June 1958 -  Graduation from Tottenville High School - WOW - What a Day!

Since then I’ve gone on to college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. You could almost say I went from Manhattan to Manhattan (from the big apple to the little apple). I did not complete my college degree but I did get my MRS degree. Yes, I met and married wonderful Wayne in August 1960. He’s still wonderful!

During Wayne’s career in the animal feed industry we moved around a bit - Kansas, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, back to Iowa and Indiana. Our three children were born during this time. They are now in Iowa and Colorado Springs. One is a Chemist, one is a Dentist and one is a homemakerist  and farmerist. We wanted a doctor, a dentist and a travel agent, but you know how they are - they have to ‘do their own thing’ no matter how much excellent advice you give them through the years. However, they have delighted us with seven grandsons (ages 25, 23, 16, 11, 11, 8, and 8.

They are our own seven wonders of the world.

Besides the carpooling, bleacher sitting, booster clubbing, Sunday School teaching, volunteering,  committees, committees, committees, graduations, weddings,  grandson sitting, etc., (you know the drill) I have had a few interesting jobs: secretary for the physical education department at KSU; secretary for the chemistry department at KSU; 1970 census taker; H & R Block tax preparer; phlebotomist (I drew blood at a hospital laboratory not at the tax office); respiratory care aide, physical therapy aide; EKG and EEG technician; medical transcriptionist; secretary / receptionist / data input / coffee maker and all around girl Friday for an eight man accounting firm; statistician / receptionist / secretary / bookkeeper and all around girl Friday for a hospital  based Home Health Care Agency; and finally a parish administrator for an Episcopal Church (my most enriching, enjoyable, heart wrenching, heart warming, and hilarious experience in the work force).  I was definitely a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’ in my chosen careers!

We’ve laughed, cried, loved, been encouraged, been discouraged, been sad, been happy, been ill and recovered, been disappointed, been overjoyed, been challenged and met challenges and have led a charmed life together. We’ve cared for our children, our grandchildren, our aging parents, our friends and each other. Now we are in our retirement years and are doing all the things we dreamed, saved and planned for. Nothing extravagant. We’re traveling the North American Continent in a fifth wheel trailer. For the past several years we have enjoyed good health enabling us to travel this diverse and incredible country of ours from the beaches on the eastern shore to the canyons of southern Utah; from the Rocky Mountains to the California coast; from the Canadian maritime provinces to Hawaii; from New Orleans to Alaska. We’ve sailed the Caribbean and enjoyed the Baja peninsula. We’ve cruised to Alaska and the Caribbean--now isn’t that a nice way to travel. I really do like to  be pampered. Just ask Wayne!

One of our very special travel experiences occurred the year after hurricane Katrina devastated our southern coast and the levee broke devastating New Orleans. We were blessed to be able to help serve Thanksgiving Dinner to folks in the lower 9^th ward.

We spend the winter in Arizona with old friends and new friends. Oh, and by the way, the Grand Canyon really is all that it is cracked up to be. We spend the summers at our home on Winona Lake in Warsaw, Indiana. The rest of the year we visit family and friends all over the states. We hope to add some international destinations to our travel time next year. 574-265-9708 that’s my cell phone number. If you are ever in the Phoenix area in the winter or in Indiana in the summer just give us a call and you have a place to stay.

And now we bid you peace and good will and good health. “Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and go in peace to love and serve your God.”