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Many Hands Make Light Work is the rollicking true story of a family of nine children growing up in the college town of Ames, Iowa in the ’60s and ’70s. Book cover - Written by AHS 1977 Author Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy by Ames High School Alumni Assoc.

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Many Hands Make Light Work: A Memoir, at libraries, online, and wherever books are sold, is about an Ames Iowa family that championed diversity and inclusion long before such concepts became cultural flashpoints.

www.cherylstritzelmccarthy.com

Excerpt:

1970: Piano Lessons

Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy, ’77, recently published the book Many Hands Make Light Work: A Memoir about growing up in a family of nine kids in Ames in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Below is an excerpt about piano lessons with a neighborhood teacher known to

Crawford Elementary and Welch Junior High students of that era, but anyone who took piano lessons can relate.

We practiced feverishly as our lesson day approached because Mrs. Moser, piano teacher to every child in the neighborhood, terrified us. One Wednesday afternoon when I was 10, I dragged my feet down Welch Avenue and finally fetched up at her little house on the corner of Storm Street and Stanton Avenue. The pin-neat flowerbeds and razor-edged lawn outside hinted at the disciplined woman inside. Mrs. Moser was on the graying side of forty-five, slim and tidy in pastel pedal pushers and starched-and-ironed white blouse, with a hair-sprayed helmet of short,

coiffed hair and half-lens glasses perched partway down her nose. She liked to wrinkle her brow, narrow her eyes, and peer over those glasses at a child on her piano bench, pinning the unfortunate youngster with her gaze, as one might pin an insect on a corkboard. Her glossy brown piano, a trim little upright, was somehow unnicked even after years of hosting fidgety students. Everything about her home, like Mrs. Moser herself, exuded Germanic order. “Well, why don’t we begin?” Mrs. Moser’s thin, pressed smile told me she knew she was in for a trying half hour.

I plunged into the opening strains of “White Christmas.” It was only September, but Mrs. Moser had assigned “White Christmas” early, knowing I would need months to prepare for the December recital. I played confidently for the first few measures, since I’d practiced those, but soon bogged down as I found myself in unfamiliar territory. By the third and fourth pages, which I had not even seen during the previous week, much less

practiced, “White Christmas” was limping and struggling, stopping and starting, falling down and leaping up again only to land with a fortissimo twang on the wrong octave entirely. “White Christmas” is not meant to be played fast, but I played it with way more ritardando than Irving Berlin ever intended, until it sounded as if the music were feeling its way down a long, dark hallway. I was not dreaming of a white Christmas, but living a nightmare in vivid color. Mrs. Moser, I imagined, was dreaming of a teaching studio devoid of Stritzel children. Mrs. Moser raised no hand of mercy to stop the carnage. She sat silent, lips pursed, eyes narrowed to slits over those half lenses. I sweated and wriggled on the hard bench, desperately trying to figure out chords. What were those bass clef notes anyway? Who could read such hieroglyphics? Mrs. Moser did not speak but left me to dangle in a noose of my own making. I sight-read my way to the end, the music—if you could call it that—lurching as if on crutches. Finally, I dragged the carcass of “White Christmas” over the finish line,

performing the last bit with a tentative question mark that trailed upward and petered off into nothing. My butchering of Irving Berlin was complete. Mrs. Moser let the last meager notes hang there, so the ignominy could sink in. The clock ticked in the stillness.

“Cheryl.” She made even my name sound damning. “Let’s see your practice log.” I produced the little book. She pushed up her glasses up. “Hmm, no practice whatsoever the first six days, then three hours of practice today, on Wednesday?” Her glasses slid down as she skewered me with her gaze. “It’s Wednesday afternoon now. You’ve been in school all day. How was it possible to get in three hours of practice today?” Miserable, I stared at the lint-free carpet under shining brass pedals. “I got up

early and practiced this morning.” It was true. Where piano was concerned, I was a master procrastinator. Right after the lesson, with my next lesson a week away, I forgot about practicing. Thursday, Friday, Saturday—the thought of piano practice never blipped across my radar. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday—how blithely the days sped by! But in the dark, early hours every Wednesday, the piano seemed to grow. It loomed larger and larger, populating my dreams, inflating until it towered over me in

bed, leering down close to my face, its horror-movie grin of eighty-eight teeth bared wide. I’d awake in a panic at 4 a.m., sweating and gasping, picturing Mrs. Moser’s narrowed eyes over those half lenses. In my long flannel nightgown, full of dread, I’d feel my way down our home’s cold, dark stairwell. By the ghostly glow of streetlights outside our front window, I’d tiptoe into the den, slide its heavy door closed, and practice piano with the soft pedal pressed to the floor, trying to learn a week’s work all at once, hoping not to wake the household.

