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By KRISTA HAYES Staff Writer Juggling four daughters, four jobs, a husband and three dogs on a daily basis, it is no wonder why Wapakoneta resident Gretchen Schneider earned the title “2009 Mother of the Year.”
“I think being selfless is a true definition of being a mother,” Schneider said. “In general, as a mother you’re always looking to put the needs of your family before your own to make sure they have everything they need to be taken care of. That’s just what mothers do, and really I’m no different than anyone else’s mother because they would do the same for their families.”
Schneider was crowned the “2009 Mother of the Year” Thursday during an annual contest held by the Wapakoneta Daily News after a nomination form was written and submitted by her daughters, twins Kailey and Kirstyn, 17, Karmyn, 16, and Karli, 13.
In it, they sighted specific examples of why they believed their mother was deserving of the special recognition and its title.
“There are so many things she does to make all of us feel special, but I think the most important one is that she always puts us (her daughters) first, no matter what,” Kirstyn wrote. “If we have a paper due, she’ll stay up until midnight to proofread it, or if a lunch needs packed at 7 a.m., my mom will be the first to jump up and pack it. Even when our basketball jerseys get pulled out of our sweaty gym bags a few hours before the game, my mom will have the washer going before we even ask her to wash them. She is the definition of selfless and that is why she can’t go unnoticed anymore.”
Upon reading what her daughters wrote about her in their nomination form, Schneider admitted seeing all
their thoughts written down on paper was a little embarrassing for her at first.
“Getting singled out on paper was a little embarrassing for me because i really haven’t done anything special or out of the ordinary to receive the recognition,” Schneider said. “However, I do feel very honored and shocked that my daughters would nominate me to be the ‘2009 Mother of the Year.’ Even more shocking to me though was that all of them managed to keep it a secret from me for so long.”
Another reason Schneider’s daughters nominated her to be the “2009 Mother of the Year” was thanks to her dedication to her family, rarely ever missing any of her girls’ extracurricular school activities or events, despite working four jobs.
“She never stops,” Kirstyn wrote in her nomination form. “If there is something that needs to be done or if someone has an event, my mom is always there. It’s amazing what she does for us.”
Asides from teaching piano to 20 students each week and working as a sales associate and photographer at Lange Photographics, in Wapakoneta, Schneider also manages to sell Mary Kay makeup part-time and work as an accompanist and pianist at the First United Methodist Church, in which she is a member.
“I love to be busy, and in all honesty I think I would get bored if I wasn’t,” Schneider said. “I don’t know how I make it work, I just do, and I thank God everyday that I am healthy and have enough energy to be able to do everything I want to do.”
When she is not attending her daughters musicals or basketball games, Schneider said that she enjoys spending her time walking her three dogs, Zach, Macey and Boomer, working outside in her flower beds, traveling and shopping. Her favorite hobby above all is playing the piano.
“I have taught the piano for the past 18 years and have played it since I was only seven years old,” Schneider said. “All my girls have also made the choice to learn to play the piano, but I never forced it on them. We’re all very musical, and music is a bond that me and my girls will share together forever.”
In being named the “2009 Mother of the Year,” Schneider received a gift package from the Wapakoneta Daily News which included free tanning visits, jewelry, a flower basket and certificates for a teeth cleaning and massage. Despite these wonderful gifts, Schneider said there is nothing more that she is looking forward to this Mother’s Day than to spend the day at the lake with her daughters and husband, Mark.
“I just want to go somewhere where I can sit back, relax, have a picnic lunch and enjoy hanging out, laughing and having fun with my girls and my husband,” Schneider said. “It will be nice to get away from my busy schedule for the day.”
Using words like understanding, love, support and happiness to describe what family means to her, Schneider said that its the constant friendship that exists between her and her daughters that makes her job as a mother worthwhile.
“Needless to say, there is never a dull moment in our house,” Schneider said. “Although things may get busy and hectic at times, I am going to make the best of it and enjoy it before all my girls graduate and move off to college.
“Then, the busyness will stop and I won’t know what to do with myself because I’m all about my girls and my family. They’re my everything.”
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