Sharon Bolander:
CLASS OF 1965
Harris-Elmore High SchoolClass of 1965
Elmore, OH
Stautzenberger CollegeClass of 1966
Toledo, OH
Sharon's Story
Life
Because I haven't updated this profile since 2021, I decided to draw yet another line to define what life looks like for me today. I did sell our home in Flushing 6 months after Ted died. I managed to find/buy a ranch-style house in Mason near family in August, 2021. There's been a lot done to that house since to make it my home. While some improvements remain, I've definitely settled in and kept myself busy taking good care of the property. It's the first time I've lived in a city and the first time I've lived alone. Life is quiet to say the least, but I am in good health continuing to do my own yard/landscaping work plus housework. None of us know when health issues may arise, but I am aware how special it is to reach this age still feeling quite able to do whatever I like within reason. No, I don't climb up on the roof to blow leaves/branches off, though! Be good to yourselves and kind to each other. ---Sharon 11/17/23
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Life has definitely changed for me. Ted battled cancer for 10 months and died here at home under hospice on April 27, 2021, exactly one month short of our 54th wedding anniversary. I'm still working on all the things that need to be done afterwards but am doing okay. There will be more changes to come as I try to relocate and repurpose. Rather than erase all the good memories I shared in the past, I'm choosing to leave them below with just a line between then and now.
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Our latest adventure was a two-week cruise on the Queen Mary II roundtrip NYC-Southampton. What made it extra special was the opportunity to listen to stories of WWII veterans who were accompanied on this trip by Viet Nam veterans. Many of them were headed to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. My dad, who died too young, was a WWII veteran of Patton's 3rd Army. One of the veterans on this trip also served in Patton's 3rd Army and had been a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. It was a deeply moving experience to hear stories first-hand from survivors of Pearl Harbor as well as those serving in Europe and the Pacific.
For more years than I can remember, the annual Traverse City Film Festival has given us a break during mid-summer. We are never disappointed in...Expand for more
the documentaries we choose to see while there. We are headed that direction this summer, too.
In May 2017, we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary (goodness, that's a long time) with an Amtrak trip to NYC. Yes, we saw shows, museums, and the 911 Memorial; my favorite experience, though, was our morning on The View. In October 2018, we repeated the trip but saw more theatre and other attractions while staying near the United Nations complex rather than Times Square.
For the past several years, we've taken our daughter's family to Chicago on Amtrak adventures. The Lincoln Park Zoo is a favorite for all of us along with the Science and Industry Museum, Shedd's Aquarium, the Navy Pier and more.
Enough about traveling---LOL, we are home sometimes but always looking forward to the next adventure.
My hobbies include writing (author of 5 books), flower gardening, and traveling the world. I have written under the pen name Peggy Paris at The Starlite Cafe and under Sharon Miller Bolander at Writers Cafe. Poetry is my favorite but also non-fiction articles, shorts stories, and fiction with several publication credits.
Previous employment included GMAC (first four years out of business college), Arthritis Foundation (1986-1999), and Vogt's Flowers (1999-2005). I also ran a small business during the time we were breeding and showing purebred Rex and Siamese (1969-76). Retirement is best of all, though!
For many years, our entire family was involved in competitive roller skating (those of you who remember me from high school know skating was very important in my life). It all ended as a result of a very serious injury during dance practice in 1990 when I sustained 3 mandibular fractures that resulted in issues still affecting me today. I never put skates on after that accident but still have fond memories of years of lessons, practice, competitions and friendships.
Ted and I are avid movie-goers and try to see all the movies that reach the Flint area theaters. We are also big fans of high school basketball. We have one married daughter, who lives near Lansing and teaches High School art, and one granddaughter who frequently babysits Grandpa and Grandma during sleepovers.
The world has changed a lot since high school as have I. It's not often that I think back that far---except when I see Classmates.com in my email box suggesting an update. :)
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