I was born in Bridgeton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. During my time in Missouri, I explored the Ozarks, swam in the Mississippi River, played kickball and endless games of hide-and-seek with the neighborhood kids. Spending summers in Kentucky with my grandmother, Ruth, are among my fondest childhood memories.
When I was thirteen, my family moved to Wisconsin to learn to farm. Yes, learn to farm! Taking city kids and throwing them on a farm, with twenty-eight cows purchased from the Humane Society because they had been abused, was interesting, to say the least. I learned to milk cows, the ins and outs of a breeding schedule, feeding schedule, the never-ending haying in the summer, and trying to stay warm in the winter. During our first winter in Wisconsin, we had thirty-six inches of snow from one storm, and were snowed in for three days! Needless to say, I didn’t love Wisconsin. I am married with four children and five grandchildren. I’ve learned to love Wisconsin, though still hate snow. Wisconsin and the United States are beautiful and my husband and I travel around by motorcycle seeing new places and meeting new people. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are interested in where we are going and what we’ve seen along the way. At almost every stop we make, the locals ask us where we’re headed and offer advice on which roads in the area are best for travel and seeing the sites. They are also more than willing to share what others before them have told them about great rides and the best scenic routes to take.
I come from a family of veterans. My grandfather, father, brother, two sons, and one daughter-in-law are all veterans. Needless to say, I am proud to be an American and proud of the service my amazing family has given.