Turning the Page

by Amy Barnes

When Jason decided to propose to Jennifer, he had a small problem.

He had the ring, he had the diamond to be put into the ring, but he had underestimated how long it would take the jeweler to put the two together.

A job that he thought would take 30 minutes was actually going to take a week.

He had planned to propose on Sweetest Day, which was on a Saturday that year, but it was two days beforehand, and the ring was not ready.

Not wanting to change plans or delay the proposal, Jason did the only thing he could think of. He took the ring blank and hoped Jennifer would understand.

Well, Jennifer said, “Yes.”

Jason had to promptly take back the ring so he could get it to the jeweler’s on the following Monday for the stone to be set.

As with most trials and tribulations the couple has faced, they recall this one with laughter.

They must be doing something right, on February 2, they celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.

Jason’s birthday is January 30, their wedding anniversary is February 2, and Jennifer’s birthday is February 5.

“So, if she forgets my birthday…no anniversary or birthday gifts (for her)!” Jason teased, chuckling, while Jennifer gave him a narrow-eyed look and laughed.

The couple began dating in eighth grade, having crossed paths a few times during their school years. They attended different elementary schools but the same junior and senior high schools.

They also attended the same church and shared their first communion together in second grade and their confirmation in eighth grade.

In school, she was a cheerleader, and he played a range of sports that included football, soccer, wrestling, and tennis. In college, he played varsity tennis.

Never one to be shy, in seventh grade, Jennifer ran up to Jason and shouted out his name.

“I was the peppy, annoying person,” Jennifer says, laughing.

“You weren’t annoying,” Jason says gently, then groans and says their story is “a total cheese fest!”

Jason claims he had no idea who Jennifer was.

Jennifer firmly claims, with a side-eyed look at Jason, that he absolutely knew who she was.

“I’ve been on your radar since I was 7,” she says, with a big smile at him.

There must be something to Jennifer’s claim because Jason admits there could be no other.

“We married our best friends,” Jason says.

After high school, the two were separated because of attending different colleges.

Jennifer went to Kent State to major in theater.

In high school, Jason dreamed of being a park ranger, a game warden or a math teacher. His career assessment test said he should be an actor or a lawyer.

Jason went to Tri-State in Indiana for one year, then transferred to Cleveland State to earn a degree in civil engineering. Kent did not offer an engineering program so Jason could not join Jennifer at Kent and still get the degree he wanted.

Throughout college, the couple kept in touch and saw each other on weekends and breaks.

“When we got together,” Jason began, “it was like home,” finished Jennifer.

The BookShelf locations:

831 Pearl Road, Brunswick The BookShelf

105 W. Liberty Street, The BookShelf, Medina

130 Main Street, Wadsworth, The BookShelf continued from Page 5

To learn more about The BookShelf sales, fundraisers, Project:LEARN and how to donate, go to https://projectlearnmedina.org/, or call 330-723-1314.

What are the chances? While looking casually through books at Wadsworth’s The BookShelf, Jennifer Brenner came across a book that had her daughter Darby’s name on it. Since the handwriting looked familiar, Jennifer called her 23-year-old daughter, who confirmed it was indeed her book. photo by Amy Barnes

Jennifer said she was very busy in college.

“The theater people were kept very busy, we didn’t just sit in front of a book,” she quipped, glancing over at Jason, whose degree required a lot of sitting in front of books.

For her senior thesis, Jennifer produced a play at Kent titled, “I Stand Before You Naked,” which is a collection of monologues by an all-female cast. Jason was in the audience, lending his support and encouragement to Jennifer’s theater dreams.

“Having that college separation helped. We each had our own lives,” said Jennifer.

“Being apart,” started Jason, and Jennifer finished, “strengthened our relationship.”

While Jennifer had considered moving to New York to pursue a career in theater, she quickly realized how expensive it would be.

“I don’t want to live poor,” she said.

Jason said there was no way he would move to New York.

“I’m not moving to New York,” he firmly says, even now.

After graduating college with a theater degree, Jennifer went to work at a pizza restaurant in Oberlin and worked her way up to manager.

Jason graduated from college and returned to Lorain to work as a civil engineer. Eventually, he would become part owner and vice president of engineering of Lewis Land Professionals, Inc.

