I started out as a baby.  I won't tell you when, of course. 

My place of birth was Marshfield, Oregon, which is now known as Coos Bay, Oregon.

My name is Phyllis LaVaugh (Belleisle) Dayton.  My family is son Craig and daughter Sandra, her husband Steve and little Lindsay, my granddaughter. 

I was born into a family already with one boy and two girls, born two years apart, and then 12 years later, I came along.  We lived in southwestern Oregon about five miles from the Pacific Ocean.

I began singing over the radio at age four.  Later, I took tap and ballet lessons and sang and danced for many years in the surrounding area.  At my high school graduation, I was honored as senior soloist and sang that evening.  It was fun being cheer leader every year during high school, and I worked summers at various jobs to help financially.

After high school, I worked as a receptionist and bookkeeper in the office one year for Thorton Tire Company to earn more money to go to the University Of Oregon.  Unfortunately, I had to leave college because of illness in the family.  So, I worked for a large industrial and steel company as a receptionist and typist, until I married Bill in 1948...by the way, I was impressed by him at age 13, when we first met, however I didn't begin dating him until I was 18.

We built our home in Myrtle Point, Oregon, and I worked at a variety store and our own commercial laundry business, until our son, Craig William, was born in 1950.  Our daughter, Sandra Lorraine, was born in 1954, and I loved raising our family.

In 1955, we moved to Pennsylvania with five other families who were transferred with the Rena Ware Cookware Company.  When I lived in the Harrisburg, York, and Camp Hill area, I sold Avon part time, until we decided on the town that would be our home:  Gettysburg.

In Gettysburg, I managed Hanes Shoe Store and then later worked for the American Heart Association Pennsylvania Affiliat in Harrisburg (I also worked an Amway business at the same time, and retired from it after 20 years).

Bill and I decided it was time to be business partners in several business ventures:  1) the bowling buiness, Upper Adams Bowling Lanes on route 34 in Biglerville, PA 14 years and Westminster Lanes in the Westminster (Maryland) Shopping Center, 2) the music and Big Band business, Bill Dayton's 18-Piece Orchestra (www.billdayton.com), for 25 years...this was a family affair. Sandra and I were vocalists and Craig (www.craigdayton.com) arranged music for the band, 3) the tour business, Dayton's Tour Hosts Washington DC Tours, for 15 years (...also during this time I owned and operated a gift shop, PhoeBe's Specialty Gift Shop, for nine years).

After Bill's death, I continued to operate the Dayton's Tour Host business alone for six more years, making a total of 21 years in the tour business.  I added a website, www.daytontours.com, during this time for the Washington, DC tour, designed by my son, Craig.  Passengers from all over the world traveled with us to DC.

On January 23, 2003, I retired and and sold the tour business to two fine young businessmen, who will conduct the business with the same company motto "Our hosts welcome our travelers with the same respect that they would toward guests in their own home".

There are so many, many stories behind this short biography, and it has been an exciting life.