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What was growing up like in your family?

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What was growing up like in your family?

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"I was blessed to have a very loving mother, but she had a hard time protecting me. I loved my mom more than anything in the world, but life in my house was extremely traumatic. I had an abusive alcoholic father who had many mental health and addiction problems. My house was quiet at times but you would never know when the chaos and fighting would begin. When it did it was emotionally and mentally frightening. I saw and heard things that no child or human should ever have to endure."

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"That’s a tough one bec I dont have a good memory, but thinking today it would be all the time spent on my grandparents farm. From such a little girl I loved running around the farm with numerous cousins playing in the barn, swinging on the rope, sledding down the giant hill and taking tractor rides with my grandpa."

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"My favorite holiday has always been Easter. I remember as a little girl always getting a new Easter dress and going to church with my family. My grandma always had flower corsages for all us girls. We looked beautiful in out new Easter clothes. And then of course after church we would all get together ( with cousins) and get pictures take in our pretty Easter outfits."

"I think I love Easter most becauase it is a renewal of my faith that Jesus dies on the cross for my sins and was resurrected. A renewal of life. Decorations at Easter always remind me of the softness of life with it’s baby animals and the sprouting of nature’s new life in the springtime. I love the soft colors."

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"When Aunt Tracy and I were abt 7/9 my mom put us in baton lessons. Back in those days they didn’t have sports at all young age. You waited until you were in Jr. High and High school. I did get involved in sports in the 9th grade. Title IX was just started that year and our school opened up sports for girls. Although I was no star I enjoyed the camaraderie of the team sports. I played volleyball ( which was much different than it is today) basketball and softball. It was a great way to remove myself from my home life even though my dad was long moved out of the house by then."

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"School was very difficult for me. I carried that [abuse] with me to school. I wasn’t a prized student and felt that none of my teachers liked me. My favorite teacher who I got very close to was in second grade. Sadly, she died half way through the year. My attitude was poor and i felt worthless most of my childhood in school. It was not a happy place for me."

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"In high school I babysat for people on weekends. During the week I was a lifeguard at the community pool and later at the YMCA. My first out of high school job was a waitress at a donut shop ( Mr. Donut) I helped serve and also baked and filled the donuts. After a bad day at work I went home discouraged and thought about what I wanted to do with my life. I just so happened to get a flyer in the mail from Terra Technical College about Early Childhood Development. I thought that would be something I could do. I love kids! So I filled out all the paperwork and was accepted. I went two years for an associates degree ( graduated cum laude) boy was i proud of myself after struggling 12 years of school. While I was at Terra I decided I wanted to be an elementary teacher. I would make more money and have more stability. Upon graduation from Terra I entered BGSU as a transfer student and finished up my college with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. I worked my first five years in a nursery school teaching 4-5 yr olds before getting a job at Lakota schools for the next 26 yrs. Of course while working at Lakota I went back to Heidelberg University to get my masters degree in Reading and Language Arts."

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Tell me about what it was like to be a parent

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Tell me about what it was like to be a parent

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"Because of my childhood I learned to never trust men. So consequently I never married. But, I was going to be a mother. I became interested in foster care about my mid 30’s. I fostered approximately 15 children in my time as a foster parent, but I struggled because they were always taken away and placed back in their birth home. I could not keep them and raise them as my own. That’s when I contacted Lutheran Social Services and started the adoption process. I looked at many families with multiple children. Then i was contacted about two little girls in Cincinnati. They were in a foster home and had a traumatic life at the ages of 5/7. I saw their pictures and jumped on them. We began visitation but, I struggled because your mom did not want me to adopt her. She wouldn’t acknowledge or speak to me for a very long time. Tonya warmed right up. Jump ahead about two yrs I think and Gage and Anthony and Jerimiah became available. I always wanted little boys in my family which was kind of weird because I was abused by men and didn't trust them but these were little boys that I could raise to respect women. The agency did not want to put Jeremiah with the other kids because of [removed] so they placed Gage and Anthony with me. I was now the proud mother of four and my family was complete!"

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"By far the birth of my first grandson, Connor. He made my life full circle and truly happy!"

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"I have made a full circle. From and abused and angry child to accomplishing so much with my family. Who would have ever thought through years of heartache I would be blessed with beautiful although bullheaded children and grandchildren. I believe I was put on this earth by God to help break the cycle of abuse for children not only in my classroom but in my family as well. We aren’t perfect, we all have our issues, but I helped raise good children and grandchildren that will all in their own ways contribute positively to society."

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Are there still experiences you would like to have?

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Are there still experiences you would like to have?

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"I have accomplished everything in my life that I set out to do. This is probably the hardest question because I have nothing else. I love to travel but due to my inability to walk long distances it it quite hard. I have traveled part of northern USA loving every minute of it. I’ve traveled down south and it is beautiful. I have no interest in traveling out of the country."

"I think the most important thing is to finish the thing that I’ve started. Watching my grandchildren grow and accomplish their dreams is extremely important to me. Being part of that."

"Winning the lottery would be good too!"