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My Family My name is Becky Furlong and I am a senior at the University of Missouri St. Louis. In May of 2006 I will graduate with a BS in Secondary Education, a BA in English, and a writing certificate. After graduation I plan to begin my career as a high school English teacher. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself aside from my academic achievements and goals. My family has always been a very important and exciting part of my life. On this page I would like to present a few stories about my parents, my sister, my aunts and uncles, my cousins from both sides of the family, and my grandparents. My parents have always been very encouraging and supportive in everything that I do. As time goes by I realize that I am much more like them than I previously cared to admit. My mom and Gary are two of the best role models in my life.
My mother has always taken good care of my sister and I despite other uncontrollable circumstances. She is a fun and active mother. Sometimes I think of her as my best friend before I consider her my mother. She has always been able to tell exactly what I am thinking or feeling just by glancing at the expression on my face. While car pooling and signing all the parental permission forms my mother also found time to create a rewarding and challenging career for herself. She has worked at the same company, Killark Electric sponsored by the Hubbell Company, for over thirty years. My mother is one of those people I would be happy to know even if she wasn't my mom. A close second to my mother is my step dad Gary. Gary has been a part of our lives for nearly ten years. He met my mother through a mutual friend and they have been by each other's side ever since. He always looks at the lighter side of life and is a very happy person. He taught our family how to have fun and laugh. I don't think our demeanor would be quite the same without him. He is also very intelligent when it comes to finances and most common sense things. He has really shown us the value of a dollar and many techniques to save for the things we want. Gary has been a wonderful addition to our family. He really cares about all three of us. My sister and I have never felt like an after thought to him. I know he loves us and will always do anything for us or Mom. He could not have came into our lives at a better time. Just when all of us were ready to give up on happiness he showed us an entire world outside of ourselves and our worries.
Since I have a step dad it could naturally be assumed that I have a dad too. My dad, Frank, is a very caring person. He also is proud of all that my sister and I have accomplished. He is not as up front with his feelings as other family members, but once you can get through the tough exterior it is worth all the time and effort. He is a local truck driver and has spent most of his life as an active member of the union. He did his best to provide for us. When times were rough when I was young Vicky and I could always count on Dad to be excited, at least in front of us. I remember some times when he would be laid off and spend the summer days home with us girls while Mom was at work. These are some of the best memories of my father. He would always have a funny song to sing or would play our favorite game "No, No" . Recently, my dad has begun to play these games with another generation. After marrying my step mom, Misty, in 1999, my brother Reece and step sister Morgan have also had the chance to get to know Dad and all of his goofy games. I do not always get to see them as much as I would like, but they are always in my heart. It is really funny to watch my dad try to play the same tricks on these little ones. I am glad that Morgan has had the opportunity to see what it is like to have a caring and giving father. I really think my dad has seen the error of his ways and does his best not to disappoint them. Next on the list is my little sister, Vicky. My sister is also a senior in college at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg and will soon graduate. After completing her undergraduate work my sister plans to study for her MCAT exam and enter a sector of the medical field. I am very proud of all that my sister has accomplished. Vicky and I will always remain close. I really think that we have too many stories about each other not to. Even though we are academically diverse I know that we share a bond that goes beyond any book.
This same close family tie can also be seen with al of my cousins. My dad’s and mom’s sides of the family have always been supportive and cared about each other. We may not always have the time to sit down and talk, but when we do I think that those moments are influential in everything that we say and do. The first group of cousins that I would like to discuss are on my father’s side. There are six other grandchildren besides my sister and me. On that side of the family I am the oldest and my sister is the second oldest. We spent nearly six years being my grandparents only grandchildren and then we began to share them with my cousins. We never let them forget that we are the oldest. This statement is pretty funny now considering that three of the boys are either taller than me or getting close to it. Sometimes it is difficult to think of them as younger than me. David, Vicky, and I have always been more like siblings. I think my sister secretly likes to think of "Baby Davey" like the little brother we never had growing up. He is a very unique individual who shows great promise in all that he does. I know that someday he will be successful in whatever he chooses to do. He has a good head on his shoulders and is quick to do the right thing no matter what life throws his way.
Because of my dad's remarriage and my Uncle David's this side of the family has also recently grown. My grandparents again have small grandchildren to get to know. My dad's marriage gave us Morgan and Reece and my Uncle David's marriage gave us Brian. It is so funny to talk to both of the boys. They really are their father's sons through and through. I think both my father and uncle are happy to relive all of these childhood moments again. My other side of the family is much larger and a little overwhelming to say the least. My mom, Donna, has five siblings. She has two sisters and three brothers. Their names in chronological order are: Dave, Debby, Dick, Donna, Diane, and Darin. They all are professional in the working lives, but have a tendency to act silly on occasion. All of these siblings now have their own children and in some cases grandchildren.
On this side of my family there are sixteen grandchildren. We range from the ages of thirty to six. One of the cousins that I am closest with is Donnie. Donnie and I are literally one day apart. He is one day older than me. Talk about bad and annoying memories growing up just knowing that “oldest went first” in anything we did. Today Donnie and Gail are engaged and can be found in Mid West City Oklahoma.
As you can imagine it is very difficult to get us all in one place and on the occasion when that actually occurs it can be even harder to find a place to sit down and eat. We all have a great time even when we are practically sitting on top of each other. It is fun to see us all grow into adults. We have the same values and morals that our parents do. Even some of the girls are close to the same size. It is scary how alike all of us really are.
Our family has even begun to have another generation of cousins. This Christmas we took a photo with most of the grandchildren and the three great grandchildren.
It was nice to have all of us together. The three great grandchildren are Megan, Brooke, and Kage. Brooke and Kage are just babies and look so cute together. You can tell that my mom, aunts, and uncles look at them fondly and remember the days when all of us were so little.
Of course both of these families begin with my grandparents. This older generation has continued to influence me on a professional and personal level. On my father’s side my grandparents are Frank (Sr.) and Jackie. They lived near us when we were little, but currently call Lake Havasu City, Arizona home. My grandma has always considered Vicky and I like her daughters. We used to make cookies together every Christmas and spend the night other evenings going out for pizza and eating ice cream. My grandpa used to be much quieter than he is today. I think all of us have grown closer to him and he is much more relaxed since retirement.
On my mother’s side of the family I have a step grandmother Donna and my Grandpa. Grandma Donna has been a wonderful addition to our family since my grandmother passed away. Anyone who is brave enough to take an active role in a family whose number value is quickly approaching fifty must have a heart of gold. My grandpa and Donna live very close to us in the same house that my mother and her siblings grew up in. My grandpa currently serves on the Wood River City Council and is a former teacher at Roxana High School.
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