Gratitude, in her own words.

After my husband of 42 years passed away in the spring of 2021, I began to window-shop for a new life, a new home somewhere affordable, practical, and more suitable to who I am. Having a farmer’s beginnings, a suburban Chicago upbringing, and decades raising a family with all the advantages of major metropolitan communities, I was somehow drawn to a quieter, simpler town and blessedly discovered Sheridan, Wyoming.

While looking at homes for sale, the very first address I spotted was 450 S Thurmond. On my little phone, I studied that big house with its high ceilings and proud posture on Residence Hill. Because of its age, and mine, I reluctantly moved on and chose a newer Sheridan home. Random, unfulfilled dreams still included the house on Thurmond, and when it came up for sale once again, I made it mine.

Gratitude was born on April 13, 2026. It is called Gratitude in loving memory of my mom, who died just months before my husband. My sons and I spent several occasions reminiscing about how every December 26th, Grandma Kally enlisted us all to write thank-you notes.

Throughout her life, Kally wrote genuine thank-you letters to a friendly waitress, an especially helpful sales person, an attentive flight attendant, sometimes even a corporate CEO when she believed the company served the public well. My mom was motivated by the idea that criticism was just too easy and far more common than a pat on the back. I came to agree with Mom, that the world will be far better served when each of us takes a moment to express gratitude to someone for a job well done once in a while.