Communiqué
Member Spotlight: Jim Grow and Linda Hilbert
< < Back toATHENS, OH – When you ask Jim Grow and Linda Hilbert of Rockbridge how long they have been married, it takes a minute for them to do the math. But they eventually answer that it’s been nearly 40 years ago. When you ask them how long they have loved public radio, the answer comes more quickly. The two knew instantly that their love of NPR and WOUB began long before they ever walked down the aisle.
“Oh yes, we were fans of public radio well before we got married,” said Grow. “We’ve been fans for a long time.”
Both Grow and Hilbert grew up in northern Ohio and moved to southeast Ohio when they went to college at Ohio University.
“We came from the flatlands, and now we love the hills,” said Grow.
Hilbert is a retired elementary school teacher. She taught first and second grades in Laurelville for 35 years. Grow is a retired Ohio EPA biologist. He retired in 2003 after 32 years on the job. Now, the two sometimes travel to visit family in northern Ohio and North Carolina, but spend most of their time at home listening to WOUB FM.
“We listen to the radio all the time,” said Grow. “We get most of our news from WOUB radio. We really like the straightforwardness of it.”
The two love to listen to Weekend Edition and eTown. Grow was a fan of Car Talk when it was on. They support WOUB because they think the service provided is very important to the region.
“We support who we believe in,” said Grow. “WOUB seems so even handed. We truly appreciate that.”