Clarice Kumlien
Clarice Kumlien is Mother Earth personified. Every day she swims in the lake near her Willow Wood, Ohio, home and walks the nearby trail. She eats the vegetables from the potted garden on her porch and paints the flowers that grow in her soil. A health pioneer, she was doing yoga and massage therapy years before either became popular. The retired nurse and colon cancer survivor remembers a time when there wasn't a pill for everything. A time when health meant eating well, exercise and relaxation-a routine she remains loyal to today.
Nearly 10 years ago she began teaching yoga in the nursing school gym at St. Mary's Medical Center. She also teaches at Huntington Internal Medicine Group, asking for a modest $1 donation at both facilities. She is thinking of upping it to $2, even though many instructors command closer to $10. Yoga keeps her body and spirit young. "The yoga keeps me going. The people tell me how much it makes things easier in their lives, how they use the breathing in stressful situations," says Clarice, 78. "I am proud of the fact that I do yoga for the community. I save a lot of people from misery; it keeps people healthy."
Clarice has dedicated 20 years of her life to Forrest Management, a Huntington non-profit that provides affordable housing for the mentally ill. A vocal advocate who has served on the board since its inception, Clarice fights to find them decent homes in which they can manage and get assistance.
She moved to the Huntington area 32 years ago when her husband joined the Marshall University faculty. A nurse and later, massage therapist, by trade, Clarice was born to paint. "When I was young, there weren't a lot of options. What I really wanted to do was be an artist, but I thought, 'well that's not practical.' There were not a whole lot of options for women. Many got married and stayed home. It was a different time. I always wanted to paint and now I get to do it."
Her water colors depict her surroundings: fruits and vegetables, flowers in a silver pitcher and landscapes. For years she gave them away for free, but now she has annual fall art shows. This year she is vice president of the Ironton Art Club. "I love hanging my paintings in other people's houses so they're reminded of me.The fun part of being an artist is you get to see things differently.
