For this month’s Member Spotlight we have a real treasure.  Louise Shearon, whom you all know, consented to an interview.

Louise was born in Oak Park, Il., about 25 miles from Chicago.  She grew up in that area and received a scholarship to Northwestern University for her freshman year of Liberal Arts study.  Due to the depression, her sophomore year was spent at the University of Illinois and she was unable to continue her studies further.  Louise was offered a job as a dental assistant in a Chicago dental office and was a “career girl” as she describes it for 7 ½ years.

During this time, she met her husband to be, Kenneth Shearon, through his brother, who was a friend.  Kenneth joined the Navy with the onset of WWII and was transferred to San Francisco.  After six months on the West Coast and many letters, Kenneth contacted Louise and asked her if she would be willing to take a chance on him and come out to California so they could be married.  His letters were always censored and she said that he warned her she might arrive and he might already be gone.  As luck would have it, Louise did go to San Francisco and they were married there in 1942, before he was sent to the Pacific for 18 months as a Dental officer.  She said the day he left, they had breakfast together and he left for work and didn’t return, so she knew he had been shipped out.

When Kenneth returned, the couple settled near Chicago on a 226 acre farm.  The farm was run by a tenant farmer and the couple built a house in the wooded 26 acres.  Kenneth had a dental office in Chicago that he commuted to from the farm.  Louise and Kenneth were blessed with four sons; Bill, who currently resides in Florida, James, who died at 61, Jerry, who died at 35, and David, who owns Ashford Manor with his partner Mario Castro.

Bill’s career was in petroleum products.  He was married and has a daughter, Kristine.  Bill’s wife is deceased and he has lost his vision, so he lives with a guide dog and a companion.  Jim was a part owner in Ashford Manor with his brother David.  Prior to this, Jim was the tailor and costume designer to “Prince”, as well as a long list of other performers.  He spent many years in costume and set design for opera and Broadway.  Jerry was a very gifted computer programmer for the Burlington Railroad.  David was involved in catalogue preparation for companies like Spiegel, prior to buying into Ashford Manor with Jim.  As you can see, all the boys were successful and had interesting careers.  Louise is the proud grandmother to 2 granddaughters and 5 great grandchildren.

Louise’s husband Kenneth passed away in 1991 and in May of 2000, she moved into a house on the Ashford Manor property that Jim and David had built for her.  It’s a lovely home and just private enough.

I asked Louise what her interests were and she said she was involved in many clubs, including Garden Club, Newcomers, and the Christian Women’s Club.  She enjoys listening to the opera, doing needlepoint, and knitting.  She also regularly attends a yoga class at Mind and Body Institute of Athens Regional Hospital.

Louise shared tales of her travels and really enjoyed visiting many places.  She mentioned a 103 day around-the-world cruise on the Statendam and a cruise around South America and Cape Horn on the Rotterdam.  I asked if any one place was a favorite location and she responded that she just enjoyed seeing new places.

When I asked what brought her to Newcomer’s Club, Louise responded that she had met Anne Boyer through her sons, when she came to live here.  Anne invited her to a meeting and she’s been coming ever since.

I asked Louise what others might not know about her that she would like to share with others.  She said she was blessed with a good life and enjoys meeting new people.  She said that since she has moved here, her sons have always been very considerate and introduced her to new people.

I asked if she had a piece of advice to pass on to others.  Here’s what she said.  “Worry is like a rocking chair.  It gets you no where.”  She also noted that “you should keep a good attitude and not worry or look for trouble.”

The most amazing part of the interview to me was the fact that Louise recently celebrated her 96^th birthday in October, and she remains a very vital, independent woman.  We should all be so lucky to look as well and be as alert as she is when we reach that age.  Thanks Louise for setting a goal for us all.