Barb Wischmeier-Liljedahl

Barbara (Barb) (Wischmeier) Liljedahl barb@liljedahl.us

Class of 1974 I was the third of seven children (5 brothers and a sister), born to parents; Howard and Helen Wischmeier.  My siblings and I grew-up on a dairy/grain farm in Sperry, Iowa (located in Southeast Iowa). I attended Sperry Elementary School (K - 8th grade) and Mediapolis High School (1967 -1971).  In 1971 - 1974, I attended JFK College in Wahoo, Nebraska.  During those 3 years  I played Women’s Basketball for Kennedy.  In May of 1974, I graduated from JFK College and signed my first teaching contract to teach High School Physical Education and coached in Missouri Valley, Iowa.  After teaching at the High School level for 12 years, having two children and a product of     “Staff Reduction” I made a change in my Teach career and became Mo. Valleys’ Elementary Physical Education Instructor.   I continued to be the  Elementary P.E. Teacher for the next 22 years in the Missouri Community School District in Missouri Valley, Iowa.  

I married the love of my life, Michael (Mike) Liljedahl, a farmer from Missouri Valley, Iowa on July 10, 1976.  We have been married for 43 years and have two children, one boy and one girl, and three grandchildren.

The first 19 years of our marriage, Mike and I have lived and raised our children on two different rural homes in the Missouri Valley, Iowa area.  In 1995 we built a house two miles South of Mondamin, Iowa. We have lived at 2232 Austin Avenue, Mondamin, Iowa for the past 24 years.  

Since retiring from Education in 2008 and having our children married, I have time to enjoyed sewing, gardening and watching our grandchildren grow.  Mike and I and our family have managed to make the trek to a family owned vacation spot in Bemidji, MN.  In more recent years we have made the trip more than once a year now that my sister and brother-in-law, Sheryl and Tom Lonergan live across the road from “The Corner”.  I have been blessed with an awesome sister, great sister-in-laws and some terrific friends who have invited me tinting their circle of friends and we travel to each other homes as well as to places we have on our “bucket list”.  Sometime we travel with our spouses, yet, other at other times it’s just the girls who will venture out to a new destination.  I have enjoyed every minute of every adventure that I have had since retiring!  Looking forward to many more travels and hoping to meeting old friends from Kennedy College along the way!!!