Sheryl Lewis Colson

The summer after graduation I started working for the School District of Joplin RVIII, first at the old Franklin Tech for R.W. Baker, then moved over to the Board of Education building as Cecil Floyd's secretary. I attended Juco and met Vic Colson during this time, got married, had Victor, then was called back to the JHS library to order books for the summer, then was a stay at home mom for a few years while we moved around Arkansas and Alabama for Pizza Hut. Aaron was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Eventually we got back to Joplin where The Botany Shop was born. When both boys were in school, I started working again first at the MO Div of Family Services, then moved over to the MO Div of Employment Security. Vic and I divorced after ten years of marriage, but have remained friends. I retired from 'Job Service' in 2003 after more than thirty years.

My sister Sheila and I started traveling each summer with my sons and we camped in almost every National Park and many state parks over the years. When the boys were 13 and 16 we decided to take them to the U.K. to explore. That was such a wonderful experience that Sheila and I have continued to return to Europe every year.

The ten years that I have been retired makes me wonder when I ever had time to work. I write children's stories (and read to grandchildren's classes). I make beautiful quilts. I do the genealogy for my family. I keep a travel journal for each of our trips over the years, and always have another trip on the planning table (Ireland in October).

After the 2011 Joplin tornado, I did some substitute teaching at the temporary St. Mary's elementary school for pre-kindergarten classes and found that very rewarding. At the same time I found a volunteer job with the Joplin Museum Complex entering the Murwin Mosler negatives and photos into a searchable database and helped return the images to the public. Unfortunately, the class of 1963 didn't fare very well and I imagined that our class mostly went up in the tornado and came down in a pasture somewhere.

I was a Tophatter! Does that bring to mind white majorette boots and gloves with a green velvet uniform, topped off with a green top hat with red feather? I loved the precision marching at half-time, the parades and especially the songs we played 'I'll See You In My Dreams'.

I found my old diary - in shorthand because I had a little sister. When I transcribed it I could remember the basketball games, football games, dances I went to and what I wore. Details of the corsages and the dates. And of the misery of being dumped by my boyfriend.

At my father's insistence I took mostly business and clerical courses. He wanted me to have a skill 'just in case I would ever have to take care of myself'. Who knew how wise my father was? I have used the heck out of those skills for the last fifty years.