I’m

My name is Marlene. I am the mother of two. Grandmother of four. Wife of one. Mother-in-law to two. Sister to five guys. Sister of five girls. Daughter of two and granddaughter of four. I am the guardian of one. Sister-in-law to fourteen. Aunt and great-aunt to sixty and counting. Friend to many. My siblings and I have many aunts and uncles as well as forty-four first cousins – which means we had a lot of fun during our childhood.  

I have been fortunate enough to have worked as a registered nurse in home health and hospice services where I met many wonderful people. I reconnected with family friends and even high school friends while taking care of their family members. It really was a great experience.

I stepped away from nursing a number of years ago when a friend asked me to go to work as a rep for a credit card processing company. So off I went to learn that industry and am still employed as a sales and service independent contractor for DC Merchant Services – a company with a few bragging rights. It has been a fun venture.

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Life Took A Turn

Life changed quickly when my mother passed away at the sweet age of 92. My brothers and sisters and I are now taking care of our youngest brother, Stevie, who has Down syndrome. He has been a Special Olympian for more than 45 years. He has always been a basketball show-off and has been known to call for his own standing ovation after he makes a three-pointer.

Stevie likes to read the newspaper and look at his scrapbooks and newspaper clippings. He likes to sing – to himself or for others. He especially loves to hold babies. Those who live in our small community have also stepped up to help us care for him; they love him as much as we do.

A New Journey

My mother was a writer for her hometown newspaper where she shared stories about her friends and community. She left an estate full of newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and many items that gave me something to write about and share with others.

My book Picket Fences is Volume 1 in An American Family Series and was published in January of 2023. Stevie is the second book in the series and was published in August.

Please feel free to contact me at mpoxender@gmail.com.

All the best – Marlene Oxender

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