Although she was born in Kansas, and attended a one-room rural school for six years, Zandy Robinson spent much of her adult life in the highly-populated state of California.

But, 11 years ago, she and her husband, Gene, made the move back to Newton
County where he was born and raised.

“We decided to come here because his parents needed care,” Zandy said. “And I was happy to come because I guess I never lost that Kansas farm girl attitude.”

In 1997, immediately after getting settled in Missouri, Zandy took a job with the University of Missouri Extension’s Newton County office in Neosho.

“I still call myself a secretary,” she says. “Some like me are called office managers or some other title, but I’m a secretary.”

And, as a secretary, Zandy stays very busy.

“I answer phones. I take in soil samples,” Zandy said.  “I work a lot with 4-H families. I help Dave when I can, and I take care of people who come through the front door. I also work with the Master Gardeners, the Extension Council and some with the 4-H Council.”

Those who come through the front door are usually 4-Hers or people in the area who are looking for help or information.

“Many people come in with problems in their garden or yard. They may have trouble with gophers or something is bothering their tomato plants,” she said. “We usually can find some information for them. We can still give them those wonderful extension bulletins which answer lots of questions.”

Any extension bulletin from the University of Missouri can be found on-line, but many elderly people do not use computers, so Zandy is happy to give them a “real” copy of the information they need.

Zandy fills her spare time working in her own yard and garden.

“I love to be outdoors,” she said. “I don’t plant many vegetables, but I like flowers and the yard.”

She also makes an effort to attend the county fair and she tries to attend any kind of 4-H activity in the county.

“I really work hard to support the 4-Hers,” she said. “This is such a great program for kids.”

Until gasoline prices became so high, she and Gene enjoyed short drives around the area, just doing local sightseeing.

“We like the back roads,” she said. “We left California to get off the freeways.”

Less-traveled back roads and fewer freeways are a plus for Zandy, even though she did leave two children in California, and now has two grandchildren there.

 “I miss my California family, but I really like being back in Missouri where life is less complicated. But even that is changing somewhat,” she lamented.

But no matter how much life changes, Zandy has no interest in returning to live in California.

 “I like it right here.”

And that’s reason enough to make Zandy Robinson Today’s Woman.