Humans of Oshkosh

“The biggest lesson my mom has always taught me is just to be kind to everyone. That's her motto. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Everyone deserves respect, no matter where they came from or who they are. I think the work my mom did as a teacher was amazing. She helped so many kids who didn't have a family or a home or someone to rely on, and she was kind of that person for them. I know so many kids who called her ‘Mom.’ She really was their second mom. For one year, we even went to the same middle school, and after school I'd go to her classroom and play board games. That was the best.

She cooks for my dad and me every single night. There wasn't a night where she'd say, ‘I'm too tired to cook tonight.’ My favorite is her roasted chicken and her mashed potatoes. I'll definitely miss the food when I go off to college.

I think the way she raised me, she was never like, ‘No, you shouldn't do that,’ or, ‘You should stay home.’ She always let me figure things out, and whatever natural consequences came with that, I learned how to deal with them." (See parts 1 and 2 links in comments.)

Grace Note: As I wrapped up my conversation with Stacey Frank, I turned to her daughter Sam, who will be heading off to college this fall, and asked her one last question:

"What's the one lesson from your mom you'll take with you?"

Her answer felt like the perfect way to end Stacey's story. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh.)

📖 Missed Part 1? I'll put a link to it in the first comment.

“My mom was an angel. She worked with children at Winnebago Mental Health Institute while I was growing up. Back then, the aides could bring children home who didn't have visitors. Whenever we celebrated a birthday or holiday, my mom would bring them home with us. She always described them as ‘people who needed some extra love.’ She wanted them to experience life outside the walls of Winnebago and know what it felt like to be part of a family. A lot of those children were lifetime patients who were never going to leave. Growing up, I didn't think it was unusual because it wasn't unusual to my mom.

Looking back, I realize how much that shaped me. It made all of us advocates for people...all people. I think all I've ever wanted to do is share love and make people feel like they belong and that they are connected. When I watched my mom bring those kids into our home, I remember thinking, ‘That's exactly what I want to do. Those are the people I want to surround myself with.’

I think that's why I became a special education teacher. Years later, after my husband and I got married, we blended our family. He came with a daughter, I came with two sons, and together we had Sam. In between, we fostered 17 children and adopted two of them. People always ask, ‘How can you foster children knowing they may leave?’ I think fostering is just like teaching. You love them for as long as you can. You give them as many skills as you can. You build them up with confidence, love and support. Then you hope it was enough.

My mom always believed in what she called the two-hands theory: one hand for yourself and one hand for others. Always reach out and make a difference wherever you can, with whoever you can. It doesn't matter what you do for a living. To me, fostering was just an extension of being a teacher. And I think teaching was simply an extension of the example my mom gave me every single day.”

❤️ Grace's note: I met Stacey and her daughter Sam while they were shopping in downtown Oshkosh. This is one of my favorite photos Stacey shared with me. It's her mom, Donna Rumlow, holding baby Sam in 2009. I'll share a few more family photos in the comments. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh

🐾 BREAKING PAWSOME NEWS! 🐾

I know, I know you're waiting for Part 2 of retired special ed/at-risk teacher Stacey’s story. I promise it's coming. But August is National Dog Month, and I have something I've been waiting to share.

❤️ Welcome to Dogs of Oshkosh and Beyond.

All right, confession time. I didn't even grow up with a dog. When I went away to college, I thought my parents, especially my mom, would miss my chaos so much that I went to the Houston Humane Society and adopted a terrier mix for them. Mom named her Mony. (Mony is the pup on the DOOAB poster.)

Dad wanted absolutely nothing to do with having a dog. Then Mony completely won him over. When my mom went away on church retreats, Dad and Mony had their own routine. Every morning they'd drive to Dunkin' Donuts, pick up a newspaper and a donut, and sit together in the car while Dad read the paper. Of course Mony got her share of the donut.

My brother and I still joke that our parents treated Mony better than they ever treated us. I never got a daily car ride for a donut. Dang…

Hubby, who grew up with dogs, and I never had a dog of our own. Our younger son, Trevor, wanted one so badly that in first grade he wrote an autobiography saying he lived in a black house with a black dog. Neither of those things was true.

We never got a dog because one of my best friends had severe allergies…So instead I learned to love dogs through other people's stories.

And after interviewing thousands of people for Humans of Oshkosh, I discovered something. Sometimes the quickest way to understand a person is through the dog who loves them.

