends with her.
I remember my mother crying alot that year.

Gayle

3rd grade and they announced it on our PA too. I remember my teacher had to go into the hall, she couldn't control herself. And not one of us in the class moved. I can still see that room, though most other school memories are gone.

I was in my twenties and working in my office in my home town, which is only 90 miles from Dallas. I often visited my grandmother and relatives in Dallas and knew the assasination site well. I couldn't believe this was happening in my home state. The people of Dallas are still trying to overcome the guilt that associated the city with that great tragedy.

I was PG with my first, due in March. I was working at the Florida Welcome Station on US 1 just over the line from Folkston,GA. We learned of it over the teletype from Tallahassee, everyone was in shocked dis belief.

My neighbor next door was a little girl in Dallas, said she waived at him and he waived back just moments before it happened.

I was in 6th grade and we were watching TV at that moment for a history lesson but I am sure the teacher never knew WHAT a history lesson we would have that day. We saw it all unfold and our teacher talked to us and assured us that we were safe and our families were all safe too. We followed the story unfolding and talked about it at great length and then watched the funeral. I grew up in a Catholic community and there was sure a lot of grief there but I didn't know the grief around the world till I was older.

It was a sad sad day but I sure learned a lot from that teacher in the next few months. Great teacher!!!

I was in first grade and the other first grade teacher ran into the room without knocking first and announced the news.It was the first time I can remember seeing adults cry.

So sad - a whole country sharing this loss during a period in life when we could believe in our leaders. I doubt there will ever be this feeling of loss or grief should we lose another president.

Like with 9-11, this is one of those events where everyone's life was frozen that day, an archived snapshot of our lives.

I was in the Navy, serving in Japan at the time.
It was early on a Saturday morning there.
We had no TV available at the time.
All the news was on Armed Forces Radio.

Paul

I was in 9th grade Math class and it was announced over the Intercom.........the sadness that followed I'll never forget, everyone crying and such a helpless,empty feeling..That Thanksgiving and was the worst I ever remembered..
Dee

I was in the hallway in junior high, just out of class-asked why the other students were crying and then I cried too. What a loss and I wonder what other path we would be on? In my life, I sometimes ponder on the roads not taken-he did not have a chance to make that choice.

I was 4 yrs old and remember watching it on TV and being rushed away from the room in a flash by my mom.