![]() She and husband Gary were operating a pro shop at Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, California, at the time. Her relationship with Storm Bowling Products came not long after the birth of her son, Barrett. I mentioned that to Leanne as we talked and commented about her Facebook and Twitter pages, which say nothing about her unbelievable career, but instead focus on the accomplishments of others. Weber had that same quality of just making you feel at home when you were around him. When I talked with Leanne by telephone, I was reminded of the time that I spent with Dick Weber while working for AMF and utilizing him for grand openings, re-openings and exhibitions. What could have happened to her career if the PWBA had continued operations? “I’d like to think that I had a few more titles in me,” said the self-effacing Hulsenberg in a recent telephone interview. With 26 PWBA titles at age 36, when the women’s tour was abruptly cancelled, you have to wonder what might have been… Along the way she also won a United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens event, five USBC national titles (singles, doubles, team and two all-events), the PWBA Bowler of the Year on three different occasions, and the coveted U.S. In 18 years on the professional circuit, Hulsenberg amassed 26 titles before the PWBA ceased operations in 2003. She went on to record thirteen wins in just the first 5 years of her professional career. Leanne’s legendary career on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) tour began with three titles and a Rookie of the Year award in 1987. The move to Oklahoma City probably didn’t make sense to young Hulsenberg in 1983, but it afforded her an opportunity to forge new friends like Carol Norman and Gary Dickinson in the Sooner State, and advance her bowling prowess to the next level. There’s an old adage in life that states “everything happens for a reason,” or something to that effect. The bowling center has been in the news recently, as it fights for survival against a group of developers intent on making the property yet another site for luxury condos. She would continue a lifelong relationship with proprietor Mike Hillman, son of co-founder Allan Hillman, who along with Don Hillman opened the popular facility some 60 years ago. Those early years of youth bowling at the Cloverleaf Family Bowl served Hulsenberg very well. ![]() When the General Motors plant in Fremont closed down, her father chose to stay with the company and relocate the family to Oklahoma City. Wait, did I say Fremont, California? Most people associate the early years of Leanne Hulsenberg’s (nee Barrette) career to Oklahoma City, but it turns out that she developed her craft at the famous Cloverleaf Family Bowl in Fremont. Open at AMF Major League Lanes in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but the fact that she took the time to write a thank you note spoke volumes about the nineteen year old phenom from Fremont, California. She was not the winner of the Seagram’s Coolers U.S. That’s why when I received a thank you note from rookie sensation Leanne Barrette way back in 1987, I knew that greatness in bowling was etched upon her soul. Thank You Note Reveals The Moral Quality of Leanne Hulsenberg At An Early Ageįor most bowlers a thank you note to a tournament sponsor is an afterthought, and only thought about after said bowler has won the event.
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