The Californian, March 1990

Henrietta Birdick, 95, educator

Henrietta P. Birdick, 95, an educator and leader in the La Mesa community, died March 6, 1990 at her home in La Mesa from injuries she suffered during a fall in her home last November.
A graveside service, which was private at her request, was held March 12 in Hemet. A longtime friend, the Rev. Carl Locke, officiated. She was buried in the family plot near her late husband, Arthur A. Birdick, who died in 1950 in an industrial accident.
Erickson-Anderson Mortuary was in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Birdick, who was born in Webb City, Mo., graduated at 20 from the Universty of Colorado at Boulder where she participated in early work on IQ testing.
She taught in a one-room school in Ward, Colo. She took many courses in psychology, and many people addressed her as "Doctor." In 1937, she attended a one-week course taught by Sigmund Freud at Columbia Universty, but she disagreed with most of his theories.
Mrs. Birdick did graduate work at other universities, including UC Berkeley. She met her husband in Boulder. The couple settled in Hemet where she taught school for 30 years until her retirement at the end of the 1946-1947 school year. The family then moved to La Mesa where Mr. Birdick built their home.
Mrs. Birdick taught in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District in 1947-1948. She then started her own academic testing program for private schools, including Christian Heritage College and various Catholic schools.
Mrs. Birdick enjoyed hiking all her life and made treks to the Colorado mountains until her middle 80s. She continued to hike along the Mexican border until just four years ago.
She was active in the Zoological Society, the La Mesa Garden Club, the Retired Teachers Assocoation and the La Mesa Republican Womens Club.
Survivors include her son, Dr. Philip Birdick of Yuma; two sisters, Viola Sutter and Martha Gibbs, both of Colorado.(klm)