BOOM! COVER PROFILE
Shiela Craven, "ARMY BRAT" BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e. where you’re from, education, what brought you to the Montgomery area, did you raise your family here, schools, married, family, etc?
Dad was deployed again to Vietnam, and I returned to Ft. Rucker to help my mom with my three younger brothers. There in 1968 I met Larry Craven! He was in flight school to become a helicopter pilot and we fell
Shiela: I grew up in a military Larry and Shiela cutting their wedding cake 1969 family, so we really never had permanent roots. I was born in 1948 and my parents were both from Kentucky. My dad was an Officer and Army pilot, which meant duty stations in Texas and California. When I was two and brother Dennis was an infant, we joined dad in Japan until he was deployed to Korea, then we returned to Kentucky. In 1953, when Dad was home, he received new orders, so we headed to Augsburg, Germany. My second brother, Rodney, arrived in 1954. Then on to Hanau, Germany, where our youngest brother, David, joined our happy family in 1962. Most of my education growing up was in DOD (Department of Defense) schools until 1965 when we transferred back stateside to Fort Rucker, AL. I spent my senior year at Enterprise High School. Moving from Germany to Alabama was a major culture shock for me, Frankfurt High School in Germany had over 5,000 students. In Germany driving age is 18 so I learned to drive quickly! After graduating in 1966, I was off to Western Kentucky University. In 1968,
40 BOOM!
October 2020
RiverRegionBoom.com
School, where Larry graduated in 1977. After dad retired, my parents moved to Montgomery. My dad, Lloyd, worked for Judge Walker Hobby. With my family here and Larry’s military attachment in Montgomery, our destiny was set. Bryan at the time was almost 6 years old, so yes, he has been raised here, in the wonderful public schools at that time! BOOM!: As a Breast Cancer survivor, would you please share your story with our readers? Breast Cancer survivors have a strong bond with each other, what has been your experience with other survivors?
Shiela: My mom, bless her heart, had four forms of cancer during her life ovarian, uterine, leukemia, then esophageal cancer that metastasized during her 70’s. In Larry and Shiela cutting their 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake 2019 mom’s family history NO in love and were married in one had January of 1969 after my dad breast cancer. returned from Vietnam. We So, into my spent our honeymoon year in adulthood, I Colorado Springs, CO, for more never worried flight training. In 1970, Larry about breast deployed to Vietnam. While cancer. I he was there, I enrolled at went yearly Auburn University to complete for my GYN my degrees. In 1971, Larry checkups and returned from Vietnam, mammograms and we were assigned to Ft. with no Benning, GA. I commuted problems. In Larry and Shiela celebrating their 50th from Ft. Benning to Auburn. 2009, I was wedding anniversary! I graduated in 1972 and was 61, and there about 6 months pregnant with our son, was an alert! I prayed for guidance as I Bryan. Shortly after Bryan was born, we was called to return for two “do-overs”! headed to Kansas City, MO, for Larry to The radiologist recommended a biopsy. complete his degree in 1974! Then to I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast Birmingham, AL, and Cumberland Law cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma with
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
