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The Simple Lives We Live

The Simple Lives We Live

Written by: Kylie Simnioniw
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Some of the most extraordinary stories don't come from celebrities or history books. They come from everyday people - your neighbor, your grandmother, the man who runs the corner store, or the woman sitting next to you at church.

On The Simple Lives We Live, we sit down with ordinary people to uncover the beautiful, hard, faithful, and fleeting moments that shaped their lives. Stories of love and loss. Of grit and grace. Of family, faith, and the simple days we didn't know we'd one day miss.


So please join me each week as we capture voices and memories that deserve to be heard and remembered. Because the truth is, ordinary people live the most extraordinary lives.

© 2026 The Simple Lives We Live
Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Jean Hardy
    Jun 5 2026

    Jean Hardy reflects on her upbringing in a large faith-filled family that moved often before settling in Valley City, North Dakota, so several of her siblings could receive special education support. She shares memories of childhood routines, caregiving, holidays, and the lessons she learned through hardship, loss, and family responsibility. Jean also talks about her 32 years as a speech pathologist and teacher, life on a family farm with her husband Don, motherhood after the loss of their first child, and the faith and resilience that carried her through life's joys and sorrows.

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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Jan Wales
    May 29 2026

    Jan Wales shares memories about growing up on a South Dakota farm in a large family with strict gender roles, few modern conveniences, and a one-room schoolhouse, where chores, homemade food, and simple fun shaped daily life. She reflects on supportive grandparents, the heartbreaking loss of her father in a farm accident and meeting her husband Rick in college. Jan also shares stories from Rick's years in the Army band in Chicago and at West Point. Together, they raised four daughters in Mobridge while balancing work, sports, and family life. She reflects on Rick's sudden death on Christmas Eve and her eventual move to Dickinson to be closer to family.

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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • John Ross - Part 2
    May 22 2026

    In part 2 of my interview with John, we talk about enlisting at 18 and serving in Vietnam, where he experienced guard duty, patrols, and the realities of war - including the loss of his best friend, John Quam. He shares what it was like returning home and, years later, facing a diagnosis linked to Agent Orange. John reflects on what it's been like to walk through both - war and illness - and what's carried him through.

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    1 hr and 59 mins
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