A Missouri native, I've never called anyplace else home - even after living in five other states over the years.  After losing my first husband to heart disease in 1988, I finished raising four sons on our picturesque little hog farm in Oregon County.  It was a wonderful place for them to grow up and they answered to several 'moms' and more than a few surrogate 'dads' (it really does take a village!) as they grew into amazing young men.  We received abundant love and support from our church and the community. 

When my youngest son went off to college, I moved to the Springfield area and started a new career in health care.  The three acres that I settled on adjoined that of a man who had lost his wife in 1994.  With widowhood in common, we grew to care for one another and were married January 1, 2000.  In the country way, we combined our properties and tore down the dividing fences.  We now enjoy the slower pace of semi-retirement, watching the birds and wildlife that allow us to share their domain.