Dear Aunt Velma: A letter to Velma Carter, African-American historian in Alberta

Date: 1910 - 2003

Dear Anti Velma: If you were to ask me, "what is the best thing that ever happened to me?" I would say…

I grew up in the best of three worlds; the city, the country, and Canada. School all year in the city, summer vacations and holidays on the farm and no work in Canada. We had cows, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs, and kids, kids, kids. Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. My mothers name was Connie Johnson. My name is Junetta Gail Leffler, after my grandmother Junetta Hally Leffler My fathers name is Erman Leffler.

I grew up mostly on the west side of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Then we lived at the city limits. Now there are miles of apartment buildings and new homes, not to mention the new "West Edmonton Mall", the largest shopping complex in North America. My how Edmonton has grown and so have we.

All the way from the U.S.A. in 1910, I am now second generation Canadian and proud of it. I will have my children there and we can grow some more. I went to Shiloh Baptist Church. My Uncle Jay Leffler used to pick up the kids in the bus so that we could be on time for Sunday school. I remember it was the most fun to ride in the back and eat Ritz crackers on the way home. My whole family went to Shiloh and it's a big one! I have four brothers. It was the best time to see everyone together. Every Sunday, holidays and special occasions like our annual summer pick. Boy, we had fun; baseball, hotdogs, games and food, food, food. What a wonderful time of life.

I was born on a zero like my great grandfather Johnson. My birthday is April 30, 1960; his was July 9, 1880. He died at 100 great grand years old. I remember him as a tall, proud man, and he pasted it on to my tall proud family.

When I was thirteen, I thought to myself, Pamela, what do you want to be when you grow up? I said to myself "I want to be a movie star" so I looked under "M" for movie star in the yellow pages; it wasn't there, but right above it was model. I thought that I could be a model to make money to pay for my acting lesions.

So I began a modeling class at Covergirl Modeling Agency, graduating in January 1974. I left high school in 1976. I was 16; reasons being I felt bored and disliked too many things. My mother and stepfather, Hugh Hanna, were supportive of my move. They told me there may good advantages and the possible disadvantages of quitting high school. It was my life and though they let me decide for myself, one thing was for sure, I had to get to work.

I had already held a few restaurant jobs, several modeling assignments, with a lot of energy to spare. I took on two jobs. That was the year I first moved from home. As it turns out, there was a modeling convention, competition in Southfield, Michigan outside of Detroit. Covergirl Modeling Agency took us up there compliments of a rid return trip in a private airplane.

Off we flew. The Wilhelmina Convention has 150 contestants in the women's division. One hundred whites and 50 blacks. Since I grew up in a predominately white society, I was never so surprised in my life when I saw so many black people in one place. Canada as you know, the black population is a lot smaller than in the United States.

Anyway, I won first prize in two of the three categories presented, Runway and Photography. Wilhelmina herself personally invited me to come and work with her in New York City. I thought for a moment and then said yes!

I did move to Manhattan on February 19, 1978, then 1-½ years in Toronto to get my immigration status. Back to New York in August 1979 to begin my career with Wilhelmina models. She unfortunately died of cancer on March 1, 1980.

I am still here in New York in 1984. Ironically enough, the only category I didn't win a first in was television and television now happens to be my specialty.

I'll wave to you from T.V. land.

Love Pamela.