Marilyn A. Kraft

I grew up in a small southwestern Michigan town (Hastings) with two brothers and a sister and loving parents. After spending two years at Michigan State partying, I moved to Sidney, Ohio to pay off my bills and enter the real world. Two school teachers, Ellen and Reenie became my roomates, and I returned to college for my teaching degree in Visual Arts. Ellen and Reenie married and I lived in an apartment with my Chinese roomate Dailing. While subbing in the Dayton Schools I met and then married husband Bob. We lived on a small farm north of Dayton,gave birth to two beautiful kids and bought a summer home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Three years ago Bob (72)died of a heart attack after 40 wonderfully spontaneous yrs. of marriage. I returned to Ohio to give the farm to our son R.C. and moved with our handicapped daughter Beth to the cottage. She died a year later of aspiration pneumonia. My new life has felt like an after-thought. God gave me these extra years and I am living them the best I can. Also, along came boyfriend Dan, who lost his wife to cancer and offers companionship that makes my life worth living. He was the barber my husband loved going to in town and it seemed he just appeared at the right time. He is a local who has taught me patience and the value of living a simple and peaceful life. No one tells you how awful it is to lose a spouse or for that matter a child. It literally tears at your heart. But life is worth living. Giving up is not the answer. And life on the shores of Lake Huron is beautiful.

Always Wanted an "e"

When I was born the name Marilyn was popular. I'm lucky my middle name is Ann, but I always wanted to add an e. ....Luckily for me, my sister was given my mother's middle name Mae!