After college in Wisconsin, getting married, and a short stint of teaching math in a Chicago parochial school, Charlie (Anderson ‘68) and I moved to Wyoming in the summer of 1972. Despite a college education, it was the typing class I took at Rich East which helped me land a secretarial job that kept food on the table for three years while Charlie was in law school! We moved to northeastern Wyoming in 1975 and have been in Gillette ever since.

I taught junior high school math, was a stay-at-home mom, and worked as a temporary secretary and bookkeeper before settling into community college teaching. I added some administrative responsibilities about 5 years ago and after 24 years of college teaching, next year I won't be in the classroom at all. I'm the chief academic officer at Gillette College and also have some additional responsibilities across the two-college district. While I generally enjoy the challenge, this time of year, as I watch the faculty leave for the summer, I think I must have been crazy to give up the nine month teaching year for the twelve month administrative world.

Charlie and I have two children. David lives in Gillette, works in Juvenile Probation, is married, and has a two-year old son, Wade. Having a grandson has been wonderful and having him close by is priceless; we thoroughly enjoy spending as much time as possible with him. Elin just graduated from college and will begin teaching elementary school music in Gillette this fall. She and her husband are living with us until they close on their new house; we're all eagerly awaiting that date as we enjoyed having an empty nest and they like having their own space.

I'm looking forward to retirement in about two years. The opportunity to spend more time with Wade (and maybe more grandkids) is very inviting. We have some land in the northern Black Hills near Devils Tower where we love to spend time; it's secluded, quiet, and a wonderful place to relax. It's the perfect place for grandkids to explore nature and have outdoor adventures, for their parents to escape from the demands of work, and for us to kick back in our rockers on the porch!