Glad
I can help you, but sorry that you're doing homework over break! I've
filled in my answers below. let me know if you need anything else.
On Sat, Dec 26, 2009 at 11:05 AM, Olivia K <email address redacted> wrote:
Hello,
Thank you so much for doing this for me! If I could get
this emailed back to me in the next few days or so that would be great!
Also, I have to create a timeline so any years that you could include
would be great. Thanks! Call with any questions.
-Olivia
1. Is there anything special about your name or why you were named that way?
When
I was born (April 9, 1966) my sisters said that my parents planned to
name me Gertrude, but were convinced not to do it. My parents say they
don't remember that at all! There was a series of cute little books
about a girl named Jeanne Marie and her little sheep named Patapon
(author Francoise Seignobosc). My dad says I was named after this character. My sisters are older than I am and all three of us have the middle name Marie.
2. Did you know your grandparents? What can you share about them?
My
dad's mother died (1959) before I was born, so I never met her. Even
though my dad's father died in 1972, I don't remember ever meeting him.
He was French Canadian and lived in New Brunswick. My maternal
grandfather died when I was about three years old, but we lived next
door to him and I remember a little. I used to go to him sitting in his
easy chair and grab one of his fingers. I would tug him into the pantry
and point up at the shelf. He would play along and say, "you want the
ketchup? The salt?" This would go on until he offered me a cookie, which
is what I wanted all along. My mom's mother died in August 1977. I went
over to her house almost every day, so I have many memories of her. We
played cards together - Crazy Eights, Concentration, King's Corners. . .
She would darn socks and watch Lawerence Welk. I loved to go over and
watch her tv because it was color. Ours was black and white. She loved
flowers and birdsong. Her canaries made beautiful music. She gave me a
book that I still have - the story of the Three Little Trees. It's a
Christian allegory.
3. Has your ethnic origin affected your life in any way?
Not
much. I'm mostly German on my mother's side. Although my father is
French Canadian (French is his native language, and the primary language
for all my relatives on that side of the family), I only went to Canada
for vacations and never got close to those
relatives or became truly bi-lingual. The times we've tried to cook some
of my dad's old favorite recipes, he says they just don't taste the
same.
4. Where did you live and what was your house like when you were little?
I
grew up in Bloomington, and my parents
still live there. My dad actually designed it. On the outside, it looks
like any other 1960s rambler, but it has a different floorplan than any
other house I've seen. When I was little, all three of us girls shared a
bedroom. But when my parents finished off the basement (and my oldest
brother got married), I was able to have an upstairs bedroom all to
myself.
5. What are some memories of your elementary school years?
Hmmm.
. . I went to four different elementary schools while living in the
same house! Bloomington's population was aging in the 1970s, and schools
started closing. I remember in kindergarten being afraid of a girl
named Tamara. She was bossy, but I don't remember if she actually hit
anyone. We just all did what she said. I remember using my tongue to
play with loose teeth. It was a very big deal to lose a tooth. In fifth
grade, they separated the boys from the girls one afternoon. I'm not
sure what the boys did, but the girls heard about puberty and hygiene.
It was both fascinating and embarrassing. In sixth grade, I was in a
special program called "High Achievers." Fifty-two gifted and talented
students from across Bloomington went to school together in one class at
Cedercrest Elementary (1977-78). That was an amazing year! We did so
many cool things. Being smart and learning were so positive in that
classroom.
6. How did you spend your summers during grade school?
Reading
books, riding bikes, swimming, playing kickball and flag football.
Sleepovers at friends' houses. Usually we took a big two-week vacation
somewhere. My mom was a teacher and my dad was a cabinet maker. We
camped a lot.
7. What subjects did you enjoy during high school?
School
was pretty easy for me. I liked any class that inspired or interested
me, regardless of the subject. I seemed to excel most in English and
struggled most in phy. ed.
