Alfeld, Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker 1946- (Jamlady)

views updated

Alfeld, Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker 1946- (Jamlady)

PERSONAL:

Born December 28, 1946, in Kingston, NY; daughter of Donald LeFevre (a florist shop and nursery owner) and Doris (a florist shop and nursery owner and teacher) Schoonmaker; divorced; children: Kimberly Ellen, Timothy James. Ethnicity: "Dutch." Education: State University of New York College at Cortland, B.A., 1968; Northern Illinois University, M.A., 1972, M.F.A., 1974. Religion: Episcopalian. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, art, movies, cooking, scuba diving, special education advocacy, psychology.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Box 874, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Board of Cooperative Educational Sources, Truxton, NY, teacher, 1968-69; high school teacher in Streator, IL, 1969-70; teacher of art, science, and consumer education at public schools in Woodstock, IL, 1971-88; academic performance specialist and parent advocate in private practice, 1990—. Operator of an organic farm and farmers' market in Crystal Lake, IL; founder and former owner of Cook, Seal, and Process: Purveyors of Fine Preserves and Condiments; Jamlady.com, owner of a manufacturing and retail canning operation, 1995—; guest on media programs; public speaker and cooking demonstrator. DeKalb Press, DeKalb, IL, night editor, 1969-70; teacher at local community colleges, 1973-81. Donald L. Schoonmaker Scholarship Fund, president, 2004—; community volunteer.

MEMBER:

Daughters of the American Revolution.

WRITINGS:

The Jamlady Cookbook, Pelican Publishing (Gretna, LA), 2004.

Author of "Jamming with Jamlady," a column in Fruit Gardener, 2005—. Author of Jamlady Newsletter, 2004—; contributing editor, Fruit Gardener.

SIDELIGHTS:

Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld told CA: "My father and mother inspired me to write about plants, herbs, and cooking. My father, a nurseryman, always took me on country trips to gather nuts, pick berries, and learn about plants. My mother was active in the Grange, her church, and other women's groups—and all the women in these groups were great cooks. So how could I not cook? After seeing so many great recipes be lost, I decided it was my job to record them and teach people about plants, herbs, and spices.

"My writing process can be described as a gradual honing and adding to a basic discussion of each topic. From there I research, experiment with recipes, and modify what I have previously written. I keep research notebooks on each day's work and can always refer back to all the experiments I have performed. The Jamlady Cookbook was written and researched over a period of fifteen years."