Wendy Stock Luedy

Ethan, 3 yrs. old

After HS, I went to OU, graduating with BFA and certificate for teaching. I was a painting major. I did my student teaching at Shaker, but before I began, my parents moved out of state, and I was taken in by my good friends, the Claytons. They can be credited for allowing me to begin my teaching career with their physical, mental, and emotional support during my student teaching. Unable to find work, Mrs. Clayton introduced me to the principal of St. Mary's School under the Cuyahoga Bd. of Mental Retardation. I became an aid in a non-ambulatory class. I was so grateful for a job in teaching. I roomed with Nancy Beckemeyer for that year. I remember she had a pet rabbit that was actually trained to poop in the toilet! We rented the upstairs of a house in Shaker on Glencairn. I got a call from a girfriend, Ellen Cohen, that I met at OU who got a job as an art teacher in Strongsville. She told me that there were some art teacher openings in Medina County and I should interview for them so we could be roomates. So I did go on an interview, got a call back for a second one for a week later. It looked promising. Meanwhile, went on a vacation to our cottage in Michigan. I drove my sister back to Athens, and was about to leave when she convinced me to stay the rest of the day, and leave in the morning. We would go swimming at a rock quarry. It was so hot, I agreed. Unfortunately I dove in, hit bottom, and broke my neck! I tried to postpone my interview, which was in 4 days, but they said they wouldn't postone, they would be making their final decision that day between the top 3 candidates. We were waiting for a special neck brace to come in from Columbus. It finally arrived the day befor my interview. Ellen picked me up at 10 PM that night. We arrived at her home in Beechwood at 2 in the morning. Got up at 6 AM, got me dressed with my new fashion attire of bandanna covering my stiches, yanked out hair, and blood, and my 4 posted brace that strapped around my chest with 4 posts connecting to the strap that went under my neck and behind my head. We made the 8AM interview. With dropped jaw, they said, "You must really want this job!" The interview was over before it began as they handed me a paper to sign. Ellen was my driver, house mover, everything for the next several months. If not for her, I would not have gotten the job I stayed with for the next 34 years! I got married in 1980. Stayed in the marriage 21 yrs. Divorced in 2001. My Mom passed away that year, too. It was a very difficult year, but angels have looked out for me my whole life - The Claytons, Ellen, surviving a broken neck and not being paralyzed, and meeting someone new at age 49 that same year! Never expected to fall in love again. Gene has 3 children almost the same age as mine. We went out several times a week every week after our first date. Then, in 2002, I was diagnosed with Melanoma. I had to move in with him temporaily so he could take care of me aftery my surgery to remove the melanoma, and sentinal lymph node to check if it had spread. Thank heaven he was there because I had no idea what I was in for. I needed a second surgery to remove all the lymph nodes under one arm. I had another few weeks of recovery, then began a 5 days a week for 5weeks program of chemo. It ended up being longer than 5 weeks due to complications. I am so grateful to be alive, again! I really do feel blessed to have been so lucky in my life. Angels have watched out for me above, and sent me Angels here on earth.
After all I had been through with Gene, I finally agreed to marry him in 2003. He retired two years before me. I just retired last summer. He is teaching me golf, and I enjoy family, friends, traveling, walking, kayaking, and we just got a sailboat to use on our Lake in Michigan.