The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Terry Ryan tells the miraculous story of how her mother kept the family afloat by writing jingles. Mom's winning ways defied the church, her alcoholic husband, and antiquated views of housewives. Evelyn Ryan composed her jingles not in the boardroom, but at the ironing board. She won every appliance her family ever owned by entering contests. It wasn't just the winning that was miraculous; it was the timing. If a toaster died, one was sure to arrive in the mail from a forgotten contest. Graced with a rare appreciation for life's inherent hilarity, Evelyn turned every financial challenge into an opportunity for fun and profit.