What makes a person stand out? Honesty? Reliability? Maybe even dedication? Someone I know personally, Connie Roscoe, shows every single one of these attributes in her daily life. She is one of the most humble, caring, and passionate people you will ever meet. I had the pleasure of interviewing Connie and got even more details than I ever could have imagined. As I sat and listened to her speak, I could barely keep my mouth closed. I was in total shock.

Connie was born near the end of World War II in Washington D.C. Growing up in suburban Maryland, she was very active in her church and school. She has one sibling, her sister Christina, who is a year younger. Growing up with a younger sister can be annoying, but according to Connie, without her sister she might not be the same person. She chuckled as she said, “We were buddies growing up, which Christina attributes to how kindly I treated her as a toddler, throughout our school years, and forever after.”

Growing up, Connie found that her parents had a huge impact on her life. Immediately after being asked who her role models were, she thought of her parents. Both her parents were role models for her.

Connie attended the neighborhood public elementary, junior high, and high school. Her high school included grades 10-12. She could remember there were maybe 2,500 students. My eyes grew huge. She laughed as she added, “There were many choices of classes, activities, and Class A sports.”

Connie was my preschool teacher in 2004, so I couldn’t help but wonder how she chose her work. When asked this question she smiled and said she loves children. She chose to work with them because she was fortunate enough to have Sarah Leve, her fifth grade teacher. “Everyone seemed to learn a lot in her class,” Connie stated. At ten years old, Connie became determined to teach when she grew up.

Her husband Marvin (Marv) grew up on the farm they now live on in Lyons. This has been in Marv’s family for several generations. When Marv’s father was contemplating retirement, “We decided to bring our two sons, Dan and Kevin, here,” Connie said. Forty-two years and counting they have lived on this farm, appreciating the many benefits of the Midwest, rural, and small town life.

When I asked Connie about her favorite time of year, I had to laugh when she said, “The end of harvest, because it is a sigh of relief.”

Connie’s passion is “appreciating the richness of faith in God through Jesus Christ and family life,” she said.

I can’t help but smile and just reflect on everything I learned through this interview. The senior citizens in our community have so much to tell; we just need to find them.