Venus' New House
Only child of Stan and Susan Fisk
Married to Jeff Zook
Mother of Jeffrey Scott, Jr (JJ) and Baylee
Venus Lyn Fisk was born in the morning of November 2, 1971 at Copley Memorial Hospital in Aurora, Illinois
after an arduous 24 hours or so of labor by her mother Susan Fisk. I know she was glad to end her pregnancy
successfully and I was glad that I still had all of my fingers! (Susan did not go gently into labor!)
Venus' name was picked by her mother, Sue. She had picked that name out for a daughter many years before
I had met her and insisted upon it. I like the name myself. But in 1971 we had no way of knowing her sex
before birth so I got to choose a boy's name. I liked a couple, Elijah being one and Travis being the other.
Guess it's a good thing she turned out to be a girl. I sure was not disappointed.
Venus was a darling child and I'm glad I got to spend a lot of time with her before she started school.
Her mother worked during the day and I worked evenings at Caterpillar, so Venus and I spent many days
together during her formative years. By the time she entered school, I was in San Diego in the Navy and
I only got to see her once a year or so for quite awhile. While I do not regret my time in the Navy,
I do regret not being around Venus more while she was growing up.
I always made it a point to travel somewhere with her whenever she came to spend the summer with me.
In 1979 from San Diego we rode on my Honda 500 motorcycle up the California coast spending time in
Encino with my cousin Alberta and her daughter, Kathy. Then we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, beautiful scenery,
to camp in Big Sur, drove on the beach in Carmel and spotted Pebble Beach Golf Course froma distance.
We then drove inland through wine country and spent a few days at Yosemite National Park and an evening
at Sequoia National Park before going back to San Diego.
(Click to
read the story from our California Biking Experience 1979)
The next year, 1980, we started out for the Grand Canyon, but had a flat tire, the front one, on my bike
just a couple of minutes after we got out of the southern Rockies in western Arizona. Crashed along
the Interstate and spent the night in a tent that had holes burned in it during the crash and allowed
hundreds of pesky little ants to crawl all over us during the night and not let us sleep. Luckily
for the both of us we were not hurt in the crash but the bike was in a mess.
After catching a ride back to San Diego with a friendly Chief Petty Officer, we left my bike behind
a Stuckey's about a mile down the road from where we crashed and later picked it up in a rented van, we rented
a car and made our way first to Aunt Velma's house in Sun City, Arizona near Phoenix and finally
to the Grand Canyon itself. What an amazing place!
(Click to
read my journal entries from our Summer Trip 1980)
We hiked halfway down the canyon one day and Venus played in a creek while I napped. Another day I talked
her into going on a helicopter ride over the canyon. I thought it was amazing but Venus didn't enjoy
the ride so much. At least she was a sport and tried it. That is one thing about her, I could always
get her to try something even if she thought she wouldn't like it. Such as "sushi". At an office
picnic one year near Gainesville I got her to try raw shark meat. She didn't think she would like it
and she didn't, but at least she gave it a try. The only thing I can think of that I could not
get her to try was sucking the head of a crawfish in New Orleans. But then, how many people would?
Venus had more miles in the air before she was 18 than many people get in a lifetime. She flew many times
by herself to California, Florida, New York, Hawaii and places in between. I guess having a father
who lives far away from you has some benefits, travel time. We toured several of the islands in Hawaii
when she visited there in 1982. Small planes didn't seem to scare her as much as a helicopter.
1982 was the year I was training to run the Honolulu Marathon so I was entered in a road race nearly
every weekend that year in preparation for the big event in December. At a 5 mile run at Barber's Point
Venus entered and ran in the race also. And would you believe she actually won a trophy for her age
group. Running was not what she wanted to do with her life, however.
Venus married her high school sweetheart, Jeff Zook, finally in 1997 in Aurora, Illinois. They had been together
for more than 10 years by this time, and it was obvious that they were meant for each other. They have
two lovely children, one boy and one girl, who are very adorable and cute. Venus is the perfect mother.
She has always had a way with younger children even when she was a younger child herself, so it comes as
no surprise to me to see the patience and understanding that she exhibits with her own children.
I am very proud of my daughter and her family. Venus received her Bachelor's Degree from Aurora University
in Aurora, Illinois in May of 1997 and is now a school teacher. She has found a new hobby, "scrapping".
This is making memories out of photos and arranging the albums using creative expressions. The one she
gave me is fabulous.
The days go by so fast.
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me.
Time to wake up already? Damn. I'm just not ready yet.
Let's go fishing now, everybody's learning how. At Arlyn's lake summer of 1999.
Venus and JJ - 1997.
JJ checks out his surroundings - March 1994.
Let's pose with some reptiles! Gatorland Zoo Kissimmie, Florida - Summer 1995.
Stan, Jeff and JJ - March 1994.
Grandma Susan with baby JJ - March 1994.
4 generations of females, Grandma Rose, Grandma Helene, Sue and Venus
Venus and Molly Bee Goode
Venus, Jeff, JJ, Baylee, Helene, Rex and Sue at Helene's for Christmas 2001
