This week’s Bridgeport City Face is Cindy Yeager Garner. Meet her and her family here:

 

Tell us about your family and how long you have lived in Bridgeport … My husband, Mark, and I moved to Bridgeport in 2000 so Mark could join his family business, Climatrol.” At the time, we just had our first daughter, Hannah, who was then 6. In 2004, we added Maddie Paige to our family! Over the years, we’ve also had many great fur babies. Jake, a black lab, and Abraham, a golden retriever, have both crossed the rainbow bridge. Now, we have 2 golden doodles, Samson and Quincy (technically, we have 4 if you count our daughter, Hannah’s, doodles, Louis and Dunkin).

 

How did you and Mark meet? He was raised here in Bridgeport. He went to college at WV Tech, which put him in my neck of the woods, Shrewsbury, WV. My mom, Betty, owned a pretty well-known restaurant in the upper Kanawha Valley known as Betty’s Diner. She was, and still is, famous for her hot dogs! I worked there on the weekends, and as fate would have it, Mark came in one Saturday looking for one of those famous hotdogs! Not only did he find them, he found me, too! Saying it was “love at first sight” sounds so corny, but it’s honestly the truth! We dated for 6 months, got engaged, then married a year later. We just celebrated our 29th anniversary on the 18th of September. I guess he really liked the hotdogs! Ha-ha!

 

What do you like about living in Bridgeport? When we moved here back in 2000, I wasn’t a very happy camper! I had left behind my mom, job, church, and the only home I’ve ever known. It took a hot minute for me to adjust, but once I did, I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love the strong sense of community Bridgeport offers. Light Up Night feels like our very own Hallmark movie!

 

What local spot do you frequently visit? On Wednesdays, you will find me at Aldi. Gotta check out those Aisle of Shame goodies!

 

What do you do? While we still lived in Charleston, I was a Human Resources manager for an HMO. When we moved here, Mark and I agreed I would take some time off to get Hannah (and myself) adjusted to our new home. That “time off” turned in to 18 years! I really settled in to the “stay-at-home-mom role.” I briefly rejoined the workforce in 2018 when I worked as a pharmacy tech at CVS, but then my mom’s health took a steady decline, so I ultimately left at the end of 2019 (right before the pandemic).

 

What are your hobbies? I love to walk, so you put me on a walking trail, I’m a happy girl! One of my favorite places is Bedford Springs. The trails are great, and the scenery is beautiful! My husband loves to golf, so I also enjoy tagging along with him as his caddy. But, without a doubt, my favorite thing to do is watch our girl, Maddie, doing what she loves, and that’s softball! From early spring through late summer, there’s a pretty good chance we will be at a field somewhere! We love it!

 

What are your goals; both short-term and long-term? My short-term goal is to make it through Maddie’s senior year without falling apart! Boy, we got here fast, and I don’t think I’m quite ready! Long-term, I’m just looking to embrace whatever comes my way and handle it with as much grace as the Lord allows.

 

What’s one of your favorite memories here in Bridgeport? When Maddie was in 4th grade, she got the opportunity to be the honorary bat girl for a fundraising event for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The event was led by previous Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver, Antonio Brown. Because of this, Maddie was on the local news, as well as Connect Bridgeport. She felt like a rock star! It was a super special experience for her, and the town was really supportive of her.

 

What are your favorite restaurants? That’s easy, El Rincon! Wonder Bar is also one of our faves! Their fried potatoes are amazing!

 

What’s on your playlist? I am pretty diverse with my music. One minute, I can be rocking to some classic Reo, and the next, living my best life at the Grand Ole’ Opry with Carrie Underwood. But, my Pandora station is almost always set on Contemporary Christian. Some of my favorites are Lauren Daigle, Casting Crowns, and MercyMe. Maddie and I just went to see Danny Gokey, Jordan Feliz, and Tasha Layton at Jewel City Church a couple weekends ago. So good!

 

What do you like to watch on TV? Mark and I are huge Yellowstone fans! Beth Dutton is my spirit animal!

 

Where would you like to travel? Scotland and Ireland are on our travel bucket list! Like I said earlier, Mark has the golfing bug in a big way, so it would be neat to see where it all began.

 

What’s your favorite place to visit? Our “happy place” is Punta Cana! We can’t seem to get enough! But, we both agree we need to change things up a bit, hence the above mentioned bucket list trip. Mark and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage next September, so that may be the perfect time to go for it!

 

What’s an interesting fact about you? I am the youngest of seven children. Some of my siblings may same I’m the bossiest, too, but I prefer the term “aggressively helpful.”