| > When I think of Orrville, Ohio, I think of the Orrville Red Riders: the name of the great sports teams (particularly football) from my high school. Bobby Knight is an Orrville graduate (his attitude characterizes my hometown sports mentality very well, for better or worse). >I never played sports, but I decided to go to a public, rather than Mennonite school, because of the marching band. I was even a majorette! |
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Orrville is also known as the home of Smucker's jams and jellies. The hottest new spot in town is the new Simply Smucker's store on the south end of town! My father worked for Smucker's for a number of years and so Smucker's has been a part of our family life as well. I doubt that many families have had more kinds of jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes in their refrigerator than we have. My favorite was always grape Goober's jelly.
Lest you think that my childhood was consumed by such secular and material concerns as football games and peanut butter, let me talk about my Ohio Mennonite roots. Below is a photo of my grandparent's church in Millersburg, Ohio, Martins Creek Mennonite Church.
The surrounding community, in which I spent many hours with my grandma and friends, is now developed fully, capitalizing on the "Dutch" food and crafts of the local Amish community. Mennonites from Middlebury and Shipshewana in Indiana and Lancaster in Pennsylvania can identify with the commercialization of our cultural heritage.
Cheese is big: (we are of Swiss heritage, after all!) 
As are quilts and crafts.
I've also lived in Goshen, Indiana; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Chicago, Illinois.
I taught High School at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School ('83-;87)
After graduating with a Masters from Arizona State University in '88, my husband Dave and I moved to Chicago, Illinois, where I studied at Loyola University Chicago and Dave worked first at First Chicago Bank and then Paine Webber.
In 1993, I had completed my Ph.D. coursework, passed my qualifying exams, and begun work on my dissertation when I learned of a temporary opening in Goshen's English department. After interviewing, I was asked to come for the year and . . . well, the rest is history. I'm still here and still enjoying my work and my family.
In 1995, Madeline joined our family on June 27 (after 11 years of marriage nonetheless), and in 1998, Hugh arrived in November. They continue to be the joy of our lives! Here are some recent pictures.
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My parents also moved to Goshen in October 17.
