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Log House to the White House

How did I get from a log house to the White House?

I grew up in Alaska, and we lived in a log home that my parents built themselves.

I was born in Texas -- so you may ask how did I get to Alaska?

We lost everything! 

Our home in Texas  washed away in a terrible flood when I was 6 years old.  The waters rose in the night and I awoke with water up to my knees. We fled from the house in our pajamas. We lost everything! Not long after that, we moved to California. My dad worked 5 years   for the railroad, but after losing everything we owned in the flood, we were still poor. One day dad came home and said "Honey, I quit my job and we're going to Alaska! I've got a job with the Alaska Railroad. We'll get 60 acres of land if we build a house and live there."

Our log house

My father, Jack, went to Alaska first and wrote glowing letters about the beauty and opportunities. A year later, my sister and I went to stay with grandmother in Texas, and mother joined dad in Alaska. It took them two years to build a log house while they both worked fulltime jobs. Then, they sent for us girls.

Our log house was fixed up really nice -- except we didn't have an inside bathroom, electricity, or running water .We were 2 miles from town, with no car. Oh, I learned to build fires and cook on the kitchen stove, carry water in 5-gallon buckets  from a well, wash clothes in a tub on a rub-board -- and how to shoot a rifle. I worked at the Army base every summer earning money for school clothes. I was a cheerleader, editor of the school paper and graduated in top third of my class. The very next day, I started work for Civil Aeronautics Administration in the drafting department. Later, married and had two sons.

From a log house in Alaska to Washington, D.C.

In 1953, I moved to Washington, D.C. and worked for the U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon, working with aerial photography and maps doing research work. On my lunch time, I attended a weekly ladies Bible study. In 1973, I was chosen to lead the class, which quickly expanded to a daily meeting. Every day was exciting as prayers were answered for the women. Soon, the room was packed! Women were sitting on the floor and  standing around the room! In 1984, I started teaching once a week, due to an invitation to teach at the White House!

1984-1998, Ministry at the White House. 

Invited by Carolyn Sundseth, Associate Director of Public Affairs, to teach a prayer and Bible study class for staffers at the White House. Most of the time, we were scheduled to met in Room 180 - near the Oval Office. A bronze plaque outside the door state: This room was the Vice President's office from Herbert Hoover to George Walker Bush." What a place to meet to pray for the President, the leaders and our nation!  Because men attended  I asked my husband, Bill, to join me in leadership. Lives were changed as God answered prayer.  This  lunchtime ministry continued weekly over14-years -  through the administrations of Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton 'til December, 1998.

 Nita with her husband, Bill on the White House office steps.

Starting A New Life In Indiana

In January 1999, we retired from Federal Service and moved to my husband's home in southern4 Indiana. We are both active in church, community affairs and serve as National Day of Prayer leaders for Lawrence County. I was appointed President of the Advisory Board for Oakland City University-Bedford for 2004-2005. As a member of the faculty, I teach Business and Liberal Arts courses, speak for chapel and various events

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Photographs of Nita's limited-edition watercolor prints and note cards of Washington , DC are available at www.watercolor-online.com/nitascoggan.

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