That's why I'm so excited about Dogs of Oshkosh and Beyond. This isn't really a series about dogs. It's a storytelling series about loyalty, friendship, healing, laughter, second chances, and the remarkable bond between dogs and the people who love them.

Some stories will make you laugh. Some may make you cry. All of them will remind us why dogs have such a special place in our lives.

I've already met my first few four-legged storytellers. I can't wait to introduce them to you.And if your dog has a story...🐾 Bring me your dog!

If you're in the Oshkosh (Fox Valley) area, I'd love to meet you and your furry friend.
If you're somewhere else, post a photo in the comments and tell me about your best friend. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh DogsOfOshkoshAndBeyond

“I was a special education/at-risk teacher for 34 years. Most of those years were in middle school. I was teaching an at-risk program in Fond du Lac in 2007. We were looking for students who needed support but didn't qualify for special education.That's when I met Craig.

He had a really tough life at the time. His dad was a chronic alcoholic. His mom was a drug addict who wasn't in his life very often. He really was raising himself a great deal as a middle schooler.

We've stayed in touch all of these years. He's 30 now. On my last day of school at Carl Traeger, he came with flowers. They called me to the office, and he said, ‘You were there for my last day of middle school, and I want to be here for yours.’ He came and sat with me in my classroom for two hours, just until school got out. Then he asked me to dinner.

I knew he had gotten engaged, so I was asking about the wedding.

He said, ‘I hear it's pretty common for grooms to dance with their moms.’

I thought he was worried because his mom wasn't in his life anymore. I told him, ‘That's okay, honey. You don't have to have that. That's just an option.’

He smiled. ‘Well, that's not what I'm saying.' Then he asked, 'Do you dance?'

I laughed. ‘Do you need me to show you some dance moves?’

He said, ‘No. I'm asking if you'll be my mom at my wedding.’

I didn't need a retirement party. I didn't need awards. I didn't need recognition. Having one student tell me that I mattered. That was the perfect way to end 34 years of teaching.”

Every one of us remembers at least one teacher who believed in us. Who was yours?

Grace Note:

This photo was taken during the very first year of Humans of Oshkosh. I had no idea it would change my life.

I just knew I loved walking up to strangers, chatting with them, collecting and sharing their stories on Humans of Oshkosh.

A little more than 10 years later...I'm still doing that.

What many of you don't know is that this summer, my own story took an unexpected turn. After 20 pretty darn cool years at UW-Oshkosh, first teaching journalism, then teaching the storytelling and community engagement class that gave birth to Humans of Oshkosh, it was time for a new adventure.

Good news. I'm not done telling stories. In fact, I’ll be doing it full time. I'll still be wandering through farmers markets, coffee shops, festivals, libraries, and neighborhood streets looking for the next great Humans of Oshkosh story. I'll also be partnering with nonprofits, organizations, communities, destinations and businesses to help them tell authentic stories of their own.

I will always believe that our stories have the power to connect people and do good.
So, if you see me coming toward you with a camera, don’t worry, I’m just looking for another great story. (Yes, I’ve learned that opening with, “I am not a stalker” is not the best.)

Thank you for reading, sharing, commenting, introducing me to your friends and trusting me with your stories.

Here's to the next chapter. Onward, my friends. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh

(The pic, taken by awesome street photographer Monty Montgomery, is probably the only pic of me where I don’t look as if I’m having a medical crisis. So thank you, Monty! Also if you know of a great HOO person that should be featured, let me know in the comments below.)

Humans of Oshkosh at EAA

"I was the North 40 baby. That's what people called me growing up. My dad brought me to AirVenture every year. He volunteered in the North 40, and I'd take naps under the table with a blanket. I kind of remember being three or four years old. If I wanted a nap, I'd just go under the table. From the moment I could walk, they were putting me to work, and I loved it. I'd carry programs and restock tickets whenever somebody needed more. Back then they had the paper ones.

I was six weeks old on my first airplane flight, so I don't even remember that, but I loved flying. I always wanted to sit in the front. I came every year until I was an adult. Then I was off adulting and couldn't come for a while. I started coming back a couple of years ago.

