Meet Myrna Strohmier
By Sydney Skibinksi
Meet Myrna Ann Strohmier from Brookville, Indiana. Meeting Myrna for the first time comes with warm and positive greetings. She is a woman happy with the simple things – friendship, kindness, and home. When asked what she enjoys doing, she tried to change the subject to me, eager to learn more about my life and family, but after some time she simply stated that she has a love of writing, knitting, singing, and dancing. Interestingly enough, Myrna told me it isn’t about what she writes rather than the soothing process of actually putting pen to paper and making something visually pleasing.
Family Life
The youngest child of six, Myrna has many nieces and nephews for whom she knits diligently. While she never had children of her own, she enjoyed when she was a Lutheran Sunday school teacher because she taught and learned from children (whom she says always have vibrant personalities and are willing to make friends with anyone). Myrna also greatly enjoyed her career as an accountant for a tractor dealership. As she said, there’s nothing like “getting those assets to equal the liabilities.” While she enjoyed her job, she loved working with a kind and wonderful boss and co-workers. She calls herself a particular person in that she doesn’t like everyone, but she takes quickly to kindness and genuine people. When asked what advice she would like to give to people, she said, “Be honest. Be kind. And make friends.”
Passions at a young age
Growing up, Myrna remembered being best friends with her mother because she was the youngest child, and many of her siblings had moved out during her adolescent years. She had no interest in spending time by the nearby lake because she did not know how to swim. Instead, she enjoyed spending her time watching wrestling on the black and white television with her father, or her favorite variety shows full of talented singers and dancers. She loved them so much, she ended up taking tap and ballet lessons, and today still does a makeshift dance in her chair and sings a made-up tune in the comfort of her room.
Comments about Myrna by her student partner
Myrna’s OMA partner says, “she is full of joy, laughter and has a huge heart. I guarantee there will not be a dull moment. I have really enjoyed every moment with Myrna and every week flies by. Myrna enjoys the art projects; however, I can tell that’s not her main concern. She just wants to be surrounded by good company, participating in a fun activity for the hour. She loves to engage in conversation and tell stories about her hometown in Brookville, Indiana. However, she also loves to learn more about me: my interests, classes, hobbies, childhood, etc. We may repeat topics of conversation but each time it is filled with the same sentiment. As Myrna puts it, “We became great friends over the course of the semester.”
