Amelia Mary Earhart was born July 24th 1897, Beautiful daughter of Edwin and Amy Earhart. At the age of three Amelia was sent to live with her grandmother ( her namesake) , mainly because the old women needed the company and a distraction from her recent death of her mother, her son, her daughter, as well as the poor mental condition of her husband Alfred. Her grandparents took care of her through all of her early childhood.where her roomy bedroom that had a wonderful view of the nearby river. She very much enjoyed her life with them in Atchison, Kansas: Learning to read at five, living in a secure place where everyone seemed like family. But her grandmother was very timid, and a big worrier, and she did not approve of Amelia’s tomboyish behavior, her snow sledding, tree climbing, pony-riding, and hunting experiences, and kept it to herself. Her parents were only 50 miles away, so she stayed with them during summer and remained close to them all of her childhood years. Amelia lasted until she was ten, when she rejoined her them in in Kansas City to live with them.
From the first grade Amelia attended the college preparatory school in Atchison. It was a tiny place, with about 30 students, housed in a building that used to be a stable. Amelia was bright, but her independent spirit and lack of interesting recitation did not endear her to her teachers. In high school cheer leading was not enough for her, she wanted to join the basketball team.
Edwin Earhart was having trouble with keeping money it just seemed to slip between his fingers instantly, he thanked the Otises for taking care of Amelia. But when the death of them came to the Earhart family it was the final blow. The Otises were quite wealthy, with an estate worth over $170,000 ( a huge sum in those days). While the will sought to provide for the grandchildren, it excluded Edwin and Amy. A struggle began, during this time Edwin had lost his job, and was forced to accept a menial position in ST. Paul, which required another family move to Minnesota.
In 1913-14 school year, at ST. Paul Central High School, where Amelia was in control of her own destiny, she did very well, keeping a grade point average in the high eighties, with a curriculum including Latin, German, and physics. In 1916, she started going to Ogontz, a highly-regarded woman's college, what used to be called a “ Finishing School ,” outside of Philadelphia. In her three semesters there, Amelia played field hockey, studied Shakespeare and Latin, and attended concerts of the Philadelphia Symphony. When the United States entered World War One in 1917, Amelia was drawn in and served as a nurse with the volunteer Aid Detachment ( VAD ) of ST. John ambulance Brigade.
Amelia first realized that she loved heights when her father took her took her to a carnival where she rode the Farris wheel and discovered that she loved being in the air. Amelia was seven years old when she decided it would be fun to build a roller coaster, crude but a roller coaster consisting of two by fours, a packing box, and a pair of greased roller skates. The same year when she was seven Amelia’s first real exciting experience with action involved was when she was nearly trampled when she rode a sled down a hill, in which she could not stop and could not yell for the carriage to stop because of the bells on the carriage. But lucky for Amelia slid right under the horses belly and she was lucky to not get stepped on.
From the first grade Amelia attended the college preparatory school in Atchison. It was a tiny place, with about 30 students, housed in a building that used to be a stable. Amelia was bright, but her independent spirit and lack of interesting recitation did not endear her to her teachers. In high school cheer leading was not enough for her, she wanted to join the basketball team.
Edwin Earhart was having trouble with keeping money it just seemed to slip between his fingers instantly, he thanked the Otises for taking care of Amelia. But when the death of them came to the Earhart family it was the final blow. The Otises were quite wealthy, with an estate worth over $170,000 ( a huge sum in those days). While the will sought to provide for the grandchildren, it excluded Edwin and Amy. A struggle began, during this time Edwin had lost his job, and was forced to accept a menial position in ST. Paul, which required another family move to Minnesota.
In 1913-14 school year, at ST. Paul Central High School, where Amelia was in control of her own destiny, she did very well, keeping a grade point average in the high eighties, with a curriculum including Latin, German, and physics. In 1916, she started going to Ogontz, a highly-regarded woman's college, what used to be called a “ Finishing School ,” outside of Philadelphia. In her three semesters there, Amelia played field hockey, studied Shakespeare and Latin, and attended concerts of the Philadelphia Symphony. When the United States entered World War One in 1917, Amelia was drawn in and served as a nurse with the volunteer Aid Detachment ( VAD ) of ST. John ambulance Brigade.
