20 • The Beacon January 28 , 2021
Couple publishes new book ‘ 150 Years of Marriage ’
By Josie Sellers
The title of Ron and Crystal Meinstein ’ s new book is “ 150 Years of Marriage ,” but it ’ s about much more than love and family . It includes lessons on history , life and the importance of sharing your stories .
“ It goes all the way back to when my wife and I first met ,” Ron Meinstein said . “ We grew up 15 miles apart in the suburbs of Chicago but didn ’ t meet until college at Bradley University . We started talking about our parents and realized they both met during World War II .”
Ron and Crystal Meinstein ’ s parents had fascinating stories to tell , but it wasn ’ t until much later in life they thought about recording their family history .
“ Around 2000 or so , we had a little more time and decided it would be nice to leave a legacy of family history ,” Ron Meinstein said . “ We had no ideas about publishing it at that time . Growing up , history was my least favorite subject . I couldn ’ t stand all the dates and information about the wars , but I liked personal history stories about how people grew up and the way different cultures do things .”
Both of Ron Meinstein ’ s parents were from Germany . His mom was a poor farm girl . His dad , however , was sent to America at the age of 13 but came back to Germany after he enlisted in the service .
“ He was in counterintelligence ,” Ron Meinstein said . “ The first time he met my mom , she was out after curfew with a girlfriend and he yelled at them .”
Crystal Meinstein ’ s parents met one night at a USO Club and didn ’ t see each other for well over a year after her father left with the U . S . Navy .
“ They fell in love by mail ,” Crystal Meinstein said .
Their parents ’ stories and their own are told throughout the book , and the Meinsteins made sure to show the time period each story is set in . The chapters can be read as individual stories or all together .
Submitted “ 150 Years of Marriage ” can be found on Amazon for $ 18.99 .
They share their feelings on everything from historical moments like President Kennedy being shot to how their own older relatives influenced their lives .
“ We talk about my grandparents and what happened in their lives ,” Crystal Meinstein said . “ I even knew my greatgrandmother . Our families did a lot of baking and cooking and passed things on from generation to generation .”
When they decided to write down their family stories , the couple was lucky enough to still have their parents around to interview .
“ We were able to get details from them and have them tell us stories they heard in their family ,” Ron Meinstein said .
The last section of the book focuses on marriage . Ron Meinstein ’ s parents were married for more than 60 years , Crystal ’ s for more than 50 and the Meinsteins have been married for 42 years .
“ There are a lot of problems with marriage in America ,” Ron Meinstein said . “ We hope that things we learned from our parents and our own experiences can help some people .”
The couple also has a website at www . marriagememoir . com , where they share their thoughts on marriage and family .
When Ron and Crystal Meinstein decided to try and get their book published , they had to stay determined .
“ We got shot down a lot ,” Ron Meinstein said .
Crystal Meinstein found encouragement from the National Association of Memoir Writers and the local Writeon Writers group .
They finally landed with a good editor and Torchflame Books . Their book , “ 150 Years of Marriage ,” can be found on Amazon for $ 18.99 . The couple encourages people to leave reviews there or on www . goodreads . com .
“ I hope people enjoy the book and that they learn some things too ,” Ron Meinstein said . “ There are a lot of life lessons in it , and not just about marriage . Some things are timeless . We are both Christians , and it ’ s written from a Christian point of view .”
Crystal Meinstein hopes it encourages conversations . “ Talk to your relatives ,” she said . “ Ask grandma and mom about their own families . Our grandchildren are very interested in stories . Young people are interested in what happened and why things were so different .”
Career center taking applications for 2021-22
The Coshocton County Career Center announced the application for enrollment for the 2021-22 school year is now open .
For the 2021-22 school year , the career center will offer 13 different
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BF-00501659 programs for high school juniors and seniors . Those programs include automotive technology , career skills investigation , construction technology , cosmetology , criminal justice , culinary arts , early childhood education , electronics , health technology , metal fabrication , natural resources , and networking IT and computer systems .
They also will offer a new program for the 2021-22 school year : business and medical office technology . This new program will focus on careers in the medical , legal and business office environments while offering certifications in OSHA10 , CPR , Rise UP and Microsoft Office .
The Coshocton County Career Center offers two-year programs for incoming junior students , although some programs do offer a oneyear option for seniors only . Graduation is the top priority , so academic classes are just as important as the career-tech classes that are offered . Students may decide to attend the career center for a full day and take their academic classes there , or a student may only attend for half a day and take their academic classes at their home high school .
Each of the 13 programs will accept 25 applicants , and the school operates on a first come , first serve basis . Sophomores or juniors in Coshocton County who are interested in attending the career center next year should speak to their school counselor at their home high school , call 740-622-0211 or visit www . coshoctoncareers . org .