Mrs. Mad Cowboy Interview

[Guest guest]

Interview: Willow Jeane Lyman

April 2003

 

http://www.madcowboy.com/02_WJL_VN_Interview.html

 

VEGNEWS: Tell me a little about how, when, and where you met Howard?

 

WILLOW JEANE LYMAN: Howard and I attended the same high school. I was

a year older and in his brother's class. I knew Howard, but we ran in

different crowds, so I didn't have anything to do with him. He and

his brother were football players so everyone knew who they were.

 

Three years after graduation I married Joseph Wilkins. We moved to

the Denver area and then to Phoenix.

 

It wasn't until 12 years after high school graduation, when back in

Montana, that I met Howard again. We have been married 35 years.

 

VN: Do you have any children?

 

WJL: Howard and I have two daughters, Jennifer, 33, and Molly, 31.

Our three older children are from my first marriage: Jeanine, 45,

Laura, 43, and Michael, 41. We also have a foster son, Minh Nguyen,

38.

 

VN: Are your family gatherings vegetarian? Do your children support

or embrace Howard and your lifestyle?

 

WJL: Yes, our family gatherings are vegan. Not all our children

embrace our lifestyle, but they respect it. One daughter is

vegetarian and her three daughters are too. One of those

granddaughters, Rachel, became vegetarian at age 12 (she was the

first in our family). My sister is also vegetarian. I often apologize

to my children for the way I fed them when they were young. I did not

understand what I was doing to them.

 

VN: I would guess that you were not vegan when you first met. Speak a

bit about how and why you transitioned to this lifestyle. Whose idea

was it? Who or what were some of your greatest influences for kicking

the meat habit?

 

WJL: Howard and I have also been fortunate as a couple to have grown

together. Sometimes one of us is ahead of the other but we manage to

come out at the end together. I have been careful with my diet since

I was a teenager, for health and weight control reasons. I stopped

eating red meat long before I became vegetarian. I realized I could

not control my weight while consuming it and I found it hard to

digest. At that time I still believed it was a good source of

nutrition. My education on this issue started when we became involved

in the Beyond Beef Campaign. I read Jeremy Rifkin's book and the

light came on.

 

I began reading everything I could find on the issue. This is another

instance where Howard and I ventured down the same path, sometimes

one ahead of the other. I think I started the change, Howard joined

in and forged ahead, then I finally caught up by giving up dairy.

 

VN: An inspiring story. Thank you. Let me change the focus slightly

and learn more about you. Tell me a little about your life and

career. Have you always worked with Howard? Have you worked

elsewhere? Were you blessed enough to stay home with your children?

 

WJL: I was a stay-at-home Mom for six years with three children. My

husband died at age 28 of leukemia while we were living in Arizona. I

returned to Montana, my birthplace, with my children and went to work

for the Federal Probation Office.

 

VN: Is that where you met Howard?

 

WJL: No, it was three years later when I met Howard again. We were

married three months after that. Imagine! I shudder to think of it

now-what was I thinking!?!

 

We immediately started life together by building our home on the

farm. For the next 20 years the farm, our children, and hard work

consumed our lives. There was no job I shied away from: seeding, rock

picking, harvest, branding, calving, construction, pouring concrete,

gardening, as well as the usual household chores and raising

children. I also cooked for the hired farm crew, as well as for

anyone who stopped by for " a meal at the Lyman's. " Later on I also

held several secretarial jobs in town.

 

VN: Wonderful. Obviously you worked closely with Howard before he

changed careers. Since then, Howard has been with the Beyond Beef

Campaign, the HSUS, EarthSave, and now his own organization, Voice

for a Viable Future. How involved are you, if at all, with this work?

 

WJL: Howard's first job in Washington, DC [after retiring from

farming] was with the National Farmer's Union. My employer in

Washington was the Inter-national Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.

These two organizations worked together frequently in a coalition to

get legislation passed to benefit their members. This was rewarding

work for both of us.

 

I guess you can say I have always been involved with Howard's work.

How could I not? While we were on the farm, we were never separated.

After we started our new adventures away from Montana, we were

separated frequently as Howard had to travel. Now that I am retired,

I can travel with him more. The work he does now requires a lot of

time at the desk. That is one of my skills.

 

VN: What has been your most positive or rewarding experience of being

involved in your husband's career?

 

WJL: The most rewarding experiences have been meeting all the

wonderful people in this movement. These are compassionate,

unselfish, loving people-and there are so many of them.

 

VN: What has been your most challenging or difficult obstacle to

overcome?

 

WJL: I am a private person. I cherish my anonymity. This is hard to

achieve with Howard.

 

VN: Fill me in on what's happening in Howard and your life right now.

Are there any special projects or exciting events that you are

currently working on?

 

WJL: The exciting current project on the table at the moment is the

documentary. This documentary is the story of our life. There is a

movie in the making too. There should be three books coming out in

the next year. Never a dull moment with my husband!

 

VN: It sounds like an exciting year for you. We're just about out of

time, so let's have some fun with this final question. Tell me one

thing people would be surprised to learn about Howard Lyman?

 

WJL: You would be surprised to learn that Howard is a very private

person. He really doesn't talk very much. Are we talking about the

same person?

 

 

[This interview was conducted by Joseph Connelly, Editor, VegNews, in

April 2003 and first appeared in VegNews, May/June 2003]