Stories of Inspiration

Remarkable People - Fascinating Places

Life and living … These are the stories from the people that live in our community … authors of history, contributors to the narrative, they are lighthearted and lovely, deep and resonate, they are the fabric of America. Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and take in this world of beauty.

Shirley Adams

By Sharon Sullivan

After earning a Master’s degree at Columbia University in New York City, Shirley Adams landed a job at the Eastman School of Music where she counseled female students for three years. A perk of the job was attending symphony concerts once a week.
“I was immersed in music – I had to be to talk to the kids,” Shirley said. “It was a wonderful experience.”
But Shirley had always yearned for Colorado. She got a taste of the West when she left NYC to work at a primitive Girl Scouts camp in the San Luis Valley for two summers.

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Maynard Hasselbarth

By Sharon Sullivan

Maynard Hesselbarth will never forget the person who gave him a ride when he was hitchhiking years ago.
Mamie Eisenhower was driving accompanied by her young son John when she stopped the car to give Maynard a ride. He was hitching back to college in Manhatten, Kansas. It was 1941 or 1942, and Mamie’s husband Dwight “Ike” was away at war.
“I grew up in Abilene – where (President) Eisenhower grew up,” Maynard said. “His family home was a block away from ours. I used to mow grass for his parents. They were a great family.”

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