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I was a senior at Fort Hays State

University in Hays, Kansas and

graduated with a B. S. in Business just

six weeks before my 21st birthday. I met

my future husband, Harry Wiesner, on a

blind date three weeks before graduation.

He was in the Air Force at Cheyenne,

WY and came to Hays with his best

buddy (and later Best Man) who was

engaged to one of my good friends. I was

active in Alpha Sigma Alpha, a social

sorority; Tigerettes, a pep club supporting

the cheerleaders; women’s intermural

program, winning the All-Sports Award

Micki Wiesner (regret to say I did not start exercising
regularly for the next 23 years). Since I

had also received a Teaching Certificate at Ft. Hays, I signed a contract to

teach business education in Oberlin, KS and taught two years.

My parents provided a train ticket and enough money to travel the first

seven weeks after graduation. I traveled to Wisconsin, Niagara Falls Diane Lockhart Twilley, right, with her
sister Roberta at NASA Houston.
and Buffalo, NY where I met with the National President and National
When I was 20, I was happily living with
Treasurer of Alpha Sigma Alpha and had lunch with them in the fanciest my loving and supportive parents and
my three younger siblings at our home
restaurant I have ever experienced. Then on to New York City, Philadelphia, in Houston. We were a church-going fam-
ily and attended every Sunday. That gift
Washington, DC, Akron, OH (to visit friends) and finally to Paris, AR (to of faith has been a lifelong blessing. My
transportation was a 1956 Chevy which
visit relatives). I celebrated my 21st birthday in Arkansas. my parents had handed down to me. What
a fun car that was!
MICKI WIESNER
I was majoring in elementary education/
In the 1960s, marriage English at the University of Houston and
after high school was the involved in numerous campus activities,
norm. I didn’t want a hus- including my sorority, Sparks, the Asso-
band - I wanted a profes- ciation for Childhood Education (ACE),
sional career. I had taken etc. I met my future husband, Jim, on the
college prep classes based UH campus in the Cougar Den, and made
on my intellectual ability, many friends - to this day, some of my clos-
not my ability to attend col- est friends are those I met at the university.
lege. Back then, government
programs to help pay tuition In addition to pursuing my degree, I was
were non-existent and schol- also working at the Houston Astrodome
arships were rare. Even so, and loving every minute of it. This was
I was a dreamer and truly around that time that the UH football team
expected to find a way to go. began playing their games at the Dome, so
I had the best of both worlds: Astros games
Destiny intervened, and I and football.
met a boy who was enlist-
ing in the Air Force. Being Looking back, my twentieth year was full
a military wife seemed like Nancy Greathouse of fun, friends, family and memories I will
a great opportunity for me cherish forever.
to have interesting educational experiences. We were assigned to DIANE LOCKHART TWILLEY
air force bases in Delaware, Hawaii and Japan while he served in
Vietnam and other far-off places. On my 20th birthday, I was given
a manual typewriter and an old set of encyclopedias that I read
with enthusiasm. Those were the perfect gifts for passing the time
and preparing for college. It took exactly 20 years of full-time work
and part-time college to get my degree and build a career. I am a
dreamer who works hard to make her dreams come true. My life in
Sun City is proof of that.
NANCY GREATHOUSE

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