I was born in the dark during hurricane Carol in Newburyport, MA in 1954 and wonder why I’m not Carol Holdman-Bellavance!

Along with my older sister and brother, we moved to Middlebury in 1953 and soon my two younger sisters came along. My grandparents lived up the road and started Pyrofax Gas where my father worked for a year before starting his milk hauling company.

After graduating from Middlebury Union High School, a friend and I toured the USA and when we ran out of money, I worked at Roy Rogers Family Restaurant in Riverside, CA for one year. Came back and worked the summer at Basin Harbor Club in Ferrisburgh which led to the winter at Boca Hotel & Club in Boca Raton, FL. Came home again and was hired for opening day in1974 at Fire & Ice Restaurant in Middlebury.  The owners took me under their wings and I was soon helping in the office where my bookkeeping skills came about. I was there for thirteen years and credit them not only for the office experience, but also for work ethics.

I left to work at my father’s trucking company and was there for 18 years.  It was where I met John. He was a heavy-duty parts salesman and we were both involved in the VT Truck & Bus Association.

We married in 2001. I have twin daughters, Shannon & Andrea and John has a daughter, Lindsay. Lindsay has a daughter, Lana and Shannon has Willa.  Needless to say, John is looking forward to a Grandson!

When my father closed the company we moved to Albany, NY where I worked for the New York State Motor Truck Association for eight years.  Besides bookkeeping, I ran the NYS Share the Road program which was rewarding to me as it brought safety awareness and more to high school students.  We moved to Hardwick in 2011 and I worked at Middlesex Electric in Montpelier until retiring in 2020.  I find it rewarding that I can help Hardwick Rescue with bookkeeping. It fills in a hole between gardening, golf, camping and being with family and friends.