Growing Up

 

I was born in Burnham Hospital of Urbana, Illinois, but my family lived in Monticello, Illinois. I am the youngest of four and the only girl. My family lived in Monticello the first five years of my life. Needless to say, I don’t have a memory of my time spent there.

 

Here is where Monticello is located in Illinois – just about 25 miles southwest of Champaign-Urbana.

 

 

 

My family moved to Greenwood, Indiana when I was five years old. By that time, my older two brothers had moved out and were living in the Champaign area. Greg had married Carla. They now had a little girl, Angi. She was born two years after me. Keith was a bachelor living with friends. My brother Jeff had died as a result of a bicycle/car accident three years earlier. It was just mom, dad, and I moving to Greenwood.

 

Here’s a map of Greenwood, Indiana – located on the southern edge of Indianapolis.

 

 

After moving to Greenwood, Indiana, I began school at Center Grove Elementary School. I attended school there until the end of third grade. I loved playing in my subdivision, and my best friend Staci lived next door. There were a lot of kids to play with in our neighborhood. We were never bored!

Here’s a couple of school photos:

 

Kindergarten Second Grade

 

 

My family moved back to Illinois during the summer before my fourth grade year. We lived in Kilbourne, Illinois. There I attended Balyki Junior High.

 

Here’s where Kilbourne, Illinois is located. It’s a very small town.

 

 

My family and I moved while I was in fourth grade to Petersburg, Illinois. I finished fourth grade at Balyki, but then started at Porta Junior High in fifth grade. My parents and I lived in town for part of the year and then out on Lake Petersburg for the remainder.

 

Petersburg is located just about thirty miles northwest of Springfield, Illinois.

 

 

After my year in fifth grade, my parents and I moved to Havana, Illinois. Here I entered sixth grade at Havana Junior High. I attended school at Havana until my high school graduation in 1991. I enjoyed growing up in this small river town. I participated in school activities such as chorus, band, volleyball, and track and field. I joined clubs in high school and also held class officer positions each year. I had a great group of friends and classmates. Many of us still keep in touch today.

 

Havana, Illinois is located along the Illinois River.

 

 

 

Havana High School is the home of the Havana Ducks!

 

 

Here’s a class picture from my tenth reunion:

 

I am the last one seated on the right. Even though we’ve all grown, everyone still looks pretty much the same to me as they did when we graduated. We are the Class of 1991!