Part 1 of this book relates oral history shared repeatedly by siblings of the author over many years. With the mobility of today's society, recent and contemporary history is not likely to be communicated orally with the same vigor as previous generations. Therefore, this written record, Decades of Blessings, will allow future generations to appreciate the heritage that has been so rich and so meaningful to their predecessors. Part 2 relates milestones, joys, and sorrows of the author, hoping that reading these experiences will speak positively to the reader.
Joanne Gillen Cortese, the youngest of eleven children born to Cecilia Wagner and Sebastian Gillen, was born in 1934 in the family home on a farm near Faribault, Minnesota. After fifty years in classrooms and administrative offices, Dr. Joanne Gillen Cortese was recognized as Professor Emeritus, awarded by the Department of Professional and Technical Communication at Montana Technological University in Butte, Montana. Joanne lives in Ellensburg, Washington, with her husband and best friend, Jim Cortese. Jim and Joanne take pride in their children, their children’s spouses, and their grandchildren: Brian, Becky, Nate, and Ella Cortese; Jackie, Marty, Mason, and Sienna Mrachek.
