CURRENT CAREER – I am a happy real estate agent at REMAX Bayshore Properties with an office at the Grand Traverse Commons, and I have a little bit to do with the development of the Village at the Grand Traverse Commons. I do believe Ray may be designing a pink padded room just for me. He keeps collecting artifacts! It sometimes concerns me!EDUCATION – Graduated from Escanaba High School and attended the College of Life. Over the years I’ve taken many professional classes but married young and never attended college. Although, in one year alone, we were paying for four of our kids to attend state colleges! I ran for office and served on the East Detroit Board of Education for two terms; served as president of the East Detroit Chamber of Commerce for a year; owned and operated a number of businesses including a construction company, so I hope I’ve learned a lot about life and living.
FAMILY- Married to Ray and we have five adult children who all pay property taxes in the Grand Traverse Region. They and their wonderful spouses have given us six perfect grandkids (3 girls/3 boys), ranging in age from 1 to 18.
FAVORITE DESSERT – Lemon Meringue Pie!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY – Singing with an ensemble—I’d bet everyone knows that!
LAST BOOK READ – The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker.
FAVORITE MOVIE – I have a new one! LA LA Land!
FAVORITE SONG – Harry Chapin’s Flowers Are Red (pretty much any one of his songs are my favorite) But also Bob Seger’s Against the Wind, and all the old hippy folk songs.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NO ONE IN THE CLUB
LIKELY KNOWS – As a young woman, I raced snowmobiles and stock cars and rode motorcycles. I helped build my own chopper. I had 27 different cars before I turned 27 years old.
LIFE ROLE MODEL – My Dad, Richard M. Morrison, who died last year. He was first and foremost a proud American who lived with honor; a Marine Devil Dog and WWII Veteran who fought the four major battles of the Pacific, and then worked for the American Legion until he retired.
MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT – With my husband, saving the historic landmark of Building 50 at the Grand Traverse Commons.
PROUDEST MOMENT - Being present at the births of two of our grandchildren.
FUNNIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU - It wasn’t funny at the time!!! For many years while our kids were young, we would pack them, their friends, water toys and fishing gear and come “up North” to camp at the Boardman River. My Mother’s Day gift was to leave the kids in the tents and go fishing with just Ray and enjoy the solitude of the river. We were getting in the van to drive to our favorite fishing spot when Tony, the kid who could never sneak into camp, begged to come with us promising to be quiet and just let Mom fish. We got him set up on the bank, had that first aha moment when stepping into the river in early spring, got half way into the first cast… “MA, I GOT A SNAG!” …back to shore…new hook… back to middle of river… “MA! THE SPLIT SHOT FELL OFF!” …back to shore… gave him the whole bag. I stomped back into the river knowing the fish are now miles away, catch my foot on a branch and fall forward. My waders fill up with water and the last thing I see as I float with the current down the river is my son running away from the bank. Ray catches me as I float by, drags me to shore, helps me out of the water-filled waders, and makes the fatal error of saying: “Someday you’ll laugh about this!” I storm to the van, leaving the two of them trying to hold back the laughter, turn the heat on full blast ‘cause I’m cold and wet, and head back to the campsite. I can’t stop shivering. Suddenly, ahead in the middle of the gravel road, is a skunk. It’s a one lane road and he’s not moving! I stopped the truck, got out, and screamed at this creature to get out of my way. He looked at me for a minute and slowly walked away. I shivered all the way back to camp before realizing I had turned the AC on instead of the heat. Actually, I still don’t think it’s very funny. Eventually I did return to retrieve Ray and Tony.
SECRET AMBITION - Not so secret! To spend a few months in Italy soaking up the culture and learning the language, and to travel more.
IF YOU COULD BE ANYONE IN THE WORLD FOR A DAY (present or historical), WHO WOULD THAT BE---AND WHY? My grandmother when she was a young woman with 11 kids helping to run the farm in the U.P. I don’t know anything about her family before she married, where they came from, what her dreams were, and how she had the strength to continue to run the farm after her husband died young. I have so many questions.
MOST FAMOUS PERSON MET – I had lunch (on the dais) with President Reagan. He had his own server and although he ate the exact same meal as the rest of us, his personal chef arranged, prepared, and served his meal. He was as charming as you’d expect.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE –
I am nearly 67 years old and have had a full and interesting life, and am not ready to slow down anytime soon. I was invited to join Rotary in East Detroit in 1988 and foolishly did not because I was moving to TC within the next year. Fortunately, eventually, I was again invited to join and did. My advice to my fellow Rotarians is to remember to invite people to join. Most people won’t ask. It’s up to us to invite those we know would be dynamic members in order to continue the good work that has been done by this organization and our club.
