Our Resident Spotlight Shines on Hilde Preston!

Hildegarde Preston, or Hilde, for short, was born in New York City and was the first amateur allowed into a school for young professional children. It was a GREAT school, she said and many famous actors, actresses, musicians, etc., came from it. She studied ice skating there with the NY City skating club where they practiced at the Rockefeller Skating rink. She won the U. S. Junior Nationals in 1943 and went on to teach skating in California and Chicago. (Here, she’s doing a ‘Stag’ jump.) She went back to teach at Rockefeller Center and Princeton University and met her husband.

He was an officer in the Marines and served in the Korean War. They had two sons. The family traveled a great deal. Her husband went on to become Vice President of Campbell Soup. After he passed on, she went to work for the first time at age 65 to serve as Librarian in the Mother Church for eleven years, and loved it there. They sent her to computer class and trained her for the job.

She eventually retired and moved to St. Louis to be near her family. Both sons work for Principia School—one is a History teacher at the High School; the other is in charge of Advancement. She has four grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Two of the grandchildren were adopted from China.

What does she like about Glenridge? She particularly loves getting together with the people in Glenridge, for the talk is pleasant and upbeat. At the daily morning Bible Lesson at 10, she shares one section of ‘My Bible Lesson each day, describing and chuckling over the cartoons, and reading the insights, history and helpful definitions included. She keeps us informed and ‘on our toes’! Thanks, Hilde!