I was too foolish to practice day by day and too naïve to lie. My practice log told the ludicrous truth.

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Many Hands Make Light Work is the rollicking true story of a family of nine children growing up in the college town of Ames, Iowa in the ’60s and ’70s. Inspiring, full of surprises, and laugh-out-loud funny, this utterly unique family champions diversity and inclusion long before such concepts become cultural flashpoints.

Cheryl and her siblings are the offspring of an eccentric professor father and unflappable mother. Mindful of their ever-expanding family’s need for cash, her parents begin acquiring tumbledown houses in campus-town, to renovate and rent. Dad, who changes out of his suit and tie into a carpenter’s battered white overalls, like Clark Kent into Superman, is supremely confident his offspring can do anything, whether he’s there or not. Mom, an organizational genius disguised as a housewife, manages nine children so deftly that she finds the time―and heart―to take in student boarders, who stir their own offbeat personalities into this unconventional household. The kids, meanwhile, pour concrete, paint houses, and, at odd moments, break into song, because instead of complaining, they sing as they work, like a von Trapp family in painters caps.

Free-wheeling and contagiously cheerful, Many Hands Make Light Work is a winsome memoir of a Heartland childhood unlike any other.

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IMG_6485 Friday eve 2022-06-24 540pm Bandshell Park AHS from outside the fence multi year class reunions Ames Iowa #AmesHighSchool #AmesHighClassof1977 by Ames High School Alumni Assoc.

AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

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AHS Ames High School Class of 1977 45th reunion downtown Ames Iowa at the Ames on the Half Shell event at Bandshell Park Friday June 24 2022.

#AmesHighClassof1977

#photobyEdHendricksonJr

#ahs1977

The AHS Class of 1977 celebrated their 45th year class reunion over the weekend of June 24, 2022. Classmates from across the globe traveled to Ames to rejoice, rekindle, reconnect and revel with one another. The first night, Friday, the group met at Bandshell Park just off of downtown Ames Iowa Main Street.

See you all again in the blink of an eye for our 50th in 2027. Ames Hi Aims High!

www.AmesHigh.org/reunion/2022/1977/

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IMG_6484 Friday eve 2022-06-24 540pm AHS Class of 1981 Banner and check-in table at Bandshell Park 41-year class reunion Ames Iowa #AmesHighSchool Kristen Ripp checking classmates in by Ames High School Alumni Assoc.

AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

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AHS Ames High School Class of 1981 41st reunion downtown Ames Iowa at the Ames on the Half Shell event at Bandshell Park Friday June 24 2022. This was a combined reunion with the AHS classes of 1980 1981 and 1982

#AmesHighClassof1981

#photobyEdHendricksonJr

#ahs1981

The AHS Class of 1981 celebrated their 41st year class reunion over the weekend of June 24, 2022. Classmates from across the globe traveled to Ames to rejoice, rekindle, reconnect and revel with one another. The first night, Friday, the group met at Bandshell Park just off of downtown Ames Iowa Main Street.

See you all again in the blink of an eye for our 45th in 2026. Ames Hi Aims High!

www.AmesHigh.org/reunion/2022/1981/

AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

ameshigh.org - reunions - photos - newsletters - authors - calendar - news - deceased - email - letters - join AHSAA

ameshigh.org - reunions - photos - newsletters - authors - calendar - news - deceased - email - letters - join AHSAA

AHS Ames High School Class of 1977 45th reunion downtown Ames Iowa at the Ames on the Half Shell event at Bandshell Park Friday June 24 2022.

#AmesHighClassof1977

#photobyEdHendricksonJr

#ahs1977

The AHS Class of 1977 celebrated their 45th year class reunion over the weekend of June 24, 2022. Classmates from across the globe traveled to Ames to rejoice, rekindle, reconnect and revel with one another. The first night, Friday, the group met at Bandshell Park just off of downtown Ames Iowa Main Street.

See you all again in the blink of an eye for our 50th in 2027. Ames Hi Aims High!

www.AmesHigh.org/reunion/2022/1977/

AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

ameshigh.org - reunions - photos - newsletters - authors - calendar - news - deceased - email - letters - join AHSAA

DSC06166 Julie Landon Huisman 1974 Lisa Buck Merino 1977 & Tom Huisman 1973 12-29-2006 8-19 PM 2006dec All class Holiday Olde Main Ames IA photobyEdHendricksonJr #2006dec #AllAHSHolidayGathering #AmesHighSchool by Ames High School Alumni Assoc.

AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

ameshigh.org - reunions - photos - newsletters - authors - calendar - news - deceased - email - letters - join AHSAA

2006 All Ames High School All AHS Holiday Gathering

Held at Olde Main on Main Street

Downtown Ames Iowa Friday Dec 29, 2006 from 7pm to 10:30pm and then moved to a Karaoke spot until early morning on Saturday Dec 30, 2006

AHS Ames High School Alumni

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Julie Ann (Landon) Huisman Obituary

Julie Huisman Obituary

Julie Landon Obituary

May 31 1956 - July 23 2021

Ames - Julie Ann (Landon) Huisman, 65, of Ames, passed away on Friday, July 23, 2021 at her home.

Friends may call from 4:00 until 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, July 29, 2021 at First United Methodist Church, 516 Kellogg Ave., Ames, Iowa. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, July 30, 2021 at the church. All who knew and loved Julie are welcome and invited to attend. For those who are not able to travel, the service will be available to watch through a live stream on the Tribute Wall of Julie's obituary on the Adams Funeral Home website or www.fumcames.com.

Julie was the daughter of Keith and Ellen Landon, of Ames. She was born at Mary Greeley Medical Center on May 31, 1956. She grew up in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1974. Julie graduated from Iowa State University, where she completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Labor and Industrial Relations, a degree program she customized, and was a proud member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, serving as President twice. She went on to earn her Master of Science Degree in Adult Learning, Development and Performance from Drake University in 2008, and was very proud to have earned a 4.0 GPA while working full-time and raising her three kids. Julie also had a passion for continued growth and learning, and completed her International Coach Federation Certification in Business and Executive Coaching at The University of Texas at Dallas - School of Management in 2008.

Julie was a passionate person, but she felt most strongly about her beloved husband Tom. They were college sweethearts and dated for eight years before marrying in Ames at the United Church of Christ on April 3, 1982. Tom and Julie had a vibrant marriage for the 38 years they were blessed to share on this earth. Julie was broken-hearted to watch her husband's three-year cancer battle come to an end with his passing on July 26, 2020.

Julie's other great loves in her life were her three remarkable children, Kevin, Melissa and Karina. As she often told them, she loved her children to the moon and back, and everyone who knew her knew how incredibly proud she was to be their Mom.

Her first born and only son, Kevin Charles, held a soft spot in her heart. She was immensely proud of the man he has become and the devoted father he is to his daughter Bianca. Julie loved how highly regarded and beloved Kevin was in his career. She was grateful for the many ways he stepped into the role as the "man of the family" since Tom's passing in July of 2020. Julie also raved about his home-cooked meals and loved when he would fire up the grill for family dinners.

Melissa Kay, her second-born, was her bright and shining Mel Star. She saw so much of herself in her daughter, and championed her aspirations to follow in her mom's footsteps by starting a big, beautiful life in Texas at a young age. Julie loved Melissa's creativity and singing voice, and thought her writing was pretty special. She was proud of her daughter's "big brain" and her many professional and academic achievements. Most of all, Julie was in awe of Melissa's faith in God, strength of heart, and wisdom beyond her years.

The adoption of her baby girl Karina Ann from Novokuznetsk, Russia, was a highlight of her life, and Julie adored her youngest daughter. Julie was so proud of Karina's resilience and strength, and loved watching her "baby" become a mother on December 6, 2020 to Ellen Kathy-Marie, her second granddaughter. She counted it an incredible honor to help plan Karina and Mark's wedding on July 25, 2020, and was so grateful for the wonderful husband Karina found in Mark, and son-in-law she added to her family. Karina always knew how to make her mom laugh the hardest of anyone, and they shared many special silly moments.

Not to be forgotten, Julie considered her fur babies Coco Bear and the late Bandit Jo a part of the family and her very best friends.

Family was everything to Julie, and celebrations were plentiful among the Landon and Huisman families. From holidays, to birthdays and weekly pool parties, she cherished getting to live close to her extended family in Ames for the last years of her life.

Julie was whip-smart, incredibly interested in people, and highly ambitious, attributes she channeled into her successful 37-year career in Human Resources. She was very proud of her accomplishments in her professional life, as were all who knew her. Upon her graduation from Iowa State, Julie moved south to begin her career at Phillips Petroleum Company in Borger, Texas. She held numerous roles in HR with Phillips 66 in Borger, Texas, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Stavanger, Norway, Caracas, Venezuela and Maracaibo, Venezuela. Julie was thrilled at the opportunity to work as an expatriate, immersed in global cultures, where she mastered the Norwegian and Spanish languages. Julie and Tom both retired from Phillips in 2000 and moved to Ames to be closer to their extended family.

