I was raised in Stonefort, Illinois in the middle of Shawnee National Forrest. At 19, I got married and moved to Peoria, where my husband worked for Caterpillar. We had 2 children and my Caterpiller had a 5 year layoff. We knocked on doors to do cleaning, landscaping, etc.and I started cleaning houses, against doctor's orders. I was born with severe degenerative scoliosis, so doctor's didn't want me to work, but I chose to work regardless. We had to sell everything to survive. My husband finally went back to work, but my bones continued to deteriorate at rapid rate, and I am now disabled. I have had multiple surgeries, and I still continue to volunteer to keep mind busy.
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