Cheryl May Mooney Steckelberg

Worked my way thru/went to U of NE 1963-1966 in Secondary Ed Social Studies Poli Sci concentration. Active Methodist Student Movement(MSM)-went to Montgomery AL at Selma to Mont. march-spring,1965, to NY & Washington on SE Asia Jan 1966, NE State MSM Pres 1965-66. Married Jim Whitten fall 1966, divorced 1984. Lara is my only birth child. Took H&R Block tax class fall 1968 while pregnant. Did tax for them 4 tax seasons. Back to UNL in accounting full-time fall 1974,BS in BusAd Aug,1975.Paralegal Dec,1974-Aug,1976.Law school UNL 76-79. Passed NE Bar 1979. 1 1/2 years CPA firm (tax) then solo practitioner attorney Dec 1980 to present. Remarried to custodial dad Don-Jan, 1988.Left having regular law office for 2 years. Don retired March 2013 at age 62 as union commercial HVAC service mechanic.Now he's a part-time LPS school bus driver. We adopted "Tinkerbell" 3-14-2013--5 year old female dachshund who has totally changed our life. She's a little lover!! Comes to law office with me part of time and stays home with Don part of time. Don also helps me during tax seasons now. I stopped employees almost 3 years ago.We now have a 5th wheel (5 years--had tents, then pop-ups, then travel trailer before) and love camping (or "RVing" as the kids say!). I have a large garden and love mowing our huge lawn but am definitely slowing down in how much I can do for how long!!We bought our home in the old air base housing area 21 years ago--maybe one of you lived in it in high school!! Have been in AA 27 years though I never drank until I was 25-always say I was a 'cheap drunk'--it didn't take much alcohol!! Have been to all our 1963 reunions and LOVE them!! Hope to see MANY of you in October at our 50th!!!

School was VERY important for me as I had siblings 10, 12 & 14 years younger than me and caring for them and other home matters was the "other" part of my life. I was top Links salesman 1st year and runner-up 2nd giving me chance to have a free yearbook! Won International Club trip to NY/Washington senior year. Mrs. Roberts was my homeroom teacher and was a life saver to me in so-o-o many ways. Our phone rang as I was leaving for law school graduation on May 12, 1979 and it was Mrs. Roberts calling from California (she died not long after that) saying she'd found out from a friend I was graduating. She said "Cherie, I always knew you'd do great things and I am so proud of you!" A voice from my past that meant so much to me!

theladylawyer@windstream.net