Born in 1920, the first of two siblings, Thressa Campbell was raised on a large farm in upstate New York, near Lake Ontario. In her recollection, this unspoiled land was carpeted with wild flowers in spring and covered with white snow in winter.
Div
class
usa-width-one-third
Thressa at the age of three
Div
class
usa-grid
Div
class
usa-width-one-half
Thressa in her high school orchestra (sitting, third from right)
Div
class
usa-width-one-half
When Thressa was eleven, her father died suddenly, which left the family in a difficult situation during the depths of the Great Depression. Yet she excelled in her high school. Thressa sang the song, "Our aim: Don't dodge difficulties," with her high-school classmates at her 1936 commencement. She was valedictorian of her class. Thressa had already developed a strong sense of independence and responsibility, along with intellectual maturity, in her teenage years.
