Karen Mersman:
CLASS OF 1979
Midwest City High SchoolClass of 1979
Midwest city, OK
Oklahoma State UniversityClass of 1997
Stillwater, OK
Stillwater, OK
Jarman Junior High SchoolClass of 1976
Midwest city, OK
Eastside Elementary SchoolClass of 1973
Midwest city, OK
Karen's Story
You can find me on Facebook! Look for Karen Hogue Mersman.
High school seems like a lifetime ago. Memories of Eastside and Jarman are more clear than those of Midwest City High School. I lived in a few different towns around Oklahoma (Enid, Duncan, Mustang, Tulsa, Broken Arrow), but never out of state, though I've traveled plenty. Here I am back in "The City", which has always been home no matter where I've lived.
My mom has been gone since 1992 and Daddy passed in 2003.
My sons were born in Enid: Rod is now 28, Adam is 27, and Nick is just turning 25 and grandchildren Angel, Ethan, Tori, Tyler, Grace, Korben, and Gavin (all ages 5 & 6 except one that was born in May 2009). They are precious gifts from God. I started college when I was 30, graduating first from Tulsa Community College and second from Oklahoma State University. Those were my "most earned" accomplishments in life, being the first to go to college in my family. After a brief career as a barber, time at home having babies and a lot of volunteer work, I became a social worker, but the stress was too high. The 3rd career is the charm, right?! So I entered the non-profit world. When they say it is non-profit they mean that for the employees! You starve to death working for a non-profit. It was rewarding otherwise. I was a foster parent for Child Welfare for a while too and that was enjoyable, but very stressful. After entering the For-Profit wold in 2000, I got mroe involved in writing and developing programs. I've been in business development/bids and proposals since then and am currently managing bids and proposals for a federal contractor in Oklahoma City.
I am very happily married to the greatest guy on earth, Duane. We married in 2006. He is everything I ever wanted in life and then some. We ride motorbikes and garden, and shop estate sales, and spend every possible minute together. Duane is my best friend and love of my life. It's hard to believe life could be so good. We have a dog child named Molly, who is a 5 year old yellow Labrador Retriever. I started riding a scooter (150cc), but now I have a Honda Shadow Aero (750cc) motorcycle and Duane has a Valkyrie (1500cc). We are enjoying a lot of ride time together, short rides around town and have gone on a few longer rides around the state. We are members of Bethany First Church of the Nazarene. Loving life, God, and my country...
Updates on high school friends: Evelyn (Ramirez) French is married and in OKC, Karen (Brittain) is in San Marcos, TX, Carla (Brittain) Reed is in Midwest City, Kelly (Jetton) Sparks is in Wellston. Elizabeth Alley died a year or two after high school. I finally found Donna Jurina (Eastside and Star Spe...Expand for more
ncer) after a lifetime of hunting for her! Kelley and Shelley Beckman are on here too! And the list goes on and on. There are so many more that I wonder about that aren't on this website. Fill us in people! And check out Facebook too! Wow, there are a lot of classmates on it.
Things I remember about Eastside... My best friends Donna, Evelyn, and Kelley & all the kids. Remember learning to dance in gym class and playing on the playgrounds and playing Red Rover in the parking lot? I remember John Eno pushing me off the monkey bars and he was so scaird and so apologetic I felt worse for him than for myself! Poor John. I remember the popcorn machine outside of the lunch room 10 cents a bag! I remember the lunch trays & little cartons of warm milk, nice lunch ladies (and some who had worked long days). I remember the mean kindergarten teacher and nice teachers like Mrs. Miller in the 1st grade and Mrs. Yates 4th grade, buying candy at "the Store" across the street, swimming in Lions Park pool and ice cream bars at the swimming pool, and swinging in the park. I remember being the smallest child in the class (all of elementary school I think) and having the same tiny desk every year... I remember the kids in Showalter and Northrup and playing in the water in my front yard and playing Tag. Sleeping outside in the backyard and going camping, that was fun. Remember the Christmas play where Kelley Jetton was the mother of 4 or 5 of us? That was a hoot! Remember music class (Mrs. Schultz) and playing tunes on the white plastic horns? I'd love to find one of those horns. Remember Mr. Gray's reading class and what happened when you didn't read fast enough?
Things I remember about Jarman Jr High... Kelley, do you remember working at the swimming pool in the basket room?! That was fun. Skipping class on ditch day, getting a locker for the first time, being friends with Evelyn Ramirez, Elizabeth Alley, the Brittain twins, and so many more. Experiencing growing up beyond what we should have, going to the movies with Evelyn and Elizabeth and walking the neighborhood with the Brittains and Evelyn. Good friends, good times. Walking all over Midwest City without much thought of it.... We were nearly fearless. I remember going steady with my 8th grade sweetheart, Dave Swanson, from Carl Albert Junior High and going to his football games and wrestling matches, riding horses and his motorcycle. Softball! I loved playing softball (rover, short stop and 2nd base), 18 seasons worth and didn't get decent at it till I was an adult. Go figure! Playing soccer with Evelyn and the Beckmans, and Regina Garrison, and all the girls... loads of fun. I miss athletics (ok, not THAT much!).
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