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Diane and Gene Glenn chose to live in Ottumwa to work, play and be involved.
And when retirement came to both of them - he is a retired judge - they opted to remain in Ottumwa.
It wasn't their first decision.
The couple had often visited Hilton Head, S.C., and thought it would be a great place to retire. They enjoyed the ocean views, and it was a great place to play tennis.
But, when they returned to their home in Ottumwa, Diane agreed with her husband that the best move was no move - to stay in Ottumwa and stay busy with their hobbies, their friends and their activities.
They did move, to a new condo, where all the necessities are on one floor. They have beautiful views from their windows and plenty of room for the two of them. The condo includes a basement, and Diane has turned part of it into a sleeping and activity area for her grandsons who love to have Grandma's basement all to themselves and the freedom to explore outside and catch some frogs.
She moved with her two daughters to Ottumwa when she and Gene got married. She graduated from high school in Des Moines and was secretary for the commanding general of the Air National Guard when she met Gene who was a state senator at the time.
It was a good move for both of them. Her father, Donovan Davidson, was an Ottumwa High School 1923 graduate, and Gene wanted to return to Ottumwa to work.
A mother and now a wife, Diane wanted to work. Her first employer here embodied the kind of working life she relished. Starting as a secretary at Union Bank & Trust, Diane became a trust officer in a few years. She became very comfortable learning about estate work and helping older customers with their money and later, their life.
The bank would see to it that home health workers were hired to allow some of their older customers to remain in their homes.
"I would go to their homes and visit them," Diane said. "I did a lot of that. I saw a lot of sad things."
Some of her customers were alone, with no family. Others had families, but they lived far away.
And if the customers ran out of money, Diane would work with social services to get help for them.
She would still go and visit them. "It was just part of my life," she said. "It consumed about 20 years of my life."
She suspects she was good at her job because "I could get along with a lot of people. I had a very heavy load."
During that time, her husband was encouraging her to finish her degree.
The working wife, mother and husband became a student, too, first at Indian Hills Community College where Gene was her commencement speaker. Then at Iowa Wesleyan College to receive a business degree. "It was a long road" for that achievement, she said, attending night classes on the IHCC campus to graduate from IWC in 1984.
She then added community service to her list.
Both Indian Hills and Iowa Wesleyan "placed strong emphasis upon community service and participation in civic affairs," Gene said in commending his wife for her positions in local organizations, from being a board president of the Southern Iowa Mental Health Center, president of the United Way of Wapello County, and on the board for the Ottumwa
Symphony Orchestra and the Wapello County Foundation.
She didn't want to make a career out of any one thing.
"My principle about serving on boards, is that after six years, you've given a lot," she said.
Then, it's time for someone new to join.
Her latest career title of retired working woman includes enjoyment and memberships in Ottumwa Women's Club, P.E.O., Ottumwa Women's Golf League, various book clubs and Ottumwa Art Club.
As her husband says, "She has continued to contribute both her time and energy selflessly to such groups and organizations."
The Glenns are avid news hounds and devour newspapers. They play golf and love to play bridge.
They've traveled abroad, but now Diane prefers to stay home except for visits to art museums and family, daughter Laura and family in California and daughter Barrie of Sioux City who has the sons who chase frogs.
"I'm content," Diane said.
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