Missouri Roots

A little piece of where my story begins

I was born in California but didn’t grow up there. My parents were from Missouri, and my mom felt lonely while my dad served in the Marine Corps. When I was less than a year old, we moved back to Missouri, where my dad joined us after his discharge. Missouri was home for most of my life.

I spent my childhood in Mound City and have many good memories from that time. Summers meant being on the river with family or going to the pool with my sister. I loved Missouri thunderstorms, too. I liked sitting inside and watching the rain, waiting for the lightning and listening to the thunder. I guess I’ve always been drawn to water.

The Missouri River near New Haven, Missouri

A lot of my family lived around St. James, and we had our family reunions at the city park there. I went to high school in St. James, too. I was a shy kid and always enjoyed books and writing. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. Eventually, I got married in that same city park. It’s funny how a place can show up in different parts of your life.

My family reunion at the St. James city park in 2011

After I got married, we moved to Branson, where we raised our two boys. I found a church home and went with my boys. We also went to the library and later found used bookstores. After my divorce in my early 40s, I started figuring out what I wanted to do next. A friend from church was the director of Missouri Main Street Connection, and that's how I got into Main Street work. I found a career I really enjoyed.

California was still in the back of my mind, though. I first visited Oceanside in 2014. When I walked out onto the pier, I felt like I had come home. I knew I wanted to get back to California. I just needed to save some money first. In 2017, I went to the national Main Street conference in Pittsburgh with the Missouri team. We had a booth promoting the 2018 conference in Kansas City. I wanted to help make that conference happen, and I did. After we successfully hosted it, I announced that I was moving back to California.

At the 2017 Main Street conference in Pittsburgh, promoting the following year’s conference in Missouri

Missouri was a big part of my life. My family was there. I raised my boys there. I built my career there. A lot of people, places, and memories will always be part of me. But when I walked onto that pier in Oceanside, I knew there was another place I needed to call home.

That's where From Show Me to Golden begins. Missouri roots + California soul.

— Bobbie