Me and Mine

I was born in the state of Wyoming in 1959. Moved to Oklahoma at the age of 13 and I've been here ever since. I am married to my soul mate, Terry Pierce and have one wonderful daughter, Meagan. Oklahoma has long since become my home and I am now a full fledged Okie. Growing up I had always known that I was of Cherokee and German descent. My grandfather Lawrence Zimmerman was a full blood German. I did not realize I was also Irish until around the age of 10. I would listen to stories that my father would tell me and always found them fasinating. In 1991 I took things more seriously and started researching my ancestory, starting with my KEYS side. I, along with my daughter, sister and my father are Registered members of the Cherokee Nation out of Tahlequah, OK.

My father was born in Oklahoma and my father use to tell us stories about his childhood in Oklahoma. We wanted to see what Oklahoma was like so we packed up and ended up in Arkansas then Oklahoma. My father would tell us stories about Grandpa Flaherty packing a gun on his hip everywhere he went. Stories about him and his brother being sent home from school stinking like a skunk after they had chased and caught a skunk on their way to school. Stories about my Grandmother Otta's superstitions that she believed. My father has told me many of his early memories of his mother (she died when he was only 3 years old). My grandfather died 6 years before I was born. I wish I could have known them. However; I feel as if I do through the stories my father has told me and the photographs that I have.

The light of my life is my daughter Meagan. She is a very smart and intelligent young lady, who already knows what she wants to do with her life. She was a member of the Oklahoma Honor Society for Middle School Students during Junior High and was very active in sports such as basketball and track. She represented her school during Academic Meets throughout the state.  She is a member of the National Honor Society and Who's Who Among American High School Students.  She is also a very determined young lady. I am very proud of her and I couldn't have asked for a better child. I was almost 28 when she was born and it doesn't seem like that long ago. I still remember dropping her off for her first day of Kindergarten and crying as I was walking to the car and now here she is a High School graduate.  OUCH!  They grow up so fast now adays.

My brother, sister and I were all born in a small town in Wyoming. In fact, the doctor that delivered all of us had also delivered my mother 17 years earlier before me. Most of my mother's family lived in the same town and we would always gather at Grandma Zimmerman's house on the week-ends. Christmas was always the same way, have Christmas at home, then head to Grandma's house for more presents and a huge feast. My Grandfather would come over to our house often and would always give us kids a crisp new one dollar bill. He would tell us "I made this". As a small child I actually believed that he actually MADE the money and I was so impressed. After I got older I then knew exactly what he meant by MADE it, he earned it working. My Grandfather Lawrence Zimmerman passed away in 1978 and my Grandmother Doris Peterson Zimmerman passed away July 28, 1994. I still miss them terribly, after all they were the only Grandparents I knew.

I am a very proud Grandmother "Grandma/Nanny" of three.  My daughter and her husband have a little boy who is just absolutely adorable.  I don't get to see him as much as I would like because I live about 2 hours away.  My step-daughter and her husband have two daughters.  The oldest just loves her Nanny and PawPaw.  The youngest isn't even walking yet but she is so cute.  I love all three of them with all my heart.