TO
DONNA STAHL LARSON'S HOMEPAGE

     I was born and raised in Sacramento, California; living there until I was almost 25 years of age. I attended various grammar schools, Las Palmas Junior High in North Sacramento, Grant Union High in Del Paso Heights and Highlands High in North Highalnds, where I was a member of the very first graduating class in 1959. During my High School years I was known as Dawna. My higher education is limited to two years of college, American River Junior College, without quite earning my AA Degree in Accounting/Business Administration with a Minor in Music (flute). I later studied Equine Husbandry through a Michigan State University extension course.
     In 1961 went to work at The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States as a full-charge bookkeeper and worked there for 4 years. My first husband and I were married in October, 1964. We moved to Michigan in the fall of 1965 where I started a new life as a stay-at-home wife and mother. Our daughter (only child) was born the following March 1966 in the middle of a snow storm. We lived in the usual young couples progression of residences; second story apartment, mobile home on 20 acres of land we bought and finally were able build our farm house there. We raised lots of farm animals along with riding and show horses.
     In addition to working various jobs to supplement our income, I took up training horses and teaching riding; getting my certification to teach therapeutic riding to handicappers. We all got involved in 4-H and I was a Horse Club Leader for over 20 years. I also became a listed Michigan 4-H Horse Show Judge along the way. My daughter was a talented student who did well on the Open and 4-H Horse Show Circuits in Michigan as a youth. She won too many awards to fit on this page; besides this is supposed to be my bio.
     My first husband and I were divorced in 1980. When my daughter graduated High School in 1984 and was on her own, I sold the farm and moved to the Muskegon/Spring Lake/Grand Haven, MI area. I worked there in the insurance business in medical claims. I moved my personal riding horse down there to a boarding stable nearby. It was not the same as having your own farm; but I managed to keep up my horseback riding.
     In 1988 I was married for the second time to my present husband. We retired in 1996 and now and live on the south bank of the Manistee River Channel between Lake Michigan and Manistee Lake in Manistee, MI in the heart of the Manistee National Forest. We dabble in investments to support our extensive travels. We travel all over the USA by auto and train. Enjoyed an Alaskan cruise in 2006. We winter for a month in Florida every year and every other year vacation for a week in Las Vegas as well.
     My hobbies over the years have been varied. I sew, cross stitch, knit, crochet, fish, horseback ride, collect pottery, hike, dabble in photography, climb my family tree (genealogy) and now I design web page sets that I have on the net for use on peoples homepages. I do not have a horse right now; my last Morgan mare suffered from an inoperable, tumor and had to be put down in 1994 or so. I get too attached.
     My daughter is presently the Business Operations Officer for the West Shore Chapter of the American Red Cross, an EMT First Responder and Volunteer Fire Fighter for the small village of Free Soil, MI; where she resides. She has an Associates Degree in Accounting from West Shore College in Mason County, MI.