Barb Englund

I was born and grew up in Phillips, WI, in northern Wisconsin. My family is quite large and boisterous. I had 6 sisters and 3 brothers, and we always lived in big old farmhouses. All of my family still lives in the Phillips area.

After graduation from High school I worked for 2 years as a waitress in Waukesha, WI. I met my husband the summer after graduation, and we married 2 years later. I attended Technical School for that year and then flew to San Diego to be with my husband when he returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam.

Our daughter Terri was born that first year. Cindy came the second year, while we were in California. After Kent’s third tour of duty in Vietnam we flew back to Wisconsin, and settled in Madison, where Kent found a job at St Mary’s Hospital. I was a stay at home mom until my girls were in 2nd and 3rd grade. I then enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and got my Bachelor of Science in Interior Design.

I have been working as a Kitchen and Bath designer for about 25 years in the Madison and Janesville area. I am also a Certified Kitchen Designer (C.K.D.), and a Certified Bath Designer (C.B.D.), which are national accreditation exams, which I took in 1993 & 2006.

My husband still works at St. Mary’s. My daughter Terri is an assistant marketing coordinator at Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, and my daughter Cindy is an occupational therapist, who works with elementary school children with disabilities. I am so proud of both of them. I have three grand children: Nicole 14, Megan 11 and Mackenzie who will be 8 in July. My family is the light of my life, and I couldn’t be more blessed.

I joined Eastern Star in July 1993, and have served as Martha, Ester, Associate Conductress, Associate Matron and Worthy Matron for four years. I have been a member of Edgerton Chapter and Evansville chapter.

My other interests are; traveling; we have been around most of the state of Wisconsin, and most of the other states in the union. We have also been to Canada and Mexico. Hawaii, Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia). I also knit, crochet, sew, and enjoy photography and scrap booking, I love roses and have about 9 rose bushes. I don’t do much gardening, a small flower garden with tulips, and a couple of tomato plants each year is about it.

Kent is very active in Zor Shrine, and he is on the Divan for 2008. Shrine and Eastern Star will make it a very busy, exciting, wonderful year, and I am really looking forward to it!