My Descending from Gov. - D. A. Sharpe

Register Report for William Bradford
Generation 10
Carol mastered a number of athletic skills, leading her to coach andto hunt. Some of
Carol's hobbies were being an avid photographer andsongwriter. Along with writing songs
for weddings, funerals, or otherspecial occasions she was also commissioned by their
church to writean anthem for the 40th anniversary of the church's founding.
In terms of coaching, she coached the boys in soccer and baseball forseveral years and
was head volleyball coach at Fulton High School,where she taught Biology and Genetics.
Carol began at FHS in 1984,with a 4-year hiatus to stay at home with the boys when they
wereyounger. She also worked part-time at Bruce's clinic during thosefour years.
Carol writes of her time in meeting Bruce: "I attended the Universityof Missouri-Columbia on
volleyball scholarship and originally was apre-vet major. During the 2nd semester of my
freshman year, Ihappened to have a General Psychology class with a handsome senior
guynamed Bruce Robertson (Bruce had attended the University of MissouriSaint Louis and
transferred to the University of Missouri to finishhis degree and was applying to vet school.
He was accepted thatspring, by the way)!
"He happened to see me on campus one day and, recognizing me fromclass, came up to
talk and walked me to my next class. We ended updating all summer, since we were both
from St. Louis, and the datingcontinued into the fall semester. The fall of 1979, I returned
toMizzou (local nomenclature for the University of Missouri) as asophomore and Bruce
began his first year of vet school. On theautumnal equinox in 1979, Bruce Robertson
proposed marriage to me (andI promptly accepted!). The next summer, on the date of my
mother'sbirthday, we were married by my father at Central Presbyterian Churchon August 9,
1980. During my sophomore year I had changed my major toScience Education and I
graduated on May 15, 1982 from the Universityof Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of
Science in Education withlifetime certification to teach Biology and Chemistry. (NOTE:
Icontinued to play volleyball on scholarship all four years at Mizzou).While Bruce finished his
last year of vet school, I taught atHallsville High School."
Carol speaks to us in 2004, the year they became empty nesters:
"I continue to teach at Fulton High School and thorough enjoy thestudents and teachers
there! This year is a little easier with onlytwo preparations (Honors Biology and Honors
Genetics) and smallerclass sizes. This past school year, I was honored to be chosen
thirdquarter as the 'Teacher of the Quarter.' Along with farm work, I keptbusy this summer
as I accepted an invitation to be one of the MasterTeachers at the Summer Institute for
Genetics at the University ofMissouri (a two-week intensive program for high school
teachers). Wehad a wonderful summer vacation to see my sister, Amy, and her familyin
New York and my brother, Mark, and his family in Connecticut. Thebiggest change has
come in the way of being empty nesters this fall.You know, we miss the boys, but it is kind
of fun to enter this newstate of life! It has been exciting to see them go off to college.They
have grown into fine young men!! Change has also come with me nolonger coaching
volleyball. I am currently looking into working on aMasters in Biology at the University of
Missouri, something I put offwhile the boys were home. We'll see if that works out. I still
enjoyleading music at church and hunting/fishing on the farm. I alsopurchased a nice
digital camera to take that hobby to a new level."
In the family's Christmas letter of 2005, Carol shares with us thatshe was named "Teacher
of the Year" for the Fulton (Missouri) PublicSchools! WOW, what an accomplishment! That
same year, she was chosenas the one from Missouri for a Fellowship working in the
summer of2006 with researchers in plant genetics. Her genetics classes and thework they
did was featured in the Winter 2006 issue of "School andCommunity" magazine. Growing
out of all this, Carol was then enrolledin the Missouri University Masters of Science
Education program,taking classes in the evenings. She said it was interesting being acoed
after so many years, and at the same time and campus as heryounger son, Jeff.
Page 149 of 182 Tuesday, December 11, 2012 11:29:07
AM