Meet Our 2024 Amazing Mama Said, Mama Said Cast

 Kristin Akin is a mom of four boys: two angels Matthew and Andrew and her two unexpected gifts William and Christopher.  Self proclaimed motto: Loved or hated but never ignored. Kristin values time with her best friends, her husband of 25 years, travel and of course the most rewarding yet difficult job of being mom. In addition, sharing her passion for her volunteer work is an absolute must.  Ultimately, Kristin enjoys laughing as much as life will allow and plans on coming back in her next life as a pilot. 

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Katie was a doer, a worker bee, fiercely independent and never sat still. She earned her Bachelor

of Science in Recreation and her work experience included childcare, business sales, and social

director for two resorts. Katie coordinated fun; personally, and professionally. Now, imagine

losing all these abilities. In 1990, Katie was a passenger in an SUV that rolled over at the age of

25. But Katie’s loss became an asset, turning her into a speaker, author, and disability educator.

Now happily married for 23 years to her soulmate and business partner Steve, together they

established Access-4-All in 1997 and have been educating and empowering people with and

without disabilities. Life is good.

 When it comes to getting the party started, you better believe it's not official until Amber Benge struts in with her energy! Known for her fiery passion, whether she's settling culture wars, dominating chili cook-offs, or crushing family members in medium stakes penny poker games, Amber's zest for life is unparalleled. From her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in Black Rose Community Theater's 1998 Annie Jr., to her eagerly awaited return to the stage (now middle aged and 25 years later), she is ready to bring the house down again in Mama Said Mama Said. She is excited to share her experiences living, laughing, and loving as the Cool Aunt (™) to many and the Best Mom (patent-pending) to Lucky, her Pomeranian. 

Rodrigo was born in Venezuela and moved to The United States 17 years ago. He is married to his wife Holly and they have two children, Lillian and Gabriel. His family is very involved in their local church where they serve. He is a Custodian in the Ferguson Florissant School District and also works as an Immigration form preparer. He is blessed to have his parents and brothers, also from Venezuela, living in his town. 

Karen grew up as an Air Force brat. She and her three siblings lived in 5 different states.  She went to 10 different schools by the time she graduated from high school.  The most exotic place her family lived was 4 years in Anchorage, Alaska.  She felt lucky that she was the oldest because she has the most memories of living there.  Karen remembers, "It was exciting living in Alaska and on "Elmendorf Air Force Base because there was so much to do.  We camped, fished, and panned for gold during the summers.  The base had free bus transportation available, so we would climb on a big blue Air Force bus and go to the sports complex down on base which included an indoor olympic sized pool.  My family was able to swim all year round. From there we moved to Charleston, SC.  No swimming all year round there!"

She moved to St. Louis with her husband who was from here. She became a middle school teacher and taught almost 30 years in the Rockwood School District. She taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math and has been retired since 2018.  

To keep busy, she loves to read and belongs to a wonderful book club.  She plays MahJong and bridge. She's an avid knitter and during the pandemic she taught herself how to knit stranded knitting which is knitting with both hands and more than just one color.  You gotta love Google! She also loves to eat out and try new restaurants. 

Karen is the proud mother of one daughter who is now living in North Carolina, so makes several trips a year to see my family there.  

She is thrilled to have been selected to participate in this year’s Mama Said Mama Said.  She has never been a writer herself, but has always enjoyed the Mama Said performances for years. She is very much looking forward to getting to know the talented people that are in the cast this year. 

  Melissa Fuoss is a proud mother to Alex and Andy, a wife to Joel (who knew he would marry her the day he saw her), and an alternative education teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. She loves the challenge of getting her high school students lost in books and writing about their truths. (And believes she learns more from her students than they learn from her.) In addition to teaching, she is the alternative program’s coordinator and serves on the Joe’s Place Board. Before she became a teacher she was a reporter/photographer for a small daily paper in Kirksville, Missouri where she literally cut, waxed, and pasted her stories on a board before they went to press. Melissa and her brother, Eric, were raised by a dad who inspired them with his love of life and by a mom who was never afraid to keep it real.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 and decided to write her way through it.  She just recently published her first book: Cancer Made Me Do It  which is now available on Amazon.  She is donating 100% of the proceeds to the incredible organization: Friends of Kids with Cancer.  You can read more of Melissa’s work on her blog. 

