My handsome dad Albert and my beautiful mom Mary Hessman.

Stella Joan Hessman Owen was born to the best parents that God put on earth. I was 5 years old when we moved from Indianapolis to New Whiteland. My sister Patty was 6 and my brother Albert Jr. was around 8 months old. My parent's home was the second home to be built there. Anderson's were the first home (they lived just one house down and across the street from us. Weinger's home was the second home to be built and they were the second home next to us to be built. These three families became very close friends. Because Whiteland had not yet been recognized as a town I was able to have a lot of pets. Before I was 9 years old I had three roosters, one hen, and 25 chickens.