Sarah Seelen - 1963
Bio & Picture from 40th Reunion
My answers to Charley's 20 Questions for 50th Reunion
(December 26, 1945 - November 12, 2017)
New Pics

Sarah's Colllage





















Sarah Seelen Donovan - 2003-07-23

 
Hmmm - a short bio of my past 40 (EEK!) years.  Graduated MU with a BA in French and teaching certificate, got married, had two daughters.  Lived in Arizona, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, S. Carolina, Florida (19 years), and now Colorado (since 1992).  I’ve worked an assortment of mainly part-time jobs.  I’ve had job titles varying from Statistical Analyst to Accounting Asst. to Miccosukee Indian Tribal Accountant to Substitute Teacher (10 years) to Teaching Asst. which is what I’m currently doing.  My husband Steve was a pilot in the AF.  Since then, he’s flown for Eastern Airlines (bankrupt!), Midway (bankrupt!!), and currently United (bankrupt!!! but still here).  My older daughter Julie is married and lives in Los Angeles.  She’s a First Camera Asst. currently working on a TV show and she competes in sailboat races.  My younger daughter Katie is a junior at Emory Univ.   She’s a talented writer who also plays outfield for the Emory softball team and sings in an a cappella  group.  As for me, I like to read, hike, swim, canoe, fish, work out, garden, needlepoint, do the NY Times crossword puzzles, play poker, and (sad to say) watch the Rockies (the baseball team, not the mountains, although I have been known to sit and watch them too at times).

PICTURE:  Me, my youngest daughter (Katie), my son-in-law (David) and his wife, (our oldest Julie) and my husband, Steve for 36 years in the Rockies cap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Answers to Charley's 20 Questions

1) What is your origin; why, when and how did you wound up in Columbia and where did you come from if you were not born in Columbia?

Born in Sedalia, grew up in Marshall, came to Columbia in 1960 as a sophomore while my dad was in law school at MU.

 

2) What did you do immediately after you left high school in 1963 and where did you go if you left Columbia?



Enrolled at MU, graduated and got married in 1967, followed my husband to AZ for his AF pilot training (can we say ‘good little wifey’ here?)

 

3) Where did you get your education (other than HHS) and what is your profession or how did you acquire your occupation and what was or is it?



Earned a B.A. in French with a teaching certificate – wow, what planning – so impractical.  Went back to school for several semesters in the 70s and learned accounting.

 

4) Are you still working and if so what are you doing?

No longer working, unless you count household chores.


5) Are you retired and what are you doing or what have you done since you retired? How long have you been retired?



Retired from my part time jobs in 2005 when we moved to Georgia.  My main activity is singing barbershop with Song of Atlanta, a women’s barbershop chorus – stage make-up, false eyelashes, etc.  Check us out from our international competition in Seattle 2 years ago when we came in 4th in the WORLD! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsK-2g2rvww

Competed in Denver this year and got 5th – videos not available yet.

 

6) Are you married? Who are you married to? Who are you divorced from? How did you meet your spouse or partner; where and when? How long have you been married? Or how many times have you been married and/or divorced?



Met Steve freshmen year at MU and got married upon graduation. 

 

7) How many children do you have? When was your first child born? When was your last child born? How many grandchildren do you have and when was the oldest and the youngest one born?



We have 2 daughters – Julie born in 1973 and Katie in 1983.  Julie works in the film industry (all 3 Hangover movies, yes there is a 3rd one) and Katie is a 5th year Ph.D. political science student at Stony Brook on Long Island, NY.  Sigh, no grandchildren……

 

 

8) What countries have you spent time in other than on business? What countries have you lived in outside the US?



Traveled to almost all of Europe, Costa Rica, Viet Nam, Thailand.  We spend all summer at our cottage on Georgian Bay of Lake Huron in Canada. 

 

9) What's on your 'Bucket List' and what have you done and haven't done so far?



More travel, learning Spanish, walking the entire Katy Trail (63 miles so far), learning to play the ukelele or banjo, finish my reading list (about 2/3) of American novels.

 

10) Are you a veteran and if so where and when did you serve our country?



Not a veteran, just married to one.

 

11) What is the best memory you have from Hickman High School? What is your worst memory from HHS? 



Seriously, who can remember after 50 years?  I’m lucky to remember last week.  I had a good time.

 

12) What was your favorite place to go after school or on weekends in Columbia when attending Hickman?



Shoot, I was probably studying!  I liked just hanging out with my friends but certainly can’t remember any place in particular.

 

13) Who was your favorite teacher at Hickman? Who would you like to see the most from the Hickman faculty and why?



Mrs. McTurnan – she made Shakespeare fun – that’s talent and a passion for what you do.

Khaki Westerfield – student taught English to my class – can’t say why but I thought she was cool.

And Definitely Mr Higdon – Istanbul, Constantinople – sung in style with his pointer!!!!

 

14) What person from our class have you stayed in closest contact with since you left Hickman other than your wife or husband?



My group of friends – Grayson, Lynn, Helen, Diane, and Gail.

 

15) Which '63 Kewpies are you in touch with? Please give me their name and their email, address and phone number?



Same group – you have all but Lynn’s and I’ll have to ask her.

 

16) Tell me something that you have told one of your children or grandchildren that was something you learned or did at Hickman?



They’re quite entertained by our mascot, a Kewpie.

 

17) What are the earliest memories you have of places, people or things in Columbia?



Checking out my classmates my first days at Hickman and wondering how I would make friends.

 

18) What was your biggest accomplishment while at Hickman High School and what has been your biggest accomplishment since you
graduated from Hickman until now?



Biggest accomplishment at HHS – probably graduating – isn’t that what everyone will say?  Biggest accomplishment since – Becoming who I used to be and who I am.

 

19) What do you think classmates will remember the most about you when they see you at the 50th reunion?



Not a clue

 

20) Did any teacher from Hickman High School have an effect on your life and how?

Can't say they did.

Mother's Day 2012 - daughter Julie on left and daughter Katie on right

 

A fairly recent and a fairly decent picture

 

Oh the things I do for my chorus.  After fighting my curly hair for years, and especially in high school, I actually made an effort to get it curly for a disco set we were doing.




 

Back to Directory