This year, my husband and I drove more than 13 hours from Cleveland, Tennessee, with our four kids. Our oldest son just turned 5, and he loves Oshkosh. For him, Oshkosh is AirVenture. He tells all his friends at preschool about the jets and all the airplanes. All year long he asks, ‘How long until Oshkosh? "When do we leave for Oshkosh?’ ‘Does that road lead to Oshkosh? He was 3 the first time he came here.
And yes, he invites all of his friends and classmates to Oshkosh.”


Grace Note:
When I met Art Howard, who earned a Guinness World Record when he became the oldest person to earn a certified flight instructor certificate at age 82, I also met his daughter, Kristin, the little girl who used to nap under a table while her dad volunteered in the North 40. The first time I saw Kristin's oldest son, he was sitting in the South 40 volunteer shack eating a cookie while his mom and sisters helped pilots at the window and Grandpa Art made sure everything was running smoothly. It felt like a full-circle moment. Watching three generations of the Howard family together, it was easy to see that some AirVenture traditions don't just last a lifetime. They get passed on. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh.

Who introduced you to AirVenture? Tell us about the person who first brought you to Oshkosh.

Humans of Oshkosh at EAA

“People always ask me about the Guinness World Record. I became the oldest person to earn a certified flight instructor certificate. I was 82 years old. I got my flight instructor certificate, and then one day I was sitting at the computer and thought, ‘I wonder who's the oldest person to become a flight instructor.’
Somebody else held the record. He was one year younger than me. I guess I stole it from him.

I've always wanted to fly. I don't know where it came from because I didn't grow up in an aviation family. We were farmers. I remember driving the combine when I was about 12 years old and pretending I was flying an airplane, looking down at the straw like it was the tops of trees. After I got out of the Army, I finally had enough money to start taking flying lessons. I've been flying ever since.

This year is my 50th AirVenture. I’m 85 now. The first time I flew here was from New York in a 1945 Taylorcraft. I camped under the wing. Back then, flying into Oshkosh was pretty simple.

Over the years, I've flown a Cherokee in, I've driven motorhomes, campers, cars and vans. This year, I'm camping in a tent next to my car. This year, I'm camping in a tent next to my car.

I had a heart attack on Jan. 3. I collapsed at the gym. My heart stopped twice. They kicked me out of the other side, obviously, because I'm still on this side. I've got four stents now. I want to get my aviation medical back, but I don't have it right now because of the heart attack. I may or may not get it. But I've flown for over 50 years. That's a pretty good run.”

Grace Note:
Another volunteer pointed me toward Art Howard and mentioned that he held a Guinness World Record. It turns out Art has spent decades volunteering at AirVenture, serving as chairman of the North 40 before taking on a co-chair role in the South 40. By the end of our conversation, the world record wasn't what stayed with me. It was the 85-year-old who survived a heart attack earlier this year and is already hoping to fly himself back to Oshkosh next summer. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh.

HUMANS OF OSHKOSH AT EAA
Part 2 with Carol Christianson

"My people in the North 40. It's been a home away from home for 56 years.
My dad loved to fly, and both of my brothers were pilots. I don't have that much passion for flying. I just like the people that do.

When I first started volunteering, I drove a little tractor with a hay rack on the back. The pilots and their guests would ride on the hay rack, and I'd drive them out to their airplanes. Today, we've stepped up to lovely yellow school buses.

I'm one of the North 40 co-chairs. We wear a lot of hats. We register aircraft campers, sell admission wristbands, redeem online purchases, provide visitor guidebooks, maps and souvenir programs. We personally engage with all of our guests, and that's what makes our jobs so enjoyable. Our guests are excited to be here, and we thrive on their enthusiasm. It's contagious.

People call me "Mom." Years ago, one of our Canadian volunteers started calling me that because I was always preparing food or working in the kitchen. Many of our volunteers fly their own airplanes here, so their cooking supplies are limited. I usually handle the food preparation, but everybody helps with the cooking and cleanup. It's a team effort, just like everything else we do.

Our volunteers come from all over the United States, Canada and Barbados. Once people go through the training, they come back because it's fun and we're a good crew. As Paul Poberezny said, 'People come for the airplanes, but they come back for the people.' It's all about the people."

Grace Note:
One thing I noticed while talking with Carol was how often she talked about the volunteers who keep coming back year after year. They come from across the United States, Canada and Barbados, but every summer they reunite in Oshkosh to welcome thousands of pilots and campers to AirVenture. I think that's part of the magic of EAA. The airplanes may be the reason people come, but the friendships are often the reason they return.

