Coming from a small Southwest Missouri town, Marilyn Ruestman prides herself on being an everyday person.

Ruestman, who was raised in Noel and attended Missouri Southern, didn’t aspire to go into politics as a young girl. It was actually a twist of fate that landed Ruestman the job with U.S. Congressman Mel Hancock, which eventually led her to represent part of Joplin in Jefferson City.

In 1988, Ruestman was chairman of the Joplin Area Cham-ber of Commerce. One morning, she was to introduce Hancock at a breakfast the Chamber was putting on. Ruestman happen-ed to be running late that morning, so to save time she butted her way to the front of the food line.

“As I was edging my way in front of this gentleman, I turned around and introduced myself,” Ruestman said.

The individual looked at her, chuckled and told her he was the congressman she was cutting in line to introduce. Hancock saw something in Ruestman that morning, because he eventually asked her to be his district coordinator. This marked her frontier gig in politics.

Prior to beginning the new position, Ruestman was heavily immersed in her family’s real estate business. She said the real estate part of her career eventually “went by the wayside” after she became increasingly involved in politics. Her family still runs the business, Ruestman Construction/Real Estate Development Company.

After working with Hancock for eight years, Ruestman became wound in the political web and found herself as district director for Sen. Marvin Singleton (R-Joplin). After her job ended with Singleton, she planned to retire. Fate took a different turn, and this time it put Ruestman in the hot seat.

A new position for state representative in the Joplin area became available following the redistricting in 2002. There didn’t seem to be anybody available or willing to run for the spot.

Ruestman said several different people came to her and asked her to run.

“At first, I said no, and then I changed my mind and said yes,” she said, “and I’m very glad that I did.”

Since she won her state seat in the 2002 election, Ruestman has had to put her other activities aside. She has served on the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Soroptimist International of Joplin, Metro Exchange Club, The Boys and Girls Club of Joplin and Joplin Federated Republican Women.

“I’m devoting myself to this full time,” she said. “I have to say that there is a price to pay for doing all those things, but I do believe they are worthwhile and help our community.”

Being a female legislator wasn’t an unreachable goal to Ruestman. As a little girl, she said her parents instilled in her the belief that she could do anything she wanted.

“And I believed them,” she said. “So I hope I could pass that on – that anybody can do anything.

She said her father used to tell her to “be honest, work hard and pay your taxes, and you can be whatever you want to be.”

“I think of myself as being very normal, very every day, very one-of-the-people,” Ruestman said.

Despite the fact Ruestman is not the only female in the chamber, she still feels different.

“It still feels like a man’s world up here,” she said.

“Sometimes I look around the chamber and I think gosh, I’m a little rural girl from a small town, and I can do this and more.

“I believe I can be an example for lots of other girls and women who really want to do these things.”

She said although there are differences, the male legislators treat her with respect.

“In today’s times, I think women have the opportunity to be just about anywhere they really want to be,” she said, “but you still have to work at it just a little bit harder.”

Ruestman plans to finish her eight-year term as a representative.

As for moving on to be senator, she passes.

“This would probably be it for me,” she said.

“Being a representative suits me just fine.”