Denice Hinojosa:  

Life (from 2003 on) Hello everyone! My life is going really well. Where do I begin? Not many folks would recognize me from what I looked like back in 1992! My hair is REALLY short (pixie style with highlights to hide the gray!) I got married to THE most wonderful man in the world back in '95 and could not be happier! *UPDATE* My hair is growing again as I am planning to get it long enough to donate to Locks of Love. :-) Once it is long enough to donate, I will get the pixie style back again. I work as a full-time American Sign Language Interpreter. My job is great even though there are times when I wish I were a greeter at Wal-Mart instead! I also cannot believe how much I have fallen in love with languages. At EHS, I hated studying such things, but now I cannot get enough! My husband is Deaf (since birth) and is VERY proud of it! My life has been changed in soooooo many ways. In my job, I interpret everything that happens in human life from babies being born to people taking their last breath on earth. It is truly amazing! I now hold three national certifications as a sign language interpreter and have continued to stay active in professional interpreting organizations. I have returned to training martial arts and obtained my second degree black belt in November of 2001 under Master Kirk Hess in Fremont, OH. It is a great way to relieve stress and stay in shape. I guess you could say I am a health freak! Currently, I assist in teaching classes for Master Hess and really enjoy the challenges of teaching kids. They are great! I am also into lifting weights to give me greater power and speed with my martial arts...so far so good. (Late 2005) I am playing football for the Toledo Spitfire which is one of over 40 teams in the National Women's Football Association. NWFA ia full contact pro women's football! I made TE/WR! Dreams do come true...our season begins in April 2006. All of those backyard football games with my brothers growing up will come in handy! Follow your dreams and enjoy life...I am! The year 2004 delt my family and friends a horrific blow. My brother Zane Aaron Mingus(EHS Class of 1990) became ill in March/April of 2004 with what everyone thought was a bad ear infection. His symptoms were: intense ear pain, nausea and problems with his balance. He left work due to his inability to walk and intense vommiting. To make a long story short (as it is too painful to re-live) Zane had Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD for short) which is a fatal neurological disease caused by abnormal protiens (prions)that get into one's body and attack the brain. The disease is said to strike one in a million though we are learning that those numbers are incorrect. The occurance is actually higher and the various ways people can contract CJD is scary. Do a search online and you will see. Zane quietly passed away in his home surrounded by his family on 8/18/04 at 3:06 a.m. I was right by his side holding his hand and kissing his head when he took his last breath. I even helped put him in the body bag when the funeral director came to take him to Cleveland for an autopsy of his brain. Zane was a proud new father to Amber Anita (age 7 months when he died) and an awesome husband to Vickie (married one day shy of their fourth wedding anniversary when he passed). Zane and I were best friends as adults and I am still unable to grasp his passing away at such a young age...in the PRIME of his life! He was only 32 years old. During the last week of May 2005, Zane's headstone was set on his grave. He is buried at Peak's Cemetary on Darrow Road just off of Route 2 and Route 61 in Berlin Township. He is buried in the same plot as my mom. M...Expand for more