E. J. Brown was only about a ten-minute walk from my house on Marcella Avenue. We moved to Marcella in time for the beginning of my 5th grade, and I was privileged to be assigned to Mrs. Dashiell’s class. Now, in those days we rarely, if ever, thought about our teachers’ having normal families, and the persona of Mrs. Dashiell didn’t disappoint. She was, of course, old (indicated by salt-and-pepper colored hair) as were all teachers in the day; she was astute and a no-nonsense teacher, but she possessed a softness that I appreciated. Her classroom was where I met Kristi…Kristen Ellen Baker Duckwall Manns Andreae.

Kristi and I became friends that year, setting the foundation by my stopping at her house on N. Main Street on the way to E. J. Brown. Her mother, especially, had a profound effect on my life and what I wanted to convey to my own children one day. I will always be grateful for Mrs. Duckwall’s influence. Anyway, Kristi and I remained good friends, together on the 8th grade cheerleading squad and through our days at CW and the comradery among Little Colonels. (We even commiserated with each other’s knee problems!)

Graduation came, and we each drifted into our own post high school channels and did not reconnect until Kristi moved to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to care for her aging mother. I couldn’t wait to visit Kristi!

After several email exchanges we (Doug Holdeman and I) finally were able to set a lunch date, so we headed for Kristi’s office…yes, her office.

Kristi was born in July 1946 in Dayton, spent the first few years of her life in Texas, and then moved back to Dayton where she and I met. Preferring to spend most of her time indoors, she followed on the heels of her beloved grandmother from whom she learned “how to cook, bake, sew, and make the most of whatever you had!” Her favorite elementary teacher was Ms. Banta; her favorite subject was English; her favorite CWHS teacher was Mr. Fullerton. During high school she marched with the Little Colonels for three years, served in Fidelis and on the Student Council.

Her younger brother, Mark, still resides in the Dayton area. She married and moved to Silver Springs, Maryland where she had her first son and spent 13 years with her first husband. She married her second husband and had another son and then added a daughter as a foster child, mentioning that she experienced all the trappings of raising a teenager! Kristi and her second husband who is now deceased were quite close, and she couldn’t be more proud of her two sons and her foster daughter!

Kristi has spent her life (including her start as a Candy Striper with me and a couple of other E. J. Brown friends) in the people-helping business. By age six she realized she wanted to be a nurse. As you can see from her business card, she is a Licensed Registered Nurse and a Certified Acupuncturist. In addition she is a Certified Massage Therapist. Kristi’s migration from one profession to another has equipped her with a wide and ever deepening knowledge and conviction that we are whole human beings who require a “wholeness” physically, mentally, and spiritually if we want to thrive.

When Kristi settled on her current practice as an acupuncturist, it was the result of having been an acupuncture patient, suffering greatly with rheumatoid arthritis. She enjoyed such success with her treatments that at age 33 she redirected and extended her training toward certification as an acupuncturist. She was adamant about the study of acupuncture being a lifelong endeavor—“so much to learn,” she says. Her formal studies include education both here and abroad. When asked about the current American medical community’s perspective regarding acupuncture, Kristi is quite encouraged. Right now, acupuncture is not recognized as a viable medical discipline, but she is hopeful that will change in our lifetime. Her schedule is full all week, every week which tells its own story.

With Kristi’s busy schedule she has had to narrow her focus as far as extracurricular activities and hobbies. Work, family, and friends consume her days especially since she is caring for her mother who is in the mid stage of Alzheimer’s disease. She did say that she and another of our classmates are taking ballroom dance lessons—not together—but at the same studio. (Do you remember Jack Layh? He is a PhD of Psychology who also lives and conducts his practice in Yellow Springs and is her dance partner!) She coaxed Doug and me to join them, but…

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kristi in the artsy town of Yellow Springs, but before leaving I wanted to know if this would be where she would stay indefinitely. Her response was, “definitely not Ohio,” and that she is actively researching where she wants to finally settle. If she could visit any place on earth, South America and Costa Rica. So if you want to embark on an interesting day trip—if you live in Ohio—make your destination Yellow Springs and give Kristi a call before she heads to other parts of the US! A familiar sight there: decorated trees.