Jo Brew

Ripples in the Water Jo Brew

Born in Colorado during the depression, Jo-called Jo-Anne for most of her childhood - grew up in a family where her mother worked outside the home for all the early years and childcare was handled by a grandmother or hired caregivers. She was joined by a brother two years later. Her early life also involved frequent moves as the main steady employer was the expanding chain of Montgomery Ward stores. By the time she was four, the family was re-established in California. Although her father was the only driver in the family, he worked and handled outside building projects, it was her mother who efficiently planned and prepared the meals, maintained the house and handled most of the shopping. At different times she even provided the financial stability. The part she didn't do was teach her oldest daughter to do any of those things. During the growing-up years, including those during World War II, Jo-Anne had an amazing amount of independence; the freedom of a bicycle, a vivid imagination and a love of reading. Those fundamentals encouraged her to believe there was a way to accomplish almost anything she wanted to work for. That belief carried her through a failed marriage, getting an education, several challenging occupations and helping build a family full of love and achievements in spite of sometimes being ahead (or behind ) the accepted roles of a contemporary woman. It still calls on her to begin a new project, or try a new route, maybe even to a new destination.