Juanita I. MAIN was born October 16, 1918 in Liberty Township of Ringgold County, the second of eleven children born to Corwin and Mabel Main. Corwin's parents, Joseph and Sarah MAIN came to Ringgold County in 1882, and Corwin rented their 160-acre farm. All of the MAIN children attended Oak Grove Country School where they graduated from the 8th grade. The three older MAIN children attended high school at Mount Ayr, where they boarded during the week and returned to the family farm on weekends. In 1934, the family fell victim to the Great Depression when they lost the farm. The family moved onto a farm located three miles from Mount Ayr. They attended the High Point Methodist Church.

Juanita graduated from Mount Ayr High School in 1936. She taught school for four years, then with the outbreak of World War II, Juanita enrolled in the Kansas City Radio and Teletype School. She was recruited by American Airlines and moved to New York City, then to Fort Worth, Texas, where she resided until 1943.

Juanita moved to Los Angeles, California where she met Robert SHAFFER who she married in 1948. The SHAFFERS operated an art, carft and hobby shop in Los Angeles for 17 years where Juanita taught arts and crafts classes. She was almost 50-years-old when she began oil painting and later porcelain painting.

Juanita was a charter member of the Colorful Sabado y Doningo Art Association in Santa Barbara, California, and is a member of the International Porcelain Art Association, the Santa Barbara Porcelain Artists Association, and the Atascadero Art Association. She resides in Atascadero, California, and has been a featured artist on several television programs and has a permanent dispaly in the City Library of Atascadero. Her works have won awards in the California Mid-States Fair and Wine Festival. Juanita has also wrote a book about her life.

SOURCE: FETTY, Jack. Rings of Gold Pp. 112-114. Palindrome Pub. Co. Iowa. 2007.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2010