 Magnolia Foster Haynes, a lifelong native of St. Louis, was blessed to have been married to an outstanding man–one of the most precious and spiritual gentlemen in the world–Pastor Agron (Adrian) Haynes. It was a marriage made in heaven. Magnolia, now widowed, birthed two precious children–Melody Marlynn and Renwick Lydell, both deceased. She is grandmother to Ilana Antoinette and great grandmother to Raymond Joseph Agron, of Orlando, Florida. Magnolia worked for the St. Louis Public School system, along with public schools in St. Louis country, as a school nurse. She’s a retired pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology RN and is presently the pastor of the Church of Refuge Holiness. Magnolia is enjoying a full time ministry (loving, praying and serving in hospitals and nursing homes) and is a member of two choirs: Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Chancel Choir (Dr. Dwayne Buggs, minister of music), and the Gospel Symphonic Choir. Pastor Haynes loves to travel around God’s wonderful world, and she’s blessed, grateful and honored to be a part of the Mama Said, Mama Said show. 

Dawn Jasper is the mom of two spirited boys (ages 4 and 5) who bring a tornado of joy and mess of joy and mess

wherever they go. She's trying to master the art of managing chaos with a smile. When she's not on a 

mission to clean up the messes her kids make, you'll find her on field trips around the city with her

husband and the dynamic duo, uncovering the wonders of the world. She’s also mom to a beautiful

daughter who passed away, but her spirit lives on in the love and laughter of their home.

She works as a writer (yes, she still pinches herself in disbelief!) at a firm that designs destinations.

This is her second appearance on the show. She embraces the chance to share her story, connect with

kindred spirits, and remind us all that in this chaotic and sometimes challenging journey, we need each

other. Life may be messy, but it's undeniably beautiful.  

wherever they go. She's trying to master the art of managing chaos with a smile. When she's not on a

mission to clean up the messes her kids make, you'll find her on field trips around the city with her

husband and the dynamic duo, uncovering the wonders of the world. She’s also mom to a beautiful

daughter who passed away, but her spirit lives on in the love and laughter of their home.

She works as a writer (yes, she still pinches herself in disbelief!) at a firm that designs destinations.

This is her second appearance on the show. She embraces the chance to share her story, connect with

kindred spirits, and remind us all that in this chaotic and sometimes challenging journey, we need each

other. Life may be messy, but it's undeniably beautiful.  

Cathy Jenkins was born in Gary Indiana July 2nd, 1970 to the amazing parents of

Catherine Harvey and James Lucas. She is the youngest and only girl of 4 siblings. She attended Emerson Visual and Performing Arts High School as a dance major. She fell in

love and married Jerome Jenkins in 1990 and moved to St. Louis Missouri. They

expanded their family with 3 beautiful children. Cathay Lenae Jenkins, Micah Jenkins and Michael Jenkins. She was an

 exceptional domestic engineer.

In 2013 Cathy Jenkins opened Cathy’s Kitchen Restaurant and Diner in Ferguson, MO based upon a 2 month road trip around America. Unlike most restaurants, her menu is based on her favorite dishes from each state and soon became one of the most popular

restaurants in the St. Louis area!    
However, in 2014 Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson Policeman and the events

that would follow would forever change her life. Cathy’s Kitchen Restaurant and Diner sits 2 doors down from the Ferguson Police department and immediate protest stopped all sales to the restaurant. Cathy quickly realized her business could not operate as normal so she decided to cook all the food she had to feed the protesters. She rolled her cart up the street and fed them all for free as they stood in the bitter cold protesting the death of Michael Brown. This decision was life changing.