Upon her return to Ames, Julie worked as the Human Resources Director for the Iowa State Foundation for two years. Her final career stop was at the City of Ames, where she served as the Human Resources Director for over 11 years. She was very proud to work at City Hall, in the same building as her late mother, Ellen Landon, who was a beloved Public Information Officer for the City of Ames for many years.

Julie retired from the City of Ames in 2015 to shift her focus and energy towards her family. She devoted her time in retirement to supporting her mother Ellen until her passing in 2019, and her husband Tom in his difficult cancer battle. She and Tom were looking forward to retiring in a beautiful home they built together in The Villages, Florida. Most recently, Julie was excited to transition into a new home in Ames with a pool area she named the Huisman Hibiscus Haven.

Volunteerism was an important aspect of Julie's life, and she loved to serve her community. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church for 21 years, and served on the Staff Parish Relations Committee. Julie maintained a close connection to her beloved Alpha Delta Pi Sorority at Iowa State, serving both as the Chapter Advisor and the House Corps Board President for many years. Julie also served on the board at Youth and Shelter Services in Ames. She was proud to be a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Ames, just like her late father, Keith Landon. Julie was affiliated with the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and had fond memories with many women in the organization.

Beyond her passions for her family and career, Julie had many hobbies and interests that fulfilled and enriched her life. At heart, she was an artist and creative soul. In her younger years, she was a talented pianist, seamstress, painter, and later in life, a prolific scrapbooker. Julie also had an eye for design, having originally started college as an Interior Design major. Though she never pursued a career in the field, she had a life-long passion for building, designing, and decorating her homes, all 13 of them!

Physical activity was important to Julie. She loved all water-related things: boating, skiing, swimming, and lake life. Every day was a new opportunity to achieve her goal of getting 10,000 steps. Julie loved to dance, and could often be seen embarrassing her kids with her latest dance moves.

Everyone who knew Julie could tell you about her impeccable style, and also her impeccable bargain shopping skills. During her working years, she could be seen in the most beautiful suits, but later in life she grew a sizable collection of leopard print items, which she called her "leopard-licious" clothing.

Julie was beloved by all who crossed her path. Whether long-time friend or stranger, she had a way of making people feel instantly known and loved. She would always remind her children to be two things with people: interesting, and interested. Julie was quick to ask a hundred questions, and was a lifelong interviewer. She cared deeply about the people in her life, and maintained a sizable social circle with friends across the globe. Julie and Tom prioritized social gatherings with dinner clubs, boating crews, and enjoyed hosting guests regularly at their lake houses.

Julie's life was guided by her rich Christian faith, and her personal relationship with Jesus. She loved to spend her mornings journaling, and documented all stages of her life in writing and reflection. Julie was passionate about the local church and serving God.

Left to cherish her memory are her three beloved children and their partners: Kevin Huisman of Ames, Iowa, Melissa Huisman of Austin, Texas and Karina and Mark Kendall of Fort Drum, New York. She had two beautiful granddaughters, Bianca Anne McConkey of Ogden, Iowa, and Ellen Kathy-Marie Kendall of Fort Drum, New York. Julie also leaves behind many members of her loving family –– her sister, Nancy Hemphill of Ames, Iowa; her nieces and their families: Becky, Aaron, Allison, and Jacob Rogers, of Ames, Iowa, and Katie, Nate, and Lincoln Molstad of Ankeny, Iowa; her mother-in-law, Joyce Huisman of Ames, Iowa; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Linda and Tom Thomas of Ames, Iowa, her brother-in-law and nephew, Ted and Nick Huisman of State Center, Iowa, and her sister-in-law and nephew, Laura and Grant Beckett of Everett, Washington.

Julie was predeceased by her beloved husband, Tom Huisman; her mother and father, Keith and Ellen Landon; her father-in-law Charles Huisman; and her brothers-in-law Monty Hemphill and Larry Beckett. We are sure she is thrilled to be reunited with them all.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Adams Funeral Home of Ames. Online condolences may be left for Julie's family at www.adamssoderstrum.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church of Ames. The family would like to thank all who knew and loved Julie and the Huismans for their unending support and love for their mother and family.

Obituary Posted online on July 27, 2021

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Thomas Kevin Huisman Obituary

Tom Huisman Obituary

October 26, 1955 - July 26, 2020

Thomas Kevin Huisman, 64, of Ames, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 26, 2020, in his home surrounded by his family. Tom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer one month after he retired in August of 2017. His courage and determination to live during his three-year battle with cancer were an inspiration to all who knew him. A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at First United Methodist Church in Ames at 11:00 am. It will be a closed family service due to COVID limitations, but will be available to watch for all who are interested through a live stream at www.fumcames.org.