8. What social group did you belong to during high school?
Mostly
the theatre people. But I also traveled with the National Honor Society
(smart kids) and the band geeks. On facebook, those three groups (with
some overlap) are still the ones I connect with. It really surprised me
at our all-night graduation party that I was talking to a "jock" and I
realized he was just a nice, normal guy I never had really talked to
during all our years of school. I think a lot of the "grouping" is
assumptions, and some of it is natural tendencies to connect with people
who have similar interests.
9. If you could have changed one thing about your high school years what would it have been?
Being
kinder to others and to myself. I was often my own worst enemy. I wish
I'd known the Lord as my Savior back then. That would have made all the
difference in my life.
10. What was your family life like during high school?
Since
I was the youngest, I saw my older siblings go off in different
directions. My parents gave me a lot of freedom and I had a pretty
independent personality. My mom and dad were *always* there for my
concerts, plays, etc. They had high expectations for me academically and
were supportive of me.
11. Did you attend college after high school?
Yes.
I spent my freshman year (1984-85) at the College of St. Benedict in
St. Joseph, MN. But I got engaged at Christmastime my freshman year and I
wanted to be closer to Louie to plan my wedding. So I transferred to
the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and lived at home while
finishing my degree. I got married June 21, 1986 and had my first baby
(Morgan) on April 20, 1987. Between changing majors, having a baby, and
student teaching, it took me five years to get my four-year degree (a B.S. in Secondary Education - English). I got my master's degree in Library Media Education in 1998.
12. When and where did you go, why did you choose that school, and what did you study?
Oops!
Already answered most of this above. I chose St. Ben's because my mom
and older sister Ann had gone there. I visited Ann when she was a
freshman or sophomore and I was about nine years old. It was a "little
sisters" weekend. I had so much fun! It's a good school, away
from home, but close to the Twin Cities. I didn't even look at other
schools. The U of M was convenient and relatively affordable.
13. Did you serve in the armed forces?
No. I have many friends and some family members who have, though.
14. When did you leave home and where did you live?
Other
than my freshman year of college, I didn't leave home until I got
married. Louie and I had an apartment in Richfield, on Penn Avenue. I
was a little bit scared about living in an apartment building, but I
liked it. It was so fun for me to have my own household!
15. Where have you lived during your adult life?
After
Morgan was born, we couldn't stay at the apartment because it was
limited to occupancy of two, so we moved to the upper level of my
grandma's house (next door to my parents). They had purchased the house
after her death and rented it out. In some ways, it was great to live
next to my parents! (Think free babysitting.) But it was also
challenging, because they would tell us what to do and how to do it. In
1990, we found a first-time home buyer's program in Jordan. We were able
to build a house and we closed on it in December 1990, right before
Alex turned one.
16. What did you do between the time you left home and got married?
Already
covered this. . . I got married when I was twenty. I was busy with
college work, babies, and getting my teaching career started.
17. What were your first jobs after leaving home?
I was hired at Rosemount Middle School in the autumn
of 1989 as the Assurance of Mastery teacher. I worked with students who
didn't qualify for Special Education, but were struggling to succeed in
school. They were clustered in math and language arts classes and I
worked with them to help them succeed. I left that job at the end of the
school year because of the Jordan-Rosemount commute and because I was
expecting Alex. I worked as a substitute teacher in a few districts. I
filled out a long-term substitute position in Jordan. Then I mostly
stayed home with my three children until the youngest, Nick (October 30,
1991) went to kindergarten. Then I got a job in New Prague as the
middle school media specialist.
18. What about your career now have you found most satisfying?
I love connecting with kids and making them feel valuable. I love getting them excited about reading and learning.
19. What is your spouse's name, when, where and how did you meet?
<Removed my answer for this blog. He doesn't like being written about online.>
20. What would you say is the most important thing about choosing a spouse?
To
be evenly yoked, as the Bible says. Each person must love the Lord more
than they love themselves. It's natural to be most concerned with one's
own needs and desires, but in a marriage, you really need to be able to
set your "self" aside and be lovingly tuned in to your spouse's needs.
