Who am I

I am a Christian.  My mom and dad introduced me to faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God that died on the cross so that all people who accept Him as their Lord and Savior can spend eternity with our Father God in heaven.  It took many years for me to grab hold of that faith, trust that faith and see it prove itself to me time after time.  It was at this point in my spiritual life that I was diagnosed with pancreas cancer.  It all seemed so devasting to me.  Just when I thought my faith was as solid as it had ever been, it was tested beyond my experience.

I am the daughter of Ivan and Betty Peloquin, who faithfully committed to be fruitful and multiply.  They raised ten of us in the Roman Catholic faith.  I am number nine.  From first to last, our ages span about 18 years.  My sister, Nancy who is the oldest assumed the role of a second mother to all of us.  I thank God for her selflessness because my mom and dad’s time was spread very thin.  Mom devoted much time to caring for her family, along with working a few part-time jobs.  Dad sometimes worked two at a time.  Nancy continues to demonstrate the care and kindness of a second mom, even now after mom and dad have gone to be with God in heaven.  My mom and dad were blue collar workers who both graduated eighth grade.  My dad returned from Germany after World War II with his best friend, Andy who played matchmaker to Ivan and Betty, Andy’s sister.  Betty was nine when her father died of a heart attack at about 60 years of age.  Her and her siblings’ paychecks were given to my Grandma Rose to support the family until each of them were married.  Dad came from a broken home and was raised by his grandparents on the family farm in Centerville, MN.  At the time of my birth, my parents owned and operated Ivan’s Bar in the small town of Centerville.  Eleven of us lived in a small apartment above that bar for a short time until they sold it to take full-time jobs.  They were very successful at flipping homes before it was commonplace, using some of the profits to purchase lake cabins where we would spend time together on weekends.  They made a home where we could thrive.  All of us are very different from one another.  However, we all share a love of family, a dedication to one another’s success and a belief in the same God.  My entire family was there for me during my walk in the valley of the shadow of death and their support, along with the support of many friends helped me to fear no evil and stand strong even when I didn’t want to continue standing.