1928 - Alderson High School - 1968

 

F.R.W Memories
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme

John McCurdy '04
 

             Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was in many ways a personable and likeable individual. She was perverted in her worship of Charles Manson and in many of her perceptions of the American Social System. My wife Pearl McCurdy was the Admitting Officer when Lynette first  arrived at the Alderson Women's Prison, she did not find her very cooperative on arrival, but this was likely, we decided later, due to her misconceptions of the world she was about to enter. First impressions are lasting however and my wife never regarded Lynette in a more favorable way.

            A supervisor, I was well aware that I was generally regarded by the inmates as having much more power than I actually did, and I was a man, and as such was to be manipulated as men always are  in their world.  However, I was also a manipulator as folks in the system nearly always are, and since it "took one to know one",  I was much better at it, than they were!

            Lynette was housed in the Maximum Security Unit as a result of various unacceptable kinds of behavior and she had minimal contacts with other inmates, She was allowed to have a little garden behind the unit, and she spent her time outdoors plucking insects from the flower plants and cultivating her small piece of earth.

            In someway she had learned that I was a gardener, and so I became her resource person on agricultural matters, and, as is often the case, one small opening leads to other small opening into someone's defenses. Periodically, Lynette would send a message that things were not well in her garden. I would go up when I could, and try to help her figure out what was wrong. I recall one incident  when Flea Beetles were devouring her two treasured tomato plants! In answer to her question as to what action I took to get rid of them when they were on my plants, I, like a smart aleck, told her I generally shot them! She didn't contact me for several weeks after that.

            Over the next few years I believe we became as much friends as was possible under the circumstances. I know I developed a liking for her, and we would often talk of many things having little to do with anything either of us knew much about!

            That fall, I rarely saw Lynette or her fellow Manson Gang member, Sandra Goode. In December I decided to retire and do other things. I regret I did not go up and tell Lynette goodbye!

            About a month after retiring , We received a very poignant letter from Lynette and Sandra taking me to task for having done just that. In the letter they expressed their thanks for my time and advice in Lynette's garden and for my friendship. Both Pearl and I were very touched by the letter since it was obvious we could be of no help to them in any way ever again. It seemed very sincere.

            In the envelope they had enclosed some seeds they said were very special flowers. I think they were Trumpet Vine seeds from the rear of the Maximum Security Building. However I did not plant them, I just wasn't that sure!

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Note: It is my understanding that Lynette is still in Federal Prison, she has consistently refused to meet the Parole Board until Charles Manson is released! Likely a long time!