Brenda Warner is a name Google turns up labels that refer to her as “the wife of an NFL legend” but she’s very much more than just that. To her fellow ex-servicemen, she’s a former US Marine Corps; to New York Times and her readers, she’s a best-selling author; to those she has helped, a beloved nurse and philanthropist; to lovers of her art, she’s a welder.
Brenda is known, mostly for traveling the country and telling her story to inspire those going through, or who had gone through similar challenges as hers. Here is everything we know about the multiskilled Brenda.
Brenda Warner is a grandmother
Brenda was born Brenda Carney Meoni in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States, on the 17th June 1967. Brenda grew up with her parents and sister on an Iowa farm. Her father worked the land for a wealthy business owner before heading to his factory job.
Due to financial constraints, Brenda enlisted for the US Marine. Immediately after high school, she left for boot camp.
Brenda has seven children. Zachary, Jesse Jo, Kade, Jada Jo, Elijah, and twins Sienna and Sierra. The 53 years old is also a grandmother of two from her daughter, Jesse Jo Stanton.
Brenda was married once before
It is no secret for those who have encountered Brenda, that she was once married. Brenda met her ex-husband when they were both serving in the US Marine.
Brenda and her ex-husband, Niel, had a son named Zachary in 1989. due to a domestic accident when he was four months old, Zachary’s left brain got damaged, and he lost his sight. A few years after, Brenda divorced Niel when she discovered he was cheating. Pregnant with the second child, Brenda took her soon, packed her things, and left for her parents’ house. Back to the struggle, Brenda survived on food stamps.
Brenda Warner met Kurt when he had nothing
After Jesse was born, Brenda attended a nursing school. One faithful day Brenda’s mother took her out, away from the stress to have some fun, and that was when she met Kurt. Kurt was just a promising football player working as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Northern Iowa and running night shifts stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls.
READ ALSO: Tess Lynch Bio
Things got serious between the two, and they married on 11th October of 1997. And Kurt adopted both her children. The couple struggled for a while living in the basement of Brenda’s parents. Eventually, Kurt joined the big league and became a star. The couple has five children together.
Brenda lost both parents the same day
It came as a shock to Brenda when her sister called about the unfortunate incident. The Meoni girls lost their parents in 1996. The Mountain View, Arkansas home, was ravaged by a tornado. Brenda was devastated by the incident, but she considered it as a test of faith from God. She said after the incident, she wasn’t happy with God for not saving, at least, one of them.
Their funeral service took place at the St. John American Lutheran Church; the lovers will return to this venue a year later to exchange their vows.
Brenda became a welder after 50
According to Brenda, she didn’t do many things when she was much younger. She was concerned about what people would or wouldn’t say about her choices. So, she played it safe and didn’t get to do most of the things she loved.
Getting ready to turn 50, Brenda felt she had to start doing more of what she loves without worrying about what people would think or say. As a lover of metal art, Brenda Googled melted steel to see how those arts were forged and found welding. That was how she found a new hobby for herself; that eventually became a business.
Image source: Forbes
