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NEW
MEMBER PROFILES
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GERRI
BARTHOLOMEW
Gerri was born and in raised in Los Angeles, California. |
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LAUREL
BENTSEN
Laurel Bentsen is a native Midwesterner, who recently “retired” to Sequim with the husband Ray, a former high school teacher. Born in Wisconsin Laurel grew up in northern Indiana, and attended Indiana University for two years, before marrying the first time. After divorcing, Laurel worked at various insurance companies in Chicago’s Loop, and met her second husband at CAN Insurance. This marriage produced her son, Michael, who also recently re-located in the West, to Scottsdale. Laurel completed her college degree work at National College of Education/Louis University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences, while working full-time at Allstate. Upon the dissolution of this marriage, Laurel met her current husband through a dating service. (Yes, they do sometimes work!) She and Ray just celebrated their eleventh anniversary. Laurel also has a step-daughter, Ray’s daughter Kelly, who recently moved to Las Vegas. Laurel had a floral crafting business back in Illinois, called “Laurel’s Florals”, and hopes to re-establish this business soon, selling at craft shows, or perhaps even opening a craft mall similar to the Country Sampler in which she used to have a booth. Laurel is also a member of the Grand Olympic Chorus, our local chapter of Sweet Adelines, and is looking forward to singing at the Lavender Festival with them. She
will also be participating in the Irrigation Parade for the first time
with her Soroptimist sisters, a much-anticipated event. Laurel is anxious
to begin exploring this beautiful region of ours, now that winter has
(hopefully) departed, and since she enjoys hot air ballooning, hopes
to g to the big annual balloon rally in Albuquerque in October. SUE JABOBS Sue was born in Nebraska. She was raised in Colorado, but married back in Nebraska. She attended college at CSU and Kearney State which is now University of NE at Kearney. She has been married 25 years and has two children, both living in Oregon. One is a teacher and married 3 years; one is a student and flight instructor (keeps her bank account in arrears). She is active in sailboat racing. She has worked at SARC since 1988. She loves people and being out in the water. She hopes to go to Hawaii someday. |
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She
worked for Pafford & Associates, Surveyors for over 20 years. Gerri
started out as a computer operator, thanks to Big Blue, IBM. Principals
at the company encouraged her to continue with classes at Los Angeles
Junior College, majoring in accounting. It helped that one of the owners
of this company was a CPA. Geri was promoted to Office Manager and Bookkeeper
for the last 10 years of her employment, serving as Corporate Secretary
until the business sold in 1978, after several deaths of the various
principals. Geri than went to work for a large accounting firm, as a
troubleshooter for their clients that were in dire straights due to
accounting problems.
Gerri moved to Fresno in 1986 when her hubby retired. There she went to work for Garry Packing, a wholesaler of dried fruit gift packs, as their office manager and bookkeeper. Garry ships all over the world, and furnishes the dried fruit plates you find in the various catalogues, Figi’s, Wisconsin Cheeseman, Hickory Farms, Harry & David, etc. About 4 years ago, Gerri did some researching for a retirement area and found Sequim. She visited several times, and 3 years ago bought the property where she and her hubby now live. They made the move here to Sequim in April, 2001. Gerri drove herself and hubby nuts with all this time on her hands, so she opened her store Gerri’s Dried Fruit Gift Packs in August of 2001, where she sells Dried Fruit Packs from Garry’s (she puts on her own label, just like the big boys). She also sells gift packs with chocolates, truffles, shortbreads, and the famous Baklava. Gerri
joined Soroptimist of Sequim to do service for and give back to her
adopted community. |
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SI Sequim |