15 minutes with Laura Bellman
Interviewed by Liz Gordon-Hancock
Laura (Green) Bellman graduated from Bluffton in 2003. She received her nursing degree from Rhodes State College in Lima. She is married to Bernard (Bernie) Bellman, who graduated from Bath in 2002, and they have two children, Henry, age 4, and Marie 2.
I've seen you around town in scrubs. What do you do and where do you work?
I am a registered nurse and I work at Blanchard Valley Dialysis in Findlay.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I really enjoy helping others and getting to know the patients and their families.
Back in school, what were you involved in?
I was involved in flags, band, softball, Campus Life, and 4-H. I had a lot of favorite teachers. I loved Mrs. Ault for Language Arts and Mrs. Goode for English. I enjoyed having Mr. Hoff for Science and Mr. Wright for Anatomy and Physiology. Of course lots of great times in Mr. Sycks' class for music.
In my "younger" days I really had fun in Mrs. Fultz's class for kindergarten and Mrs. Schmutz for first grade. I will never forget in Mrs. Fultz's class that she had a goat in the classroom one day and the class pet was a bunny. My favorite subject was probably always science classes and Anatomy and Physiology, which I think really led me to knowing I wanted a career in the medical field someday.
Any favorite memories from high school?
I have lots of good memories from high school. I think some of the best were just enjoying times with friends at football games, basketball games, and the Allen County Fair for showing animals for 4-H.
What animal(s) did you show for 4-H? Any blue ribbons?
I showed rabbits, turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese at the Allen County Fair. I won some ribbons with them and made a lot of great memories. I also had goats and horses but they did not go to the fair. I was (am) quite the animal lover and was very fortunate to live out in the country and have parents who were very tolerant of all my "creatures."
What did you want to be growing up?
I always wanted to be a veterinarian or a nurse.
What do you do in your free time?
I love to spend time with my husband Bernie and our two kids, Henry and Marie. We like to do a lot of things outside. I enjoy gardening in the summer time, reading a good book, and I love to cook.
You love to cook. Do you have a favorite dish, something which the whole family enjoys?
I would say the family favorite dish is spaghetti, and I really enjoying baking. Henry really seems to like it too and we have a lot of fun doing that together. Bernie and Marie are our official taste testers.
If you weren't married or had kids, what do you think you'd be doing?
This is probably the hardest question on here! My family is so important to me, I am not sure what my life would look like if I was not married with kids. I would maybe travel more, work more hours...it's just hard to picture.
What was your first-ever job?
My first-ever job was as a "stable-hand" for Maple Lane Stables outside of Beaverdam. I cleaned stalls and looked after the horses after school and I just loved it.
Do you know your family background, and the origin of your maiden name? Are your family from "around here"?
You know, I do know some of my family background, but I don't know a lot of the origin of my maiden name. I have often said I would like to do some of that new genealogy testing that kind of tells you "where you're from." My family has been around the area for a long time. My dad, Ron Green, and his parents all graduated from Bluffton or Beaverdam schools, and my mom, Linda Musser Green, was originally from Elida.
What's your favorite movie or book, and why?
I have quite a few "favorites" but I have to admit that I love the movie "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken." It was always a childhood favorite of mine and I just love the message of never giving up on your dreams.
What do you like about the world?
Well, there is a lot of scary stuff happening in the world now days it seems, but I like the fact that people still seem to be able to come together and work together when it counts. I hope people can continue to remember we really aren't all that different and it really isn't that hard to just be kind to one another.