Jennifer moved from making pizzas to helping teens find jobs through Jobs for Ohio Graduates in Wellington. When that program lost its funding, she became the business and community outreach manager for Tri-County Jobs for Ohio Graduates, which included Medina County.

When the executive director position with Project:LEARN of Medina County opened up, with Jennifer’s love of helping others and her love of reading, it was a natural career move that would utilize her skill set.

“I had a majority of the skills needed,” Jennifer said.

Project:LEARN is the adult literacy and education program in Medina County that provides literacy and high school graduate equivalency classes, tutoring, English as a second language services, and specialized test preparation.

As well as donations and fund-raising events, profits from the program’s three bookstores help fund the program. Books are donated to the bookstores and resold at a discount, helping those who love books and those who are learning to read.

Almost 100 volunteers staff the bookstores and provide tutoring. Teachers, the office manager, the bookstore manager and the bookkeeper are the only paid positions, in addition to Jennifer.

Jason said it is important when joining a nonprofit to keep a focus on helping as many people as possible.

“It is easier to help 100 people one time than one person 100 times,” he said.

While Jennifer began immersing herself into her new job, Jason found himself in the role of furniture mover, heavy box hauler and general all-around support person, which is a role he relishes.

Talk to Jason and there is no doubt that he is a cheerleader for Jennifer and her efforts.

Jason, who did not use to read much, now cannot go through any location of The BookShelf without collecting books like a magnet collecting iron filings.

The couple’s involvement with Project:LEARN dovetailed with their kids being grown and their desire to turn their focus onto the community around them.

“Not what the kids are grown up, we are focusing more on community,” Jennifer said.

The couple has two children. Darby Marie is 23 years old and an architect. Her interest in architecture came from the time she spent volunteering for Habitat for Humanity.

Their son, Ethan Patrick, is 25 years old. He is a mechanical engineer, having graduated from Mount Union.

Jennifer has three sisters: Amelia Woodward, an attorney who works for the National Education Association teacher’s union; Sarah Karpinski, who works for the City of Lorain, her husband works for Lorain County; and Emily Woodward who is in the Coast Guard, her wife is in the Air Force.

Jennifer’s parents are Sue and Joe Woodward who own the 1830 Hallauer House, a CivilWar theme bed-and-breakfast in Oberlin that has artifacts from the continued from Page 7

North and South.

Jason has a brother, Jarred, who lives in Vermillion with his wife, Beckie.

After Jennifer and Beckie became sisters-inlaw they discovered they had attended first grade together.

Jason said he learned a lot from his father, Denis, who died in 2020. His mother, Bonnie, still lives in the house that Jason and his brother grew up in.

Denis would take Jason and Jarred hunting and fishing and had them help build things.

“Now that he’s passed, I think back and think, ‘Oh, my God, it’s because of him’,” said Jason, appreciating all his father taught him.

Jennifer and Jason built a home in Spencer because it was the halfway point between their two jobs. They laughingly call their home Brenner’s Beagle Sanctuary because of their habit of giving beagles in need a home.

Two beagles they rescued were living in a box outside of shed, where they had a small run. They named the girl Lindy Marie and the boy Jacob Patrick. Gabby Marie is another female beagle they have, and the cast of many is topped off by Wheezer the cat.

The cat was named Wheezer because she was sick with a cold when she was rescued.

“She sounded like Darth Vader,” said Jennifer, referencing the villain from the “Star Wars” series.

Wheezer has a habit of barreling through the house and down the stairs, which is how she broke her leg and ended up in a cast.

Never lacking for adventure or new chapters, Jennifer and Jason are enjoying life and sharing their energy with those who need it most.

Upcoming Sales Events for The BookShelf

• March – Jimmy Buffet – March Madness –Sports, Music, Art Books BOGO

• April – Spring Fling –Gardening Books - BOGO

• May –Thursday May the 4th be with you

– All science Fiction BOGO Look at potential partnerships with Operation Fandom and Cool Beans.

• June – Summer Vacation – All travel books –BOGO - Kids day of Safety and play. Corn hole game, books tote bags, Set up starts about 8am.

• July – Happy Birthday America – All political and historical books BOGO

• August - Dog days of Summer – All Animal Gooks – BOGO

• September – Back to school month – All books in the teacher materials and reference sectionsBOGO

To learn more about The BookShelf sales, fundraisers, Project:LEARN and how to donate, go to https://projectlearnmedina.org/, or call 330-723-1314.