My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely knew her calling with the birth of her first son, Barry Schulenberg. From the moment he arrived, Jennifer began working toward her nursing degree, and within two years she was a labor and delivery nurse. Jennifer also drove herself to the hospital when her second pregnancy turned into a bit of an emergency. Nevertheless, her son JD Parmely was born healthy and well, as was her third son, Erik Parmely. As to her career, there is no way to say exactly how many babies Jennifer assisted in their entry into the world, but I know that four of them were my grandchildren, Chris Petersen, Shai Royce, Caalab Royce, and Josh Petersen. Jennifer’s nursing career was long and exciting and finally came to an end when Jennifer retired on February 28, 2023. She had been in healthcare since she was 17 years old…first as a candy striper, then as a CNA (as required by the nursing school at that time), and then as a labor and delivery nurse.
Since her retirement, she still spends time with children quite a bit. She has three granddaughters and a grandson, all of whom love to spend time with their Oma, especially if they can spend the night. Jennifer especially loves to spend time one-on-one with the kids, so they can each do things that they are specifically interested in. The kids are 13, 11, 8, and 6, so their interests vary greatly, and sometimes it’s just nice to get away from siblings. I know that Jennifer is a blessing to her son, Eric and his wife too. She sometimes picks the kids up from school when their parents are working and keeps them until they get off work. It takes a load off of working parents and pleases Jennifer and the kids too.
Of course, not all of Jennifer’s time is spent with children. She and her partner, Brian Cratty own a cabin on 
Casper Mountain, and they love spending time up there throughout the year. They love hiking, skiing, and just relaxing at the cabin. The kids all love to go up to for picnics, holidays, hiking, skiing and whatever everyone comes up with. Prior to her retirement, Jennifer’s time on the mountain was more limited. Now, she is free to go up as often as she wants, and since their house in town isn’t that far from the base of the mountain, it’s just a quick trip up there. Jennifer is very much enjoying her retirement. Today is Jennifer’s birthday. Happy 65th birthday Jennifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
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