Andrea and I have worked together for a year now at the Lagrange Branch Library and haven’t stopped laughing since day one. Each day she brings to work enthusiasm, humor, a ton of knowledge about both the Library and the community we serve, and a down to earth attitude that always manages to ease my anxiety. Outside of work, she is a devoted mother to two beautiful girls who are both spitting images of her, an aspiring insta-pot cook extraordinaire, and known as the neighbor who doesn’t water her porch plants!

Katie, Manager of the Lagrange Branch

How long have you worked for the library? 16 years

What is your favorite memory/story or part of working at the Library? My favorite memories are vast…

My best one is when I was able to meet my favorite author, Sandra Cisneros, hug her, thank you for her life’s work and get a signed copy of a few books. I will cherish them forever!

Were you born in Toledo? Yes, born and raised!

Where is your mother’s family from? Where is your father’s family from? My mother was born in Port Clinton, my father was born in Missouri and their families migrated here for the seasons as they worked to provide for their families.

What is your favorite family tradition? My father comes from a big family of boys, as children we would have a huge family get together at the park on Father’s Day and celebrate as a family, cousins, aunts, uncles, and sometimes friends. Many a softball and volleyball game, pictures and celebrating our amazing fathers together.

What is your favorite family recipe/dish/meal? My grandma Marquez’s rice! I love it so much and the only one that can make it is my Aunt Dina, who still uses her Mother’s cast iron pan to do so!

Who were your favorite relatives? My parents. My father was my best friend. He was a tremendous man and person. He instilled so many values and showed such love to his family, raising four strong women. Together my parents were a tremendous team and displayed the ultimate love of their culture and family. I miss them dearly.

Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?

My father had a “weird” middle name, Wayne. He said that he was named after the farmer that his family worked for in the Missouri fields, and who helped his mother give birth to him. My father would tell me as a young boy that he and his siblings would follow his parents out into the fields to work…one time he fell asleep in a field and they had to go searching for him…His mother cared for several (like 7 or 8 at the time!) children, and would cook their lunch on the side of the road, fresh tortillas, made in the hot sun. He loved her so much and said the most beautiful thing was seeing his mother’s loving handprint on a fresh tortilla and feeding her family. My mother’s family was from Port Clinton, a family of several gifted musicians (the gene skipped me!) my grandfather and his brothers would pick up their guitars and serenade their families at gatherings. Grandpa Marquez would make up silly little songs to us as children and he always had a grin. Years later, generations and generations of the family meet for our reunions and we have a whole band ensemble, drummers, sax, guitars, singers, across genres and generations we share in the love of music that our grandfathers passed down.

What is your favorite place in Toledo? The Middlegrounds Metropark

What is your favorite Toledo restaurant? El Vaquero, Secor

Even though there is a lot of stuff we don’t like about the pandemic, is there something your family has done during the pandemic that has been fun? A new tradition or a fun safe event? I have two young, school age daughters. During the pandemic, specifically while we had so much downtime we did a lot of painting, took a lot of walks, and got a new kitten, Phoebe Louise Lane (she has a whole name!). But, mostly, it offered us time just to slow down, and be together.

What is your favorite book/movie/tv show? To Kill a Mockingbird/ 16 Candles/ American Horror Story

What is something that most people don’t know about you? I have a Harley and her name is Raven.

Art provided by Chariti, Circulation Clerk at the Washington Branch