FLASHBACK - Karen Rasmussen's youth through her high school years.
Brief History Below: Violet Brink Rasmussen lived in Darien, Connecticut, because she was divorced from her husband. She gave birth to Karen at home in Darien, who was estimated to weigh less than 3 pounds. (Karen was not actually weighed back then) Karen and her mom were taken to a hospital so Karen could have a birth certificate. (Karen never did learn who her real father was and was never even told this until she was an adult).
After Karen's birth, Violet gave Karen to her parents, Karen's grandparents - Lulu Mae Beam and Harry Monroe Brink in Ansonia, Connecticut to raise. As a baby, not many photos were taken of Karen. They were poor, but Karen had a great childhood.
Violet went to Ansonia to visit sometimes. (see the photos below) These two photos below were taken on April 23, 1946. At this time, Karen weighed only 5 pounds, 4 ounces although she was just over three months old. See how the sweater covered her feet.
Below: Karen and Grandma Brink in 1947.
Note: Some photos may not be in the correct date order, but Karen did the best she could with the photos she still had in her possession many years later.
Below: Karen in 1947
Below: Karen and her mom, Violet Rasmussen in 1947
Below: Karen with her older siblings in
Ansonia in 1947.
The older siblings lived with their Mom. Karen did not.
Karen in 1948
Below: Karen and her older sister Eileen in 1948
1949
1949
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Below: Karen and her older sister, Eileen in Ansonia in 1949
Karen - age 3 - in Ansonia in 1949
Below: Violet Rasmussen and 2 of her older children with Karen in Ansonia.
Below: Karen and her older sister, Eileen in 1950
Below: 1950 --
Grandma Brink and all of her grandchildren as of this date -
Evie, Bobbie, Eileen and Karen - Grandma Brink is holding Karen's cousin
Barbara Marsh.
(The cousins also lived in the same area of Ansonia.)
Below: Karen in 1950
Below: Karen in 1950 with Eileen
and Eileen's
doll collection.
Below: 1950
Below: Karen on a horse in 1950
Below: Karen in 1950 - age 4
Below: 1951 - Karen Rasmussen - age 5 and her cousin, Barbara Jane Marsh
Below: Yes, Karen was born a redhead and has remained a redhead for her entire life. (There was never a need for her to color her hair, not even as she got older).
Below: Eileen and Karen in 1951
Below: Karen and Eileen in 1952
Below: Santa Claus and Karen in 1952 - age 6
Below: Karen in 1953
Below: Everette Rasmussen visited his mom, Edna Iantha Beers Rasmussen and a couple of photos were taken. Below are photos of Karen with her grandmother, Edna Rasmussen in 1954
Below: Karen and her black eye
After Grandma Brink died, Karen was sent to live with her Mom. First at 9 Van Zant Street in Norwalk, Connecticut. Then at Harbor View Island, South Norwalk, Connecticut, where the photos below were taken.
Below: Karen and her younger sister, Ilse and their cousin Linda Mutter in a kiddie pool. Karen was their baby-sitter.
Below: Each year, Harbor View in South Norwalk, Connecticut had a Memorial Day Parade and different children were chosen to March in the parade with USA flags. In 1956. Karen was chosen to carry the wreath in the parade and place it at a memorial. It was a big honor.
Below: For some reason, In 1956, Karen's Mom took her mother, Karen's grandmother, Edna Iantha Beers Rasmussen to Florida. Since Karen had a broken arm, and needed help getting dressed. she had to go too. Eileen was not happy that she did not get to go too.
Below: Karen and her cousin
Warren Christian Rasmussen Jr in 1956
Below: Karen and some parrots
on her arm that was not broken.
Below Karen in Florida in 1956
Below: School photo for 1956 - 1957 school year.
Below: Karen and her favorite Uncle
Below: Eileen Rasmussen married her first husband Hank Ferland. Karen was a "flower girl". Karen actually remembers Hank and liked him because he always treated Karen as a person.
(NOTE: After Hank died, Eileen married Dan Pethoud and they had two children). Dan never paid any attention to Karen.)
Below: Karen and her youngest siblings, Ilse and Eric in 1960. Karen became their unpaid babysitter for many years.
Below: The family moved from Connecticut to Redondo Beach, California in 1960 where Karen attended 8th grade at Adams School. Any other school photographs were lost. But Karen has a box of old photos, she may look through eventually.
Below: Karen's Freshman and Sophomore School photos at Redondo Union High School, located at 1 Sea Hawk Way, Redondo Beach, California which serves students in grades 9 - 12. BUT Karen only spent grades 9 and 10 here because the family moved to Lakewood, California and then Karen attended Artesia High School (photos below are 2 Redondo High School photos and the other photos follow)
Below: Karen at age 14
Below: Karen at age 15
In 1961, during her high school years, Karen DROVE and RACED in a 1/2 Midget Race Car at several racetracks in California in the teen division. Her older brother, Evie John, also drove the same car in the adult division on the same dates. The first photo below shows Evie giving Karen some instructions in her first race.
Below: Karen is
not sure on which date she won a first place trophy, but it was in 1961.
But because her "father" got in a fight in the pits
and was banned from the racetrack, Karen's racing career was cut short.
So she never had the chance to win more trophies. (Later, she joined the
U.S. Navy and when she returned on leave to her parents house, the trophy
was no longer there and neither were most of her clothes she had left
there)
(some military photos are linked at the bottom of this page)
Below: Both of
Karen's younger siblings, Ilse and Eric, did NOT want to drive the race
car in this younger division. So Karen's "father" found
younger children to drive 1/4 midget race cars, and the family,
including Karen, had to go to the races to watch. Karen had to be photographed
with whoever was driving the race car, which was several different young
boys. First it was the Wicker family, which Karen adored, plus Karen loved
sitting with Mrs. Wicker to watch the races.
Then it was the Beard family.
Below: These photos were also taken at race tracks after Karen's racing days were over, due to no fault of her own, as explained above.
The family moved from Redondo Beach to Lakewood, California. Below are Karen's 11th and 12th grade high school photos at Artesia High School, 12108 East Del Amo Blvd, Lakewood, California.
Below: Karen at age 16
Below: Karen at age 17
Below: In 1962 and 1963, Karen was on the Swim Team at Artesia High School in Lakewood, California and she won several ribbons in competition. Mrs. Wicker often came to watch the competition.
Below: (IF Karen finds the other ribbons, she will post them here - remember this page was not built until the year 2026)
Below: Karen Rasmussen's High School Graduation photos and her youngest sister Ilse. (children #4 and #5 out of 6 total)
Below: Karen outside of her parents house in Lakewood, California
THE 1964 ARTESIA
HIGH SCHOOL 12th grade GRADUATION CLASS
(ONE very big graduation class)
Below: A photo of Karen with the hair-do shown in the graduation photo above (taken on that same day).
Below: A Collage of Karen Duquette through the years
A few months after graduation from High School,