Hometown: Lebanon, Mo.
Family: Husband, Paul; and seven children, ages 8 to 23
In Town: Stacey Corneau is a third-grade teacher at Joel E. Barber School, and her husband Paul has recently taken a job with Laclede County Road and Bridge after staying home during the COVID pandemic.
“I was a second-grade teacher in Kansas for two years, then became a stay-at-home mom with our younger children,” Stacey explained. “We talked about doing home schooling, but this has worked out, I’m sure, as a part of God’s plan. I’ve really had the best of both worlds, being able to stay home and now as a working mom. I enjoy working with the kids in the classroom, and it’s like once that teacher in you comes out, you really miss that relationship.”
Stacey worked for a year as a substitute teacher at JEB before becoming a full-time teacher.
In the Country: “We have a relatively small hog operation,” Stacey said. “When we started in March 2020, we had a lot going on, like everyone, with COVID. We had three hogs to start with and kept a breeding pair. We had growing kids, wanting to show in 4-H so we found it was easier to keep and grow our own. Then Paul said, ‘Well, maybe we should let others know we’re raising hogs, in case, they would want this kind of meat. Or their kids might want to show animals and this could be kind of expensive, if someone is trying to do it all on their own.’
“So now we are raising fat hogs up for others who can purchase them for butchering. We have had from five to 12 hogs at a time, at different stages. Right now we have two boars, five sows, with two recent litters.
“We’re also raising some quality show hogs for local 4-H and FFA students, who might not be able to afford one on their own” she continued. “They come and help with chores like feeding, watering, cleaning pens in exchange for their pig. We recently poured concrete floors for our pens. Our own kids helped with that as a family project. Our hope is to one day be USDA certified. Paul has also installed a misting system, using a lawn irrigation system, to help keep the animals cool in the summer. He also plans to add a farrowing building in the future.”
“This has been my husband’s dream for a long time. It’s now become a family affair involving our own kids, a hobby project that is teaching them that if you want something in your life, you have to work for it.”
