Theresa Ravencraft

After the collapse, Ohio began to require that all bridges in the state be inspected once each year. Seeing an opportunity to both make some money and potentially save some lives, Stolte and some of his college friends started up a new business.

They attended classes during the week, but on weekends they traveled into rural counties throughout the state to perform those mandated bridge inspections. 

“We learned quickly to drive across each bridge prior to doing our inspection, because we often didn’t want to drive across after seeing the condition they were in,” he says.

Now she and Corwin teach groups in central Ohio and beyond to create those free-form mosaics that are then installed as permanent works of art. 

Mitchell’s Berries and Blooms

9331 Mitchell-Dewitt Road, Plain City, OH 43064. 
937-243-0635, www.mitchellsberries.com

That experience helped her realize two things: first, that she proudly came from a long line of strong, influential women; second, how important it was to engage with her grandmother, listen to her story, and record her family history before it was lost forever. “Listening is good for all of us,” Sanders says. “When they tell their story, it gives them purpose. There’s a reason they’re here.”