After the verdict the riots began and the city of Ferguson began to burn. To her surprise all those protesters she fed made a human chain around her restaurant and protected her building from getting damaged. The next day after the smoke had cleared Cathy’s Kitchen was the only restaurant that could open for business.

Her act of kindness created a new popularity in the restaurant. People came from all over the world to dine at Cathy’s Kitchen. She had lunch with Danny Glover, Harry Bellafontaine, Kevin Costner, Melissa Etheridge and The Speaker of The House “Nancy Pelosi” came to visit Cathy!

The new year brought new opportunities but also brought new challenges with the

Coronavirus Pandemic. However, Cathy is still moving forward and expanding the

business with her own product line of hot sauces and a new location opening in fall 2023. With 33 years of marriage and 3 lovely children, it's now time to grow the business with the family and she looks forward to what the future will bring!

Elizabeth is the older twin sister to herwonderful brother, Phillip. She has an amazing mother who does so much for Elizabeth and Phillip.. They have a sweet old lady pup named Gracie who insists she’s a puppy during her morning walks. She loves to run and work out.  She's working towards running her first half marathon in March. (By the time the show has aired, that box should be checked!) Elizabeth loves to read, write, and anything that has to do with being outside. 

Elizabeth is a full-time college student, pursuing her BA in English at Truman State University with hopes to teach high school English in the future. She is a Resident Advisor at Truman and also helps teach 3rd and 4th graders with reading and writing deficiencies 2 hours a week. Her proudest accomplishment so far is probably getting accepted to do this show.

 "I never would have imagined I’d be doing something like this and I’m so glad I have the opportunity to be a part of this.

I am super excited about the show because I’ve never done anything like it before and I think it will be a great opportunity to meet some really cool people."

Jen is surrounded by boys; she has two sweet sons, Jack (3) and Will (20 months) and has been married to her husband Tim for almost 5 years. (Even her dog is a boy!) In between diaper changes and nap times, she dreams of taking long, uninterrupted showers or just sitting in a quiet room, alone. In the interim, she loves to dream up house projects she can’t find the time to do and listens to audiobooks to try to drown out tears and save her sanity. Jen is a former middle school teacher but is currently staying home with her children. She can’t sit still though, so she’s started blogging, is creating her own freelance company, and is renting baby equipment for families traveling to St. Louis with a company called BabyQuip. Jen is most proud of submitting her story and putting herself out there. She believes in manifesting what you want and even had an image of Mama 

Said, Mama Said on her vision board this year. 

 Nathan Maul is a high school teacher who is originally from Alton, Illinois. As a little kid, he was raised on PBS shows like Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, so the opportunity to be part of Mama Said feels like a huge honor. Nathan has always been a lover of stories and is fascinated by the impact the world of words can have on the imagination. He has taken that love of language and storytelling and tried his best to make a life out of it. You can currently watch him on stage at the Improv Shop as a member of the musical improv team, the One Four Fives, or on other stages telling personal narrative stories. Nathan lives in St. Louis City with his wife, Erica, and their baby, Jonah. He is incredibly thankful for his whole family, including, of course, his mother.  

Linda O’Connell is a positive thinker, retired early childhood educator, and accomplished inspirational and humor writer/speaker. Linda has contributed to 36 Chicken Soup for the Soul books and many other publications.
She and her husband, Bill, have a blended family of four adult children. Nine grandchildren and three great-grandsons, ages five to thirty-four, call her Nana. Linda loves walking on the beach. She holds her life together with humor, duct tape, and dark chocolate.   Linda O’Connell, a retired early childhood teacher, writes inspirational and humorous personal essays for local, national, and international publications. She is a contributor to 36 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Linda enjoys the beach, a hearty laugh, and craves dark chocolate. She and her husband Bill (who makes her laugh every day) have a blended family of four adult children and nine grandchildren. Three great-grandsons, brothers ages five, six, and nine tickle her fancy and have given her many laugh lines.  

