Martha Korpi:  

Life I was born in March of 1959 to my mom who is of Japanese heritage and my dad, who was a military man. I was born on Easter Sunday of all days-so I call myself the Easter Chick. I am one of 9 children. At the time I was born, we lived at Ft Sheridan, Illinois then moved to Zion. Anyone remember the Hebron Avenue projects-well, when they were first built, they housed a lot of military families there. We lived there and I attended Kindergarten at West School. Then we moved overseas to France where my dad was stationed. Then we moved to Germany. I came back to the US when I was in 4th grade. Ww lived in Winthrop Harbor and I went to Spring Bluff and Westfield during my elementary and jr. high years. Of course, then I went to Zion-Benton. Was I ever scared at first to be in such a large school! Not to mention, we were the first freshman class with the modular schedule. We didn't handle that very well. All those free mods were turned later into study halls. I spent all my high school years at Zion-Benton and graduated with you all in 1977. During High School, I worked in the principal and dean's offices as a student aide. After high school, I wanted to go to work as a secretary. I started at what was then Zion State Bank. That was too much of a quiet atmosphere for me and believe me, I tried to make the atmos...Expand for more