Tom was the son of Charles and Joyce Huisman, of Ames. He was born at Mary Greeley Medical Center on October 26, 1955. He grew up in Ames and graduated from Ames High School in 1973. He started his college career at Iowa State where he was a proud member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He completed his BS degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS) from West Texas State University and was named the outstanding CIS graduating senior in 1984. He earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Tulsa, and was proud to complete the degree in one year with a 4.0 GPA.

Tom and Julie dated for eight years, and married in Ames at the United Church of Christ on April 3, 1982. Tom was known as the “super-smart computer guy” in the family, and worked in information technology throughout his career. He held numerous IT positions with Phillips Petroleum Company in Borger, Texas, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Stavanger, Norway, Caracas, Venezuela and Maracaibo, Venezuela. Tom and Julie retired from Phillips in 2000 and moved to Ames to be closer to extended family.

After several months, Tom decided he was too young to retire and wanted to go back to work! He worked for Becker Underwood in their IT operations for several years. His next career move was to the State of Iowa, where he served as the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Human Services. His final employer was Wells Fargo, in West Des Moines, where he served as a Vice President in the Mortgage Division. Tom successfully completed his career, and retired from Wells Fargo in the fall of 2017.

Left to cherish his memory is his beloved wife Julie and their three children, Kevin Huisman of Ames, Melissa Huisman of Austin, Texas and Karina Huisman Kendall of Manning, Iowa. He had one grandchild, Bianca Anne McConkey of Ogden, Iowa. Karina married Mark Kendall on July 25th, 2020, one day before his passing. The couple is expecting their first child, Ellen Kathy-Marie Kendall, due on December 8, 2020, and Tom was thrilled to meet his second granddaughter. Tom also leaves behind many members of his loving family –– his mother, Joyce Huisman of Ames, his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Tom Thomas of Ames, his brother and nephew, Ted and Nick Huisman of State Center, and his sister and nephew, Laura and Grant Beckett of Everett, Washington.

His children were his pride and joy, and he spent his life making sure they were taken care of in every way. Tom was so proud of the ways his children grew into exceptional adults, each with their own unique successes. In his son Kevin, he saw a remarkable and resilient father, and a man who turned his culinary passion into a thriving career as a chef at Greek House Chefs. In his daughter Melissa, he saw a driven woman, who started and successfully ran her own creative consulting business, while pursuing music on the side, a passion they shared. In his daughter Karina, he saw a young woman who overcame many obstacles to create a beautiful life and future family with the man of her dreams. He was thrilled at the milestones they each achieved in his lifetime, and had high hopes for their futures and all they will create as a continuation of his legacy.

Beyond his passion for his family, Tom had many hobbies and interests that fulfilled and enriched his life. His lifelong love was running, and he completed 12 marathons in cities across the world. Notable locations included Copenhagen, Denmark, Frankfurt, Germany, Stavanger, Norway, and London, England. Tom was most proud of achieving his running career goal of qualifying for and running the elite Boston Marathon, successfully doing so two times, in 2004 and 2005 by the age of 50.

Tom was at his best when entertaining family and friends, and especially loved doing so at his happy place –– on the lake. In his youth, he was a talented water skier and loved being out on the boat throughout his entire life. He enjoyed many lake weekends at Grand Lake in Oklahoma, and Clear Lake, Iowa. He was a magnificent cook, and in recent years took up a love for gardening. Tom’s love for music was unmatched, and he had classic rock playing in the background at all times. He was a talented trumpet player, even having marched in the Iowa State Marching Band for a time. Tom was a passionate investor and loved working the stock market at 4am every morning. Tom and Julie had an exceptional network of cherished friends from all over the world. Fun, travel, and adventure were always a big part of their lives, and he was cracking jokes with his friends even into his final days. His people were his everything, and he had a huge heart and brilliant mind.

Tom was predeceased by his father Charles Huisman, his mother and father-in-law Keith and Ellen Landon, his brothers-in-law Monty Hemphill and Larry Beckett. We are sure he is thrilled to be reunited with them all.

Arrangements are under the care of Adams Funeral Home of Ames. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.adamssoderstrum.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church or Youth and Shelter Services. The family would like to thank all who knew and loved Tom and the Huismans for their unending support and love through the past few years. He finished his race well, and we are so proud of him.

To send flowers to the family in memory of Thomas Kevin Huisman please visit our Tribute Store.

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AHS Ames High School Alumni Assoc - Ames, IA.

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Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy AHS 1977 Author of Many Hands Make Light Work: A Memoir by Ames High School Alumni Assoc.