Rebecca Linz O'Laughlin was raised in Michigan before moving to New York as a young adult and eventually settling in St. Louis, which has been home since 2014. Rebecca and her wife Carolyn are the proud parents of two teenage boys (16 and 13). Rebecca is excited and proud to be part of the 2024 "Mama Said, Mama Said" cast!  Rebecca has a Ph.D. in French literature, which is even less practical than it sounds. She does use her French to teach classes at the local community college, tutor high school students and torture her 13-year old who is taking middle school French. But Rebecca's full-time gig is as a Student Pathways Manager at Washington University in St. Louis, where she supports students enrolled in the Continuing and Professional Studies division. 

Rebecca loves Las Vegas, annual summer trips to Ocracoke Island with family and friends, coffee, sparkling wine, reading, kayaking, hiking, and she recently (and reluctantly) started jogging. Reading, baking, and, yes, camping, are other hobbies, and you can add her as a friend on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.linz.50) or Instagram (rlinz123).

 Pete O’Shea was born in Rockaway Beach, New York on a snowy morning on February 6th, 1965. After New York, he lived for 20 years in Florida before settling into St. Louis one year ago after Hurricane Ian destroyed his home in Florida.

Pete is a professional stand up comedian and a prolific writer. He has over 3,500 bylines to his credit and his book, “Pain Was My Friend” was a best seller on Amazon back in 2015 and details his miracle healing from a horrible back injury caused by a car accident in 1984.

Pete and his wife, Pastor Shannon O’Shea have two sons, Collin, 26 and Liam 22, a daughter in love, Blake, 26 and the apples of their eyes, their grandchildren, 7 year old Levi and 4 year old Finnley.

As a family, they enjoy fishing, movies and The Beatles. He is most proud of the 75 Comedy Benefit Shows he put together in the Tampa area while he was a full time talk show host. Those shows fed people, put a roof on a church and one show, they took the money, flew to Thailand and “bought” every girl that would have been sold into sex slavery.

Pete is so looking forward to sharing his “Mom” story on the MamaSaid, MamaSaid broadcast and it’s going to be exciting to hear all of the other amazing stories.

Maureen Ragsdale is a widow, to her late and missed husband, Bobby.  A mom, to daughter, Caroline, a mother-in-law, to “son”, Tyler Brady, a very proud Mimi to two beautiful grandchildren, Maren and Gus, who have helped hone in on her negotiating skills as she states they are like negotiating with terrorists, at times. She is also a sister, the youngest and late in life child, of four, two sisters and a brother. Maureen’s paid gig is and has been her financial career for the past forty plus years. Her unpaid yet most fulfilling past time is volunteering. 

While not published Maureen has written many short stories for her grandchildren and someday will put these stories on paper. Now they reside in the minds and imaginations of Maureen, Maren and Gus, and are of the most quirky, colorful, sometimes mischievous yet very hard working mice you can ever imagine. 

Maureen is thrilled to return a second time to share a story of her family life, first with Listen to your mother and now Mama Said, Mama Said. And blessed to be working once again with her college friend, Laura Ray. 

Larry is a St Louis native and lived his first nine years in St louis. His Dad found a job in Dayton, Ohio as a high school Graphic Arts instructor in 1957.  He was a product of the Dayton Public Schools through graduating high school, and spent the next 2 1/2 years at Ohio University.  Even though Larry was in majoring in the subject that he loved -Radio and TV, school just wasn't for him. He dropped out of OU and kicked around for a few years until he was hired by a major airline. He worked his way through several layers of management and retired after 31 years.

Larry's employment afforded him, his three girls, and parents a great deal of travel and experiences.
But he does think that even though most retirees would tell you that they miss the people, that doesn't hold true with 'airline folks'. Due to the rain, sun, ice, drizzle, sleet, delays and all of the other stresses of airline travel, Larry has found retirement to be "A Beautiful Thing!"


"I am very excited to participate in ."Mama Said Mama Said", but I am totally fragged out about speaking in front of all of you."