Occupation: I was a high school math teacher for ten years. I retired while at Kennedy High School in Waterbury in 1972 when I was pregnant with our second daughter. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom and then a stay-at-home grandmother ever since.

Family: My husband is Bob. We met in college and have been married for 56 years. We got married in Valparaiso, Indiana. We have four daughters. Our oldest, Jeanette, is married to Matt Becker, and they live in West Hartford. Pamela is married to Eric Silberfein, and they live in the Houston, Texas, area. Amy is married to Jim Fenzel, and they are in transit, about to move from New York City to West Hartford. Kristen is married to Brian Hole, and they live in Tiburon, California. I have 13 grandchildren, and the youngest is named Ruby, after me.

How long have you lived in Newtown? For 50 years. My sister-in-law was selling real estate and found some acreage in town that she thought we’d be interested in, and we were. We cleared the land for two years, then had the house built. I’m from North Dakota and grew up 12 miles north of Golden Valley. I’m used to a lot of land. I grew up on a farm, and it was almost 1,000 acres.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to spend time with family and keep in touch with friends. I usually plan the high school reunions in North Dakota. I also enjoy reading, and I like my own company when I have time.

Do you have a favorite book or author? I like to prioritize reading the Bible. I’ve enjoyed reading A Light in the Window series, the Little House on the Prairie series, and books by author C.S. Lewis.

What is your favorite travel destination? Wherever family is. My main travel destinations outside of Connecticut are North Dakota, California, and Texas.

What is the best part about Newtown? Five different times, I’ve lost my purse or wallet in Newtown, and I have always had them returned to me without anything having been taken. The people in town are wonderful. So are my neighbors and the people at the local businesses — off the top of my head: Tim Connolly; Nick at the Sunoco station; and the people at Newtown Car Care, Newtown Hardware, and Pizza Palace. Newtown is a wonderful place to live.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My grandmother, Louisa Link, and my aunt, Erna Link. They lived on the farm where I grew up and raised me. My grandmother shared her faith with me, and that is the greatest gift she could have ever given me. By grace and faith through Jesus we are reconciled to God.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? Jesus, because he walked on this Earth. But I fully expect to meet him, and all the ones I love, in Heaven. I trust in the Lord.

What is your favorite musical genre? I truly love all the hymns we sing at St John’s EV Lutheran Church in Waterbury. I also like the era of music from the 1950s, because that’s when I graduated high school.

Do you have a favorite movie? The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston as Moses.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? “Put your faith and trust in the Lord above all things.” I believe God is our creator and the Bible is how we should live. When you buy almost anything, it comes with an instruction book, and the Bible is God’s instruction book. Also, if someone would say mean things, my grandmother would tell me, “Don’t you worry about that, because that goes home with them.” What she meant is we are not to judge other people and cannot see inside their heart.

What is your proudest accomplishment? I don’t think of accomplishments very much, I always think of all my blessings. I have blessings beyond number. I’ve had so many miracles happen to me, and I know it is because of God.