Jenni Long
Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg
Sometimes a person comes into your life, and you think to yourself, “Oh my gosh! He/she is so talented!” And then you become acquainted with the person and you are amazed about how modest the person is. In fact, the person is, sort of, matter-of-fact about his/her accomplishments. Well, this describes Jenni Long.
I have known Jenni Long for several years. And each time that I have been with her, she subtly (and modestly) says something about an accomplishment. And then I realize again (truth be told) that Jenni is a cornucopia of talent.
Jenni was born and raised in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. From the age of 10, she worked in her father’s photography studio, eventually doing the bookkeeping for the business. But at the age of 67, her father wanted to retire. So, Jenni (as the talented person she was and still is) bought the studio from her father. She eventually latched onto the photography bug and soon became a photographer, à la her father.
In order to gain more education in the subject, Jenni attended a photography school in Winona, Ind. In time, her fledgling photography business morphed into a business that did portraiture of people, pets, babies, high school photos, and weddings.
She met her first husband Bob Long in 1976. They enjoyed scuba diving so much that when they decided to retire in 2000, they moved to Hawaii to continue their hobby. As it turned out, they never did dive, but they enjoyed the ease of snorkeling.
After an earthquake happened in Hawaii, the Longs decided to look for an over-55 community on the mainland, which is how they landed in SaddleBrooke.
Unfortunately, in 2013 Bob contracted cancer and passed away in 2016. They had been married for 40 years.
Jenni is a bridge player, and in 2019 she met Grant Farquhar, who also plays bridge, at a community center bridge game. They married in 2021. Jenni has a son and a daughter, and Grant has a son and a daughter.
But wait! There is still more!
While in Hawaii, and at age 55, Jenni decided to take an art sampler watercolor course at a community center. A lover of art galleries, and perhaps because of her career as a photographer, Jenni soon found herself enthralled with the easel. Now, she does acrylic abstracts.
In addition, Jenni and Grant do their own repairs and renovations in their home, including an incredible makeover of their beautiful and winding staircase in their living room. They built a rustic rock wall on the south side of their patio, incorporating a TV opening, firepit, and built-in barbeque. They also modernized their master bath!
In her spare time, Jenni delivers Saddlebag Notes, is president of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild, and is the treasurer of Kachina. Did I mention that Jenni and Grant love to cook?