On Where You Come From – Memaw

My childhood was fairly simple. I was born in Columbus, OH and moved to Centerburg in 1963. At that time, I thought we had moved to the most remote place on earth. My childhood consisted of bike riding,
swimming, tree house with neighbors, and snow sledding. I spent a lot of time outdoors. The first few years I went to Croton elementary school. Back then, you had one phone in the house and it was “long
distance” which meant a fee, to call any of my friends, and vice-versa, because we lived on the wrong side of the road. In my sixth grade, I transferred to Centerburg Schools and it was much more fun,
easier, I had friends and I could call them without any charges, which was a big deal.

My Dad was a creator of sorts. He had many great ideas and many flops. He and his brother were one of the first to take drinking straws from paper to plastic. They had a plastics plant in Johnstown, Ohio called
Johnstown Manufacturing, Inc. and it employed a lot of people. I started working there when I was 15.

My Mom was a housewife, but she was also a strong rock for my Dad. He was not one to be alone. I remember them having arguments’, but they always made up and she probably had good reason to get
mad at him.

My Dad was passionate about golf. He started caddying at Brookside CC when he was 8. He always wanted his own golf course and in 1971 his realtor friend showed him a piece of property on Wilson Road and suggested it would make a fine golf course. In 1973 we opened Table Rock Golf Club with 9 holes. Hardly anyone in Centerburg golfed, and if you don’t farm, you were outsiders at that time.

Anyways, I worked there until it sold in 2017.

Table Rock is where I met your Grandpa Jim. My dad said Jim Butler came to golf and never left. When my dad died in 1984, my mom did not want to keep the golf course, so we bought it from her. That is where we raised Jeff and Kelly. I would have to say, they had a great childhood. They grew up in a small town and I think it was the best experience for them. We had many travels, golf shows, spring break trips, and many trips to Florida. She got to experience many “cool” people. She learned to drive a golf cart from a very young age. They grew up being around adults from early childhood. I always felt they were more mature than most kids their age. Your Mom started dancing when she was about 5 and danced until she graduated. That was a big commitment. Every week, we drove to Mt. Vernon and took her to practice for an hour or two. Her recitals were a very big deal.

Being around golf their whole lives teach kids a lot. Kelly and her dad butted heads many times regarding her golf. I remember her coming home from the range and course in tears and he came home frustrated. He was a good teacher; she was not always the best listener. Jim and I did make mistakes as parents, but your Mom was pretty easy. Of course we had conflicts, but they were minimal. She had many friends in school and did well there. She played sports, excelled in golf (she still holds most of the lady’s records) and she grew up with only a flip phone. There was no social media then and I am grateful for that. Jeff was 5 years older than her, but she idolized her big brother. Probably during his high school years, the feeling was not mutual, but they have a great relationship now. She played in many junior golf tournaments. I cannot even begin count how many. She made many friends throughout those years on the course.

Then off to Otterbein College she went. She learned a lot about life there. We said we would pay for 4 years, “make it happen” and she did, even though there were summer classes. We believe her childhood was well rounded, pretty exciting and very fun. As parents, we are extremely proud of our two kids and now our 5 grandsons! Everyone including their spouses, Katie and Ryan, are so special to us. I like the quote, “Hanging out with your adult children is like visiting the most beautiful and precious parts of your life.”