Mary Marini Svigelj

Really 40 years! ? I have been blessed with 5 beautiful daughters and now enjoy 7 grandchildren. Of all my accomplishments and endeavors in the past 40 years I am most proud of my family and have found the most pleasure in the raising of my daughters.
I am in the midst of an exciting and some what daunting endeavor, the opening of a bookstore on Bridge St. in the Ashtabula Harbor. We are aiming for April for the opening and are finalizing the details. This is a long planned venture and it is a bit unreal to see it actually take form and become a reality. The store will feature new books, current best sellers, local interest and a huge selection of children's classics and current books.The concept has always been to be a "community" store with customers feeling welcome to browse and linger and share the love of reading. The perfect location to set the tone is Bridge St. which is a community within a community. Already I have been made to feel welcome and encouraged by the retailers, and more importantly mentored by very giving and generous "experts." I am convinced this endeavor is going to be a success because of their support. Hope to see new and "old" friends enter My Sisters' Books store in the very near future.

My years at St. John were formative in helping me shape my values and convictions. I learned to stay true to what I believed was right for me and those lessons helped me persue the 7 years of adoption for my two youngest daughters against all odds. While I can not say that high school was the best time of my life I do have some positive memories of good times and good people. There were fellow students who shared there friendship and encouragement and I cherish those memories.