Family: I married Ron Weber in 1971 after we graduated from UNI (you'll soon notice the UNI pattern). He teaches 8th grade math at Ames Middle School, coaches volleyball and softball.
Daughters:
Kirsten Weber, age 30, UNI grad, has her masters degree, high school written communications teacher at Nevada High School; speech coach; musician: piano teacher, high school and wedding accompanist, flute soloist; vocal soloist (all the musical talents I wish I had!); church youth and Bible study leader
Meesha Weber, age 27, UNI grad, social worker; "Miss Social", everyone's best friend; formerly supervised independent living handicapped adults in Waterloo, then Colorado Springs; just completed her social work masters at UNI, now employed by Easter Seals in Des Moines
Working; Activities you enjoy: I taught in Davenport (3rd, 2nd grades) for 7 years (Ron taught 7th-8th-9th math for 8 yrs), then I became a full-time mom for many years. We moved to Nevada in 1979 when Ron joined State Farm Insurance. After 11 years he missed kids and went back to teaching and coaching. I went back to teaching in 1989 when we decided we'd want to send the girls to college someday. I worked half-time as a reading teacher at 5th-6th grades for a year, then transferred to 2nd grade. I directed children's church choirs in both Davenport and Nevada, and Ron and I were youth leaders in both churches. I'm a former Questers (antique lovers) member and am in Beta Sigma Phi. I've sung in church choir for years (since 6th grade at the Congregational Church in CL) but had to give that up in '07 due to voice strain-too much talking, something my dad, brother, and husband have always said about me! I'm an avid reader, especially in the summer. Ron coaches all summer so we don't travel much. Maybe someday.. We've been to Hawaii and Germany, I've been to England and spent a month in Thailand, but that's it.
Ron and I are very involved in our church. After I retire, June '09, I want to get back to more Bible studies and join the prayer shawl ministry. I couldn't do all that before because I couldn't work 8 to 4 for only 9 months a year, like people thought. Unfortunately, my job required more like 65 to 70 hours a week for 9 months, half time in June and August, with the month of July off. I'm tired, and am ready to be REtired!
We live in an old house and love antiques. Those of you who were in my parent's house: it's VERY much like the house we have. I spend lots of summer days on the porch swing with a book, just like I did in CL. Dad's still in the CL house, Mom died of Alzheimer's in 2004. My brother Kurt is in Sterling Heights, MI, a northern suburb of Detroit. He has two girls, has his PHD in computer linguistics, worked for GM mostly on computers until lay-offs in April '09. His wife Angela taught at a pre-school.
I used to go to church with Dave Punke, CLHS (he died of cancer a few years ago), used to see Jill Frisbie (CLHS) before she died after being hit by a drunk driver, (I had Jill's granddaughter in my class this year) and sometimes visit with Ray Schwichtenberg (CLHS). The Lions have been well represented in Nevada for many years. (There are several summer Lakers here in town too, and they are nice folks, but that's just not the same as us hometown Lakers!)
Memories: I think walking along the lake is one of the best. But to go WAY back, one of my favorite childhood things to do was loading up the red wagon with comics and a picnic lunch (peanut butter sandwiches and Kool-Aid) and walking to Flat Iron/ Triangle Park for the day. It was usually Kurt, me, and each of us taking a friend along. Merlea was often with us as I remember it, but my memory is getting too much like my mom's so that may be wrong, Merlea. It was a whole block away-read, eat, spin on the merry-go-round or that small one-person red spinning thing with no name and then feel sick so go back to the shade to read some more. To me, that's one of the good-old-day memories.
And it doesn't get much better than a book and the wicker rocker on the front porch of my house either. I'm so glad I lived so close to the library. They saw a lot of me for 18 years. I also spent lots of time with books in our upstairs sleeping porch. Do you girls remember sleeping out there with me in the summer? That was better than air-conditioning in those days. Of course the Lighthouse and the Barrel will always loom large in our minds. A few years back my girls and I took Mom out to the Barrel while Dad and Ron golfed. Mom enjoyed that time with us just a year or so before she went to the nursing home, so that's now a poignant spot. Remember drinking the Lois Special at the Barrel? And junior high roller skating nights-such fun. And teaching swimming at City Beach, and working at the JC Bath House, my first real job other than babysitting.
Favorite song from the 60's for background music: I have no real favorite song, but I still can sing along with many of the oldies, remembering most of the words. I was always more the easy-listening type. I couldn't stand Elvis and remember sitting in choir and arguing with someone that country wasn't really music because by definition music is pleasing to the ear and country wasn't pleasing to MY ear! (sorry, I still feel that way) That reminds me of the music appreciation class Mr. Koepke designed for a few of us our senior year. I wasn't very good at it, but I loved it. I still love most symphony music more than many other genres of music, and I love musicals too. Guess I'm older than I thought!
I talked to Allen Koepke a number of years ago. He was the special composer of a song for All-State Music Festival, and Kirsten brought it home to show me because she recognized his name on it. He had already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was too weak to conduct the number that year, but his mentor from Luther, Weston Nobel, directed. We did lots of reminiscing about CLHS and had a good visit. I have also run into Bill Truesdell a few times at softball tournaments. I've let Bill know that there's a reason I never have taught math above 3rd grade, but I think he already knew that!
Oops-I even talk too much in print.
I will try to find pictures to send later.
