RECENT POSTS
A Winter Love Story - Rollie & Penny December 21, 2021
Sisters AND Friends! August 04, 2021
Treasured Memories of Farm Life in Ohio… July 28, 2021
The Day After Graduation
I enlisted a day after I graduated from high school. I chose the Army because I knew if I went in the Navy, I would get seasick, so the Navy was not a good choice for me. My vision wasn't good, so flying was not for me either. I believed enlisting was the responsibility of anyone physically able to serve their country.
READ MORE
Seeing Things She Didn’t Think She Would See
“I was born in Talladega, Alabama, where I was raised on my grandfather's cotton farm. I enjoyed living there, and we were never bored! We had a lot of freedom and plenty of space to run around and play. We grew our own vegetables and raised our own cattle, and my grandfather was well-respected as a businessman. He was a Native American, so it was impressive at that time in the South that he owned his own farm. We never had to worry about anything.
READ MORE
What's the most interesting job you've ever had?
"One day, I was talking to a fireman and he told me to put my application into the Battle Creek Fire Department. I was hired, and it started a wonderful career for me. I loved that every run was different and there were never any two alike.
READ MORE
True to Her Word
Before I was born and while I was young, Grandma Maggie and Grandpa John owned on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Every morning around 4:00 AM, Grandpa John and a hired man would get up and milk the cows by hand. The milk would be put into 10-gallon milk jugs which were then loaded onto the back of a horse-drawn wagon.
While they had been out milking, Grandma Maggie would have prepared a large farm breakfast. Then their five children, including my mom, Agnes, would come down to have breakfast together. Before long as breakfast was finished, it was time for the kids to throw on their coats and grab their things for school. They would hop on the back of the milk wagon to get dropped off at school, as Grandpa went on to drop the milk at the local dairy.
READ MORE
A Lifelong Passion for Cycling
“Biking has long been a favorite hobby of mine. I remember getting my first bike from the Marion Gamble Hardware Store as a birthday gift from my parents when I was in grade school. The picture on the right is of my father holding me when I was just a newborn.
READ MORE
What is Your Favorite Fourth of July Memory?
“Now my family has a cookout, and sometimes we go to a parade. Growing up though, about the time when my brother was two years old, my mother told him that all the fireworks were people celebrating his birthday because his birthday was on July 3rd. The funny outcome was he believed it until he was in first grade!” -Sandy L.
READ MORE
An Unforgettable 4th of July
As a kid, our family would always go to the local fireworks display to celebrate the 4th of July, and while it was a tradition that I greatly enjoyed, there is one entirely different 4th of July celebration that I will never forget.
READ MORE
Honoring Our Fathers
It began before I can even remember. Since infancy I have been a daddy’s girl. My parents tell me of how when I was a baby, my father worked second shift. To allow my mother to get a bit of sleep, she would pass me to him, as he got home from work and she headed off to bed. He would talk to me while he heated up and ate his dinner. He would play with me and read me the newspaper. For an hour or two each night before he put me to bed, I had his undivided attention, and surely, I thought that was just the greatest thing ever!
READ MORE
Overcoming Adversity
What are some of the challenges you have faced in your life? Often times the things we have faced are part of what makes our story unique from another person’s. While we may confront similar hardships, no two people meet the exact same circumstances. The types and intensity of our difficulties typically vary too. For a child, hardships may be things like a spat with a sibling or a friend, struggling in school, or being upset over being told no by a parent. As we reach adulthood, our struggles likely grow to include things like money matters, job concerns, relationship troubles, and beyond.
READ MORE
A Tribute to Mothers
As a four-year-old, when interviewed by my preschool teacher, this is how I described my mother:
My mommy works a lot, but I don’t know what. She just writes things down. I think she’s probably 31. Her favorite color is purple and pink, and her favorite food is pizza. She’s a good cook… sometimes! I like to go to meetings with her because I like to be with her. She’s pretty when she goes to meetings, and she’s not pretty when she’s wearing pants.
READ MORE