Verona takes great pride in her educational past in Longview schools, especially at R.A. Long. She attended CVG. Kessler, as well as RAL. She has always given credit to many of the teachers along the way. Miss Johnson and Miss Fenstermacher in art classes. Verona says that their teaching came in handy when she became a graphic artist in the television world. Muriel Albert taught her about drama in the Children’s Theatre Plays she produced. She was given leading rolls which helped her be unafraid in later television appearances. Mr. Gattiker conducted the junior high and high school orchestras which prepared her to appear with large university and community symphony groups. Mr. Bryson instilled in her a love for vocal performance. Traveling in Europe, singing in the amazing acoustical cathedrals brought back memories of her education here. Verona served RAL as a cheerleader in her senior year, leading the singing of our Alma Mater at each assembly, suffering at the football games on cold nights, and led the loud cheering at basketball games.
Her life has been busy visiting places such as the US Congress, Arlington Cemetery, Colorado, Texas, Hawaii, Morea, Mediterranean Sea, Israel, Denmark, Leningrad, Frankfurt, France, and Sweden, with another trip planned for Israel. Verona has published two books thus far, as well as poetry and music. She has hosted a daily women’s television program in California, written TV commercials and used her talents as a graphic artist in television. She created VEESIGN Advertising as a business venture. Working with six businesses, she wrote TV ads, newspaper ads and wrote radio spots for her clients. Verona became involved in politics in various ways. She served as a staffer in the House of Representatives, and was contacted and served on committees for a presidential candidate.
In music, she was a member of the Humbolt University Symphony 25 years touring Western Europe. She has been a member of the Eureka Symphony for 20 years. In the realm of vocal music, Verona has been with the U of California Redwoods Chorale, performing in concerts in Western Europe and Scandinavia. She has performed in Germany, Austria, England as well as places here in the U.S. She still plays her violin for many weddings, funerals, and serves on the worship team of her church.
She has served as recording secretary, vice president, and president of the Redwood Empire chapter of the American Business Woman’s Association. Verona’s life has been very busy as can be verified by her biography. All the while, however, she has remembered her upbringing and connections to her Alma Mater, R.A. Long High School. Even now, we still call on her to lead the singing of our alma mater at the end of each of our many reunions just as she did at the end of all school assemblies.