Somebody dared him to go down and date that woman with five kids.

Margaret Wineland, 64, is the mother of seven children and five foster children. She teaches Sunday school, works in a doctor’s office and manages an apartment complex. For Wineland, it has been a busy life, but it hasn’t been easy. She and her husband, Firman, and their son, Terry, live in Panorama City. Back in 1947, I went into the Navy Medical Corps to get away from home because I couldn’t stand any more pressure. I was the oldest of seven kids, and it was like I was their mama. We lived on a farm in Ohio, and I couldn’t take no more. I was 19.

When I got out of the Navy, I got married. I took care of that real fast. After 15 years of marriage, I told my husband, “That’s it, buddy.” I was pregnant and there were two other women in the town that were pregnant with his babies, and I knew ‘em. I says, “Huh uh, I’m not putting up with that.” I divorced him.

I was alone for three years, with five kids. I said I’d never get married again. Then this man come along. Somebody dared him to go down and date that woman with five kids. He knocked on the door and says, “Would you like to go out to the movies? I says, “When?” He says, “Tonight.” Well he didn’t have a car, so we took my car--a little old ’56 Chevy, nice one--and we went on a date.

From that time on, every night after work, he was at my house. So, after that, I says, “Well shoot, let’s just get married instead of this kind of stuff. So he ended up marrying me in ’61. We come out here in ’62. We’ve been out here this whole time. I’ll be married to the man 28 years. It turned out real good.

When I worked for the nurses’ registry, they suggested that I go to nursing school, to get my LVN license--Licensed Vocational Nurse. That was more money, so I took the plunge in 1983.

I was going to school and during that time, my son, Larry, was killed. Somebody broke into his apartment and shot him. They called me after school to come identify his body. The next day was exams, and I’m thinking, “Oh dear.” After the funeral, I went back to school and I made an “A” on the exam, which shocked me.

After that, I was going to school one morning down Hayvenhurst and some dumb fool broadsided the car. The car was folded up like an accordion.

I was broke up, I know that. My left hip was torn, and they had to sew my leg back on. My right leg was broken and the knee cap was broken. My left arm was totally broke. I lost control of my fingers.

The doctor said I’d never use my hands again, I’d never walk again, my vision wouldn’t come back. I felt useless. I felt like, “What good am I? Am I ever gonna walk again? Am I ever gonna be a help to my family? Am I going to be an invalid the rest of my life?”

This happened in November, ’84. I only had 24 weeks left to go to finish getting my LVN.

It took 18 months to recover. Because of so many problems, I couldn’t do justice to a patient in nursing, but I wanted to stay in the medical field if I could. So I decided to go to medical office management school so I could work in a doctor’s office. I’d still be with people, and I’d still be nursing. I graduated the 16th of February, of this year. Now I’m working in a doctor’s office. I’ve got control of my fingers now where I can do office work and typing.

I enjoy people. That’s my thing, I love people and I like to do things for them. My husband says I’m too sympathetic, but that’s OK. When you’re sympathetic, you understand the problems they have. Sometimes they need help, lots of it.

The odds were kind of heavy on me, but I made it because I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I feel that if it wasn’t for the prayers, and if it wasn’t for the family and the people around here, I wouldn’t have made it.

It sure has been a rough road all the way down the line. It’s been crazy, it’s been hectic, it’s been disappointing at times. But then there’s always a brighter side, no matter what happens. That’s what I think.