“My first husband died in a car wreck when he was 22 and I was pregnant with my son. My second husband went in for a hernia repair and got a staph infection. It hit his urinary tract and killed him. I’ve been married to … Continue readingShe summons strength to deal with deaths
“I’m a crane operator. I kind of go where the work is. I have a list somewhere of all the places I’ve been. I haven’t been in every state, but I’ve been in all different regions of the country. “With all the construction going on, … Continue readingTraveling for work can test your marriage
“I just finished my term in the military. I was in the Army for four years, but I got hurt on a convoy. “It happened at a training facility in California. I was riding in the back of this really big truck, about 10 feet … Continue readingHe’s still recovering from freak Army accident
“My son gave me a book, the story of my life. It’s a great, big book. It has all these questions in it, and you just answer the questions. The trouble is, I can’t write a thing anymore. I’m just glad that I can remember. … Continue readingShort-term memory not what it used to be
“The first day I was in nursing school the teacher asked each of us, ‘What is your philosophy on life?’ I said, ‘I shall pass through this world but once. Any little thing that I can do for any human or dumb animal, let me … Continue readingHer philosophy on life was to always help others
“I grew up in Elgin, Oregon, way up in the hills and the mountains. I was a farmer’s daughter. We were what they called shoestring farmers. We didn’t make very much money. You lived year to year. Three bad years would break you. “We didn’t … Continue readingShe learned the concept of hard work from parents
“Before I left Chicago, I was a union carpenter. It slowed down a lot because of the Freddie Mac/Fannie May deal. There were no houses getting built because of all the bad loans. I was laid off for 2½ years and got by doing side … Continue readingBusboy, pizza jobs as youth paying off now
“It can be pretty chaotic. Like Sunday, my first call was a homicide. There are people on the phone screaming and you’re hearing them talk to EMS and saying, ‘He just stopped breathing. He’s dead.’ Listening on the phone to someone dying is the hardest … Continue readingMilitary background prepares her for 911 role
“The hardest part is trying to find out where the caller is located. People don’t think about it when they call 911. They start to ramble because they’re so scared. “The first thing out of my mouth is, ‘What is your location,’ and they usually … Continue reading911 dispatcher enjoys doing something selfless
“I really enjoy seeing our Opportunity Center clients succeed in life and accomplish things they never thought they could. “I saw a little girl today who mentioned that she just wrote her name, which was a big achievement for her. It’s something other people take … Continue readingStudents learn skills to help them land jobs