Steve Robert Simmons – 1950
I am professor emeritus in Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. During my 32 years on the faculty at Minnesota, I taught courses ranging from plant physiology to agroecology. I also taught undergraduate courses that featured memoir writing as the primary pedagogy. I served for six years as co-facilitator for the “Making Meaning of a Life in Teaching” project, which helped faculty and others write about their experiences as teachers and learners.
I am certified as a spiritual director and facilitate occasional workshops and retreats on writing about one’s life. I am a creative nonfiction writer with several published memoirs. My current writing includes essays about the meaning of my upbringing in Indiana and other topics of interest to my life and times.
My wife (Mary Ann) and I have three daughters (Jill, Lara and Dawn), two grandsons (Samuel & Henry), and a granddaughter (Linnea).
Swinging a golf club at age 2 (1948)
Double Agent 
Steve – I stumbled upon your blog, I suppose while search for Terre Haute-related things, as I am from there. I too blog via WP – at Ask a Hoosiercom ( http://askahoosier.wordpress.com/ ). I read your personal golf history piece and constantly thought of my son, now 11, who loves the game. We happen to share a couple of other things beyond our TH roots, Air Force space experience being another. My grandfather’s sister lived on the south side of Rea Park for many years (Lammey) and so, of course, had a garage full of errant golf balls – recovered in their yard. I look forward to reading more from you. – – Michael E Conner
It is a pleasure to meet you vIa this WordPress connection, Michael. I’m glad to know that you resonate with my “The Muscles Remember” essay! Yes, Rea Park and the Stadium golf courses in Terre Haute were the cradle for me in the game. And it does sound like we share other things in common besides our hometown and interest in golf, including a Top Secret ESI clearance at one point in our lives. 🙂
I look forward to hearing more from you as your read more of my work and I’ll be over to check out your writing as well. With all the best, Steve
Steve – I stumbled upon your blog during an image search and found your in-front-of the car, TH, 1961 photo. I then read your personal golf history piece, and enjoyed it very much, as my 11 yr-old son loves the game (…and he is a bit small and worries over once in a while).
I too am from Terre Haute and so, have a few things in common with you, including some beyond TH (our USAF space experience being one). My grandfather’s sister (LN Lammey) lived on the south side of Rea Park for many years, and so, of course, had the requisite garage full of errant golf balls, all recovered from their yard. (You can imagine I have wondered if you knew them…)
I also blog via WP: at Ask A Hoosier com ( http://askahoosier.wordpress.com/ ), where I have a couple of pieces about my grandmothers, both of whom were in Terre Haute. I enjoyed your “…Writing Companion” piece very much.
I look forward to reading more from you. Many thanks. — Michael E Conner
I’m afraid I didn’t know your relative in Terre Haute, but it has been almost 50 years now since I lived there. I will be over to visit your “askahoosier” site soon. 🙂
steve
i met you on # 3 tee box at seymour country club,right after you hit your drive.
Glen Brock im trying to find sweet blindness,i will .
May see you again on the course,
PS i had the hole in one on march 7
So good to hear from you again, Glen. Thanks for coming to my WordPress site. Sweet Blindness is listed among the essays on this site so you should be able to find it there. I hope to be back to Seymour again in the not-too-distant future. Maybe we can connect for a round together. It is a SWEET course for me. I’m impressed by your hole-in-one, by the way–and especially on hole #2 from the back tee!!! 🙂 Steve
Hi…I was watching Two chicks&ahammers Mina Starsiak Hawk show case Marie Goth’s paintings on a recent Indy reno, &got curious about the painter, as my grandfather ‘s family is from Nashville…as I was searching…I tripped over your fascinating essay, &forwarded it to Mina at Good Bones…I especially loved the painting you showcased of Carini’s the secret cabin…was he related to 15th cen. Italian painter Giavonni Carini?..Many thanks for taking the time to share your warm experience–Sheila..South Bend, Indiana
Thanks for your thoughtful response to my Cari and Marie essay, Sheila. I had never heard of Cariani’s artistic pedigree before, but I’m not surprised. 😉