Parenting, too! That helps to drain off selfishness! For me, at least,
it really did.
21. What was it like when your first child was born?
Miraculous. Louie and I just were in awe of this little human being. We were so blown away
by the miracle of life. I wasn't ready to be a mom. I had just turned
21 and was still in college. Yet having Morgan changed me in good ways
(and some yukky ways - varicose veins, heartburn, stretch marks, etc.).
22. What is the best thing about children? Most frustrating?
The
best thing about children is watching them grow and learn. First words,
first steps, first everything - it's amazing to watch them develop.
Most frustrating? Probably that they do develop into their own
individuals and don't do everything the way I want them to.
23. What interests and hobbies do you have and what do you like to do for fun?
I like to read, do puzzles (jigsaw and crossword), travel, watch movies, go for walks, quilt, bake, etc.
24. Is politics important to you?
Not
really. I try to stay informed and I vote in almost every election (not
the primaries and not right after Nick was born). But I grew up in an
extremely political household and it kind of turned me off. The
salvation of mankind won't be found in any earthly government.
25. What impact did the Korean War have on your life or family?
None
that I can tell! No one in my family was in the military at that time.
My parents' jobs weren't impacted by it. Watching the TV show MASH is my
only frame of reference for that war.
26. What impact did the Vietnam War have on your life or family?
I
was so little when this happened. Again, I don't think it affected us
much. My mom probably wrote letters of protest. Years later, it affected
me when the U.S. government tried to make up for some of the wartime
issues by opening immigration to families who had been affected by the
war - Cambodians, Laotians, etc. My high school (Bloomington Kennedy)
went from almost all-white to mostly white with a definite population of
southeast Asian students.
27. What impact does the Iraq War have on your life or family?
Very
little, since we don't have any close family members in the military
right now. I have some students who are impacted by family gone due to
military commitments. The reality of the war and the stress of the
situation is palpable.
28. What is the most vivid historical memory that you have?
Most
vivid? Probably the Columbine shootings on April 20, 1999. Either that,
or September 11, 2001. Both times, watching the event unfold on
television (probably CNN) made it feel so immediate.
29. What advice would you give to teenagers today about choosing a career?
Follow your heart! What are your talents,
your interests? Don't expect to land a dream job and make loads of
money. Sometimes you might need to be willing to work at McDonalds or a
gas station to make ends meet. Work hard at whatever you do. Sometimes
your effort means more than your paycheck!
30. What advice would you give them about money?
Meet
with a financial advisor you trust. We have a credit union that offers
free financial advising, and I have a high trust level with that
organization. They don't have a vested interest in trying to sell you
anything. Always work to spend less than you make. Save for the future!
Budget wisely. But most of all, store up your treasures in heaven.
Nothing we have on earth will last forever.
31. What advice would you give them about dating, love and marriage?
Think
about what you want for your future. Set goals and work actively toward
them. Having strong friendships and being able to talk about feelings
is very important. If you don't want to have a baby before you're ready
to be a parent, don't have sex. Spend "safe" time with people (going out
with a group of friends, for example) to get to
know them better. Most people don't go into a marriage thinking, "As
soon as we're divorced. . . . " yet so many marriages end in divorce.
Continue to talk and love and sacrifice and stand up for yourself. It's a
challenging balance, so I'm glad I can lean on the Lord for support!
32. What advice about how to raise children?
With lots of love and laughter. With strict expectations that are age-appropriate. With discovery and delight.
2023 NOTES:
- Upon reading over this, I HAD to correct the spelling of "occupancy" in #15. (I had spelled it with an "e" instead of the "a."
- There were a few typos in Olivia's questions that I fixed.
- I'm not sure it's wise to post so much specific, personal info online . . . perhaps this should go elsewhere . . . or I'll delete some info . . . decided to delete some.
- In #4, reading "my parents still live there" made me think of how much my life has changed since 2009! There are times I just suddenly miss my mom and/or my dad. Eileen died in 2014 and Larry in 2016.
