I was born and raised right here in Anderson, Indiana. I went to Hazelwood Elementary School, and Anderson High School. I can remember not wanting for anything up to the age of six; that’s when my father died on Christmas eve at home right in front of my eyes. My mother was seven months pregnant with my sister. I stayed home by myself that night while my mom went to the hospital with my father. That was the beginning of a different life for me and my mom. I took on most of the home responsibilities while my mother went to work. She remarried, but was never the same again. She grieved for my father until she died. My father died at age 44 and my mother at age 51.

I was married and a mother of two by age 18. I was happy, that’s all I ever wanted. My second son died at age eight months. I had one more son three years later. As my marriage became more abusive, I became more defiant. I refused to have a “father figure” to tell me when to breath. But I stayed married for 18years in a very controlling and abusive environment. There was no women’s alternative then to get help. I was taught “you made your bed hard….you lie in it”. And so I did.

After the divorce I worked two minimum wage jobs for several years, and then decided to go to nursing school. I raised my two boys alone, worked two jobs, and went to college full time. Thank God, Anderson University School of Nursing was only two years. I went back five years later to get my BSN from Indiana Wesleyan.

I’m a proud grandma of three grandchildren. My oldest son graduated from Yale with a PhD, lives in New York with his wife and two children. My youngest son attended IUPUI, and lives in Anderson, IN. He has one child.

I believe things will always work out for the best. About four years ago I started loosing my eye sight in my right eye. I couldn’t assist in the Cath Lab anymore. I couldn’t take calls through the night hours, due to lack of vision and depth perception. All the medications also made me very ill. My youngest son, living here in Anderson, took me to most of my doctor’s visits at IU Medical Center. When he wasn’t available, my co workers in SDS took me. I was able to continue working as an Assessment Nurse. God is good all the time. Every thing works out and I am still plugging along, being productive on my job and in my life.