Her Voice Magazine - Summer 2022 issue

Her Story: Coming Out of the Darkness - Toxic relationships and addiction when she was young cost Charly Niesen the custody of three of her children, but today she is living the life she used to only dream about.

On the Cover: Charly Niesen found the strength to change the direction of her life. Photo by Kaputured by Kala Photography.

Her Career: Mickey’s Pizza welcomes a third generation - During a visit from her mom, Toni, Grace Czeczok was approached with the offer to come back to Brainerd and eventually take over Mickey’s Pizza and Subs.

Her Passion: Celebrating 20 years of Heart and Soul - The 2021-22 performance season marked the 20th anniversary of the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota and May 1 was the last concert of the Aamot who retired from the Legacy Chorale after 20 years.

Her Table: What’s Cookin’? - Sharon Carlson shares three summer salad recipes from the “What’s Cookin’’ cookbook from First Congregational United Church of Christ,” published in 1993.

Her Family: Tips for the perfect family road trip - Columnist Michelle Oie is no stranger to road trips. She provides a comprehensive list of tips to help prepare for a family road trip.

Her History: Church Basement Ladies and the Changing Times - Church basement ladies aren’t what they used to be.

My Voice: Hello, summer!

Her Farewell: Farewell to Our Friend, Audrae

Her Journey: A Celebration of Women in their 90s

Her Healing: The Call of the Wild

For Her: My Mother’s Mission

Her Health: Tapping Your Way to Peace

Her Clubs: The Best Book Club Ever

Her Lifestyle: Balsam Moon Preserve: A Dream in the Making

By Delynn Howard,

Summer. It finally decided to arrive. Is it just me or was that the longest winter in history? I didn’t think those huge snow piles would ever reveal green grass again.

Peg Serani knows all about seeing green. She finds comfort being in nature and has created her own backyard sanctuary. Writer Candice Zimmermann, new to Her Voice, has Peg’s story in this issue. And speaking of backyards, writer Theresa Jarvela tells us about the mission her mom had to keep the critters away from her bird feeders. You’ll be surprised to hear how it ends.

Jan Kurtz approached me with an idea to honor the elderly women (ages 90 and over) of our community with a photo and thought it would be a wonderful idea to give our readers a chance to do the same with their elderly female loved ones. In her article on Page 8, you’ll find the details on how to do just that. Your submission might be included in the next Her Voice issue.

Throughout these pages, you’ll learn what tapping is, be introduced to Grace Czeczok, third generation owner of Mickey’s in Brainerd, and read the amazing success story of Charly Niesen who struggled with her past but managed to come out of the darkness and live her best life.

Lastly, Susan Smith-Grier wrote a poem to pay homage to our beloved Audrae Gruber who passed away March 31. Audrae was a longtime contributor to Her Voice magazine and she will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her. May she rest in peace.

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