Wieneke, a native of Metropolis, Ill., moved to Paducah after obtaining her degree at Murray State, and graduating from law school at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2008. She purchased her 1960s ranch-style home on West Jefferson last year and recently completed renovations. “I absolutely loved the neighborhood and the home had good solid bones, but was in need of some updating and personality,” she explained.
In addition to her passion for her law career at Whitlow, Roberts, Houston & Straub PLLC, Wieneke has a strong interest and love for design. “I love to hunt thrift shops, antique shops, and yard sales for something that speaks to me. I prefer well-loved items that come with a history and I enjoy personalizing items.”
“I chose a travel theme for my home with the color palate being colors you would find on the inside or outside of brightly- colored beach houses along the coastline. I hope when people come into my house they feel happy, energized and comfortable,” she elaborated.
Laura Schaumburg and Lisa Heine are Liz’s roommates. “It was important for me to have my new address after a change in life circumstances, but even more important for me to have a house filled with conversations, smiles, and laughter!” she added.
Her contributions to Paducah include serving as an officer and on the board of the Paducah-McCracken County Senior Citizens Center and Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center. She volunteers with United Way, Relay for Life, and the Lawyer’s CARE Program.
“My work brought me to Paducah,” said Mike Martin. “I sold an IT consulting firm in Colorado and my parents and I bought seven Aaron’s franchises.” Aaron’s is an upscale consumer leasing business with 2,000 stores nationwide, 800 of which are franchises.
With stores in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston, Mo., Madisonville, Murray, and Paducah, and Marion and Benton in Illinois, Martin could have lived elsewhere, but he settled on Paducah seven years ago.
“I moved here part time at first, but found that I preferred Paducah to the other places. Between the commitment to downtown, the arts community, and safe neighborhoods, I felt like this was a great choice. It also made sense economically,” he explained. “If there’s a downside, it’s a lack of activities for singles.”
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Martin has a 2 ½ year-old daughter, Lucia, and a brother who is a physician in Atlanta. “Being a single father is my primary focus, but I enjoy eating out with friends, traveling, cooking, Formula One racing, and Colorado football. I’ve travelled to all 50 states.”
Martin has a two-story pool home in the Fairfield neighborhood with tons of space including a state-of-the-art kitchen and a covered back porch where he enjoys spending time.
The deep yellow walls in the formal living room, foyer, and stairwell form a rich backdrop for colorful accent pieces.
Kelly Bright, 32, moved to Paducah seven years ago from Louisville and purchased her home on Jefferson Street three years later. “My house had an elderly couple living in it for over 30 years and it needed updating. It is a stable, sound two-level house with a nice back yard where just about anything will grow.”
“The kitchen re-model was fun, plus I now have two new bathrooms. I wanted it to be very welcoming, light and calming,” she added. By using blues, grays, whites, and taupes, Bright has created the cottage look she wanted.
A Western Kentucky University graduate in business and finance, Bright accepted a position with Brenntag in Calvert City, which brought her to Paducah. She is often on the road selling specialty chemicals for the company.
“When I first came here it was an adjustment and sort of hard to find a group to be involved with. Now I have great friends and I like the proximity to everything and the small town feeling.” Bright is a member of the Charity League and attends St. Francis de Sales.
These three “super citizens” are all members of the award-winning Chamber of Commerce, take advantage of gallery openings, Maiden Alley, and other community service activities, and take great pride in their homes. Living single in Paducah sounds like a winner…the older crowd agrees.
