Peter L Shillingsburg

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Birth 

I was born in 1943, in Colombia, South America, where I lived until I was seventeen.



My father William Shillingsburg III was from Greenwich, New Jersey.   My mother Florence "Stubby" was from Park Rapids, Minnesota.  They lived in Colombia, South America, from 1930 to 1972. After that they wintered in Mississippi and spent summers in Minnesota.

Education

I attended first grade in Silome Springs, Arkansas; second, sixth, and ninth grades homeschooled in Palmira; third to fifth grades boarding school in La Cumbre, Colombia; seventh grade public school in Park Rapids, Minnesota; tenth grade day school in Colegio Bolivar, Cali, Colombia; eleventh and twelveth grades at Ben Lippen School in Asheville, North Carolina.

I attended Columbia Bible College two years and then transferred to the University of South Carolina, earning the BA 1966 in secondary education, which I consider a mistake; MA 1967 in American literature with a thesis on South Carolina favorite literary son, William Gilmore Simms; and PhD1970 in English literature with a dissertation on William Makepeace Thackeray. I did research for and wrote my disseration in the rotunda of the old British Library at the British Museum.

Family

 familypic
Miriam married me in November 1967 in Columbia, S.C. Because she was more beautiful, more intelligent, more accomplished, more sophisticated, and more focused than I, she has made all the difference. I have had to work extra hard just to try to measure up.
See what I mean?
Miriam


Robert Allen, named for his maternal great-grandfather, Robert Allen, was born in Hammersmith, west of London, in July, 1970. We returned to South Carolina when he was 12 days old. BA Rice University, PhD Princeton. Worked for Google--something to do with making our internet searches better.  Amelia makes him a better person. Their first son, John Anthony, named for his uncle, was born in August 2004.  Their second son, Peter Charles Shillingsburg, named for a grandfather and great-grandfather, was born in March 2006.  See their photos.





George William, named for a great-grandfather and two great uncles named George and two grandfathers named William, was born in Starkville, MS, in August, 1971. BA Mississippi State University, MA Johns Hopkins. Works for National Security Agency--won't say why, nor what he does; perhaps he's a janitor or something.  Lived three years in Japan then four in England, and now Augusta, Ga. Amy keeps him and four of my grandchildren out of trouble.
      Grandchildren:  Bogan, Laura, William, Thomas.
       Dog: Bouncer.

   Amy is holding Robert's son John.

John Anthony, named for his uncle John and a cousin once removed, Robert Anthony, was born in Starkville, MS, in June, 1974. BS and MS Mississippi State University. Worked in San Antonio for Southern Bell Corp.  Married Mariana, an RN.  They now live in San Francisco, where he owns and runs Rebarber Enterprises.

Anne and Alice in San Jose, CR
 Miriam Alice (on the right), named for her mother, and her grandmother, both Miriam, and because Alice is a pretty name and starts with A, was born in Starkville, MS, in June, 1976. BS Mississippi State University, MS Auburn University, PhD Auburn in clinical psychology (2006). Assist. Prof. Marcus Institute, Emory University, works with autistic kids in Atlanta.

Anne Carol, named for a paternal grand aunt, Anne Woodruff--a magnificent woman, God rest her soul--and for the day she was born, arrived on Christmas Day, 1977. BA Wake Forest University, advanced studies Shanghai University, MA Indiana University, South Bend.  Married Gil Manu and has a son, Peter, born in South Bend, IN, April 2006. Currently living in Asrou, Morocco.

                   Anne in Shanghai                                                                            Ronald in Shanghai

Home  Somewhere in western North Carolina
View from the porch


Wendy

Travel
The pictures on this page were made in Costa Rica, except the first, which was made in Japan, two near the end in China, and the last three in N.C..  Since 1990, we have made all-family Christmas trips every five years: to Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Spain and who knows where next.  We all lived in Australia in 1984.

I speak, read and write Spanish, having grown up in Colombia, South America. In the United States I've lived in Arkansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York (NYC), Texas, Illinois, Indiana, and Mississippi. Abroad, in addition to growing up in Colombia, I've lived  in England (London six months and Leicester four years) and Australia (20 months in Canberra). I've visited Belgium, Belize, China, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morroco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland,  Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Thailand. Floated through the Panama Canal at age six and again at age seven, and down the Yangzee just before the gorge was damned--oops, I mean dammed.

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First Posted: December 2004
Updated:April 2008