What's your favorite EAA or AirVenture memory? I'd love to hear it in the comments. Tell us about the person, the plane or the moment that made it unforgettable.

Humans of Oshkosh at EAA

"My father, Hal Christianson, was involved with EAA when it was still in Rockford, Illinois. When EAA moved to Wittman Field in Oshkosh, he insisted I come along. I was 17, and I wasn't happy about it. I had a job. I needed to work, and I couldn't make any money here. I expected people working on airplanes and sitting through meetings. Then I got here. There were other young people in the campground, and we had a great time. I discovered the social side of EAA, so I kept coming back. When I returned while I was in college, I was given the honor of driving a little tractor with a hay rack on the back. The pilots and their guests would ride on the hay rack, and I'd drive them across the field to their airplanes.

My dad loved to fly. He rebuilt several airplanes, including our family's Taylorcraft, and later began building an all-wood French airplane called a Jodel. He passed away before he could finish it, so my two brothers, with the help of an aircraft mechanic, completed the airplane in his honor.

My older brother was killed in a plane crash a week after EAA ended in 1982. The last place I saw him was here in Oshkosh. My younger brother died of a heart attack in 1998. With all three of those gentlemen gone, somebody needed to carry on the tradition of coming to EAA. So I came back.

I think my dad would be happy that I'm still supporting the organization he loved. He helped start EAA Chapter 410 in Rock Falls, Illinois. I think he'd be proud that I've carried on our family's support of EAA and that they allowed me to inherit his EAA membership number, 25226."

Grace's Note
When Carol mentioned inheriting her father's EAA membership number, I had to ask what that meant.

Every EAA member receives a membership number when they join. The numbers are assigned sequentially, beginning with Member No. 1, EAA founder Paul Poberezny. Carol's father, Hal Christianson, was Member No. 25226, a reminder of how early he became part of EAA. After his death, Carol, whose original number was in the 80,000s, was allowed to inherit his membership number as a meaningful way to carry on another piece of her family's aviation legacy.

Today, Carol has volunteered at EAA AirVenture for about 30 years, and serves as co-chair of the North 40 volunteer team. She was recently honored as EAA's 2026 Dorothy Hilbert Award recipient, recognizing her outstanding dedication to volunteerism. - Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh

What's your favorite EAA or AirVenture memory? I'd love to hear it in the comments. Tell us about the person, the plane or the moment that made it unforgettable.

HUMANS OF OSHKOSH AT EAA
Part 2 with Stacy De Sotel

"My first airplane ride was when I was five days old. My dad was flying, my mom was holding me, and my brother was sitting on a little bench Dad had built in the back of the airplane. My family just loved flying. Dad served in the United States Air Force, and he loved aviation. Loved it.

Every summer, starting in 1970, EAA AirVenture was our family vacation. We'd drive from Iowa and stay for two weeks. We started with a tent, then a pop-up camper and eventually a hard-shell camper. I remember my mom and grandma holding my brother's hand and mine while we waited for Dad. He'd be crawling underneath airplanes, looking at how they were built because he was searching for an airplane he wanted to build.

One year, my dad found the airplane he wanted to build. It was a VP-1 Volksplane. When he brought the plans home, it became a family project. We helped build wing ribs on the dining room table. Dad would start the nails, and then he'd let my brother and me pound them in. We built airplane parts in the living room, basement, garage and kitchen. Wherever there was room.

Dad eventually built two airplanes, a VP-1 Volksplane and later a Piel Emeraude. He even flew the VP-1 to Oshkosh.

I grew up with Paul Pobereznyl and (his wife) Audrey and (their son) Tom and the whole family, and a lot of the old volunteers and people who were in charge back then. I grew up with them.

This is my 46th year volunteering. It's the family I've grown to know here, my EAA family, that keeps me coming back. I just love it. I live EAA. As soon as this year's over, I'm already getting excited about next year.

(Note from Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh: This week I'm at EAA AirVenture sharing stories of the people behind the world's greatest aviation celebration. I loved hearing Stacy De Sotel describe a childhood where aviation wasn't just a hobby, it was simply life. By the time he became a volunteer, EAA wasn't just a place he visited. It was the community where he had grown up.)

What's your favorite EAA or AirVenture memory? I'd love to hear it in the comments. Tell us about the person, the plane or the moment that made it unforgettable.