At last count, Nellie had 11 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. When she became school age, she and her brother would travel two miles by horseback to attend school. During the winter, her father would heat rocks in the oven and then place them under tanned hides which covered her and her siblings to keep them warm as he took them to school.
In 1952, Nellie was stricken with polio. A few years ago while celebrating her 90th birthday, she told a local newspaper, "My doctors told me I would probably never walk again. They did not know my determination." She literally crawled, hobbled, and willed herself to successfully walk again. She worked beside her husband in the dairy business, cattle ranching, livestock feed business, and house construction. Nellie's husband passed away in 1997, but she remained on the farm raising cows, chickens, llamas and ostriches. With the help of her family and friends, she's still active in raising a small herd of cattle and a few chickens. Also, she still drives a riding lawn mower to mow her yard, pitches loose hay to her cows, and plants a garden every year.
Back in August 2006, Nellie opened her home to this long-distance runner crossing the country. She cooked me a wonderful dinner and shared encouraging words. I'll never forget her.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
_______________________________________
Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
