Meet Judie Woolum
By Sydney Skibinksi
Meet Judie Lyn Woolum:
After meeting Judie, I immediately had the impression of someone who is genuine, confident, and warm-hearted. I told her I wanted to learn more about her life and she worried that she would not have any interesting stories to tell. However, she started the conversation off with the story of her name. Born Judy Rosalyn Woolum, Judie decided to change the spelling of her name once she entered school and met the other four Judys in her classroom. The rest of her life, she took no hesitation to follow the path she wanted.
What makes Judie herself:
Judie lives her life with a strong love of her family. She has three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. While times are more difficult now with her walker, she has always enjoyed family gatherings and taking care of everyone. She learned how to cook by trial and error, but enjoyed it enough to begin hosting every Thanksgiving from age 17 to 42, and cooking everything independently with care. “I like to do it myself, I like my own cooking.” Today, Judie spends most of her time at activities with friends at The Knolls or reading her favorite mystery novels.
The good and the bad:
Along with being with friends and reading alone, Judie spends a lot of her time at dialysis. For the past two years, it has been a struggle for her, but she strives to keep a positive outlook for her family. A family trauma, she believes, was the cause for her mother’s health decline, and she believes that outlook and events affect one’s health. With the support of her family, she continues the grueling process, but continues to greet everyone with kindness and a smile. Advice she wishes to give is to “just love each other.”
“It has been my good fortune to work with Judie over the past year. Judie greatly enjoys the OMA projects and appreciates the chance to do something creative and social.” – Margaret Smith (Judie’s OMA partner)
