Gayle Fees was just 16 years old when her life was forever changed by one frightening moment along the banks of the San Joaquin River, in her hometown of Stockton, Calif.
Fifty-five years later, Fees, now of Minden, saw herself in a Nevada Appeal article about 17-year-old rape survivor Kelsey Settle.
The Carson City teenager told of how, at age 14, she was abducted and assaulted at Washoe Lake by a man who'd answered her ad for baby-sitting. During his sentencing, she took the stand and told him exactly what he'd done to her.
On the eve of her senior year, and just two years after the attack, Kelsey told the community her story, accompanied by her picture and her hope to someday become a prosecutor.
Kelsey's strength moved Fees. From a girl one-fifth her age, she learned a lesson - let go of the shame.
"At 16, I was a rape victim, too," she said. "This is the first time in years that I have told anyone about what happened that night."
In 1951, Fees was a straight-A student, cheerleader and vice president of her class.
She came from a family of modest means, so when the son of prominent business and land owner asked her out, at her mother's urging, Fees said, she jumped at the chance.
Their first two dates were for a movie and a burger. On the third date, "he said he wanted me to meet his parents," Fees recalled.
She knew the family owned property along the Sacramento Delta.
She remembers every detail from that moonless night - the smell of the river, his Old Spice aftershave, her plaid skirt, white top and white buck shoes.
When he drove onto a country road, she thought it led to his parents' home.
"Instead, he pulled out a knife and held it to my throat and pulled me by my hair into the back seat," she said. "I was screaming and kicking, but he was too strong."
When the assault was over, he drove her around for a while, threatening and hitting her, until he finally took her home.
"If you say anything about this to anyone, I'll kill you and your family," he warned.
Fees said she ran into the bathroom after telling her mother she didn't feel well, and jumped into a scalding shower.
"I scrubbed until my skin was raw."
Just as she was about to climb into bed, the assailant called her.
"Remember what I told you - tell no one, or you and your family are dead."
Fees kept that secret for nearly a lifetime. She blames it for some bad relationships she's had, and for her poor sense of self worth.
"I never told my family, my husband or friends - not out of fear, but because it was still shameful."
Now she's exorcised the guilt and shame. And she regrets spending too long feeling "damaged."
"I'm so glad that Kelsey has come to grips with it now, instead of dwelling on it and fearing it," Fees said. "Let it make you stronger."
• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.